Clinton Said to Be Unsure About Cabinet Job

[tekisui]

WASHINGTON — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York has reservations about accepting an appointment as secretary of state in the Obama administration, an adviser to Mrs. Clinton who is familiar with her thinking said on Tuesday.

The adviser described Mrs. Clinton as flattered by President-elect Barack Obama’s interest but said she was agonizing over the decision. Mrs. Clinton likes being her own boss and is reluctant to give up the independence that comes with that, said the adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the process was at a delicate stage.

“If you are secretary of state you work for the president,” the adviser said in an e-mail response to questions from The New York Times. “If you are a senator, you work for yourself and the people that elected you.”

It was unclear if Mrs. Clinton’s stated hesitation was part of a bargaining tactic as the Obama team weighs whether to appoint her secretary of state, a genuine moment of indecision or, perhaps, a signal that she was preparing to withdraw from consideration.

Philippe Reines, a spokesman for Mrs. Clinton, declined to comment, referring questions to the Obama transition team.

More...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/us/politics/19clinton.html?ref=politics

[tekisui]

1. Also cited is her debt....

One complication that Mrs. Clinton will face if she becomes secretary of state is the mountain of campaign debt leftover from her presidential run.

Mrs. Clinton has $7.6 million in outstanding bills from the campaign, Mr. Reines said, not including personal loans she made to her campaign.

The Hatch Act, which governs the political activities of federal employees, prohibits the solicitation and receipt of political contributions. Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the United States Office of Special Counsel, which enforces the Hatch Act, pointed to a 2001 advisory opinion issued by the agency.

[marylanddem]

2. Drama! Suspense! Intrigue! Will she or won't she?

On second thought: sounds like Obama has turned her down & she is coming up with a face-saving explanation of her own.

[tekisui]

3. I am with you.....

But, this looks like she won't, to me.

[bunnies]

4. And theres the 'out'. Just like clockwork.

This is nothing but a dog and pony show. I'm done with this until Obama makes an announcement. Its old already.

[tekisui]

5. Yep,

The serious two-team vetting and unconfirmed offers/acceptance/blahblah.

[bunnies]

7. Totally. Its ridiculous.

I mean... I'm glad it got Sarah Palin off the air but this is getting to be just as bad as the VP speculation. And whats more annoying is that there is no reason all this blabber needs to be happening anyway. Why go through all this unnecessary drama?

Why dont the leakers just STFU? :shrug:

[tekisui]

6. I wonder if this is due to the vetting process,

nothing else has changed.