Obama waits. Will Clinton take SOS or won't she?
President-Elect Barack Obama is wresting with the appointment of over 7,000 new members of government, over 2.5 million Americans out of work, people losing their homes, the homeless and hungry, an economic meltdown, bailouts and stimulus plans, budget analysis and plans, a damaged US image and relations worldwide, impaired trade relations, prospective health care plans, a discredited Department of Justice and environment policies under President Bush, etc., for starters.
Republican John McCain who got nearly 60 million votes in the 2008 general election and lost to PEBO quietly returned to the US Senate as senior Senator from Arizona to plan his re-election.
In a meeting with Obama and his close associate Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, McCain agreed to work with the future President across party lines on many of the issues and policies they support.
It is thought that McCain asked Obama not to punish senior Democrat Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut for defecting from the Democratic Party to support close friend Republican McCain for President. Lieberman has emerged from a vote of Senate Democrats chastened, but unpunished.
In contrast, Senator Hillary Clinton won nearly 18 million votes in the Democratic primary and lost to Obama is still dithering over remaining in the Senate or accepting PEBO's offer of Secretary of State.
Clinton believes that the Democratic Party owes her an unprecedented major role in the Senate for the number of primary votes she won and her supporters have been negotiating for her to take over the Democratic Policy Committee (thereby ousting the current chair) or a special Task Force (created for her of unspecified purpose with full staff).
Majority Leader Harry Reid has resisted both suggestions, but is said to be thinking of something appropriate if she does not accept PEBO's invitation to become Secretary of State.
Clinton is said to be disillusioned with being merely a junior Senator and not being offered a prominent leadership role in the Senate.
She still has over $7.4 million in campaign debt and has had to absorb the $13 million she loaned to her campaign.
She faces many restrictions in fund raising to retire that debt while serving as Secretary of State and many, varied restrictions on the activities of her husband former President William Clinton.
Clinton would be better off remaining in the Senate if she wants supporters to retire her debt given that donors are more likely to be enthusiastic and generous if she runs for a third Senate term in 2012 or for the Presidency in 2012 or 2016.
There have been so many threats to assassinate Obama that it is said Clinton is unsure if she would be better positioned to succeed him in the next election if she were SOS or still in the Senate.
If she becomes SOS, she is worried that she will lose the independence she has in the Senate.
If she takes State, she will have to follow Obama's agenda. She is a right-of-center hardliner and Obama believes in 'soft' foreign policy management.
The latter approach is much welcomed by the rest of the world after the disastrous Bush years.
Clinton is associated with many Bush policies and is considered a pro-Israeli hawk. This leaves her with a huge credibility gap in the Middle East.
Settlement of a separate free state of Palestine is key to peace in the ME and better international relations.
The presence of Clinton's longtime associate Rahm Emanuel as Obama's Chief of Staff further complicates foreign relations for the new President.
If things go wrong at State, she will be held responsible. If she does well, her reputation will be greatly enhanced.
Clinton associates say that PEBO has promised her direct access to him as SOS and a 'say' over her staff, but rumors abound that Obama is considering James Steinberg for Deputy Secretary of State. Steinberg is a former National Security Agency adviser under former President Clinton and known for his independence.
As Clinton vacillates, Obama is moving forward choosing the Secretary of Defense, NSA head, NSA Presidential adviser and Central Intelligence Agency head. She had requested input on these selections.
If Clinton accepts SOS, she would be taking over a demoralized State Department with career experts who see her as a untrained 'lightweight' with no negotiating experience. Steinberg, who is respected, would more likely be running the Department. Will he cover her back?
Further, career State employees anticipate that Clinton will copy Bush in packing the Department with her political associates to aid her in a future campaign for the Presidency. Clinton is facing a very hostile Department.
Leaks indicate that her husband's legal staff have provided most of the information the Obama team requires to remove potential conflicts of interest in the former President's business and charity activities that could compromise the future government and his wife's position.
However, the vetting process is not over and no one in authority is willing to say that Clinton has been officially offered the post.
Endless leaks from Obama's Transition team (filled with many Clintonistas) have cost Obama privacy and freedom of action.
Despite expressing misgivings about losing her independence, there is no question that Clinton's supporters are pushing for the SOS job by leaking that she is an 'inevitability' at State.
Governor William Richardson of New Mexico, who is a trained and experienced diplomat, has been offered Secretary of Commerce thereby removing a back-up rival.
Some of those remaining who are qualified to take the job if Clinton does not are Democrats Lee Hamilton and George Mitchell as well as Republicans Richard Luger and Charles Hagel.
Given the number of appointments from the old Clinton Administration, Obama's original supporters and the media are calling the new Administration 'the third Clinton term' and say he is not delivering the 'change' he had promised.
It is only three weeks since the election and there are major rumblings from Obama's core base and beyond. Progressives are not alne in their regrets if you read the blogs. Many voters are remorseful for the same reasons.
Wise commentators such as ABC's Sam Donaldson and Conservative David Brooks suggest that the President-Elect, whose appointments have been excellent so far, needs to remember his core Democrats and appoint a few progressives to the Cabinet.
Obviously, Hillary Clinton and her husband are the most visible holdovers from Clinton's Administration; hence, they are the focus of most of the anger.
I don't envy Clinton's decision. Whichever choice she makes, she may lose. If she chooses SOS, she may be ending any chance she has of running for the Presidency again.
It is said that her accepting SOS is a 'done deal' and that the announcement of the SOS appointment is delayed until Thanksgiving when most people are preoccupied celebrating and there will be minimum media coverage.
I wonder if Obama understands yet what political capital he may have lost with this appointment.
