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 ew York Post
gossip writer Cindy Adams's trademarked
tagline is: "Only in New York, kids, only in New York."
Can there truly be a more appropriate place for the Clinton soap
opera to partly retire to than the Big Apple and the Empire State?
Consider, Bill is, for all intents and purposes, on the run (subject
of a sympathetic front-page New York Times profile Thursday
about how tough it is for the former president, forced to "stand
alone" without the perks and the power. Of course, problems aside,
he still manages to get the front page. And he still has the title,
"former president."
Meanwhile, the Drudge
Report blares, "New York newspaper calls on Hillary to resign!"
Surprise, it's not the New York Post. Instead, it is the
peach-colored pillar of the Upper West Side, the New York Observer.
Admittedly, the Observer has never been a fan of Hillary.
Still, it's somewhat amazing that the West Side liberals have bailed
on the once-First Lady, barely a month into her first term as senator.
It just goes to show how much the well-off feel tainted by the presence
of the Clintons in town. Frankly, this time around, not even the
Clintons are doing scandal well. At least, when they were in Washington,
they had the good sense to let sex be the lead. But, this mess?
Especially putting responsibility on Israel for pressuring Clinton
to let Rich off? This just isn't done.
Between husband Bill, brothers Hugh and Tony and, yes, even colleague
Chuck, Hillary Clinton's troubles can be summed up by paraphrasing
Mae West: It's not the life in her men; it's the men in her life.
This has become the classic cautionary tale of being careful what
you wish for, because you just might get it. Consider, the conventional
wisdom was that Hillary Rodham Clinton would come swirling into
the Senate like a hurricane.
| “This
time around, not even the Clintons are doing scandal well.” |
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Republicans
and Democrats alike would have been forced to get out of her way.
Most humbled by her entrance would be her fellow New York Democrat,
Senator Charles Schumer.
Schumer is the senior senator from the Empire State, having gained
that designation from his defeat of Al D'Amato in 1998. Hillary's
"star" quality--especially taking the esteemed Daniel Patrick Moynihan's
seat — was expected to eclipse Schumer. A funny thing happened
on the way to the Senate forum. Schumer has not been eclipsed. Far
from it.
The state's senior senator demonstrates on a weekly basis, you can
get the press to show up for a pet project. Schumer has decided
that the energy crisis will be what he is known for. To give the
man credit, he has been talking about energy woes in New York since
last fall. Is he signing onto Frank Murkowski (R., Alaska)'s bill
opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve? Dream on. He has,
however, co-signed a bill with Phil Gramm (R., Tex.) to help repeal
Depression-era rules concerning electricity and gas-distribution
networks.
The pardon mess has given Schumer an even greater opportunity to
shine. He has been one of the most relentless Democrats in attacking
Bill Clinton's pardon of Marc Rich. This is a two-fer for Schumer
who it is said of that the most dangerous place to stand is between
him and a camera. In fact, one of his favorite public-relations
gimmicks is to schedule press conferences on Sundays. This tends
to assure him of getting prime space in the often-light Monday newspapers.
Schumer can now get free media, while bashing Bill Clinton —
and indirectly diminishing Hillary.
The great irony is that Hillary and Bill Clinton both have exactly
what the other needs but can't make use. Bill still has his charisma.
It's there on display when he visits Harlem, even when he goes to
speak at Oracle or even Morgan Stanley for that matter.
Conservatives might be disgusted with him — half the country
is tired of him — but he still fascinates. The media is obsessed
with Clinton not just for ideological reasons: He's good for ratings
too. Fox News President Roger Ailes wasn't kidding back in the fall
when he said that he would give Clinton a TV show in a heartbeat.
Conservatives would tune in just to scream at the boob (tube). But
Clinton unfortunately doesn't have a reliable forum to use his charisma
right now. He's not in elective office and he can't summon the press
corps to broadcast an Ed Koch "How'm I doing" moment. The answer,
as Smithers might say dotingly to Montgomery Burns: "Not too well,
sir." But, there's another picture out there. A Marist poll last
week found that about 50 percent of New York City residents would
like to see Clinton run for mayor. Is there anyone who seriously
doubts that he wouldn't win? Besides, following a married mayor
who has a "very good friend," it's not as if Clinton would stand
out too much.
Meanwhile, Hillary has a platform, the newly elected senator from
the third most populated state, but can't do anything with it. She
doesn't have her husband's charisma that allows her to circumvent
her political problems. In certain ways, she is like Al Gore who
found all of Clinton's scandals sticking to him.
When she calls a press conference as she did Thursday to announce
her plan to help out the upstate New York economy — Ho-hum!!
Senator Clinton, what about your other brother, Tony Rodham, chiming
in to request a pardon? Hillary gamely defends Tony because he didn't
take money, unlike mercenary Hugh's $400,000. But, still Hillary's
"message" gets crowded out.
For what it's worth, it's just as well, considering that her bill
— based on an Andrew Cuomo-initiated HUD study of a few years
ago — is pretty bogus. For one thing, it seriously understates
how the upstate economy is doing. It also overstates how many jobs
that could be created. Think of the Clintonian logic of 100,000
new cops on the beat and you'll get an idea where this bill is coming
from.
A paper calls for Hillary to resign — while one poll suggests
that Bill could be the next mayor if he wants.
Only in…well, you know the rest…
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