Sen. Clinton: Newspapers Should Press Bush for Info

Sen. Clinton: Newspapers Should Press Bush for Info
By Greg Mitchell - Editors and Publishers
Published: April 20, 2004

WASHINGTON Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) told newspapers editors gathered here this afternoon that they had to be "more vigilant" and act with "more tenacity" to combat the failures of the Bush administration to provide "vital information" to the public.

Interviewed by Marvin Kalb on the opening day of the annual American Society of Newspaper Editors convention, Sen. Clinton said: "It's difficult for editors and publishers here to get to the bottom of stories. This administration, to an extent I haven't seen before, tells the press to go away -- and they do, like most people do when told that more than once. ... Many in this administration are quite expert at saying nothing despite your best efforts to get them to say something."

She reminded the editors that "so much is at stake now and the public needs more information." She also warned that "the echo chamber of talk radio can drown out a three-part series any of you write."

For the most part, however, the one-hour interview (taped for C-SPAN and other outlets) focused on policy questions, ranging from Iraq to health care and the 2004 presidential race. Pressed by editors in a Q&A segment, Clinton once again ruled out running for vice president this year and would not admit she was even looking down the road at the race for president.

A large portion of the chat focussed on revelations in Bob Woodward's new book. Clinton said she didn't believe "the Republican leadership will launch an investigation" into some of the allegations in the book.

Asked if she regretted voting in the Senate for the president's war resolution, Clinton said, "I don't regret the vote. I regret how the president used that authority." She said Bush had made "stunning mistakes," and called it "insulting that Osama bin Laden is still around to taunt us."

Concerning the plan to go ahead with the June 30th transfer of power in Iraq, she alleged that Bush was "playing it by ear, an ad hoc effort to make the best of a bad situation."

Asked by Kalb if John Kerry could beat Bush in November, she said "he will," putting his odds at "better than 50/50." But asked what that was based on, she said, "Based on hope." After a round of laughter from the audience, she added, "And an abiding faith and respect for the good sense of the American electorate."

Asked by an editor in the packed ballroom at the J.W. Marriott hotel if Kerry, unlike Al Gore, will make her husband, former President Bill Clinton, a strong part of his campaign, she replied, "He has and he will."