Cabinet post for Clinton roils Obamaland

[ProSense]

Cabinet post for Clinton roils Obamaland

By BEN SMITH | 11/18/08 4:51 AM EST

Barack Obama's serious flirtation with his one-time rival, Hillary Clinton, over the post of secretary of State has been welcomed by everyone from Henry Kissinger to Bill Clinton as an effective, grand gesture by the president-elect.

It's not playing quite as well, however, in some precincts of Obamaland. From his supporters on the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, to campaign aides of the soon-to-be commander-in-chief, there's a sense of ambivalence about giving a top political plum to a woman they spent 18 months hammering as the compromised standard-bearer of an era that deserves to be forgotten.

"These are people who believe in this stuff more than Barack himself does," said a Democrat close to Obama's campaign. "These guys didn't put together a campaign in order to turn the government over to the Clintons."

An overlooked theme in Obama's primary victory was his belief that the Clinton legacy was not, as the Clintons imagined, a pure political positive. The Obama campaign had no compunctions about poking holes in that legacy and even sent out mailings stressing the downside of the last "8 years of the Clintons" – enraging the former president in particular.

And the clearest opposition to the Clinton appointment comes from Obama's backers on the left of his own party, whose initial support for him was motivated in part by a distaste for the Clinton dynasty, and who now view her reemergence with some dismay.

"There's always a risk of a Cabinet member freelancing and that risk is enhanced by the fact that Hillary has her own public and her own celebrity and that she comes attached to Bill," said Robert Kuttner, a Clinton critic and former American Prospect editor whose new book, Obama's Challenge, implores the president-elect to adopt an expansive liberal agenda. "The other question is the old rule – never hire somebody you can't fire. What happens if her views and his views don't mesh?"

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Someone is pushing this drama.

[AllentownJake]

1. I'm fine with it

and I first gave him money in September 2007 and volunteered very hard for him in the PA primary.

The rest can get a clue.

[Deep13]

2. In Obamaland, there is a town called Hillaryville.

Those of us who live there are pretty happy to see Obama taking help anywhere he can get it and to see HC given a prominent position.

[grantcart]

34. and that is next to Realitytropolis

And we are fine with it.


It will be a move of genius. Hillary will be tough and she will be on the reservation. She will work hard to become the greatest Secretary of State in History. She will not give up and she will achieve many successes.


Beyond that whatever hard feelings that might have remained in Hillaryville or Billsburb or Clintonurbia have now been washed away.


Even if she doesn't take the job no one can ever say that Obama didn't respect her and value her opinion.


Whatever hurt feelings might have been hanging around are gone for two reasons 1) He won the election and 2) He offered her the position.

[Beacool]

49. Cute..............

:D

[zanne]

3. Someone is pushing this drama, all right...

But it ain't us. Once again, the media is creating its own news to report on. The Bush presidency is crawling toward the finish line and the inauguration seems like centuries away. They need something to talk about. (Correction; They need something to argue about).

Ratings. Never forget the ratings.

[Arkansas Granny]

4. Exactly. The media needs some kind of conflict to keep their ratings up.

The report on a rumor, and sure enough they've got a conflict to report. Wheeee! And we all go along for the ride. Wheee!

I've seen many on this board complain that Hillary (and Bill) are trying to manipulate Obama into giving Hillary the SOS position. People, we are the ones that are being manipulated and it's being done by the media.

[RichGirl]

5. Yes....the media is miraculous!

They've created unending drama of the lives of two people, the Clintons, who are in many ways the most boring people in public office. Yes, there was the blow job, but that's history. Then some enthusiastic campaigning...that didn't turn into the convention brawl, with Hillary and Bill at her side, demanding the nomination, that was hoped for by the media, but instead the enthusiasm went to Obama to help him get elected. So, other than those things, tell me one interesting, exciting, dramatic thing about the Clintons???? Fact, they are two hardworking people who love their country and the world and will do whatever they can to make it a better place.

[blm]

11. No...they are two people who helped protect Poppy Bush and his cronies throughout the 90s and we

ended up with Bush2 because of it.



http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/111106.html

[Clintonista2]

44. ITS A CONSPIRACY!!!1111

[Beacool]

51. Well, you will be disappointed if you believe that Obama will go after Bush

and his cronies. Chimp will go back to TX, Cheney will go back to his cave, Rumsfeld went on his merry way ages ago and Rove has a profitable new career as a pundit.

:shrug:

[blm]

52. And ALL of us should give in to an INACCURATE recording of history or stay on top of the RECORD

as it exists?

It's been a few Dem lawmakers, and those of us on the left concerned with the preservation of TRUTH of the last 4 decades or so, that made sure that the actual historic record about BushInc's illegal operations became more widely known on the internet.

