Confirmed: Hillary did meet with Obama in Chicago about new job in administration.

[Lumpsum]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[Thrill]

1. Are you upset about it?

[Lumpsum]

3. Yes and no.

I want to see her working with the administration, but not as SoS.

[musicblind]

6. Well did it say for SURE that was the job she was meeting about?

I mean, I'd love to have her as SoS. I'd also enjoy Kerry in that role. The only one I'm not really big on for that job is Richardson. But you never know; I would trust Obama if he picked Richardson.

[Lumpsum]

9. I want to see Kerry or Richardson.

Kerry has verified that Hillary is now in the SoS running, so we can assume that is what the meeting was about.

Kerry is the most qualified. Hillary is most useful where she is now in the senate.

[Thrill]

22. I don't think the media has a clue, what Obama is doing

[shayes51]

2. No, I'm delighted!

She would make a great Sec. of State.

[Bumblebee]

36. MUCH better than Kerry. No offense. He is not the best diplomat or people person.

Richardson would have been good too. But not Kerry.

[karynnj]

37. Kerry was a good enough people person to easily win the nomination

He won Iowa in spite of NO media or party support. Compare that to Richardson, who never got much support though he was somewhat a media darling. You might want to what this rally that I was at in MA recently- http://www.johnkerry.com/multimedia/entry/barnstable_democratic_town_committee_election_eve_rally_video/ What is not shown is that there were many kids super eager to see their Senator. (This was in Hyanis - Kennedy country) They were told they could sit on the floor in the front. It was amazing seeing people reaching out to him. There was a real obvious love there. (Not to mention, the RW Boston Herald covering a Worcester veterans event wrote of the vets "devoted" to Kerry - spotlighting a Vietnam Vet who sold his house and spent a year in Iowa and elsewhere telling people about the Kerry they knew.)

Kerry is a very skilled diplomat, who was praised by people like Lugar early in his career for doing so. Every account of the way he managed the POW/MIA committee is filled with praise of his diplomatic skills - both in getting concessions from the Vietnamese that people like McCain said were impossible to keeping a committee with many prima donnas (McCain, Smith and Kerrey to name 3) under control. McCain wrote in his book that Kerry was the only one who could have gotten that committee to finish the task and agree on a statement.

Kerry will be a voice heard on foreign policy whether he is SoS or Chair of the SFRC - because Obama clearly valued his opinions - he took many of them as his. It may be that Obama sees Kerry as more valuable in the Senate - he, unlike HRC, is well positioned on many committees. (He could have the choice of chairs on SFRC, Commerce, and SFRC - though it is obvious which of those he would take. He is also a senior member of the Finance committee (and the only one also on SFRC - important given the international Finance issues)

I would not like the HRC choice as Clintons always bring drama. (Too much though and she would likely be ex- SoS.)

[politicasista]

44. **crickets**

Yes. The kids hated Kerry. :sarcasm:

[No Elephants]

38. You think HRC is a people person?

[shayes51]

43. Definitely. I had the honor to meet her last fall,

and she is very much a people person.

[tekisui]

4. What's the problem?

[Jennicut]

5. Wow, that is very cool. I like seeing them working together, no matter what job Hillary ends up in.

Its good for our party to come together and get stuff done.

[bdamomma]

7. well it's his decision

isn't there a position for Health and Social Services or something like that, Clinton would be great in that area, Health issues.

[cali]

11. HHS is considered a second tier cabinet position

even with healthcare being a big issue. I can't see Hillary taking something like that- or Obama offering it to her.

[Skwmom]

45. So what title you hold is more important than solving an important issue?

Oh no, I can't tackle that problem because my title wouldn't be good enough.

IMO, that type of thinking is part of the problem.

[Deep13]

12. It's his decision unless she declines the offer. nt

[jobycom]

14. He's too smart to insult her like that. nt

[Sensitivity]

8. Great that Hill wants to be part of the Admin

[Deep13]

18. The article says that Obama asked her to consider it...

...not that she wants to do it.

[beachmom]

10. People here need to read "Team of Rivals", Obama's favorite book. nt

[Clio the Leo]

26. Review of the book.....

(for those like me who simply wont read a book unless Barack reads it TO us)

Amazon.com Review
The life and times of Abraham Lincoln have been analyzed and dissected in countless books. Do we need another Lincoln biography? In Team of Rivals, esteemed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin proves that we do. Though she can't help but cover some familiar territory, her perspective is focused enough to offer fresh insights into Lincoln's leadership style and his deep understanding of human behavior and motivation.
Goodwin makes the case for Lincoln's political genius by examining his relationships with three men he selected for his cabinet, all of whom were opponents for the Republican nomination in 1860: William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates. These men, all accomplished, nationally known, and presidential, originally disdained Lincoln for his backwoods upbringing and lack of experience, and were shocked and humiliated at losing to this relatively obscure Illinois lawyer. Yet Lincoln not only convinced them to join his administration--Seward as secretary of state, Chase as secretary of the treasury, and Bates as attorney general--he ultimately gained their admiration and respect as well. How he soothed egos, turned rivals into allies, and dealt with many challenges to his leadership, all for the sake of the greater good, is largely what Goodwin's fine book is about. Had he not possessed the wisdom and confidence to select and work with the best people, she argues, he could not have led the nation through one of its darkest periods.

Ten years in the making, this engaging work reveals why "Lincoln's road to success was longer, more tortuous, and far less likely" than the other men, and why, when opportunity beckoned, Lincoln was "the best prepared to answer the call." This multiple biography further provides valuable background and insights into the contributions and talents of Seward, Chase, and Bates. Lincoln may have been "the indispensable ingredient of the Civil War," but these three men were invaluable to Lincoln and they played key roles in keeping the nation intact. --Shawn Carkonen


Why am I now getting the heeby jeebies over this meeting on Monday with McCain?

http://www.amazon.com/Team-Rivals-Political-Abraham-Lincoln/dp/0684824906

[No Elephants]

39. He said it was his favorite book? Really?

[jobycom]

13. Of course he'll have such discussions, no matter what either chooses.

She's one of the most powerful leaders in the nation, so of course he'll talk with her, about anything from whether she even wants a cabinet position to what she thinks they can work on together. I know this has gotten lost somewhere, but the two had almost identical platforms on everything, so they are natural allies. Plus, Obama doesn't want his toughest primary challenger to become a high-profile adversary, the way Bush did with McCain early on.

So they talk. Maybe he offers her a cabinet position. She might even take it, though there's no guarantee of that. But of course they are going to talk. Obama needs to know what she is thinking more than any other high profile Democrat before he starts making his choices. He wants to find out her thoughts in person, not through the media or the grapevine. That's just smart leadership.

[onehandle]

15. Even my wife, who dislikes Hillary and was an Obama fan from the beginning says it's a good idea.

I'm really enjoying this.

[Deep13]

16. A few points.

"A Democratic official?" Who? That could be anyone from Howard Dean to a local precinct captain.

IF HRC agrees to give up a Senate seat and serve in the executive branch, it would have to be as SoS. Frankly, burying her as Sec. of H&HS or H&UD would be a demotion and would be a waste of talent.

Even if she is offered the SoS position, she might still be better off in the Senate. There she could shape national policy for decades.

[gateley]

17. This was interesting --

"There's increasing chatter in political circles that the Obama camp is not overly happy with the usual suspects for secretary of state these days and that the field might be expanding somewhat beyond Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Gov. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.), Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and maybe former Democratic senator Sam Nunn of Georgia."

Wonder why he wouldn't be happy with any of those people?

The thing that's puzzling about Hillary for this particular position is that she and Obama differed so strongly on the point of meeting with leaders of foreign countries, etc -- I think she called his approach "naive' .

But for the record, I think she'd make an excellent SOS.

[nuncvendetta]

21. maybe he saw "unknown knowns" in his CIA briefing

Maybe when he got that presidential level CIA briefing last week, he noticed something that caused him to decide that maybe Hillary is the one to be helping him answer that 3 a.m. phone call. In my opinion, his eyes have looked different ever since he saw that report. Either there's something terrible in it, or our country is actually being run by alien body snatchers and he was run through the meat processor like all our recent previous presidents are who seem to bring a tone of change and then suddenly always deliver on more of the same once elected.

in any case, I just hope it's not the case of him being duped by the CIA like Colin Powell was.

[gateley]

34. Hmmm - you think he looks different. I'll have to check that out --

and you bring up a good point about the president delivering more of the same once he takes office.

I think the CIA duped Powell at Rumsfeld's/Cheney's behest -- I think they were behind it to get in to Iraq and get control of their oil.

[nuncvendetta]

19. it's a huge concern

Obama won the battle of issues about how to conduct foreign affairs (and perhaps even the primaries against Hillary) because he was against the Iraq war from the start and wanted to extend diplomacy to a level beyond that which Hillary found comfortable (in fact, she called Obama dangerous and naive in this regard).

now, BAM - suddenly she's gonna lead the State Department even though Obama thought she was in the wrong over this? when there's Bill Richardson, Wesley Clark, Chuck Hagel, etc. that he could choose instead? It stinks mightily, because Obama is either ceding the notion of change to the traditional hawkish approach to foreign policy, or he isn't confident enough in his own principles on this (which he should be considering the American people validated him by endorsing him over Hillary and McCain). this SUCKS.

[blue_onyx]

27. Maybe he wants different viewpoints

He's not like Bush. He doesn't want everyone to operate in a "group think" type of way. I'm one of those people would have voted for Obama (had MI had a primary) because of Hillary's vote for the Iraq war. But she is still an intelligent and capable woman who could add a lot to the administration.

Secondly, if the Iraq war and how one voted was the basis for choosing all cabinet positions, then should Obama have not picked Biden?

[apnu]

20. I'm a long time Obama supporter.

I voted for him with pride in 2004, in the Primaries and in the GE. I've been a Obama fan since I first heard of him and I found Hillary's rhetoric in the primaries very divisive and off putting.

