Hillary in the crossfire

Republicans and Democrats are watching Hillary Clinton pretty herself up for 2008. It may surprise you who is more impressed with her efforts.

• From the right. Peggy Noonan writes in yesterday's Wall Street Journal: "Where Are They Now? Four years after leaving the White House, Hillary Clinton plots her return":

  She is taking care of her liberal base while cherry-picking key issues on which she can get to the right of the Republican party. This is most astute and quite effective.

• From the left. John Richard Starkey writes in yesterday's Newsday: "Hillary, you've got some 'fessing up to do":

  Senator..., We see you as a female equivalent of John Kerry, taking safe, centrist positions in general and, most glaringly, a wimpy stance on the war in Iraq.