U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchision (R-TX) is considering running against Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the Republican primary next year, according to news reports. The speculation of her candidacy already has the Perry campaign launching a pre-emptive attack on her.

In a 46-second video that was circulated to Republican and conservative activists, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) was taped making a few complimentary remarks about Hutchision. To many Texas Republicans, having anything nice said about you by Clinton is tantamount to treason.

"We're being very aggressive in everything we do," Perry campaign director Luis Saenz told the Austin American-Stateman, confirming that the campaign was behind the taping and circulating the video. "And you ain't seen nothing yet."

At a March 3rd event at the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum in Washington to honor women's history, Clinton told the audience that she's "delighted that Kay is my partner on so many important fronts." After smiling and posing for pictures, the two senators lightly embrace each other.

Saenz initially denied the Perry camp was behind the video, owning up to it only after a museum spokeswoman told reporters that the two men who taped the event indentified themselves as being with the Perry campaign.

"I'm embarrassed they got caught in a lie," Terry Sullivan of Hutchison's senatorial re-election campaign told the Associated Press. "I'm a little bit more embarrassed that the governor has nothing better to do than stalk the senator halfway across the country, then be dishonest about it."

Former Republican gubernatorial nominee Clayton Williams has urged Hutchison not to run against Perry and has vowed to support Perry's campaign financially. Williams was trounced by Democrat Ann Richards in 1990, after he commented to reporters that, "Rape is like the weather. If there isn't anything you can do about it, you may as well sit back and enjoy it."

Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn is also expected to run against Perry in the Republican primary. Perry assumed the governorship in January 2001 after George W. Bush was sworn-in to the presidency. Hutchison had considered challenging him in the 2002 primary, but opted not to. Perry eventually defeated Democrat businessman Tony Sanchez, 58%-40%, in the general election.

Hutchison was elected to the U.S. Senate in June 1993 and was overwhelming re-elected in 1994 and 2000, with 61% and 65% of the vote respectively. Most political observers consider her a near shoe-in to beat any Democratic gubernatorial candidate, whereas as Perry cast much more doubt.

Partisan warfare in Congress is at a fevor pitch and conservative activists loath any partnerships that reach across the aisle.

Hutchison is the latest Republican senator to feel the wrath of conservatives for being cordial with Clinton, who is widely perceived as the eventual Democratic presidential nominee in 2008.

In February, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) told NBC's Tim Russert on Meet the Press, "I have no doubt that Senator Clinton would make a good president," after being asked. McCain was sitting next to Clinton at the time, as they were both interviewed from Baghdad.