Sen. Hillary Clinton narrowly avoided political disaster yesterday by staying at least 15 feet away from Harry Belafonte at all times during the Children's Defense Fund lunch in the Rainbow Room.
That, presumably, was a safe distance.
With any luck, New York's junior senator won't be captured in any photographs - even those taken with a wideangle lens - cozying up to the tough-talking activist, who last weekend on a trip to Venezuela called President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world." 
In Caracas, Belafonte also lavished praise on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, saying: "We respect you, we admire you" - never mind that Chavez lambasted Jews (in a televised Christmas Eve speech, no less) as "descendants of those who crucified Christ" and "a minority [who] took the world's riches for themselves."
In short, Belafonte might have star power, but he doesn't offer the sort of celebrity linkage that helps a politician who's been positioning herself as a right-center Democrat while considering running for President in a couple of years.
Like Clinton, a founder and former chairman of the children's advocacy organization, the 78-year-old calypso legend was listed prominently on the program. She was keynote speaker while he was a presenter (along with Marlo Thomas) of the group's Beat the Odds Award to five teenagers.
But when the 58-year-old Clinton swept into the room mid-meal, she didn't do the usual thing and stop by Belafonte's table for a quick hello. She didn't even acknowledge his presence. She simply pretended he wasn't there.
She strode onstage to deliver 10 minutes of remarks, sat through somebody else's speech, then bolted out the door - moments before Belafonte's turn at the mic - without taking reporters' questions.
Children's Defense Fund lunch organizers also had Harry on a tight leash. Had he spoken to Hillary lately? "If you are even thinking about asking a question like that, I can't let you talk to him," one handler advised Lowdown.
Later, during a press conference on health care, Clinton refused to address it. "I'm sorry, this is about Medicare Prescription Part D," she scolded a nosy reporter. "You're welcome to call my office, but I'm talking about something that is literally a life-and-death matter to hundreds of thousands of people who I have the privilege of representing."
The senator's flack was also mum.
BlackBrutha Note: I like this Brotha. You Go Boy.
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