The American Spectator

p> BILL AIN’T HILL br> Democratic Senate candidate Ron Kirk is a man of contradictions. He wants to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate, but by all accounts has spent much of the last three weeks raising money out of state. He comes to Washington for a fundraiser hosted by Sen. Hillary Clinton , among others, but doesn’t want to appear in public with her for fear of bad press and giving Texas voters the wrong impression. Yet then he goes on party very publicly with Clinton’s husband. /p>

You’ll recall that in late June, Kirk held two fundraisers in Washington, D.C., hosted, by among others, Sen. Hillary Clinton. But Clinton wasn’t visible at those events, and despite comments from Clinton’s office that she was there, and denials that she avoided them, rumors circulated that Kirk’s people had asked that she not be present during the media coverage for fear that pictures of Kirk and Mrs. Clinton would circulate back home. So imagine what Hillary must have thought when she heard that Kirk ignored his advisers’ pleas and partied with Bill Clinton in a tony New York restaurant earlier this week. “The president offered to headline an event, and Democrats who live in New York love the president,” says a Kirk supporter who attended the fundraiser. “If Clinton can help us win in Texas, then who cares? He’ll have the last laugh.”

Hanging with Bubba at Jimmy’s Downtown, a hot Latin-flavored restaurant run by a Clinton friend, Kirk raised more than $100,000 for his campaign from such high powered Democratic donors as Vernon Jordan, who pledged to raise $25,000 for Kirk’s run against Texas attorney general John Cornyn. The event was co-hosted by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which helped front part of the tab for the swanky event that featured fried artichoke salad and Jimmy’s renowned snapper and roasted chicken, both Clinton faves.

Kirk needs every dime he can raise. Reports filed with the Federal Election Commission indicate he trails Cornyn by a million dollars, $4.8 million compared to Cornyn’s $5.8 million. Cornyn has raised about $700,000 out of state. Kirk has raised well over a million in his out of state treks.

p> NERVOUS NUMBERS br> Democratic House leader Dick Gephardt