The Clinton Stench

This post is about something that just doesn't smell right, and no we're not talking about the stench only certain noses could smell.

Mayor Sam is a little dubious about left wing criticism of presumed Democratic Presidential candidate Hilary Clinton. First off, we have U2 upset that Hilary and other Democratic politicians are buying tickets to the band's concerts and auctioning them off to big bucks donors. The other issue concerns anti-war activists protesting a recent Los Angeles fundraising appearance by Hilary herself. The protestors showed up to the Hancock Park home of "Friends" creator Marta Kaufman, who was hosting an event for Clinton.

Along with Hilary's recent stance against illegal immigration, it leads me to be a bit cynical. Could these be orchestrated attempts to distance Hilary from the extreme left? In order to avoid the fate of Al Gore or John Kerry, to capture the White House, Hilary has to gain at least some of the Southern states her husband won in his elections. By positioning herself as more of a centrist and backing away from her liberal roots, Hilary has the chance to earn some Southern votes. Yes, she runs the risk of alienating some liberals, but come on - where are they going to go? Particularly if her Republican opponent is Senate President Pro Tem Bill Frist, or even Newt Gingrich. The one problem the strategy presents is earning the Democratic nomination. Hilary is definitely the front runner, will have the cash and ground forces necessary, has a boatload of political favors owed her and her husband, AND has the cache of being the first possible female President. Nonetheless, if the war is still raging and Hilary - among others - is perceived as not having stood up to the Bush Administration, it does leave an opening for a Howard Dean or Dennis Kucinich to fire up the liberal troops. It could be McCarthy-Humphrey all over again.