An Interesting Analysis

Lost in all the talk about torture and interrogation over the past few days was the turn that Hillary Clinton pulled, attacking W. on the way he's handled Iran, among other things.

One might think this plays right into Bush's (and therefore, the GOP's) hands, but guess again:

Clinton-Bush clash beneficial for both?

BY GLENN THRUSH AND CRAIG GORDON
NEWSDAY WASHINGTON BUREAU

February 10, 2006

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's winter offensive against President George W. Bush has provoked the expected GOP counterattack - but the conflict just might pay off handsomely for both politicians.

The two most polarizing figures in American politics are locked in a co-dependency of sorts. Their recent skirmish carries distinct advantages for both, according to allies and analysts.

Taking on Bush validates New York's junior senator as a kind of shadow president and provides fodder for her fundraising operation. Battling Clinton allows Bush to rally his conservative troops against their arch-enemy and, similarly, shake the shekels from the faithful.[....]

Clinton campaign guru Ann Lewis sent a mass e-mail to donors and supporters late yesterday. It included a New York Post clipping detailing a Wednesday White House confab between Clinton's main GOP re-election rival, former Yonkers mayor John Spencer, and an aide to Bush political adviser Karl Rove.

The missive ended with a discreet "Contributions to Friends of Hillary are not deductible for federal income tax purposes."

A person familiar with the White House meeting said Rove aide Sara Taylor met with Spencer for an hour and suggested that anything "that could defeat Hillary was good" for Bush.

Well, while I really have no choice but to vote for Hillary for Senate, and her obvious positioning towards the White House run in two years has me intrigued by the prospect of Bill/Hill finally running the country out in the open, until she finally comes out and slams Bush on the war in Iraq (even if it's halfheartedly condemning his failed prosecution of it), she really isn't taking Bush head-on.

Clinton, Hillary, Bush