Clinton Attending NY Meeting

Tuesday, May 16th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) â€” President Clinton threw out his schedule Tuesday to fly to New York to be on hand as the State Democratic Party was to nominate his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, as its candidate for the Senate.

``I just decided I ought to be there,'' Clinton said. ``It's a big deal for her, a big night for her and I want to be there with her. I just want to be there to support her.''

Clinton said he was not a registered voter in New York yet. In fact, he said he voted in a school board election in Arkansas just a few days ago. ``For me, it's hard, you know, on a personal basis'' to change his voting registration to New York.

``But this is a commitment we made together, something that she wanted to do and a lot of people in New York wanted her to do,'' he said. ``And I want to support her in every way I can. And I certainly intend to vote for her. Since I'm a taxpaying resident of New York now, I'm entitled to vote and I intend to take advantage of it.''

Clinton was to fly to Albany later in the afternoon. He was to have been in Washington to address the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and later was to have traveled to his home in Chappaqua, N.Y.

Clinton said the convention would be the setting for retiring Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan's ``farewell address'' to the people of New York. ``I'd like to hear what he has to say.''

It's still unclear who Mrs. Clinton's opponent will be.

New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a Republican, is hinting that he's going to stay in the Senate race against Mrs. Clinton. In recent weeks, the 55-year-old Giuliani has disclosed that he has treatable prostate cancer and that he is seeking a legal separation from his wife, TV personality and actress Donna Hanover.