WP: Retooled Hillary Clinton visits Maryland transmission plant yesterday--channels Donald Rumsfeld

At the Transmission Factory, a Smooth Shift
By Dana Milbank

Tuesday, February 12, 2008;A02

Of course, this is reminiscent of the disastrous Rudy Giuliani strategy of ignoring Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina to pin all his hopes on Florida. But Clinton was on a roll. Not only had she been able to incorporate spare parts left behind by Giuliani, she had also adopted some design elements of Donald Rumsfeld, who as Bush's defense secretary famously answered reporters' questions by asking himself different questions.

"Senator Obama suggested that the Clintons already had their chance . . . and that you're too polarizing," said a reporter at the news conference. "Is that true?"

Clinton responded with self-posed questions about Bill Clinton's years in office. "Were they politically difficult? You bet,"/b] she said. "Were they fights worth having? Yes, they were. . . . So am I willing to lay down a lot of political capital and work my heart out to achieve universal health care? Yes, I am."

It's not ideal for Clinton to retrofit her campaign with Giuliani and Rumsfeld designs. But Clinton has limited choices. After a strong showing on Super Tuesday last week, in which she appeared to blunt Obama's momentum, Clinton now faces losses in 10 straight contests. That means she needs to create a diversion until March 4.