As she sat in today's Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Iraq, Hillary Rodham Clinton had a dilemma. She had promised to be at a 12:30 press conference promoting a bill to fund health screenings for newborns. But as the hour approached, she still hadn't had her turn to ask her questions.
That's what you get when you're a leading presidential candidate, but you only rank 10th out of 13 Democrats on the committee.
Which would she choose? Gen. David H. Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker? Or newborn screenings?
She stuck with the hearing. And sure enough, at 12:30 – almost to the second – her turn came up.
As the cameras flashed in the Dirksen building hearing room, Clinton talked about the "very real costs" of the war: diverting resources from Afghanistan, making it harder to respond to other crises, ruining the lives of troops who are stressed and depressed from multiple deployments. She grilled Petraeus on the way he measures progress: "What conditions would have to exist for you to recommend to the president that the current strategy is not working?"
Meanwhile, over in the Russell building, the supporters of the newborn screening legislation – including Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, a former presidential rival of Clinton's, and Republican Rep. Thomas Reynolds, one of Clinton's New York colleagues – began their speeches and stalled for time.
But at 1:00 – a half hour late – Clinton kept her word, and showed up for the press conference.
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