Spitzer Off-Message During Rare Campaign Work for Clinton

WASHINGTON— Governor Spitzer made a rare foray into campaign surrogate work for Senator Clinton yesterday, and it may not have gone entirely as planned.

At various points during a conference call with reporters, he referenced the possible demise of Mrs. Clinton's campaign, begged off an appearance in Ohio today, and noted that it was her opponent, Senator Obama, who supported his proposal to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

Mr. Spitzer joined Governor Corzine of New Jersey and Governor Strickland of Ohio on the call, which was held to promote an "economic solutions summit" Mrs. Clinton is convening today in the crucial March 4 primary state.

While Messrs. Corzine and Strickland are attending the event, however, Mr. Spitzer is not, though he said he hoped to get out on the stump for Mrs. Clinton "maybe later in the week, or next week, if this continues." He did not specify what he meant by "this," but some have said Mrs. Clinton will end her campaign if she does not win Texas and Ohio on Tuesday.

While Mr. Corzine flew to Ohio just hours after he delivered his budget address earlier yesterday, Mr. Spitzer said he had to stay in New York for meetings on his own state's budget, which is due in five weeks.

Mr. Spitzer was asked about a Democratic debate from October, when Mrs. Clinton hedged on whether she supported Mr. Spitzer's driver's license plan, a moment that many see as the beginning of her slide in the polls. Ultimately, she came out against it. The governor said he had not talked with her specifically about that moment, but he noted: "Barack Obama is for my policy on driver's licenses."

Mr. Spitzer touted Mrs. Clinton's efforts to bring jobs to upstate New York. "The metaphor of New York to Ohio works for Hillary," he said, noting that a city like Buffalo is closer to Ohio than it is to New York City.