NYPost

HILL BAGS TWO BUSHES IN COMMITTEE BARRAGE

By VINCENT MORRIS

July 19, 2001 -- WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton came out swinging at a congressional hearing yesterday , defending Bill Clinton against attacks from the Bush White House and blaming both Bush the father and Bush the son for souring the economy.

The unexpected, testy exchange came near the end of a dull Senate Budget Committee hearing when Hillary Clinton lost her cool during critical testimony by Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.

Wolfowitz, who drank nervously from a glass of water during Clinton's remarks, spent the better part of the hearing insisting that the current Bush administration wanted to spend $18 billion on the military to make up for defense needs ignored by Bill Clinton.

"Economizing on defense is no way to deal with long term," Wolfowitz said at one point. That's when Clinton abruptly cut him off.

"I didn't say that. I didn't imply it. I wouldn't support it," shouted Clinton, her voice echoing through the crowded hearing room.

She refused to let Wolfowitz finish his comments, ending her biting statement with a terse "thank you very much," then getting up and stomping out of the room. The hearing continued without her.

Before she left, Clinton blamed defense-related cuts made during her husband's administration to "deficits he inherited" from the first President Bush.

"One of the reasons that [Bill Clinton's] administration had to make tough choices is that it inherited deficits," said Clinton, jabbing her finger toward Wolfowitz.

"I know a little bit about how budgets are put together," Clinton added, reminding Wolfowitz about the eight years when she had an office in the White House West Wing.

She also needled Wolfowitz on whether he was "left out" of White House negotiations on the budget, a charge he denied.

Then the former first lady turned her sights on the current White House occupant.

"I regret deeply that we're taking what I consider to be an unfortunate detour," said Clinton, referring to Bush's tax cut, which she has opposed as being skewed to the rich and overly large.

It was far from the first time she's slammed George W. Bush, but the attack was her first double-barreled assault on both Bushes.

-- Anonymous, July 19, 2001