Hillary Loses Senate Debate . . . Big Time

By Dick Morris & Eileen McGann

On Friday night, Hillary Clinton finally had to face an unscripted, uncontrolled media event — a debate with her feisty opponent John Spencer, the Republican candidate for Senator from New York this year.

Spencer pinned her ears back with his opening statement when he declared:
"I am the only person here who really wants to be the Senator from
New York . . . she wants to be President."

And then he exploited the opening by reminding Hillary "you're not the President yet."

During the debate, Spencer highlighted Hillary's vote against the NSA's wiretapping program and her efforts to kill the Patriot Act.

John Spencer began his challenge to Hillary tonight. The race starts today.

Hillary's huge financial advantage and her lead in the polls was of little use tonight because it was obvious that the empress has no clothes.

While Hillary gave scripted, rehearsed answers, Spencer challenged her failure to deliver on her campaign promises of 200,000 new jobs and mocked her refusal to accept blame for anything, pinning the job loss on Bush and the North Korea bomb on the State Department.

But beyond the words, there were the appearances. Hillary Clinton was a Richard Nixon look-alike tonight, wearing pancake makeup, featuring hooded eyes that never met the camera, and looking like she felt — angry at having to waste time justifying her Senate tenure in something as trivial as an election.

John Spencer may not beat Hillary, but he sure made her sweat tonight. If she wins by less than 12 points — the margin Lazio lost by in 2000 — she will have a lot of explaining to do. And John Spencer, may just be the guy to make it happen.