Local fund-raiser helps Hillary

Thursday, Sept. 28, 2000 | 10:32 a.m.

First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton raised more than $120,000 in campaign donations for her U.S. Senate race in New York at a private cocktail party in Henderson.

The Wednesday evening affair at the home of Sun Vice President Daniel Greenspun and wife, Robin, was attended by about 80 guests. Representatives of gaming, labor and the development industry attended, as did teachers and students who were sponsored by donors.

Clinton, a Democrat involved in a tight race with Republican Rep. Rick Lazio, came to Southern Nevada as part of a three-day fund-raising trip. The trip began with an event in Oklahoma City, Okla., and will wind up in Southern California.

The local fund-raiser was co-hosted by Sun President and Editor Brian Greenspun and wife, Myra, Clark County Commissioner Dario Herrera and wife, Emily, and Harrah's executive Claudine Williams. Brian Greenspun attended college with President Clinton.

Herrera said today that the first lady delivered a 15-minute address in addition to greeting the guests.

"She spoke about the direction America is headed," Herrera said. "She talked mostly about the economy and paying down the debt and that we need to do it in a just way so that everyone is part of the American dream.

"She said we have to continue growing the economy, pay down the national debt and be fiscally accountable and socially reasonable."

Herrera said she also talked about her upcoming debates with Lazio. He said he got the impression that Lazio was campaigning without a solid message.

"The impression that we got is that he is running a very, very amateurish campaign," Herrera said. "It is more or less a slash-and-burn campaign against the first lady."

In addition to helping Clinton, some of the money raised at the cocktail party will go to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and to the New York State Democratic Committee.

Some polls show the Senate race in New York as dead even, but a poll conducted last week by the New York Times and CBS showed Clinton ahead 48 percent to 39.