Hillary Clinton Snapshot
By The Associated Press
January 20, 2007, 10:42 AM EST
New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is among a dozen or more Democrats who have set their sights on the White House:
INTERESTING NOTE: After graduating from Wellesley College in 1969, Clinton spent the summer gutting salmon at a fishery in Valdez, Alaska. “Of all the jobs I’ve had, sliming fish was pretty good preparation for life in Washington,” she wrote in her autobiography, “Living History.”
DETAIL YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW: Clinton’s 87-year-old mother, Dorothy Rodham, lives with the Clintons at their home in Washington.
CHALLENGE: No woman has ever been elected president. Because she is such a polarizing figure who carries considerable baggage from her years as first lady, Clinton must convince skeptical Democrats that she can win a general election.
CAREER NOTE: During Bill Clinton’s years as Arkansas governor — a job that paid him about $35,000 annually — Hillary Clinton was the family’s primary breadwinner. She was a partner at Little Rock’s prestigious Rose Law Firm and served on several corporate boards, including Wal-Mart’s.
PERSONAL: Married for 31 years to the former president. One daughter, Chelsea, 26.
TOUGH ISSUES: The Iraq war. Clinton supported the 2002 resolution authorizing military intervention in Iraq and has refused to repudiate her vote despite strong pressure from liberal activists who tend to dominate Democratic primaries. Recently, she has proposed capping troop levels in Iraq and has criticized the leadership of Iraq’s U.S.-backed prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki.