Hillary Clinton seeks to woo Wall St. [View All]

By Ben White in New York
Updated: 8:12 p.m. ET July 9, 2006

Hillary Clinton has been cosying up to Wall Street in recent weeks with a series of meetings with top executives that could help her follow the path blazed by her husband ahead of his first presidential run.

People familiar with the meetings said they appeared intended to help Wall Street figures get to know the New York senator better as she coasts through an easy 2006 re-election campaign and paves the way for a possible Democratic presidential run in 2008. Bill Clinton's early forays to Wall Street helped advance his bid for the Democratic nomination in 1992.

Some events, such as a recent gathering at Morgan Stanley that included chief executive John Mack, a big Republican donor, have been fundraisers for the Senate campaign. Others, including a chat with executives at Lehman Brothers, are more policy-oriented. Mrs Clinton is said to be planning meetings at Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse, among others.

Ann Lewis, a senior adviser to Mrs Clinton, said the meetings were focused on 2006.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13787675/from/RS.4/