Hillary Clinton Picked to Give Democrats’ Radio Response

Democrats have chosen Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to give the party’s response to President Bush’s weekly radio address Saturday.

It’s a first for the former first lady, and a step back to the national stage. Since her election two years ago, Clinton has focused on issues affecting her New York constituents and on developing relationships with Senate colleagues.

Clinton will urge Congress to extend federal unemployment benefits to more than 800,000 people scheduled to lose them Saturday, said Ranit Schmelzer, a spokeswoman for Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), who tapped Clinton for the role.

As first lady, she helped President Clinton deliver a radio address on the importance of mammograms, a spokesman said.

While Clinton aides have said consistently that she does not plan to run for president in 2004, a poll of Democrats released last weekend showed she would lead the field of likely 2004 candidates if she were to enter the race.