http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051221/pl_nm/...DMzBHNlYwM3MDM-

NY Republican drops campaign against Sen. Clinton

By Ellen Wulfhorst

New York Republican Jeanine Pirro abandoned her ailing campaign to challenge U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton on Wednesday under growing pressure from fellow Republicans.

With little money and dismal opinion poll ratings, Pirro issued a statement saying her legal background would make her a better candidate for state Attorney General than for U.S. Senate.

"I have concluded that my head and my heart remain in law enforcement, and that my public service should continue to be in that arena," she said.

Pirro, the district attorney in suburban Westchester County, New York, has faced a growing chorus of calls to drop out by state Republicans. Her decision has been widely expected for weeks.

Her campaign got off to a bumpy start in August when she misplaced a page of her announcement speech and stood, silent and visibly uncomfortable, for more than 32 seconds in front of scores of reporters and television cameras.

Her fund-raising efforts were bleak. Pirro raised less than $400,000 through September, compared with Clinton's nearly $14 million. Clinton also has been mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential contender in 2008.

Polls showed Pirro had such an uphill battle against the Democratic former first lady that one survey had her trailing by 32 points.

Although nearly any Republican running against Clinton for U.S. Senate may be seen as a political sacrificial lamb, analysts said the Pirro campaign was particularly poorly handled.

"This is really a comedy of errors and missteps for the candidate, the party, the consultants, everybody," said Douglas Muzzio, professor of public affairs at Baruch College at The City University of New York. "Everybody wants an opponent like these guys."

Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf said: "It shows a Republican Party in New York state in disarray and a clear trend that they will not be able to defeat Sen. Clinton."

Other possible Republican candidates waiting in the wings include attorney Edward Cox, the son-in-law of the late President Richard Nixon, who withdrew from the race for the Republican nomination in October, and former Yonkers, New York, Mayor John Spencer.

One political problem for Pirro, who frequently appears on national talk shows and was listed by People Magazine in 1997 as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world, was her marriage. Albert Pirro fathered an out-of-wedlock child and served 11 months in federal prison for tax fraud.

A backer of abortion and gay rights, Pirro also had trouble winning support from conservatives.

Pirro said she would formally announce her candidacy for state Attorney General in January. The current Attorney General, Democrat Eliot Spitzer, is eyeing the job of governor.

They want Hillary to win because they know if she runs for President she will lose.

Does this mean Hillary will be running for the Senate unopposed?

I'll challenge her. B)

:lol:

As far as I can remember, not counting scandals or deaths,
TWO of HIllary's challangers in 2000 and 2006 now have quit, rather than run against her.

In 2000 race, Rudy Giuliani hightailed it away from the race (he did not wish to run in the first place and would have lost bigtime, used his illness as excuse, but it would not have had to stop him)
and now Piro.

She is just too strong, as all the other democrats will find out in 2008, unless, our wish comes true and Al Gore gets in the race, very, very soon.

I am having my doubts though.
I give Al until Summer 2006. If he is not in it by then, I just don't see it. Once Hillary and everyone else enters it is too late for him. He needs to do it early. I cannot stress how important it would be for him to be in the race before Hillary, and without it being a 2006 distraction.

At least some major sign that he is running is needed by then. After it will be too late to tie up the money people needed to secure victory.

I just don't know anymore. I was more sure he would do it a few months back.
I really think Hillary is going to be unstoppable for the nomination in the Dem. party. (what happens after that is up to who the Repb. is, and if there is 3rd. party religious right challange.) IMHO as always.

My Christmas wish is for Al to just go ahead and do it.

I don't think, if Hillary IS going to announce a run for the White House, that she can do so immediately after winning re-election to the Senate. I mean, how would that look? She'd be seen as using the Senate race purely as a springboard to the White House, and I don't think she can afford flak like that. I think she'd have to wait at least a few months before announcing, if not longer. Maybe I'm wrong about that. What does anyone else think?

In any case, if that perception is correct, then Al has a bit more time to jump in than we've been saying. I agree he shouldn't wait too long, and he also shouldn't wait until after everyone else (even forgetting Hillary) has announced, but maybe it doesn't have to be immediately after the mid-term election.