With all of his daunting concerns, he is still waiting on the lady and the Clinton drama never ends.
http://www.susansviews.com
Republican John McCain who got nearly 60 million votes in the 2008 general election and lost to PEBO quietly returned to the US Senate as senior Senator from Arizona to plan his re-election.
In a meeting with Obama and his close associate Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, McCain agreed to work with the future President across party lines on many of the issues and policies they support.
It is thought that McCain asked Obama not to punish senior Democrat Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut for defecting from the Democratic Party to support close friend Republican McCain for President. Lieberman has emerged from a vote of Senate Democrats chastened, but unpunished.
In contrast, Senator Hillary Clinton won nearly 18 million votes in the Democratic primary and lost to Obama is still dithering over remaining in the Senate or accepting PEBO's offer of Secretary of State.
Clinton believes that the Democratic Party owes her an unprecedented major role in the Senate for the number of primary votes she won and her supporters have been negotiating for her to take over the Democratic Policy Committee (thereby ousting the current chair) or a special Task Force (created for her of unspecified purpose with full staff).
Majority Leader Harry Reid has resisted both suggestions, but is said to be thinking of something appropriate if she does not accept PEBO's invitation to become Secretary of State.
Clinton is said to be disillusioned with being merely a junior Senator and not being offered a prominent leadership role in the Senate.
She still has over $7.4 million in campaign debt and has had to absorb the $13 million she loaned to her campaign.
She faces many restrictions in fund raising to retire that debt while serving as Secretary of State and many, varied restrictions on the activities of her husband former President William Clinton.
Clinton would be better off remaining in the Senate if she wants supporters to retire her debt given that donors are more likely to be enthusiastic and generous if she runs for a third Senate term in 2012 or for the Presidency in 2012 or 2016.
There have been so many threats to assassinate Obama that it is said Clinton is unsure if she would be better positioned to succeed him in the next election if she were SOS or still in the Senate.
If she becomes SOS, she is worried that she will lose the independence she has in the Senate.
If she takes State, she will have to follow Obama's agenda. She is a right-of-center hardliner and Obama believes in 'soft' foreign policy management.
The latter approach is much welcomed by the rest of the world after the disastrous Bush years.
Clinton is associated with many Bush policies and is considered a pro-Israeli hawk. This leaves her with a huge credibility gap in the Middle East.
Settlement of a separate free state of Palestine is key to peace in the ME and better international relations.
The presence of Clinton's longtime associate Rahm Emanuel as Obama's Chief of Staff further complicates foreign relations for the new President.
If things go wrong at State, she will be held responsible. If she does well, her reputation will be greatly enhanced.
Clinton associates say that PEBO has promised her direct access to him as SOS and a 'say' over her staff, but rumors abound that Obama is considering James Steinberg for Deputy Secretary of State. Steinberg is a former National Security Agency adviser under former President Clinton and known for his independence.
As Clinton vacillates, Obama is moving forward choosing the Secretary of Defense, NSA head, NSA Presidential adviser and Central Intelligence Agency head. She had requested input on these selections.
If Clinton accepts SOS, she would be taking over a demoralized State Department with career experts who see her as a untrained 'lightweight' with no negotiating experience. Steinberg, who is respected, would more likely be running the Department. Will he cover her back?
Further, career State employees anticipate that Clinton will copy Bush in packing the Department with her political associates to aid her in a future campaign for the Presidency. Clinton is facing a very hostile Department.
Leaks indicate that her husband's legal staff have provided most of the information the Obama team requires to remove potential conflicts of interest in the former President's business and charity activities that could compromise the future government and his wife's position.
However, the vetting process is not over and no one in authority is willing to say that Clinton has been officially offered the post.
Endless leaks from Obama's Transition team (filled with many Clintonistas) have cost Obama privacy and freedom of action.
Despite expressing misgivings about losing her independence, there is no question that Clinton's supporters are pushing for the SOS job by leaking that she is an 'inevitability' at State.
Governor William Richardson of New Mexico, who is a trained and experienced diplomat, has been offered Secretary of Commerce thereby removing a back-up rival.
Some of those remaining who are qualified to take the job if Clinton does not are Democrats Lee Hamilton and George Mitchell as well as Republicans Richard Luger and Charles Hagel.
Given the number of appointments from the old Clinton Administration, Obama's original supporters and the media are calling the new Administration 'the third Clinton term' and say he is not delivering the 'change' he had promised.
It is only three weeks since the election and there are major rumblings from Obama's core base and beyond. Progressives are not alne in their regrets if you read the blogs. Many voters are remorseful for the same reasons.
Wise commentators such as ABC's Sam Donaldson and Conservative David Brooks suggest that the President-Elect, whose appointments have been excellent so far, needs to remember his core Democrats and appoint a few progressives to the Cabinet.
Obviously, Hillary Clinton and her husband are the most visible holdovers from Clinton's Administration; hence, they are the focus of most of the anger.
I don't envy Clinton's decision. Whichever choice she makes, she may lose. If she chooses SOS, she may be ending any chance she has of running for the Presidency again.
It is said that her accepting SOS is a 'done deal' and that the announcement of the SOS appointment is delayed until Thanksgiving when most people are preoccupied celebrating and there will be minimum media coverage.
I wonder if Obama understands yet what political capital he may have lost with this appointment.
With all of his daunting concerns, he is still waiting on the lady and the Clinton drama never ends.
http://www.susansviews.com
Posted by Susan's Views at 11/24/2008 10:28 PM 
Categories: Politics
Tags: Hillary Clinton at State Department
Categories: Politics
Tags: Hillary Clinton at State Department
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