Clinton's quiet path to power

As the new chair of the Democratic Steering Committee, Mrs. Clinton is reviving ties between Democrats and the party's base outside of election cycles - a technique honed by House Republicans in the 1990s. In recent weeks, she has organized meetings with activists in civil rights, education, and the environment to work on legislative priorities.

"She's been a huge influence since the day she arrived," says Sen. Christopher Dodd (D) of Connecticut. "Her main interest has been to marshal outside resources to try to help us think through these things. Republicans, to their credit, have been willing to do more of this."

She's proposing a new think tank for Democrats, while also raising at least $832,000 for party candidates. That's more money than anyone on Capitol Hill has brought in, with the exception of the minority leaders in the House and Senate. Both efforts could be useful for a presidential bid down the line.

Also unusual for a freshman, she has attracted an exceptionally experienced staff. "Part of the reason she has been able to recruit such a world-class staff is that she has a national reputation," says Charlie Cook of the Washington-based Cook Political Report. "People will work for less than they could make off Capitol Hill, because they're working for her."

There have also been glitches along the way. Her late arrival at an early meeting of women senators was noted (and not repeated). So were the special demands of her security detail, which since have been toned down. Early ventures into legislating on health care, such as a bill requiring drug manufactures to test their products for safety for children, didn't make it out of committee in the 107th Congress.

Still, colleagues on both sides of the aisle say they appreciate her intelligence, energy, and attention to detail. A senior Senate official describes her as the most likely successor to Sen. Robert Byrd (D) of West Virginia as the resident expert on arcane procedure, which can be useful in pushing or impeding action on the floor of the Senate.

Many also value the prominence her participation can give a bill. "Her presence allowed this issue to have a profile we were unable to have without her national profile," said Sen. Joseph Biden (D) of Delaware, at a briefing last week on a proposal to help local police departments clear their backlogs of unanalyzed DNA evidence in sex crimes. Clinton is a cosponsor.

She's also beginning to register some tough votes that could be decisive down the line. Most notably, she voted for the resolution giving President Bush the authority to use force in Iraq, a resolution she stands by today despite strong antiwar sentiment among many of the party faithful. She describes that vote as the hardest she has ever had to make.

"I want this president, or any future president, to be in the strongest possible position to lead our country in the United Nations or in war," she said on the floor of the Senate before the Oct 10 vote.

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