Clinton to Accept Secretary of State Job

[kpete]

Source: New York Times

Clinton to Accept Secretary of State Job
By Peter Baker

Hillary Rodham Clinton has decided to give up her Senate seat and accept the position of secretary of state, making her the public face around the world for the administration of the man who beat her for the Democratic presidential nomination, two confidants said Friday.

Mrs. Clinton came to her decision after additional discussion with President-elect Barack Obama about the nature of her role and his plans for foreign policy, said one of the confidants, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the situation. Mr. Obama’s office told reporters Thursday that the nomination is “on track” but Clinton associates only confirmed Friday afternoon that she has decided.

“She’s ready,” said the confidant. Mrs. Clinton was reassured after talking again with Mr. Obama because their first meeting in Chicago last week “was so general,” the confidant said. The purpose of the follow-up talk, he added, was not to extract particular concessions but “just getting comfortable” with the idea of working together.

A second Clinton associate confirmed that her camp believes they have a done deal. Senior Obama advisers said Friday morning that the offer had not been formally accepted and no announcement will be made until after Thanksgiving. But they said they were convinced that the nascent alliance was now ready to be sealed.

Read more: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/clinton-to-accept-secretary-of-state-job/

[annabanana]

1. I think the beltway blather about potential for conflict

on matters of policy are hogwash. I think Obama is a strong enough leader to use Hillary's talents to his ends...

[aquart]

11. People are still confusing primary rhetoric for real disagreement.

The problem for both was they were almost identical with 90% agreement in voting.

[jobycom]

19. Exactly. nt

[BootinUp]

2. Most Excellent. nt

[Turbineguy]

3. Timothy Geitner

Treasury.

[DemReadingDU]

5. I just heard that on CNBC, n/t

edit for correct station.

discussing with Maria B, Steve L., and John Harwood

[Eric J in MN]

4. Bill Clinton made progress towards a Mideast Peace Deal, but...

...not enough.

Maybe Hillary Clinton can get a deal for a Palestinian State.

[Chulanowa]

14. Or better yet...

A single state that encompasses and gives full rights to both Israelis and Palestinians. The "Two-State solution" is, IMO, just a farce to keep the mess going to the military-industrial complex can keep selling stuff.

[Spouting Horn]

60. That's by far the

smartest solution for those who understand demographics.

In a one party state, the Palestinians would eventually be able to out-vote the Jews, then they'd be able to vote them out to sea.

This has been the winning strategy (from a Pali. perspective) for a while, but it would require an admission that Israel was legit. Sometimes some people can't seem to get out of their own way.

[aquart]

15. Bill Clinton kept them talking.

Bush refused to talk so they started killing.

BTW, what happened to the Palestinian state that was established by the UN in the partition that created Israel? You know, when the Arabs got the big chunk of Palestine and the Jews got the postage stamp? What happened to THAT Palestinian state?

[Baby Snooks]

37. The real deals...

The real deals will be the ones Bill Clinton makes in his wheeling and dealing. Now he's a "two-fer" in his wheeling and dealing. You not only get a former president and another former president who adopted him but a real live secretary of state. In the end, the Clintons always go for the money. And her being secretary of state is worth a lot of money.

I don't think anyone in this country will wake up until there is no country left to wake up to.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

44. It stinks

This is so inbred that there's nothing it can bring forth is a terribly damaged result. Hillary Clinton, who was, after all, First Lady, has absolute zip "diplomatic experience." Her husband was President - she wasn't.

By these incredibly delusional standards, Laura Bush would make a great Secretary of State.

I have Clinton Fatigue. Enough, already.

[Muttocracy]

58. I wonder if the Bushes own property in NY - maybe Laura can run for the seat? nt

[cobalt1999]

6. She is a great choice.

Good choice by Obama.

[Buzz Clik]

7. Sweet Jesus! It's the end. OMG!!!!

Somebody had to say it first. Why not me?

[bluestateguy]

8. If that is the president's choice, then I will support it

He has shown superior judgement all year.

[amdezurik]

9. huh I guess Bill's stuff was not as bad as speculated

endlessly and at volume set at piercing by so many DU'ers and at other blogs in repitition of RW talking points...

