Hillary Talks It Over
Hillary Rodham Clinton continued to explore a possible run for the U.S. Senate from New York in 2000, meeting with a number of area Democratic leaders Wednesday, reports CBS White House Correspondent Bill Plante.
The first lady, who has said she is giving "careful thought" to her first run for political office, met with New York Sen. Charles Schumer and New York Rep. Nita Lowey, who is considering her own run for the seat.
"Should she decide not to run, I'll be ready," Lowey said.
Mrs. Clinton also met with Sen. Robert Torricelli, head of the Democrats senatorial campaign, whose comment six weeks ago started the "Hillary for Senate" boom.
"I wanted her to know how much Democrats in the United States Senate would welcome her candidacy," Torricelli said.
New York City Mayor and likely Republican senatorial candidate Rudy Giuliani was also in town Wednesday. He did not see the first lady, but he, too, thinks she should run.
"Having her in an election contest has a lot of excitement and emotion and makes it easy to raise money," Giuliani said.
New York Democrats are excited about the possibility of having Mrs. Clinton run for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan. The first lady met with Moynihan last week.
Harold Ickes, a former aide to President Clinton and a longtime New York political hand, attended some of Wednesday's meetings.
All these meetings do not mean a decision is near though, say the first lady's advisers.
Mrs. Clinton will likely talk with hundreds of people before she makes her decision.
Expectations should be heightened next week when Mrs/ Clinton is scheduled to visit New York for an appearance at a women's leadership forum and other events.
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