Kowabunga

Newsmax has the following article on Hillary's plans for her 2006 re-election bid.

The fund-raising chairwoman of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton's 2006 re-election campaign said Friday that Clinton shouldn't have to pledge to serve out a second full six-year term, leaving the door open for a White House run in 2008.

"I want to be very honest with you," campaign chairwoman Ann Lewis told ABC Radio's Sean Hannity. "Professionally, this is all about 2006. But if you ask me personally, I don't think Hillary Clinton should be held to a higher double standard, different from people like George Bush - who also ran for re-election in 1998, then went on to a national campaign."

Okay, Lewis has a point, Hillary should not be tied down to a Senate seat that she is elected to, when it is common for someone who is elected to an office to run for a different office while in the middle of their current term. Look at Kerry and Edwards, skipping out on their Senate commitment, to represent the People of their respective states in order to campaign for the Presidency. At least Dole, in his run back in 1996, stepped down from the Senate in order ot campaign.

Although President Bush did not step down as Governor of Texas when he ran for the Presidency in 2000, I don't believe he shirked his duties to the State of Texas.

In 2000, not only did Joe Lieberman not resign from the Senate, he campaigned for his re-election to the Senate, just in case Gore failed to be elected President. Now that's hedging your bets.

This is not to say that I advocate vacating an existing office before running for a higher office; I believe a good leader can balance the needs of both. However, if Hillary (or any candidate) makes a pledge not to run for a higher office as part of their campaign, they should keep that pledge. Such campaign pledges should be kept, as that is one of the things that people use to determine who they want to vote for.

It's like changing party affiliations after winning an election for a Partisan office (local offices are non-partisan, so there is no party affilitaion at those levels).

Senator Clinton will definitely need some watching in her 2006 re-election bid. If she makes a pledge to not run for the Presidency in 2008 as part of her campaign, then breaks it, she will prove to the world she lacks the integrity to lead this country.