August 10, 2005

You play the jury and decide. Does Senator Hillary Clinton have a chance at becoming President Hillary Clinton?

I didn't think so. I once thought that Hillary had as much of a chance of becoming president as Ray Meier had of becoming governor or lieutenant governor. Now I'm not so sure that any of those things aren't going to happen.

Hillary has done several things in recent days, things which have caused me to think she is smarter than I've given her credit for. Hillary has, for example, become buddy-buddy with several conservative Republicans. She is promoting the U.S. military. Her staff bends over backwards to be nice to the news media, even small weekly newspapers such as the one you are reading, and constantly sends out her messages.

And now it's ice cream. Yes, ice cream.

Hillary not only loves Mercer's Ice Cream, she even knows where the ice cream is made. But I'm getting ahead of the story.

In the Aug. 8th issue of U.S. News & World Report, there was an item in the "Washington Whispers" column about ice cream. If there's one thing politicians can agree on it is that "ice cream is a nonpartisan treat," said CNN's Wolf Blitzer, who was quoted in the article as saying that his favorite ice cream - chocolate chip - comes from Gifford's Ice Cream in Bethesda, Md.

(I know what you're thinking. News must be difficult to find in the summer in D.C.)

U.S. News & World Report also quoted Sen. Rick Santorurn of Pennsylvania, who raved about the products from Handel's Homemade Ice Cream, which is made in - surprise, surprise - Pittsburgh.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert said he was an orange-sherbert kind of guy.

Former Sen. John Edwards said he and his wife Elizabeth go to Dairy Queen for the Oreo Blizzard.

Dark chocolate from Amy's Ice Cream in Austin, Texas is the favorite of U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spelling.

U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao's favorite ice cream is mint chocolate from a place in Paducah, Ky. "Yum-yum," she said.

Which brings us to Hillary. She didn't say "yum-yum," but Hillary did tell U.S. News & World Report that she likes "anything" from Mercer's of Boonville.

Way to go Hillary.

The only thing in the article I found fault with is the spelling of Boonville. The magazine added an extra "e." Not to worry. I've written to the magazine and asked them to set the record straight. After all, it isn't everyday that Booneville, I mean Boonville, gets mentioned in a national publication and we want it done correctly.

One final thought: It is often said that politicians will do or say anything to get votes. I don't believe that.

I believe Hillary is sincere. I believe all the aforementioned politicians are sincere about their favorite ice cream.

I also believe Hillary will show up at next year's Boilermaker and have a Saranac, her favorite beer.


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Joe Kelly is the editor and publisher of The Boonville Herald & Adirondack Tourist and THE GRIFF.