Scott Brinton

When I met Hillary

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In 2002, Hillary Clinton was rebuilding her tattered image –– and life. It was at that moment that our paths crossed, albeit only for a day. I’m happy they did.

Barring unforeseen events, I have little doubt that she will become the first woman president later this year, and someday in the distant future I’ll be able tell my grandchildren that I interviewed and photographed her.

Clinton had come to Woodland Middle School in East Meadow on Feb. 9, 2002, with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Carl McCall, then the state’s comptroller, who lost to Republican George Pataki in the general election that year. I covered Clinton’s and McCall’s appearance at the school.

They toured the school and decried Pataki’s plan to delay the state’s building aid reimbursements. McCall called it an “outrageous gimmick” that would cost taxpayers dearly.

“We don’t need accounting gimmicks in anyone’s budget,” Clinton chimed in. “We need transparency.”

I was immediately struck by how genuinely friendly Clinton was. She seemed perfectly down to earth. She wanted to know your name. She greeted everyone she met –– administrators, teachers, students, even reporters. She was immensely polite and ever-smiling.

At the same time, she seemed uncomfortable as the center of attention. I followed her throughout the day. Whenever she lingered for more than a minute, people surrounded her, wanting to shake her hand and grab a few seconds of her time. Photos were shot –– dozens and dozens and dozens of photos.

I couldn’t help notice how little time she had to herself. There wasn’t a down moment. She was constantly on the move, talking, shaking hands. She never sat, never rested.

Her indomitable spirit astounded me. My goodness, I thought, her husband had admitted publicly to two affairs and was charged by three other women with sexual misconduct, and each time his lurid behavior became a public scandal, culminating in the Monica Lewinsky debacle, which broke in 1998 and lasted for the remainder of Bill Clinton’s presidency.

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