Hillary Visits Bill’s Old Haunts In Queens

by DAVID OATS The kind of ramshackle, two-story-high-headquarters at the Queens Democratic Party on Austin St. in Forest Hills reeks of old-time, cigar-stomping, deal-making party politics — that is so out of touch with the media — polling — Internet world of politics today.
Wrong.
In 1992, a young, nervous Governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton, took the "F’ train to that place, a dumpy-kind of K of C or V of W-type meeting place and asked the political "wizards" of Queens — will you support me to be the next President of the United States — the Commander of Chief of the free world, etc., etc.
He was nervous. Harold Ickes, the person currently advising Hillary on her Senate run, had told Clinton that if he was to win the New York Primary — winning Queens was a necessity.
Clinton told Ickes, prior to the meeting at Queens Dem headquarters on Austin St.; "What will Queens people think of a person from Arkansas?" Clinton got his answer.
He rode to the place by subway, and when he last year recalled the visit in a campaign stop in Woodside, he vividly recalled the moment. "I walked down the street and got to the campaign office and walked up a long flight of stairs and anxiously entered the room. Then a very large African-American man (Councilman Archie Spigner) shook my hand and said "Don’t worry. You’re among friends here. I was born in Arkansas. You’ll be okay."
Bill Clinton relaxed. Gave a great speech. Became Queens’ candidate. Became New York’s nominee. And went on to make history.
This week, Hillary climbed those same ramshackle Forest hills steps and made her case to the same batch of Queens Democrats. She then went to the Electchester auditorium where her husband had also visited in 1993. On visits to Flushing, Forest Hills, Bayside, St. Albans, Woodside and other places, no matter what your politics, this is a First Family that has made Queens part of their home.