Senator Hillary Clinton lies bare her aspirations

New York, Jan 22: Sen Hillary Rodham Clinton, in her firstpublic appearance since joining the 2008 White House race, has said shewanted to become US president because she was ''worried about thefuture of our country.''

The former first lady, appearing at a healthclinic in Manhattan to promote expanded health insurance for childrenyesterday, faced a mob of journalists eager to quiz her on her historiccampaign to be the first female US president.

Clinton, 59, announced her widely anticipated bid to seek theDemocratic Party's presidential nomination on Saturday with a statementon her Web site declaring: ''I'm in. And I'm in to win.'' ''I'm worriedabout the future of our country, and I want to help put it back on theright course so that we can work together to meet the challenges thatconfront us at home and abroad,'' she said.

''I am best-positioned to be able to do that, and that's why I'm running,'' Clinton added.

The second-term US senator from New York leads a pool ofDemocratic hopefuls, including Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who isexpected to be her main competitor within the party and whose bid couldmake him the first black president.

Also yesterday, Democratic Gov Bill Richardson of New Mexicoannounced he was seeking the party's nomination. He would be the firstHispanic US president.

''It will be a great contest with a lot of talented people,''Clinton said of the race for the nomination. ''I'm very confident.''Clinton, the wife of former President Bill Clinton, held a large leadin the Democratic race in a Washington Post-ABC News poll taken lastweek before she announced her candidacy. She was the favorite of 41 percent of Democrats polled, more than double the 17 per cent,second-place rating scored by Obama.

Clinton made history with her bid for the US Senate in New York in2000, becoming the first former first lady to win one of the mostpowerful political jobs in the United States.

'Thorough Review'

Supporters and detractors alike have believedfor years that Clinton had White House ambitions, and she said sinceher re-election to a second US Senate term in November she had made a''thorough review'' of the problems facing the nation and ''theparticular strengths and talents that I would bring both to the raceand to the White House.'' She said she chose to run ''based on the workof my lifetime and my experience and my understanding of what ourcountry has to confront in order to continue to make opportunityavailable to all of our citizens here and to restore our leadership andrespect for America around the world.'' Her campaign will enjoy thepolitical benefits of her husband who, despite his scandal-hitpresidency, is enormously popular and is a powerful fund-raiser.

Asked what role he and daughter Chelsea would play in the race,she said, ''They're my greatest support system, my greatest advisersand they'll continue to do that.'' Clinton took the first step towardbecoming a candidate on Saturday by announcing plans for a presidentialexploratory committee, which allows her to raise money and hire staff.

Yesterday, Clinton said she backed expansion of a governmentprogram to provide health-care coverage to children in low- andmiddle-income families.

The issue has long been a favorite of the former first lady, whoseefforts at spearheading health-care reform during her husband's firstpresidential term floundered in Congress.

Clinton said she planned to campaign for health insurance for children and universal health care for Americans.

Reuters>