The former first lady addressed the same topic in a New York radio interview, telling WROW in Albany, "I think [Kerry] was trying to strike actually a sensitive note [but] it might not have worked."

Sen. Clinton said she could "understand why some people might have been bothered" by Kerry's decision to use a presidential debate to announce that Mary Cheney was "a lesbian."

Clinton's decision to break ranks with other prominent Democrats who have declined to criticize Kerry's gaffe has to be deeply troubling to the Kerry campaign.

As recently as this weekend, her former spokesman, Howard Wolfson, was vigorously defending the Democratic candidate's "lesbian" outburst.

Asked if he thought Kerry should apologize, Wolfson told WABC Radio's Steve Malzberg, "No, certainly not. ... . This is really an attempt by the Republicans to divert and distract" from more important matters.

"This is not an issue that has a lot of legs," Wolfson insisted.

Editor's note: