Clinton Vetting Includes Look at Mr. Clinton (Vetting has begun.)

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: New York Times

President-elect Barack Obama’s advisers have begun reviewing former President Bill Clinton’s finances and activities to see whether they would preclude the appointment of his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, as secretary of state, Democrats close to the situation said Sunday.

The examination of the former president suggests how seriously Mr. Obama is considering bringing his onetime rival for the Democratic presidential nomination into his cabinet. He met with Mrs. Clinton in Chicago on Thursday to talk about the prospect and word quickly filtered out. Many Democrats close to both camps said Sunday that it seemed likely that Mr. Obama would ask her to take the job, assuming they could work something out regarding Mr. Clinton’s role.

A team of lawyers trying to facilitate the potential nomination spent the weekend looking into Mr. Clinton’s philanthropic organization, interactions with foreign governments and ties to pharmaceutical companies, a Democrat close to both camps said. While Mr. Clinton has used his foundation to champion efforts to fight AIDS, poverty and climate change around the world, he has also taken millions in speaking fees and contributions from foreign officials and businesses with interests in American governmental policies.

Obama advisers are discussing what Mr. Clinton would need to do to avoid a conflict of interest with the duties of his wife, who is said to be interested in the post. “That’s the first and most important hurdle,” said a senior adviser to Mr. Obama. “He does good work. No one wants it to stop, but a structure to avoid conflicts must be thought of.”

More than a dozen advisers to both sides said Sunday that although they did not have firm information, they considered it improbable that Mr. Obama would have opened the door to Mrs. Clinton’s appointment without having decided, at least in principle, that he would like to make it happen....

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/17/us/politics/17memo.html?hp=&pagewanted=all

[aquart]

1. Seems reasonable to me.

[babylonsister]

2. Your link isn't working for me. I'm sure it will, but

By PETER BAKER and HELENE COOPER



"More than a dozen advisers to both sides said Sunday that although they did not have firm information"


Hahahaha! What does this mean?

[DeepModem Mom]

3. I get an ad first, which I "x'ed" out. Did you get that? nt

[DeepModem Mom]

5. Just tried again, and the article came up with no ad. Hope it works for you now. nt

[babylonsister]

7. Nope, but that's okay. I know how

possibly screwed Hillary is because of Bill. Sorry, that's the truth.

He has been a rose and a thorn.

[onehandle]

4. And the NYT is slow too. Every news show, blog, and politico has been talking about this.

Weird.

[DeepModem Mom]

6. This is the very first report I've seen that they've BEGUN looking into...

whatever has to be looked into re. Bill Clinton in the vetting process. In fact, it's the first report I've seen that a vetting process has started.

[onehandle]

8. That's true. Rachel, Keith and others over the weekend talked about the logistics.

But not that it had started.

Regardless, Obama wouldn't have offered this if there was going to be any problems.

[DeepModem Mom]

10. I edited that info in -- that the process has begun. A weak headline! nt

[babylonsister]

13. Nope. Check it out...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x402194

And do a search on DU for 'vetting'. You will be amazed.

[onehandle]

15. DeepModem Mom pointed out what I missed in the article too. The actual vetting has begun. nt

[renman95]

9. Strange bedfellows

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

[DeepModem Mom]

12. Welcome to DU, renman95!

I've heard that mentioned among the commentators as at least one of the reasons Obama is interested in appointing Senator Clinton.

[wisteria]

18. He can do that without giving her this positon that she is not qualified for. n/t

[rpannier]

23. As someone living in Asia

The discussion of her being the new SoS has been met with positive responses in most of Asia -- exception is South Korea. Pres Lee (best remembered for palling around with DUH-bya in a golf cart last May) is not really excited.

I have many friends in Europe and they say the response in Europe has been quite positive.

So, how is she unqualified to be SoS?

[Zhade]

26. Well, there's the whole fell-for-the-WMD-lies thing.

Or worse - she didn't, and voted to go to war anyway.

[rpannier]

29. That doesn't explain why she would be unqualified to be SoS

Since the job of the SoS is to promote the United States overseas with foreign governments and the majority of these foreign governments have a positive opinion of her, it seems she is qualified to be SoS, or at least as qualified as others who are being mentioned.

[amdezurik]

20. pretty obvios lots like you

have no clue what an enemy is...

[ShortnFiery]

24. Yeah, but NOT on your lap!

:evilgrin:

[quickesst]

32. Hillary fever....

...still no cure. Thanks.
quickesst

[HeresyLives]

11. Hillary has been vetted

6 ways from Sunday.

For president and for vice-president, so she doesn't need any more vetting for Sect'y of State.

This is all idle speculation.

[ErinBerin84]

14. I don't think Obama ever

got to a thorough stage of vetting with Hillary for VP. They have been very very vetted over the years, I assume that the Obama team would just want the donor list to make sure there aren't conflicts of interests. It's up to them and it is a lot of speculation, but I don't think it's out of bounds to expect that.

[TheWraith]

21. No, she really wasn't.

She was never vetted for VP because she refused to allow Bill's business dealings to be vetted too.

And there's lots and lots of different media people who've admitted that during the campaign nobody ever really looked into Hillary's dealings during the last 8-10 years, because there was a general sense that she was a known figure.

