- Daily Photo: Obama Jokes Around at G-20
- Blackwater gets replaced in Iraq
- Daily Photo: U.S. Marines Look Out for Taliban in Afghanistan
- Hillary Clinton the Tomboy and Her "Ah-Ha" Moment
- Obama Administration Sudan Envoy Headed to Region
- Daily Photo: Potential Flashpoint in Iraq
- Clinton Says New Afghanistan-Pakistan Plan Depends on Diplomacy
- Exclusive: Three Israeli Airstrikes Against Sudan
- Additional 4,000 Troops to Be Ordered to Afghanistan
- Daily Photo: Navy Submarine Trains in the Arctic
- Alarm Over North Korea Missile Prep
- Anti-Terror Stimulus? US Offers Rewards for Top Terrorists
- Daily Photo: Pakistani Women in Refugee Camp
- Condoleezza Rice Appears on "The Tonight Show"
- Diplomat and Aid Group Sound the Alarm on Darfur Camp Situation
- auto industry rescue
- Ballotwatch
- Biden, Joe
- Bush, George W.
- Clinton, Bill
- Clinton, Hillary
- Dodd, Chris
- Edwards, John
- Giuliani, Rudy
- Gravel, Mike
- Huckabee, Mike
- Hunter, Duncan
- Inauguration
- Iraq
- Kucinich, Dennis
- McCain, John
- Obama, Barack
- Palin, Sarah
- Paul, Ron
- Romney, Mitt
- Tancredo, Tom
- Thompson, Fred
- Veepstakes
- Vote 2008: Democrats
- Vote 2008: Republicans
- Washington
- White House
« Previous | Main | Next »
Clinton Returns
Email
ShareJune 24, 2008 1:56 PM
ABC's Z. Byron Wolf reports: After several weeks under the radar, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton made her first appearance on Capitol Hill since ceding the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.
She missed a morning procedural vote on the housing bill, but arrived in grand fashion for the Democrats' weekly strategy lunch, pulling up in a three car motorcade to cheers from 50 or so interns and staffers gathered on the East steps of the Capitol Building.
As a campaigner, Clinton would arrive on Capitol Hill for votes in a tan SUV with blacked out windows. But today it was a smaller, black Lincoln Town car. She did, however, have on a smart, loud turquoise or aqua pantsuit that would have looked right at home on the campaign trail.
An unintended and symbolic taunt, Clinton had to walk around the much larger, parked vice presidential caravan, with its several enormous armored limousines. Vice President Dick Cheney was on Capitol Hill for a weekly strategy session with fellow Republicans and arrived not long before Sen. Clinton.
Clinton shook hands and spoke briefly with the gathered supporters, but avoided questions from journalists asking her how it felt to be back and what her first order of business would be.
It was not entirely clear who the supporters who greeted Clinton worked for. Several who were asked for their names said they could not say who they were or where they worked and could not talk to the press, but presumably they hailed from the Senate offices of Clinton and other Democrats.
Upon entering the building, Clinton was greeted by some of her biggest supporters in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, the senior Senator from New York, and Sens. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.
Outside the building, another one of her supporters, Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, who harbored his own Presidential ambitions earlier in the '08 process, said it will obviously be a transition for the former presidential candidate to leave the excitement and adrenaline of daily campaigning.
"There's that charge that you get out of campaigning," Bayh said. "That's not going to be the same. But as you can see," he said, pointing to the staffers gathered on the Capitol steps to cheer her on, "she has an important role to play and I'm sure she'll play it well."
Bayh said he had not spoken with Clinton since she had announced her departure from the presidential race, but he was hopeful she would seize the opportunity to return to the Senate as a change-making junior Senator from New York.
"I hope we haven't gotten to the point in our country where being one of the most prominent members of the United States Senate, somehow, is not good enough," Bayh said. "You can make a bigger difference as the chief executive of the country, but you can make a heck of a difference as a United States Senator."
