WASHINGTON - Hillary Clinton yesterday challenged critics who accused her of race-baiting to investigate alleged attempts to suppress the black vote in the South.

Clinton (D-N.Y.) fired off a letter to incoming Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), calling on him to "conduct hearings and an investigation of the recent incidents of voter suppression and intimidation."

One case cited by Clinton involved the Senate runoff election earlier this month in Louisiana, in which Sen. Mary Landreau (D-La.) was reelected.

A flyer distributed in black neighborhoods read: "Bad Weather? No problem! If the weather is uncomfortable on election day , remember you can wait and cast your ballot on Tuesday, December 10th."

There was no voting in Louisiana on Dec. 10, only Dec. 7.

"Such conduct is reprehensible and serves only to undermine our democracy," she said.

Democrats say they have dozens of other examples. Clinton infuriated Hatch on Friday when she said the selection of Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) to replace Trent Lott (R-Miss.) as Senate majority leader will not cleanse Republicans of their "constant exploitation of race."

Hatch, whose office did not comment yesterday, had accused Clinton on Sunday of race-baiting.

"I think every Republican is working hard to try to be good to minorities and do what's right," Hatch told ABC's "This Week." "But we can't support some of the far-left, extreme approaches toward race."

-- Anonymous, December 24, 2002