[Phred42]

10. Obama Must think he'll get points for Degree of Dificulty

:banghead:

He'll regret this. He will never be able to control them.

[Buzz Clik]

12. I just hope that Obama is smarter than Bill about sending her into battle zones.

It was shocking to think that the President would send the First Lady and his only child into live fire.

Surely Obama will be more discriminating.

[JTFrog]

20. Oh give me a fucking break.. SNIPERGATE? n/t

[Buzz Clik]

28. meh.

No fucking breaks.

[shadowknows69]

46. Yeah fucking snipergate

That was one of the most disgusting things I've ever heard a politician lie about. Theft of valor much Hillary? That spit in the face of anyone who actually deals with life threatening combat situations. Think of all the tall tales Hillary will be able to invent as SOS. I forsee a book coming out "Kevlar: My life on the front lines by SOS Clinton."

[Zhade]

51. Um, there were no snipers. She lied.

There's video evidence that proves she lied.

(But maybe you're being sarcastic and I missed it.)

[Spouting Horn]

61. Right, but he'll

have them out of the country.

[RufusTFirefly]

13. Interesting. Not your standard career path to the White House

Only six Secretaries of State have gone on to become President. The most recent was James Buchanan, and that was more than 150 years ago.

So it's definitely not the most direct route to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Granted, it is fourth in line in the order of succession...

[JTFrog]

16. Change my fucking ass.

IWR? Kyl-Lieberman? OBLITERATE IRAN?

A Senator who imagined being under sniper fire while reading a poem from a little Bosnian girl?

I'll spend the next four years saying, well... at least it's not McCain.



:eyes:

[jobycom]

21. Change your own ass!

:rofl: Couldn't resist.

The IWR was an attempt to head of the war that Bush had already said he would start without Congressional approval. Obliterate Iran was over-hyped misinterpretation of what she said. No idea what you mean by Kyl-Lieberman. And she didn't imagine sniper fire, that was just more overblown rhetoric on both sides.

This is why politics isn't a sport for amateurs. People who take political statements seriously often can't understand what's going on once the election is over.

[JTFrog]

22. Her IWR vote was a vote for War. If you don't know what I mean by Kyl-Lieberman, then you seriously

have some huge ones to try to tell me that I don't understand what's going on.



*edit dont' to don't

[jobycom]

23. It was not, but keep on trucking. The world needs drivers as much as navigators, I guess.

[JTFrog]

25. One of the best navigators I know says otherwise.

She not only voted for war, she reminded them how to do it.

http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0303-23.htm

See Hillary Run (from Her Husband's Past on Iraq)
by Scott Ritter

Senator Hillary Clinton wants to become President Hillary Clinton. "I'm in, and I'm in to win," she said, announcing her plans to run for the Democratic nomination for the 2008 Presidential election. Let there be no doubt that Hillary Clinton is about as slippery a species of politician that exists, one who has demonstrated an ability to morph facts into a nebulous blob which blurs the record and distorts the truth. While she has demonstrated this less than flattering ability on a number of issues, nowhere is it so blatant as when dealing with the issue of the ongoing war in Iraq and Hillary Clinton's vote in favor of this war.

This issue won't be resolved even if Hillary Clinton apologizes for her Iraq vote, as other politicians have done, blaming their decision on faulty intelligence on Iraq's WMD capabilities. This is because, like many other Washington politicians at the time, including those now running for president, she had been witness to lies about Iraq's weapons programs to justify attacks on that country by her husband President Bill Clinton and his administration.

"While there is no perfect approach to this thorny dilemma, and while people of good faith and high intelligence can reach diametrically opposed conclusions, I believe the best course is to go to the UN for a strong resolution that scraps the 1998 restrictions on inspections and calls for complete, unlimited inspections with cooperation expected and demanded from Iraq," Senator Clinton said at the time of her vote, in a carefully crafted speech designed to demonstrate her range of knowledge and ability to consider all options. "I know that the Administration wants more, including an explicit authorization to use force, but we may not be able to secure that now, perhaps even later. But if we get a clear requirement for unfettered inspections, I believe the authority to use force to enforce that mandate is inherent in the original 1991 UN resolution, as President Clinton recognized when he launched Operation Desert Fox in 1998."

Hillary would have done well to leave out that last part, the one where her husband, the former President of the United States, used military force as part of a 72-hour bombing campaign ostensibly deemed as a punitive strike in defense of disarmament, but in actuality proved to be a blatant attempt at regime change which used the hyped-up threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction as an excuse for action. Sound familiar? While many Americans today condemn the Bush administration for misleading them with false claims of unsubstantiated threats which resulted in the ongoing debacle we face today in Iraq (count Hillary among this crowd), few have reflected back on the day when the man from Hope, Arkansas sat in the Oval Office and initiated the policies of economic sanctions-based containment and regime change which President Bush later brought to fruition when he ordered the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

...much more at link

Scott Ritter served as a former Marine Corps officer from 1984 until 1991, and as a UN weapons inspector in Iraq from 1991 until 1998. He is the author of several books, including "Iraq Confidential" and "Target Iran". He also co-authored "War on Iraq" with William Pitt.

[jrockford]

41. This sucks, but meh, not surprised. Sure Israel is pleased as hell. nt

[Zhade]

53. IRAQ WAR RESOLUTION. It's right in the fucking title.

NT!

[lwcon]

64. Actually, it's the fucking nickname

The fucking title was "Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq"

[DutchLiberal]

63. Why the outrage? Did you REALLY believe Obama would bring 'change'?

Of course not. It's all so predictable...

[robertpaulsen]

17. Hello Senator Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of New York! Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? n/t

[closeupready]

24. I like Sen. Nydia Velazquez better.

:hi:

[onehandle]

18. But... But I heard it was just a rumor! nt

[ProSense]

26. Evidently, it still

is a rumor.

[no limit]

27. shitty

[joshcryer]

29. Clinton accepts Obama secretary of state offer: NY Times

Source: NY Times

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has accepted an offer from President-elect Barack Obama to become U.S. secretary of state, joining her former Democratic rival to help guide U.S. foreign policy, the New York Times said on Friday.

The newspaper quoted two Clinton associates who said she came to her decision after additional discussions with Obama about the nature of her role as the top U.S. diplomat and his foreign policy plans.

"She's ready," one of the sources told the newspaper, which posted the report on its website.

Clinton emerged as a frontrunner for the secretary of state job late last week, transfixing a country which had seen her compete hard against Obama to win the Democratic nomination for the presidency. Obama clinched that nomination in June and then beat Republican John McCain in the November 4 election.

Democratic Party sources have recently said Clinton, was on track to be nominated, with an official announcement expected after the November 27 Thanksgiving holiday.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081121/pl_nm/us_usa_obama_clinton

---

Congragulations Hillary!

[aquart]

30. Well, I must apologize. Obama is bigger than I thought he was.

[joshcryer]

33. He's going to be a great President. Man, I cannot concieve of how great this man is.

The very idea of picking someone so polarizing in the Obama circles is so shocking to me. He is his own man.

[aquart]

49. Clearly, he ignores idiots.

Not catering to deranged, hate-filled fanatics is my idea of a good sign.

[stray cat]

31. Wow - Obama is going to have a powerhouse of a cabinet

and I for one am glad to see it.

[Mass]

32. CNN already says the Clinton staff is saying the report is premature.

and she has not decided yet.

[joshcryer]

34. No it has already happened and will be announced after Thanksgiving.

It is likely you are hearing the report from yesterday trying to debunk the truth.

[ProSense]

36. No, CNN just reported that the Obama camp said that's going too far. Also,

[joshcryer]

38. Why are you posting a screenshot when clearly CNN has changed its story?

Give CNN an hour and they will have this same fucking news report. But you'll still deny it.

[ProSense]

43. Hillary Spokesperson: Reports That She Will Accept Sec State Gig Are "Premature"

Hillary Spokesperson: Reports That She Will Accept Sec State Gig Are "Premature"

By Greg Sargent - November 21, 2008, 3:42PM
Hillary spokesperson Philippe Reines says the reports that Hillary has decided to accept the Secretary of State gig are "premature."

Asked for comment on the stories, Reines emails me this:

"We're still in discussions, which are very much on track. Any reports beyond that are premature."

