Clinton Promises Centrist Presidency

Hillary Clinton fought back today against opponents who call her a polarizing force, telling the Washington Post she's uniquely equipped to forge a centrist coalition. “You can't just wake up and say, ‘Let's all just hold hands.’” But, “You've got to demonstrate that you're not going to be deterred by (partisanship).”

Clinton says that resilience will allow her to set up a centrist government “like what I remember when I was growing up,” calling Bush’s “50-plus-one” strategy “tragic.” On policy points, Clinton said she would increase taxes on the wealthy while expanding middle class benefits. She would not, however, give direct answers about Iraq, Social Security, or CIA interrogation methods. (More Election 2008 stories.)