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Rudy heading to Hillary territory in Arkansas

BY GLENN THRUSH | Newsday Washington Bureau

July 7, 2006

WASHINGTON - Rudolph Giuliani is venturing onto Hillary Rodham Clinton's turf next week to speak at an Arkansas school founded by the former first lady - and he's arriving just four days before Clinton makes a trip to her former home state.

It's not rare for the dueling political superstars to cross paths: They are both, for example, appearing at fundraisers in Ohio for battling Democratic and Republican Senate candidates. But the timing is curious, although Giuliani's people say it's simply coincidence.

The former mayor, whose PAC Web site posts speculative articles about his presidential chances, is due to appear at a Little Rock fundraiser for GOP gubernatorial hopeful Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday.

Later that day, he stops by a suburb to address gifted and talented high school students at the Arkansas Governor's School. In 1979, then-Arkansas first lady Hillary Rodham founded the school, a summer-only institution modeled on similar programs being created around the country.