Speculation began in early 1999 after U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan announced he was retiring about who would replace him.
The Daily Star of Feb. 13 reported U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey, of Westchester County, had been eyeing the seat, but the news that day was that First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was considering a run.
Clinton’s consideration grew more serious in June when she mulled forming an exploratory committee to raise money, conduct polls and travel around New York to determine whether she’d run. According to The Star of June 24, Clinton was considering a visit to our area in early July.
It grew definite as The Star of July 1 reported, “The first lady and probable Senate candidate plans to file papers on Tuesday with the Federal Election Committee, formally establishing her exploratory committee.
“The following day, she’ll kick off a summerlong ‘listening tour’ of New York at the Pindars Corners farm of the man she’s seeking to succeed in the U.S. Senate — Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a fellow Democrat who is retiring next year.”
The date was set for July 7, and plans were set for Mrs. Clinton to visit several places to begin “listening.”
As The Star reported the next day, “The first lady met Moynihan about 10:30 a.m. in a one-room schoolhouse on his farm. A half-hour later the two Democrats strolled down a narrow road to meet the 200 or so reporters and photographers who’d gathered to document the prelude to passing the torch.
“Clinton deemed Moynihan ‘the wisest man in the state’ and said it was appropriate to start this phase of her pre-campaign in the schoolhouse where he’d written so many of his books and speeches. If she wins a Senate seat, she said, she’ll strive to improve public education, reform the nation’s health-care system and assure that upstate New York shares in economic growth that has largely by-passed the region.
“‘Running for the Senate from New York had seemed strange at first,’ she said. ‘I suppose the question on everyone’s mind are why the Senate? Why New York? And why me? All I can say is that I care deeply about the issues that are important to this state.’”
In fact, a reporter asked, as suggested by many Republicans, about being called a carpetbagger.
“‘I think that’s a very fair question and I fully understand people raising it,’ she answered. ‘I think I have some real work to do to get out and listen to the people of New York and demonstrate that what I’m for is maybe more important than where I’m from.’”
From the Moynihan farm, Clinton and staff headed into Oneonta, passing by a contingent of area residents gathered at Pindars Corners, to either show support or to protest her visit.
The first stop was at the National Soccer Hall of Fame, where she unveiled a large soccer ball sculpture on the side of the building. Next, she had lunch at Brooks House of Bar-B-Q, chatting with staff and briefly with patrons, and then was off to SUNY Oneonta, where she participated in a forum on education. In the late afternoon she visited the Hartwick College Telecommuting Center, then found at the corner of Main and South Main streets.
The entourage traveled to Cooperstown, where Clinton was greeted enthusiastically on Main Street and took a tour of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. She later dined with the Moynihans and spent the night at the Otesaga Resort Hotel.
It was rise and shine for Day 2 of the local tour, and as The Star reported on July 9, “Hillary Rodham Clinton extolled the work of health care professionals at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, but railed at the nation’s health-care, insurance and drug companies during a Thursday forum.
“Clinton, who strove unsuccessfully to weave together a national health care plan in 1993-94, deemed Bassett ‘an exemplary system’ for training new doctors, while offering high quality care and compassion, including to the uninsured. Teaching hospitals such as Bassett are ‘the crown jewels of the health-care system,’ she said.”
Clinton moved the tour on to the Mohawk Valley. She served in the U.S. Senate from 2001 to 2009.
This weekend, was there anything to do around here in July 1924?