Did Clinton Make Same Strategy Error Rudy Made In Campaign?

About a year ago, U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani were miles ahead of all the other presidential hopefuls seeking their parties' nominations for the November 2008 election.

Both had double- and even triple-digit leads in all the major national polls and were eagerly awaiting the primary elections that would confirm the poll results and hand them the nominations.

However, in Giuliani's case, he miscalculated. His strategy to swoop in and nail down the nomination on Super Tuesday backfired and his candidacy was over before a single ballot was cast that day.

Clinton fared much better than her one-time Republican rival and came out of Super Tuesday with a slight lead in delegates over her lone surviving Democratic rival, U.S. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.

But at that juncture in the campaign, Clinton appears to have made the same error Giuliani did. She decided to skip several small-state, small-delegate primaries that came on the heels of Super Tuesday and instead saved her financial resources and energies for the major battles to come in the larger states with larger numbers of delegates.

That strategy backfired, however, as

Obama went on a roll, swept up

eight straight primaries or caucuses,

took away the lead in

delegates that Clinton

had after Super Tuesday,

overtook her in the national

polls and has momentum

going as he and Clinton get

ready for the rest of the campaign.

Having lost those eight straight primaries to Obama since Super Tuesday, Clinton yesterday faced a crucial task against Obama in Wisconsin, where 92 delegates were up for grabs.

The real urgency for Clinton to win arises from the fact that another loss could have a disastrous effect on her chance to score a major victory two weeks from today on Tuesday, March 4, when she and Obama will face off in Texas for that state's 228 delegates and Ohio, where 161 delegates are the prize.

The Gazette went to press last night before the results were in from Wisconsin, so we await the outcome with great interest. A victory for Obama will add considerable speed to his bandwagon as it rolls toward Texas and Ohio.

Clinton needs a victory in Wisconsin to give her a chance to revive her campaign in Texas and Ohio.

CROWLEY CONDEMNS SLUR AGAINST PUERTO RICANS: Reacting to a comment made by Congressmember Ginny Brown- Waite (R- Florida) that Puerto Rican residents are "foreign citizens" and do not deserve any rebate checks under the recently approved economic stimulus plan, Congressmember Joseph Crowley said he was "shocked and disappointed" because "In fact, they are as American as her or me."

Crowley (D- Queens/The Bronx) noted, "According to the Pentagon, as of this weekend, 38 Americans from Puerto Rico were killed serving our country in Iraq or Afghanistan. Are these fallen heroes and their families the "foreign citizens" Ms. Brown-Waite dismisses in her comments? I cannot imagine so, which is why the Congresswoman should immediately apologize for her comments. "The House Republican Leader, John Boehner, should also call on Congressmember Brown- Waite to retract her remarks because the comments were beneath the dignity of the House of Representatives."

AUDIT OF CON ED 'LONG TIME COMING': Commenting on the state Public Service Commission's (PSC) announcement that it is going to do an audit of Con Edison, Assemblymember Michael Gianaris snapped: "It's been a long time coming. If these audits were taking place more regularly, as they should have been, who knows how many of the recent Con Edison disasters could have been avoided?"

Gianaris (D- Astoria), a frequent critic of the giant utility, said the PSC is supposed to do these audits every five years, but hasn't done so in more than five years. For this reason, Gianaris proposed a bill which would mandate annual audits of Con Ed and would require independent reports to be delivered to the governor and state legislature.

LANCMAN OPPOSES SCHOOL CUTS: Angered by state and city cuts to the education budget that amount to $700 million, Assemblymember Rory Lancman (D- Flushing) joined with 40 other lawmakers and about 60 community groups at a City Hall rally denouncing the cuts.

Lancman declared, "These cuts break a promise the state and New York City made to our children in last year's state and city budgets- the promise of a fully funded school system that every single child can reach his and her potential."

The Fresh Meadows lawmaker said the city has imposed a 1.75 percent, $100 million midyear reduction that will disrupt school programs, schedules and staffing, while Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed 2009 budget reduces the schools' allotment by $324 million.

Governor Eliot Spitzer's proposed 2009 budget cuts the education budget by another $200 million, which was promised last year, Lancman said.

The rally at City Hall launched an effort to have the cuts rescinded. Among others present were UFT President Randi Weingarten and other education advocacy organization officials.

SEEKS CITY COUNCIL SEAT: Frank P. Gulluscio, Ozone Park/Howard Beach Democratic District Leader and head of the South Queens Democratic Club, recently announced his candidacy for the City Council 32d District seat that will be vacated at the end of 2009 by Councilmember Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. because of term limits.

Following the announcement, Gulluscio was endorsed for the post by Addabbo and the Democratic club. Gulluscio, a retired educator and businessman, has been serving on Addabbo's council staff and has also served as Community Board 6 district manager.

Addabbo has announced that he will run this year for the state senate seat presently held by Senator Serphin Maltese (R- C, Middle Village).

MONSERRATE CUTS RIBBON: Councilmember Hiram Monserrate (D- Corona) joined recently with Linda and Gregory Coles in the opening ceremonies of the A Child's Place Annex, a pre-school addition to A Child's Place day care facility in Corona/East Elmhurst. Monserrate said the new facility, a bilingual learning center, will accept ACD, HRA and BEGINS voucher subsidies available to assist children in low-income families for enrollment in pre-schools.

A Child's Place Annex will carry on the 25- year tradition of providing East Elmhurst and Corona children with a loving, safe environment in which to learn and grow," Monserrate stated.