(2002-12-22) -- The Cable News Network (CNN), an AOL Time Warner Company, has funded the startup of Sen. Hillary Clinton's 2004 presidential exploratory committee. The "news" network, along with sister division Time magazine, ran a push poll this week asking registered Democrats whom they would support in 2004.

Although Sen. Clinton, D-NYArk, has repeatedly stated she will not be a candidate in 2004, CNN-Time included her name in the list of potential candidates.

"Our focus groups show that nothing would bump CNN ratings, and Time subscriptions, like a Clinton-Bush race," according to an unnamed CNN spokesman. "We were thinking of starting a 'Draft Clinton' campaign, but those two words didn't test well together. So, we're just funding the Senator's first push poll."