[ShortnFiery]

25. No, her husband has not been investigated. His connections from 2000 on need to be investigated.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/11/15/ST2008111500401.html

Perhaps the most pressing question is whether Clinton would pass the rigorous Obama vetting process, which would include a thorough examination of her husband Bill Clinton's private business since leaving office. Obama aides had said during the primaries that Hillary Clinton was not seriously considered for vice president in part because of the work of the former president, who has made millions giving speeches to foreign entities and companies, including some in China and Saudi Arabia, since 2001 and would be required to fully disclose his private work and to name the donors to his presidential library and global charity. His decision to serve on the board of the Yucaipa Cos., a California private equity firm run by billionaire Ronald W. Burkle, his friend, raised eyebrows, as did questions about whether he played a role in helping a Canadian financier land a uranium contract in Kazakhstan.

[CoffeeCat]

16. Nice move, from the Obama camp...

The Clinton camp leaked the story about Hillary being considered for SOS, and the pressure
has been mounting--and culminating with Henry Kissinger coming out and forcefully
lobbying for Hillary as SOS.

Does it ever end with the Clinton?

I wondered how Obama would handle this.

The man is pure genius.

He's leaking a few items of his own. It appears that Obama is letting everyone know that
he's now vetting Bill Clinton.

In the end, Bill Clinton will be delicately communicated as the thing that got in Hillary's way.
We all saw this play out when Obama was selecting his veep. It's playing out again.

We can all rest easy. No Clinton as SOS. Did anyone actually think he'd select her anyway?

So, who does everything think the SOS will be? Kerry or Richardson?

[wisteria]

19. I hope you are right about this. Appointing her in this position seems like a reckless thing to do

on Obama's part. If he wants to keep an eye on her why give her something that she is not qualified for and can use to undermine him.
Personally, I am pushing for Kerry. I want to see him get this position. Kerry should be our president right now. He is more than qualified for this cabinet post. I just hope others don't sabotage it for him. (Of course, this is if he wants the job- I think he might)

[Zhade]

27. I'm thinking Richardson for SOS and Kerry for AG.

Tell me why that's bad, if it is.

[w4rma]

28. Agreed. But, I'd still rather Kerry be in the Senate to help craft and push through legislation.(nt)

[Eurobabe]

30. Brilliant strategy.

Checkmate.

Please: someone else as SoS? No Drama, and let's leave it at that...I think at this point I'd rather have John Kerry.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

34. After the way the Clintons treated PE Obama, I hope he's just mess'en with her brain...

...'Yeah, I'll vet you, then drop you like a hot potato'

[Gman]

35. I think Obama has more class than that

[Just-plain-Kathy]

36. Turning the other cheek is one thing, but I will be disappointed in PE Obama,

...if he chooses either Hillary or McCain to be in his cabinet. We love PE Obama because he promises "change". If we supported Hillary or McCain, they would be heading to the White House in January.

[Gman]

37. I don't know what kind of "change" the purists expected

because the rest of the Democratic Party is not "purist" and therefore just wants a country headed in the right direction with the right people.

[Politicalboi]

17. But yet some have to

Expose their possible love letters to work for Obama but Hillary gets a pass. She would never be able to answer the 63 questions and get a job in his administration. Bill is a problem.

[JDPriestly]

22. According to Jane Mayer, the renditions started during the Clinton

administration. There are a lot of problems with naming Clinton as Secretary of State. She was rude and short-tempered with Code Pink when they tried to petition her to vote against the Iraq War. Code Pink had been in Iraq and had talked not only to Iraqi women but also to the UN inspectors. The UN inspectors told Code Pink that Saddam was cooperating. Hillary refused to listen.

Then In her book The Dark Side, Jane Mayer goes into a lot of detail about how renditions started in the Clinton administration.

Further, I have seen allegations on a German website that the Clinton administration pressured the Germans and the Europeans in general into providing a lower level of privacy protection for the electronic communications of Germans/Europeans. The excuse was violations of copyright law. The Europeans eventually gave in to American pressure when the excuse was terrorism I believe (but am not sure how it worked).

So, Clinton has many good qualities, but she would bring a lot of baggage with her as Secretary of State. Too bad. When I first heard about the possibility of Hillary being Secretary of State, I thought it sounded great. It would solve political problems in the Democratic Party, but it would burden Obama with all the mistakes of the Clinton administration.

I think it would be better to make Bill a special emissary on the Israeli-Palestine issue or some other specific issue of importance and then keep Hillary in the Senate.

[babylonsister]

31. Thanks and bookmarked for more info. nt

[Baby Snooks]

33. The main conflict-of-interest

All anyone needs to do is look at the thousands of photos of Bill Clinton and George HW Bush to see the real conflict-of-interest.

People need to wake up. RINOs are not really Democrats. DINOs are not really Republicans. They are Republicrats. As the years went by, scandal after scandal, investigation after investigation, the Clintons adopted the attitude that "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." And so they did. And so Bill Clinton became our first Republicrat president.

Barack Obama may be following the wisdom of "keep your enemies close to the heart," and also within sight, but he may be following advice of advisors who are putting together a Clinton White House and a Clinton administration. Time will tell.

There is a Persian tale about the king and the assassin. The king had been told that there was an assassin plotting against him and so the king dispatched his army to search for the assassin and while the army was searching for the assassin, the assassin managed to become a servant in the palace and quickly befriended the king and eventually became his confidant and advisor. Years passed and one day the king mused about the assassin and wondered what ever happened to him. And the assassin looked at the king and said "I am right here" and with that pulled a knife and killed the king.