Hillary in the House

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Since Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is so firmly committed to being “the best senator from New York that I can be,” naturally she’s showing up at tonight’s presidential debate in her home state.

She’ll be in the hall at Hofstra this evening — which makes for some intriguing opportunities for the debate’s contestants.

Does Sen. Barack Obama recognize her in some way? Or does Sen. John McCain do so first?

Does McCain use her presence to remind viewers that Clinton was the first to raise the Obama-Bill Ayers relationship in a debate, saying at ABC’s debate in April that it is “an issue that people will be asking about” — and predicting (rightly, it would turn out) “that this is an issue that certainly the Republicans will be raising”?

Unlike New York’s senior senator, Charles Schumer, Clinton is not on the Obama campaign’s designated list of post-debate spinners.

But she will be making the TV rounds during post-debate coverage, according to a spokesman — regardless of whether she comes up in tonight’s discussion.

– Rick Klein