OK, Break's Over!
After granting the cancer-stricken New York City mayor a week's reprieve, Hillary Rodham Clinton has resumed her attacks on Rudolph Giuliani, ending a self-imposed moratorium that began last week with the mayor's bombshell announcement.
Hillary blasted Rudy for saying he would vote to keep Jesse Helms as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee if he were elected.
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"One of the big differences between me and the mayor is that I would not vote to make Jesse Helms the chairman," Clinton said Thursday.
"We've had a lot of problems with the chairman pertaining to votes on issues that have been lying dormant in his committee for many years," she added.
At a televised college forum from Rochester, the first lady also leveled criticism over Texas Gov. George W. Bush's call for an across-the-board tax cut, a plan the New York City mayor has said he could support.
Inside the college, Clinton was greeted with silence as she told a largely Republican audience of about 150 that she would not support Bush's across-the-board tax-cut plan.
"I know there are many Republicans in this audience and I look forward to working with Republicans and Democrats ... but I want you to know I cannot support Governor Bush's large, across-the-board tax cut," Clinton said.
Meanwhile, Giuliani on Thursday postponed a new round of television commercials in deference to the death of Cardinal John O'Connor.
"Today is a time for all New Yorkers to reflect on John Cardinal O'Connor and what he meant to us all. We are therefore delaying the start of our latest media buy," said Bruce Teitelbaum, Giuliani's campaign manager.
While Teitelbaum said O'Connor's death was the reason for the ad delay, speculation swept through New York's political community Thursday that it was an indication Giuliani had decided to exit the race. Teitelbaum said no sucdecision had been made. Giuliani campaign spokeswoman Kim Serafin said the ads would begin running Friday.
Giuliani announced last week that he is suffering from treatable prostate cancer and has said he is not certain if he will be able to continue in the Senate race.
On Thursday in New York City, Gov. George Pataki told reporters that he has ruled out running for Senate whether or not Giuliani stays in the race.
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