Pay close attention to what Hillary Clinton has said here:

Hillary Clinton says she has no plans to run for the 2004 American Presidency but remains circumspect about entering the race in 2008.

Speaking during an interview to promote her autobiography, Mrs Clinton said she hoped her country would elect a woman leader during her lifetime.

Her popularity was in evidence as hundreds of fans turned up in Piccadilly Circus to have copies of Living History signed by the author.

In a wide-ranging interview, the New York Senator spoke of the pressures of the diversity of roles and expectations placed on the First Lady and her own political career.

Asked whether writing the book was part of an agenda to progress a return to the White House, Mrs Clinton told Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour she had no plans or intentions for the 2004 Presidency.

But she was more circumspect about 2008 and said: “2008 is an eternity in American politics. But I think that the role I’m playing, trying to bring attention to issues, trying to get people to focus on what’s at stake is a very appropriate role for me.”

It just strikes me as odd that Hillary is riding high on her “popularity” with her novel book being gobbled up by the masses and she chooses not to run. Why on earth wouldn’t she strike while the iron is hot – and the rumors have cooled? For once, she’s not enmeshed in legal wrangling – a situation that may change any day, given the Clinton’s pattern of finding themselves in the midst of a new scandal every two years – so why defer a campaign when all signs point in her favor?

Side note: Anyone know what crimes have statute of limitations that only run 7 years???

Questioned about how her husband Bill Clinton would cope with being “First Man”, she replied: “I don’t know if he’ll ever have a chance to figure that out.”

Oh, my. Has Hilary learned modesty? Is this a warning to Bill? Or a not-so-cryptic prediction?

Stay tuned, folks. We’ve got five more years to watch this little mini-series, “The Skag and the Feckless.”