Dan Rather Touts Hillary for President
NewsMax.com 2/7/02 Carl Limbacher
"CBS Evening News" anchorman Dan Rather predicted Thursday morning
that New York Sen. Hillary Clinton could win the Democratic Party's presidential
nomination in 2004 if former Vice President Al Gore decides not to run, explaining
that no one else in the party could generate enough enthusiasm to mount a
credible challenge to President Bush.
"If not Gore, then who else for the Democrats?," Rather told radioman
Don Imus. "Who could develop a national name, a core of people who are
willing to work for you and people who are willing to give money for you?
If Hillary Clinton were prepared to run this next time around, she might be
such a person."
But, cautioned Rather, "There's an awful lot of talk around Washington, not just Tim Russert but others, that concludes that, 'Well, what Hillary wants to do is lay out one year and then run in '08 rather than '04."
Rather's plug for Hillary didn't sit too well with Imus, who replied, "It doesn't help matters that most people hate her."
The CBS News anchor's comments follows a wave of negative reaction to Gore's political reemergence last weekend. While Gore remains popular with party faithful, Washington insiders who still love the Clintons were not impressed with the speech he gave to an audience of Tennessee Democrats on Saturday.
Reacting to Gore's address, Louisiana Sen. John Breaux told the New York Times, "It's a whole new scenario right now. You have to be likable before they can vote for you."
Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin sounded equally pessimistic about a second Gore run. "It would be harder for him because he's not the sitting vice president."
Last summer Democratic Senate Majority Whip Harry Reid, a close congressional ally of Mrs. Clinton's, told CNN that Gore should "Cool it!" when it comes to thinking about another White House bid.
Mr. Rather said that Democrats might back Gore if Bush's popularity is still sky high, a move that would allow him one last shot at the White House then leave the decks clear for Mrs. Clinton four years later.
"I can hear people groaning in the audience, 'You don't mean to tell me this guy's gonna run again,'" he told Imus. "Well, I'm not saying that but I am saying there's a pretty good chance that (Gore) could seek the Democratic nomination this next time and get it."
"A lot will depend on how President Bush is perceived when we get closer to the next presidential election," Rather continued. "If he's riding anywhere near as high as he is now.... then the Democrats may shrug their shoulders and say, 'Listen, it's a losing proposition so let Al go out there again."
The anchorman then offered a tortured explanation of why he still believes Mrs. Clinton's husband is an honest man, an observation that landed him in some hot water when he made it to Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly last year.
"In the interview (O'Reilly) was trying to get me to say that I didn't think Bill Clinton was an honest man," Rather told Imus. "I made it very clear, look, he lied. He lied when he shouldn't have lied. He lied and tried to cover it up.
"My point to Bill, and I have no apology for it; it's the rare person - and Bill may be that person - but it's the rare person who can say, you know, 'Never in my life have I ever told a lie. Particularly, I've never told a lie when, you know, my whole career might rest on it."
Rather continued:
"Now, there are plenty of people who will argue with it but I think the fact that someone has told a lie, even a big lie or maybe several big lies over a lifetime, does not mean that they're inherently a dishonest person."
Then the CBS newsman restated his opinion that Clinton is honest.
"But, you know, this may mark me as one of those people - I believe in redemption and that, Bill Clinton - is he an honest person? I think he is an honest person. Did he lie? Yes, he lied and on those occasions he was dishonest."
The CBS News anchor then criticized O'Reilly for being too hard on the former first perjurer.
"People like O'Reilly, they're never gonna say anything good about Bill Clinton. And anybody who says anything good about him is gonna be castigated by them. And maybe that's fair enough.
"My own view is that is that, though I'm a reporter and I try to
report deep down the middle, I try to allow for, you know, human mistakes.
And from Richard Nixon right on through Bill Clinton, you know, politicians
at the top when they make mistakes they pay big prices and they should pay
big prices. And so that's sort of the context in which that was said."
HENCH adds: Personally, I think it's going to be John Edwards from NC, but if she runs, she'll win. Why? Two words: VOTE FRAUD.
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