The speech she will never give....

"My fellow Americans. I stand before you in humility, transparency and candor, asking for your support as the candidate for the party of my choice, the party of my husband -President Clinton-, and the party that I believe is the first best solution for the future of this country,.. my country, ... your country. This party is the Democratic Party.

In the past few weeks, I have been thinking about many things that are the talk of the moment; the obvious current events of corruption in both -yes both- parties, the ongoing turmoils of the war in Iraq, -a war which I supported and voted for-, and a war I am seriously questioning now..., and the many things that concern both my constituency in the great state of New York and my fellow citizens across the land. After this speech, you will hear much about its content in the media and there is a very good likelihood that I will be chastised even amongst my own partisan associates. So be it. I hope to be judged by the body and spirit of my words and not by the cherry-picking of the content.

Let me speak plainly and simply. I want to be President of the United States. I know and believe that I am qualified, fit and prepared to both care for the highest office of our nation, and represent what is best of us to the rest of the world. I believe time and fate puts us all at a crossroads where we must choose a direction, and have to choose wisely. I am choosing to lead my country during one of the most difficult periods of our nation's history. But what makes me the best candidate?... I mean really... who am I?... Do you know me? Besides the stories in the media, my well-documented public life, my 6-year record in the Senate.... do you know who I am? I have concluded that for the most part, you don't. I believe what you know is the tip of the proverbial Iceberg, and forgive the cold analogy -for I believe I have a warm heart and a giving soul-, but no other metaphor can so clearly express how I feel in regards to the public knowledge of who I am. I have recently come to conclude that the days of public officials telling just enough of who we are, -just to get elected-, are over. I believe that if I want to serve and have the trust of you, -my fellow Americans-, that there can be no area of consequence -directly or indirectly- than cannot be put in light for examination and judgment of my fitness to Govern.

In the next few months I will embark in the most comprehensive public "question and answer" sessions that any politician in my era has dared in venturing. Not because I am brave, .... believe me, regular citizens and other persons have a way of vectoring a question in a more pointed and direct way than any media member can contrive; and the idea of once more opening my closet for all eyes to see,.. well, you cannot imagine the anxiety that causes in me, not to mention my family. But it has to be done. My goal is to answer questions, ... to clarity mis-conceptions,... to finally put to rest mis-quotes or quotes out of context,... and even to bring closure to matters that my seem hypocritical in the public record of my quotes. If I made a mistake, I will correct it. If I mis-spoke, then hopefully my earnest try to come clean can go a long way in my rehabilitation in your eyes. In the meantime, let me start right here, right now. First my flaws and mistakes.

Throughout my life, I've been forceful in guarding those closest to me, .. more specifically my husband and daughter; and this trait of mine has led me to situations of over reaction. Let me give you a few examples,... if I may. The "vast right wing conspiracy" statement during a difficult time was probably said in anger, calculation for political gain.... heck, fill in the blank. Today I know a little different of course,.... there are right wing and left wing persons of good heart and well-meaning ways all over the country. For me to lump everybody into a little hole was a lashing out due to embarrassment and frustration. At the time I had no idea of the totality of the truth around me... around the administration, around my family, and particularly ...., around my husband. I apologize for what in hind-sight was not my best moment.

The handling of the white house travel office firings was another. If I was not happy or content with the way of business in that office I should have gone through proper channels and not been so flippant in my demeanor. It was wrong and petty... and I fell victim to a personal moment of frustration. I apologize whole-heartedly to those I hurt, to those unjustly fired,.... and for not being transparent with due process. That mistake cannot, and will not happen again.

Lastly... much has been made on my non-apology for the vote to authorize the going to war in Iraq. Let me say this once and for all. I believe the intelligence was flawed, ... that it was manipulated and used in a way that at the very least,... at the very LEAST was dubious and gray ... Intelligence -by the way- that compelled even my husband to say the same things about Saddam Hussein back in 94'. Regardless, ... even though I believe that evil must be destroyed and contained, even though I believe President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld have managed the war badly and terribly,..... I would have STILL voted for the war, even today, if... and I repeat .. IF I believed in my heart today what I believed that day. Just because is it the thing to do nowadays ... to apologize for that vote and all that,... I'm not going to follow the herd. The results of this war and the travesties of Abu Grahib, Haditha et al,... have been terrible for the image of America to the world,... and have not been kind to us as a people. My sin is this,.... there is a fine line between providing the voice of the loyal opposition and that of grandstanding a President in charge of war,.. all for political gain. THAT was wrong,... IS wrong for us to continue to do so. For years, the Senate and Congress stopped at the water's edge when it came to the critique of our Nation's foreign policy. But it is apparent that those times are not existant any more. We cannot as a nation, as public servants, as politicians, .. weaken the office of the presidency, we just can't,.. should not. The office is larger than the person,... critique of the man should not go hand in hand with critique of the policies of the office-holder. Mr. President,... although I dis-agree with many of your policies,... I wish some of my statements were more measured, less personal and respectful of the office. I hereby apologize if any of my quotes have impaired your ability to do the job of the office. How can I aim to one day serve the people of American in its highest office, when in my way of getting there I decimate the very respect I have for it? .... How can any of us in the democratic or republican party, wanting to sit in that office, be so discarding of our message, when its very essence damages the very place we wish to govern from?

The democratic party must put country before self political interests. The democratic party must start saying what we are FOR,... rather than repeating what we are against. The democratic party cannot keep saying "culture of corruption" when we have had the same sins ourselves. The democratic party has to come clean.... I have to come clean,.. I HAVE to come clean. I want to lead, I want make change that benefits us all, no matter if you voted for me or it you did not.

My political life may have ended right here, and right now.... or maybe it has been resurrected by the new found faith given to me by you... the people. I don't want to demand that trust, I want to earn it. I hope you give me the opportunity to enter you life in a new light, that you find it in your heart and to the benefit of your family and community to see me as a person of reason and integrity. If I am found wanting?... I can accept that. I ask the eyes of America to look at me one more time, and decide if I have what it takes to be your President,... the nation's first female President. I think I am ready, ... and ask for your support.

Thank you , and good night... "