Do you want ALL of it to go away or do you want some determined citizens to keep the FACTS that exist in the records we DO have front and center for as long as it takes?

[Clintonista2]

57. its a conspiracy!!!!111!!!!

[Alter Ego]

28. I get the feeling that the media is still somehow pissed

that the Clintons stiffed them out of a brawl at the convention.

[elocs]

6. Who are "us"? I know for sure there is never any drama at DU. n/t

[QC]

9. Yes, the corporate media create the drama and their little helpers on DU

drag it into this forum.

[Window]

20. Yep, and once again they'll end up with egg on their faces.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

7. Will you never tire of dragging this divisive crap in ...

here to prop up your own prejudices? I see YOU pushing the drama.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. The Poster Is A One Trick Pony

Yawn

[ProSense]

12. Ah, name calling in the absence of anything to say. n/t

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. If It Walks Like A Duck...Quacks Like A Duck...

~

[ProSense]

21. Clever. n/t

[DemocratSinceBirth]

23. Thank You

~

[donheld]

33. I think what they're saying is

ENOUGH ALREADY!

[SIMPLYB1980]

13. +1

:thumbsup:

[LostinVA]

15. +2

[ProSense]

16. Go team! n/t

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ProSense]

14. Here

more criticism

[ProSense]

10. "dragging this divisive crap in here"? Is protecting you from reality my job?

I'm trying to find a bubble big enough to contain whining comments.

[tigereye]

31. " Is protecting you from reality my job?"

Love it!


I too am tired of this drama.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

43. WTF would you know about reality?? You troll the

internet looking for articles that suit YOUR bias and serve YOUR very obvious agenda. You hate everything Clinton, and I doubt you've ever posted a single positive piece on them.

[ProSense]

46. Troll? You are a fucking idiot. n/t

[SaveOurDemocracy]

47. Stop acting stupid ... Troll is a verb that very well

characterizes what you do.


Main Entry: troll
Pronunciation: \ˈtrōl\
Function: verb

transitive verb
1: to cause to move round and round : roll
2 a: to sing the parts of (as a round or catch) in succession b: to sing loudly c: to celebrate in song
3 a: to fish for by trolling b: to fish by trolling in <troll lakes> c: to pull through the water in trolling <troll a lure> d: to search in or at <trolls flea markets for bargains> ; also : prowl <troll nightclubs>

[ProSense]

50. Stop pretending you're smart. I stand by my comment. n/t

[SaveOurDemocracy]

55. Who was it who said, "Ah, name calling in the absence of...

anything to say."?


Oh, that was you!! So, how is calling me a "fucking idiot" a legitimate response to my earlier post?...


"You troll the internet looking for articles that suit YOUR bias and serve YOUR very obvious agenda. You hate everything Clinton, and I doubt you've ever posted a single positive piece on them."


... so, have ya? ... ever? ... just once? ... one moment of weakness where you saw past your vitriol? ... hmmmmmmm?

[SaveOurDemocracy]

53. dupe

[PretzelWarrior]

25. HEAVEN FORBID they post the truth. You sound ridiculous, people

A person posts a politico article (that was treated as the word of God before the election).

That article actually describes Obama supporters who are well represented on this board.

Don't close your minds to the truth. Doing so will send you to the dark side.

[ProSense]

27. I find it hilarious that same people who

made snide comments about Kennedy or Kerry not representing change now see Hillary and Bill as an agents of change.

[yodermon]

22. "These guys didn't put together a campaign in order to turn the government over to the Clintons"

Good Grief. I'm not really a fan of Hillary for SoS but he'd hardly be "turning over the government" to them fer chrissakes.
:eyes:

[AllentownJake]

24. I think there would be less screaming on here

If John McCain was offered the position.

[LostinVA]

41. I KNOW there would be -- or Hagel

[ProSense]

26. Mr. President-Elect: Judge Abner Mikva Is Right About Sen. Clinton as Secretary of State

Mr. President-Elect: Judge Abner Mikva Is Right About Sen. Clinton as Secretary of State


Great piece.

[SoonerPride]

29. Obamaland knew Obama was a uniter not a divider.

This is what we wanted.

Someone is pushing drama and it ain't us.

[WI_DEM]

30. seems to me most of my Obama supporting friends support Clinton as SOS

another media inspired divide job.

[Metric System]

32. I don't trust Politico. Never have. I'm not necessarily saying they post lies, but they have an

agenda. And I'd point to their pre-convention crap for proof.