It's still possible that it's true that she's told confidants that she'll accept the gig and that this statement refers to the question of whether she and Obama have shaken hands on it. But perhaps a bit of caution is in order.

[joshcryer]

45. Just like when Hillary said "the details of our meeting are private, any speculation is premature."

;)

[stray cat]

35. Someone made a very public goof

[shadowknows69]

39. Can we stop posting rumors as fact around here for just a day or two?

[joshcryer]

40. This is what the news media is saying based on reliable sources.

It is no more "rumor" than me saying that I heard someone was tired of the BS on DU.

[shadowknows69]

42. Yeah that's why there are stories denying it coming out now

Clinton aides the source? Yeah, we need more Hillary dramatics. She's an embarassment to this party.

[FSogol]

47. "nascent alliance was now ready to be sealed" Are they going to spit in their palm and shake hands?

:shrug:

[shadowknows69]

50. Frankly I wish he'd make her sign a loyalty oath in blood.

[BlueIris]

56. Yes, because suddenly it's 1654 around here. nt

[Chovexani]

57. "suddenly"?

I'd say since around last February.

[bvar22]

48. Smart move for Obama.

Completely neuters Hillary as a separate political voice or policy critic.
No more independent voice in the Senate.
No public criticism from the Clinton Wing if things don't go well.
No more personal Issues and Agendas.
A complete subordinate.
I'm surprised Hillary stepped down from her Senate Seat.
I never figured her as someone who would play 2nd Fiddle.


Machiavelli would be proud.
Very smart.

[Zhade]

54. I don't think ANYONE who fell for the WMD lies and pushed for war (see above) should be SoS.

Seems this is still just a rumor - but if it does happen, at least we'll know that she has to follow his orders, which is pretty sweet.

[Vidar]

52. Good for Hillary & Obama on this one.

[Junkdrawer]

55. Aww...who wants peace with Iran anyway...n/t

[robcon]

59. Greatnews. She'll make a great Sec'y of State.

n/t

[Demeter]

62. I Bet You A Nickel Hillary Will NOT Be SoS

Why? Because she's been leaking all over the place, and in and of itself, a GOOD Sec of State DOESN'T leak, and secondly, Obama runs a tight ship. He ain't gonna stand for this pressure through the press.

[DutchLiberal]

65. What do you do when you promised to pull the country back together?

You appoint as one of your most prominent cabinet members a person the right and the MSM hate more than anyone else. You bring in someone who is associated with an administration plagued with scandals and investigations. You rehash the '90s.

Cannot say I'm surprised, though. We all knew *real* change wasn't going to happen with Obama, anyway.

[bitchkitty]

66. Congratulations to Senator Clinton! n/t

[dreamnightwind]

67. Maybe this makes sense

Though I have come to detest the Clintons, I have a lot of respect for this move by Obama.

Looking at his appointments, he's choosing strong leadership types. That says he can handle it, and it also says that this is a very serious administration.

I think our country is on the brink of epic failure, and I think Obama thinks so too. To get out of this will take every bit of resourcefulness we can muster.

The Clintons have a lot of international clout. Much of it to me is in a bad way, but that's my progressive nature speaking.

The near-term future of this country may have as much to do with diplomacy and international relations as it does with domestic economic fundamentals. How much stature the US dollar has, which countries will hold on to or dump US Treasuries, and basically whether anyone believes in us or not.

Having such globally connected people as the Clintons as part of the team, while not without its risks, could pay a lot of dividends. They represent the transnationals, but unlike the current administration I don't think they believe in hollowing out the United States in the process (though you could argue otherwise after the trade agreements they championed).

Maybe we need their skill and star power. The world is about to be remade, and the place of the US in it is highly unsettled. So, although I dislike the whole big power-player thing, it might be exactly what we need.


It's also tremendously magnanimous of Obama.

Hillary will have a lot of room for her ego to shine and her star to rise, and that's not necessarily a totally bad thing. Also Bill should not be underestimated, and I think we need all the help we can get.

[dailykoff]

68. I feel my dinner rising.

Condi wasn't bad enough?

[tabasco]

69. Maybe Richard Mellon Scaife can be a deputy!

Don't like this.