The woman who made pantsuits a staple of late-night joke sessions and nearly became the first female presidential nominee of a major American political party has revealed a secret about her new life as presidential loser.
Lost in the many words Hillary Rodham Clinton uttered in praise of Barack Obama and her party during a New York speech to 2,000 women were a few little-noticed lines:
"There are some differences [between Obama and myself]," she said.
"For example, Barack said, 'You look kind of rested.' I said, 'Well, 'kind of' is the right descriptor.' "
"I'm actually -- don't tell anybody -- trying to exercise a little bit, which I'm told does wonders for a person.
"Because during the campaign," Clinton continued in a confessional tone, "I'm sure you've read, Barack would get up faithfully every morning and go to the gym. And I would get up and get my hair done.
"It's one of those Ginger Rogers-Fred Astaire things that are part of our lives."
Yes, sure, she was dating herself by referencing movies from the '30s and '40s when the often-paired dance partners Rogers and Astaire would glide across studio floors as if their feet weren't moving.
And maybe some of the thirtysomethings in the audience were puzzled enough to try Googling "Asthair" and "Rodgers."
Once they got the right spellings, they would learn that Ginger was originally Virginia McMath and died in 1995 and Fred was originally Frederick Austerlitz and passed away in 1987.
But that's history. Clinton's coiffure confession and romantic reminiscence by someone who looked anything but romantic going after politics' Big Prize these last 18 months was refreshing. We wish her luck on the treadmill and elliptical.
Now, how long before someone restarts pairing Obama-Clinton as dancing their way together to Nov. 4?
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Those #@%&*)
open mikes
Jesse Jackson's embarrassing comment about what he wanted to do to Barack Obama's genitals underlines the inexplicable memory loss that strikes public figures wired for sound.
What do they think the microphones are there for? To zap bugs?
Remember a few years ago President Bush's muttered podium comment to Vice President Dick Cheney describing a passing New York Times reporter as a "major league" anatomical orifice? That got picked up. As did Cheney's growling response: "Big time!"
And then Obama's bitter-small-town comments got taped during an allegedly private San Francisco fundraiser this spring.