[MadBadger]

45. I sometimes agree with you, but I've learned to trust Ben Smith a little more than the Rest.

[comtec]

35. I don't agree with this... and not for the puma reasons....

I don't want the Senate rained of good senators.
Hilary is just starting to get seniority, and she really would have done US better if she;d stayed.
Yes I know she knows most world leaders on a first name basis, but seriously....
I would have been happier if she'd stayed in the Senate because we NEED STRONG SENATORS LIKE HILARY!
oh well.
I trust his judgment I suppose.
I just don't want him raiding congress because then all we'll have are new, weak senators to fight the VERY OLD and seasoned, powerful gop senators... and that's a BAD thing!

[Renegade08]

36. I'm roiled up!! I want my money back.

I feel duped. Change? Hope? More like change for the worse. Obama is Liarbama. I should've voted for McCain and Palin. Then we could have had real change. And if anyone in the MSM is reading this post and you want to interview a roiled up Obamalander, feel free to email me at I[e-mail].

[Lady-Damai]

38. Lmao....n/t

[ProSense]

37. A Big Impediment to Hillary’s SecState Prospects: the Clinton Foundation

A Big Impediment to Hillary’s SecState Prospects: the Clinton Foundation

By Spencer Ackerman 11/18/08 10:55 AM

Welcome back to the Democratic primary.

If you remember way back when, a concern faced by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton during the presidential campaign was the secrecy surrounding donations to her husband’s Clinton Foundation. Bill Clinton insisted that all donations remain undisclosed to the public, even as her campaign rivals whispered that those donations could be used to funnel contributions to Clinton’s campaign.

That’s clearly no longer operative. But according to Politico, the Clinton Foundation remains unwilling to disclose its donor list to Obama’s vetters:

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) is President-elect Barack Obama’s first choice for secretary of State but his aides are becoming exasperated by the Clinton camp’s pokey response to demands for extensive information about former President Bill Clinton’s finances, according to numerous Democrats involved in the process.

“The sense among the no-drama Obama world is: This is well on its way to winning best Oscar for drama,” said one well-connected Democratic official.

There’s a probable kabuki element here. The Politico piece says Clinton may clear up remaining obstructions in the coming days — suggesting the Obama people planted the Politico story as a way to nudge Clinton along. Whether or not that’s true, it isn’t in Clinton’s interest for her husband to keep the donor list a secret if she wants to be secretary of state. The Republicans may have a reduced minority in the Senate, but they could still tie up her confirmation hearings in an ugly and embarrassing manner.

Back in fall 2007, Bill Clinton said that he’d release the donor list if Hillary won the presidential election. Is that pledge still operative if she accepts the secretaryship? His little-noticed recent comments to Philanthropy magazine, from September, suggest at least a partial disclosure, though the context is admittedly very different:

The only reason I didn’t want to do the library donors is that no previous president had. I suppose if Hillary were elected president, or maybe even if she had been nominated, we would have had to go back to the donors and at least disclose everyone that didn’t object to it. But I wouldn’t have any objection to it.

With foreign donors, but also with domestic ones, if there’s any question, we do exhaustive vetting. I can recall some money we haven’t taken and also some we did but only after more than a year of efforts to make sure that everything was okay.

[EstimatedProphet]

39. Know what? I really don't care.

Hillary is capable. That's the important point. all the wailing and gnashing of teeth fails to remember this fact: OBAMA is president. HIS policy is what is going to be carried out, not hers, even if she is head of DoS. It will be her job to implement his policy, and both of them know that.

All thie sky is falling griping going on only serves to confuse this fact. All it can be used for in the future is to forgive Obama if he messes up by trying to blame Hillary for it.

[Jennicut]

40. Since when is the SoS even that important/powerful? Powell sure learned it wasn't.

Hillary is fine with me. Remember her message, are you here for me or for the Dem party? Are you here for Obama or the Dem party? Party unity can be fun too, with Obama at the top.

[Dhalgren]

42. A lot of people would like to see the Obama administration

become a third Clinton administration. It's the DLC thing. I personally like Obama, but I have no illusions about the office he just "won". He is to be the next American Emperor. I believe he will be a good Emperor, but that is the job he sought and the job he won. If Hillary becomes a prominent member of his government I would not be surprised, at all...

[Beacool]

48. I didn't see your post and I opened my own thread.

Sorry.........

The last sentence is what I find more interesting and it will be what actually matters:

One person who apparently has shown no ambivalence: Obama. "It's not like he hedged his bets in conversation with her," said a person involved in the process. While both sides say the situation
remains fluid, this person said Obama was quite direct: "He offered her the job."

;)

[abumbyanyothername]

54. Someone is pushing this drama.

Could it be . . .

Could it be . . .

PPPPPPrrro Sense?

:rofl:

[SaveOurDemocracy]

56. heheh

:fistbump: