Clinton does 5 talk shows in day

WASHINGTON — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton cemented her status as the Democratic presidential front-runner Sunday as she executed the rare feat of appearing on all five major TV talk shows in one morning, defending her new health-care proposal and vowing to oppose any Iraq war funding unless it is tied to starting a U.S. troop withdrawal.

"I will not vote for any funding that does not move us toward beginning to withdraw our troops, that does not have pressure on the Iraqi government to make the tough political decisions that they have, that does not recognize that there is a diplomatic endeavor that has to be undertaken," the New York Democrat said on "Fox News Sunday."

President Bush plans to ask Congress this week for nearly $200 billion to fund the Iraq war through the end of next year.

Clinton holds a 22 percentage-point lead over Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois in the latest Gallup Poll on the Democratic field.

Appearing on "Fox News Sunday" for the first time in more than three years — and almost exactly a year after former President Clinton had an angry confrontation on the show with host Chris Wallace over his administration's attempts in the 1990s to capture Osama bin Laden — Hillary Clinton laughed loudly when asked why she and her husband "have such a hyperpartisan view of politics."

"Well, Chris, if you had walked even a day in our shoes over the last 15 years, I'm sure you'd understand," Clinton said.

Clinton took to the airwaves Sunday after unveiling her long-awaited health-care proposal last week.

The "American Health Choices Plan" would require everyone to have medical insurance and would help those who can't afford it with tax credits.

The program's $110 billion annual price tag would be paid for by repealing tax cuts for those earning more than $250,000 a year and squeezing $55 billion in annual savings out of what she calls the current bloated and inefficient system.

Clinton on Sunday also appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," "Face the Nation" on CBS, ABC's "This Week," and CNN's "Late Edition."

Gingrich says he'll run for $30 million

WASHINGTON — Republican Newt Gingrich says he'll run for president if supporters come up with $30 million in three weeks.

"I don't see as a citizen how you could turn that down," Gingrich said on "Fox News Sunday."

The controversial former speaker of the House believes he can mount a White House bid just a few months before voting starts because the GOP faithful have yet to solidify behind a candidate. Rudy Giuliani remains the leader, at 30 percent in the latest Gallup Poll, just 8 percentage points ahead of former Sen. Fred Thompson.

Gingrich has tasked longtime adviser Randy Evans with launching the ambitious fundraising bid and reporting back in three weeks.

"I want the commitments first," Gingrich said. "If there is, in fact, enough people in the country who think we need this kind of approach and this kind of change-oriented policies, then I think I'd feel a responsibility to run."

New York Daily News