Survey Says: A 2nd Term for Hillary

The beat goes on for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) with a new independent poll showing her with large leads over potential Republican opponents.

Clinton leads former Westchester County district attorney Jeanine Pirro 59 percent to 31 percent; she holds a 60 percent to 30 percent lead over attorney -- and Richard Nixon son-in-law -- Ed Cox.

The survey, released by the Siena Research Institute, shows Hillary Clinton leading even the two titans of Empire State GOP politics -- former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and Gov. George Pataki. Clinton holds a 48 percent to 43 percent lead over Giuliani and a larger 53 percent to 35 percent edge over Pataki. Both men have already said they will not run for Senate, instead choosing to focus their energies on potential presidential bids.

Although the N.Y. Senate race is likely to tighten somewhat in 2006, Clinton is a prohibitive favorite for a second term.  The question now is how big her margin will be and how much momentum that will create for a potential presidential race.