College Republicans Thank Mrs. Clinton

Somehow, I doubt she'll appreciate the thanks.

As if Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton didn't have enough problems with sagging support among Democratic presidential-primary voters, now she's the darling of College Republicans, who are praising the New York senator for backing President Bush's war policy in Iraq.

When Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana arrives to headline a $500-a-plate fundraiser for the former first lady today in Warwick, R.I., his motorcade will be greeted by student activists from six campus chapters of the College Republican Federation of Rhode Island (CRFRI).

Students will display "signs and banners ... to thank [Mrs. Clinton] for voting for the war in Iraq and for pledging to continue the presence of troops to fight al Qaeda in Iraq if she is elected president," CRFRI said in a press release pointing out that young Hillary Rodham was president of the College Republicans at Wellesley during the 1960s.

"From one former College Republican chapter president to another," CRFRI Chairman Ryan Bilodeau said in a remarkably straight-faced statement, "I would like to welcome presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign to Rhode Island and thank her not only for the vote she cast in 2002 that authorized the war in Iraq, but also for her recent commitment to keep combat troops in Iraq to fight al Qaeda if she is elected president next year."

Meanwhile, desperate to milk Friday's hostage crisis in New Hampshire, The Pantsuit claims to have volunteered to negotiate with crackpot Leeland Eisenberg.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton volunteered to personally negotiate with the crackpot who took over one of her New Hampshire campaign offices, she revealed yesterday. Clinton offered to speak directly to suspect Leeland Eisenberg, 46, in the hours he was holed up with hostages he took at her Rochester headquarters on Friday, she said.

Why do I not believe this for a second?