JEANINEE PIRRO, currently the DA for Westchester, is running for the Senate against Hillary. This is a long shot, but yesterday I heard Dick Morris on the radio making a credible case that Pirro can make things uncomfortable for Hillary by demanding that she committ to serving out her term. He also argued that if Pirro gets enough money early on, and does moderately well in the polls, she will force Hillary out of the race, because Hillary will want to conserve money (and credibility) for her 2008 run at the presidency.

Pirro’s biggest weakness, that her husband was convicted of tax evasion (Pirro herself was cleared as an “innocent spouse) is harder for Hillary to capitalise on, since Pirro can always say “Why don’t we take the focus off my husband’s arrest and your husband’s lost law license, and talk about the issues”. I still think Hillary is probably the clear winner, but it will be an interesting race to watch. Pirro is a pro-choice, socially liberal and fiscally conservative Republican. She may well be able to take some of the shine off Hillary’s presidential campaign.