June 24, 2008 in Bush, George W. | Permalink | User Comments (91)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Welcome back senator Clinton, you're a strong leader and can overcome the pain easily. I'm still hoping you will be madame president in 2008 or 2012.
Posted by: Laura | Jun 24, 2008 2:12:15 PM
I look forward to seeing her and Obama campaign TOGETHER.
Posted by: TV | Jun 24, 2008 2:12:16 PM
Shame on you Barack Hussein Obama!
Posted by: Jim | Jun 24, 2008 2:13:28 PM
Yesterday's Clinton supporter, but today's new McCain supporter!
Never Obama ... Never!
Posted by: Meg | Jun 24, 2008 2:14:24 PM
I'll never vote for the racist and woman-demeaning Barry.
Go CLINTON! 2012!
Posted by: trettione | Jun 24, 2008 2:16:22 PM
To all you saying you will vote for McCain instead of Obama because she didn't win-GET OVER IT!!!!! Do you really want to explain to your kids why you voted for a war, a bad economy and a dirty environment??!! By voting McCain you are voting against Clinton and the future of our country. Real smart!
Posted by: Hippemom | Jun 24, 2008 2:19:34 PM
Hippemom - They don't get it, and they never will. You're wasting your breath. At least take solace in the fact that these people represent a minuscule sliver of her supporters as most have already migrated to Obama (according to most polls).
Remember, there are always a small group of embittered individuals that feel "disenfranchised" after every election. The big difference this year is that there is a candidate who appeals to a much wider coalition of voters than in years past, so any backlash is negligible this time around.
Posted by: Texas Voter | Jun 24, 2008 2:23:33 PM
Where's her "girl" Huma Abedin? We know where Bill is...
Posted by: zyx | Jun 24, 2008 2:25:38 PM
Um Laura...she won't be in 2008.
Posted by: marie | Jun 24, 2008 2:27:55 PM
Or 2012.
Posted by: Texas Voter | Jun 24, 2008 2:28:30 PM
So Meg. Explain your reasoning. Do you not want to see an of Clinton's policies put into place? Do you not car about women's rights or abortion rights?
Posted by: marie | Jun 24, 2008 2:29:24 PM
PUMA is going to be great for Obama. It will clearly differentiate the irrational self-defeatists from those who understand the future.
Posted by: J Robinson | Jun 24, 2008 2:31:43 PM
she will not get my vote or alot others in 2012 so you can all take that to the bank
Posted by: angie | Jun 24, 2008 2:34:22 PM
Country first, Obama never.
Posted by: Mack | Jun 24, 2008 2:35:18 PM
i liked the wonderful insight from jim
way to go buddy! shame on obama.... oh wait... why shame on obama again?
oh yea thats right if clintons name is mentioned obamas name is mentioned... i forgot
Posted by: bhrandon | Jun 24, 2008 2:36:11 PM
Save a spot for Obama, Hillary. He'll be joining you shortly.
Posted by: Mack | Jun 24, 2008 2:37:31 PM
i hope her and bill dont blow it for him
Posted by: angie | Jun 24, 2008 2:39:39 PM
Yeah...sure looking forward to Friday when Obama/Clinton campaign together. It's going to be quite something to hear her say nice things about Obama. Oh....how times change!
Posted by: Jan | Jun 24, 2008 2:40:47 PM
By Hillary going on the campaign trail with Obama she can show how strong she really is.She can expand her stated committment to the country and make it beleivable to those who thought she was in it for self fulfillment.If she focuses on the policy that Obama brings and expresses the importance and deflects the attacks that come to him she could transcend her own presidential bid.Evertime I see Biden or Kerry standing up to the republican machine I feel invigorated.We have lions in the dem party.Lets hear the lioness roar!
Go Hillary!
Hillary, Hillary, Hillary
Obama '08
Posted by: TV | Jun 24, 2008 2:47:08 PM
I still hope Obama will get out.
Posted by: golfgirlusa | Jun 24, 2008 2:47:57 PM
Post a comment
