by Damozel | Yay, I hope it's true! Naturally, I think she would be an excellent choice. The Obama campaign isn't saying yes but they also aren't saying no. (WaPo) Ben Smith says that one of his sources says that Obama himself has discussed the possibility with advisers.
WaPo points out the up side.
The pick of the former presidential contender and Senate Armed Services Committee member would go a long way toward healing any remaining divisions within the Democratic Party after the divisive primaries. Also, Clinton has long been known for her work on international women's issues and human rights. The former first lady could also enhance Obama's efforts to restore U.S. standing amongst allies worldwide. (WaPo)
They add---because you've sort of got to---"And Obama could put her in his speed-dial for a 3 a.m. phone call every morning." (WaPo)
Apparently some of Obama's transition team really like the idea of Hillary, even if they won't confirm that this is a realistic possibility. "Senior officials with President-elect Barack Obama's transition team said late Thursday that Sen. Hillary Clinton would be an asset to the new administration, but declined to confirm reports she was under consideration for secretary of state." (Chi-Tribune)
How credible are the rumors? According to Mike Allen:
Several Obama transition advisers are strongly advocating Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) for secretary of State, a move that would create the ultimate “Team of Rivals” cabinet, according to officials involved in the discussions....
Even officials who like the idea held up strong “caution” flags. Fresh off his electoral triumph, Obama does not feel he needs the Clintons. The president-elect has never liked the idea of former President Bill Clinton as a back-seat driver. And the former president has had many tangled foreign business dealings that could complicate his wife’s entry into an administration that is promising transparency.
But some Obama advisers argue that her celebrity and credibility would be a huge asset in his goal of reengaging the United States with allies.
“You can send John Kerry or Chuck Hagel,” said one adviser, mentioning some other candidates for secretary of state, “or you can send Hillary Clinton. That’s totally different.”
Clinton would be most attractive if Obama concludes that he will have to focus his early days in office on the domestic economy, and will have to essentially outsource heavy-duty foreign travel to his secretary of State.(Politico)
Snidely, Politico adds, "An Obama adviser threw out one final rationale: It’s better to have the Clintons inside the tent than outside, causing trouble." (Politico)
Not that this isn't true. Furthermore, I don't care for the other contenders who names are being bruited about---or not in that role.
Other Democrats known to want the State Department post are Sen. John Kerry and Gov. Bill Richardson. A possible compromise choice would be former Sen. Tom Daschle.(msnbc)
I must say that the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the right would just add to my satisfaction.
At My DD, Jonathan Singer writes:
[T]here's no question that such a move would underscore Obama's determination to put together the strongest possible team -- even if that team isn't exactly new blood (think Joe Biden, think Rahm Emanuel, think John Podesta, think Ron Klain, et al.). Clinton and Obama might not have looked exactly eye-to-eye on all matters foreign policy during the primaries, but their approach to the world is by and large similar. And I can certainly see Clinton being a strong surrogate for the Obama administration throughout the world.
Taylor Marsh feels the same way about Hillary that I do, only more so. She says:
Madam Secretary? Hillary Clinton at State. It would be brilliant on all levels....
In the end it makes such sense.
No one challenged Barack Obama on foreign affairs more directly than Hillary Clinton. Team of rivals realized, right? Besides, adversary on one level, no one would be more determined to deliver President-elect Obama's message than Hillary Clinton. She's been in the White House and knows how important a united front on foreign policy can be. But she can add another opinion, along with Biden's, someone who respects Hillary very much, giving President Obama the best minds around him. That's what he said he wanted. Not a bunch of yes men and women, but the strongest minds America offers.
What a brilliant stroke Hillary at State would be.
At MoJo Blog, Kevin Drum points out some of the strategic advantages of a Hillary pick.
Hillary Clinton would have many advantages for the post. The Clintons are revered and familiar faces abroad, the appointment would please her own partisans, and one of the most coveted cabinet jobs would go to a woman.
It also would solve one possible problem. Senate staffers say if Obama picks Sen. John Kerry to be secretary of state, Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) would be next in line to become chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and that might cause the new administration something of a problem, as Feingold has voted differently from Obama and Biden on key issues in the committee.
Similarly, if Obama asks Robert Gates to stay on as Secretary of Defense (for a year or more), he might not want to give a second top cabinet post to a Republican, that is, retiring Sen. Chuck Hagel. Every appointment has its repercussions.
Yay! I hope the rumors are all true.
Memeorandum has blogger discussions.
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Need I state the obvious? I hope the rumors I will be Secretary of State are true too.
Posted by: The Heretik | November 14, 2008 at 08:21 AM
I'm kind of with Josh Marshall on this one. I think she'd do a good job, but I'm surprised she wants the job. She's trading senator-as-long-as-she-wants-it, with rapidly escalating influence, for 4, maybe 8 years running State for Obama.
I think it's a great move for Obama, for a variety of reasons, but it seems like a lateral move at best for HRC. Maybe she figures she can be SecState for one term, then return to the Senate in 2012 when her seat is up again?
Posted by: Adam | November 14, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Hold on a second here. My personal opinions of Hillary aside (though I have warmed up to her slightly the last few months), I can completely understand having her in the Cabinet or in the Administration in some sort of a prominent role for a variety of reasons. I can also understand being unenthused about Kerry as Sec of State. What I don't understand is why an anti-war liberal of any stripe would specifically view her as the best choice for Secretary of State given her legislative record on foreign affairs (specifically her support for the Iraq War, amongst other things). I frankly don't see how Hillary as Sec. of State would represent the slightest change at the top of the State Department over the last 25-30 years. Maybe there are simply no confirmable candidates who actually would represent a meaningful change, in which case I can understand this response....but surely there's someone who is a qualified dove.
As for political considerations - shouldn't liberals want to see Russ Feingold move into a position of influence on foreign affairs? I, for one, would.
Posted by: Mark | November 14, 2008 at 12:16 PM
Mark, the president makes policy. I do see your point in some narrow cases - for instance, her vote on the Kyl-Lieberman amendment could be problematic in negotiations with Iran. But overall, the point is that she could handle the job competently and that she has an international profile.
As an aside, I've been meaning to blog about the recent grumblings from Iran. It now seems that Obama's stance on Iran amounts to calling Iran's bluff.
Posted by: Adam | November 14, 2008 at 12:50 PM