But I have zero problem with her as an appointment to SoS. None. what. so. ever. Hillary would do a spectacular job and has the qualifications to do the job. I'm not worried about her appointment for that job at all.

All that bile churned up in the primaries was just campaign trail fire breathing designed for one thing and one thing alone, to win. Both Obama and Hillary Clinton said what they said because they were playing to win at all costs. Such is the strength of their conviction and willpower in that contest. I think both Obama and Clinton know that all that was just campaign bullshit and not reflective of either of them as real people. Folks who honestly believe that Hillary and Obama really meant all those things have been listening to the MSM too much and not spending enough time thinking independently.

In short, I do not expect any kind of stress between Hillary as SoS and Barack as President. None.

I am worried about the gutting of our leadership in the House, Senate and Governorships as it looks like our all-stars are sprinting to the White House with Obama leaving a power vacuum that makes me wonder who will fill these vacated roles and if they are up to the job. I think we need to leave a few stars in those places to keep things moving along nicely.

[nuncvendetta]

23. even the behind-the-scenes Hillary/McCain phone calls?

I don't know - it's one thing to make up stuff on the campaign trail to win a primary. It's another to have a lengthy phone call out of the public eye with the Republican nominee after you lose the primary and shoot the **** as buddies who respect one another and who mutually believe that Obama is "callow" (see Newsweek article). The former speaks to political grandstanding. The latter speaks to true sentiment.

[apnu]

42. Yes even that.

Both Hillary and McCain are longtime Washington insiders. I expect them to interact, and hell, Hillary was fighting for her life at that point and she was desparate to get some traction, and she thought (wrongly) that tapping McCain would help.

The business of Washington (that is not related to lobbying) has to do with interaction and deals between the political parties. I fully expect Hillary, or anybody else to have late night, off the record, out of the spot light, discussions with just about anybody else, even and especially, rivals.

The business of government functions by people getting things done together, putting aside differences and personal problems to work to a solution. Compromise is our best skill and tool as Americans, Hillary knows the value of compromise and with Obama, will find a way to get Obama's business done during his time in the Oval Office.




But to be clear, I'm not saying I liked what Hillary did. I didn't, she lost much respect from me for doing that and other things. But I also know she's a powerful player in Washington who would take the SoS job very seriously and execute it with conviction. Which makes me say, she'd do a fine job in that position. Which, again, has nothing to do with my personal feelings of Hillary Clinton.

[Arkansas Granny]

24. There's no sense getting worked up over this. Obama will do what he feels

is best for him and his administration and if he offers her a position, Hillary will either accept or refuse after giving it consideration.

[peace13]

28. You know that is how I have been thinking lately too but ...

when I hear you say it, it sounds like a response that my friend might make about a decision the Pope might make. I am beginning to think that I have been sucked in by the Obama mantra and that we will have another four years of a Clinton administration, something that I worked very hard to avoid. I hope that Obama does make the right choices because we all worked so hard to get him to the top. No offense to you about the Pope thing, I am questioning myself here. Peace,Kim

[peace13]

25. I have one question for Obama? Well two.

Where is all of this CHANGE that I worked my butt off for? Where is the Change that I donated money to? I hear about so many people in the 'new' administration that served with Bill. My idea was that we would have change from the *, Clinton, Clinton, *,* , cycle of 'governing'. This is beginning to smell very bad. If Obama appoints Hill as SOS then I know that the joke was on us.

[Clio the Leo]

29. I think you were mistaken in your in your idea.......

... with all due respect.

First and foremost "change" was a campaign slogan. ;)

But it wasn't an empty promise. The "change" he promised was change from the Bush way of doing things. Hillary Clinton is no George Bush ... thankfully.

[peace13]

32. Well change won't be change if we have a repeat Clinton admin

with all due respect. If you look at the world order... one power idea, Clinton and * aren't that far apart. One would think that if voters wanted a third Clinton run that Hill would have won the election. That point I will stand one. I put all of my work and money into getting Obama elected because I thought that he would keep the American people in his decision making process. Hope he holds on to that idea. Ut Oh ...Hope...another campaign slogan. Peace, Kim

[No Elephants]

41. Obama promised us a change in the way of doing things. I don't think it was

confined to change from Bush, although that was certainly a needed change. And many changes have already occurred.

[blue_onyx]

30. The Clinton adminsitration has been the only recent Democratic one

So it's not surprising that many of the people that Obama may pick have some connection to Clinton. Just because it's people we've seen before doesn't mean there won't be a change in policy and direction for the country.

[cali]

31. pay attention and you'd see it in information about his plans to shut down

gitmo, hold open trials of those incarcerated there, reverse bush rules on the environment, stem cell research and abortion, appoint judges who are decidedly not right wingnuts, engage with countries we don't have the best relationships with, etc, etc.

And do read Team of Rivals.

By the way, former Clinton staffers are the only dems who have experience in the WH. Bill Clinton's first few months are an object lesson in how wrong things can go when you don't have people with that experience on your team.

[peace13]

35. Thank you for your kind words.

We all have our favorite goals for this administration. Thanks especially for the reading list.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[WI_DEM]

40. Whatever she does she would do a great job.