Hillary to seek 2nd Senate term: Aides

The disclosure of her re-election plans seemed intended to staunch what aides said was rising speculation among Democrats that she might need to forgo the Senate race to focus entirely on running for the White House. ‘‘It’s not an issue,’’ said Howard Wolfson, an adviser to Clinton, Democrat-New York. ‘‘Senator Clinton has said she is running for re-election. She is raising money and moving forward.’’

Some Democrats close to Clinton, who spoke only on the condition that they not be identified, said she should forgo a Senate race, since she would be barraged by demands from Republicans to promise to serve out her term if re-elected. In addition, they said, Republicans would use a Senate race to bloody Clinton, and to try to manoeuvre her into taking positions that might prove damaging in a national race.

One close congressional ally said that if Clinton runs for re-election, ‘‘the whole Republican apparatus’’ will focus on knocking her off in 2006 so long as she is a potential presidential contender.

Clinton has what several aides described as the burden of a political calendar that leaves her very little breathing room: the Iowa caucuses will be held just 14 months after the Senate election. If Clinton followed the schedule that Kerry followed, she would be signaling her interest in the race for president one month after her Senate campaign was completed. —NYT