CLEAN GREEN: Sen. Hillary Clinton, whose campaign is returning $850,000 in contributions linked to disgraced fundraiser Norman Hsu, indicated Wednesday that donors who contributed that money could donate to her presidential campaign once again. “We’re not asking that that be done,” she said, “but I believe that the vast majority of those 200-plus donors are perfectly capable of making up their own minds about what they will or won’t do going forward.” Clinton’s campaign said such donors must confirm to the campaign that the contributions are from their own funds. Authorities said the FBI is investigating whether Hsu paid donors to contribute to politicians.
IN THE RACE: Former Democratic Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia plans to announce Thursday that he will run next year for the U.S. Senate, sources told The Associated Press. Warner has indicated he would run either for the Senate seat of Republican John Warner (no relation), who is retiring, or for governor in 2009.
OFFENDED: GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Wednesday denounced a Web site that attacked rival Fred Thompson’s personal life and political career, calling it “juvenile and offensive.” Now off-line, PhoneyFred.org was the creation of a business associate of Warren Tompkins, Romney’s top political operative in South Carolina. Romney’s campaign insists that neither Romney nor Tompkins knew of the site or approved it.
