I don't think Bill or Hillary or Barack REALLY want her to be Secretary of State

[zulchzulu]

I don't think Bill Clinton should have to release all of his contributors from his global efforts and his library to the public.

I also think he actually needs to do just that if he is going to be still married to Hillary Clinton, where she is to be fully vetted for the Secretary of State position. Bill Clinton would have to curtail some of his efforts and would have to check with the Obama administration for conflicts of interest. It's like having an extra cog in the wheel when you can do without.

I think Hillary Clinton would be a fantastic Secretary of State for a president.

I just don't think she would want to have Barack Obama as her boss where she is beholden to what he wants whether she likes it or not. She would probably be at odds with some of the Obama policy and would perhaps not be as independent as she is.

I think Barack Obama would not mind Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State and thinks that she would do a good job.

But I don't think that having Bill Clinton partially vetted and having the possibility of conflicts of interest with his wife being Secretary of State with his global efforts would be worth the risk for Barack Obama and his new presidency.

It appears to me that having Hillary Clinton (and by default having Bill Clinton as part of the package) in a sense being shackled by the duties of Secretary of State is not what either Bill, Hillary or Barack really want.

I would venture to say that she will finally decide to not accept the position and continue on as a Senator and hopefully be a great one at that. Bill gets to do what he's been doing and honestly, the mainstream media are not given the chance to perhaps unfairly focus on the Clintons' every move looking for fodder of distraction when we can least afford it.

[Sensitivity]

1. Barack NEEDS as strong high-profile woman in Cabinet. A Clintonite transition team

means that every effort will inevitably be made to put Hillary in the most prestigious and influential SoS cabinet position. She is the lynch-pin for the entire, highly competent, "Shadow Government" that has been in waiting.

That is how national politics and the Washington bureacracy works. Whatever Bill or Hillary or Barack "want," the shadow government desperately needs Hillary in. If she does not get in, for whatever reason, it will be a major blow to their effort to build the new adminstration for Obama.

[karynnj]

5. Susan Rice

I know you will say that she is not high profile - but as soon as anyone becomes SoS, they are high profile.

[wisteria]

11. I disagree, we don' t need high profile of the Clinton sort at State

There are other even more qualified women. Actually, I don't know why we need Hillary in any post. And, any government that has to include the Clinton's as part of the mix to accomplish competence is frighten. Obama was suppose to get us away from the Washington bureaucracy. We don't need to appease a shadow government in waiting.

[zulchzulu]

22. I mostly agree...

With so many others that would fulfill the needs of Secretary of State, why walk into a possible pool of quicksand that distracts from all the things that need to get done?

As long as Hillary could get some kind of seniority upgrade in the Senate, she would be great at that. Bill wouldn't be shackled or have to second-guess what he wants to do and Barack doesn't having to keep a watchful eye to see that all is legit... he has his hands more than full with all the crap we have to do to unravel the Bush antics.

It balances out more against having Hillary as SoS than it does having someone else... I trust all involved that they know what's best...

[Autumn]

2. I don't see why Hillary would

even want it. To me it makes no sense.

[Clio the Leo]

3. If Barack didn't want her to be SOS, then why even bring it up?

Seriously? Have her fly to Chicago just screw with her? He was given an opportunity to deny he was in talks her on 60 Minutes and didn't.

Barack Obama wants her to be SOS .... or at least a serious option.

[Sensitivity]

4. He refuse to confirm that he was considering her. He said he sought her advice

[Clio the Leo]

6. So Hillary hops on a plane and flies to Chicago.....

..... just to offer advice.

Oh-kayyyyy. ;)

[zulchzulu]

7. It's not like she has never been to Chicago or the private plane was low on gas

Obama would want to seek her advice and meet in Chicago. It is a pretty big city with a couple international airports. Oh, did I mention... she's from Chicago.

If anything, having Obama talk with her is better than not wanting to talk to her... imagine what that would have done for the story line.

[Clio the Leo]

8. I'm sorry. I guess I was wrong in assuming that Chicago had telephone service. :p NT

[zulchzulu]

9. Hillary didn't have Skype

Spread the rumor...

:hi:

[AtomicKitten]

10. Me neither. It's more trouble than it's worth for all concerned.

:hi:

[zulchzulu]

13. Exactly!

:hi:

[wisteria]

12. Well, I hope you are right. But, it appears to me the powers that be

did not want Kerry And, I think that was because we would not have maintained the status quo with Kerry having Obama's ear on a daily basis. The powers that be do not really want change- they just want the appearance of it.

[Sensitivity]

14. The Clinton transition people are set against the Kerry-Kennedy group getting in control

[TexasObserver]

15. I can't imagine that Barack, Bill and Hill are doing this to capture headlines.

What possible motive could Obama have, could they have, to do all this, if the intent is not to clear the way for Hillary to be the Sec of State?

I think Obama was wise to believe Hillary for VP would be complicated in an election. But the election is over, and now is the perfect time to publicly vet the Clintons by having media examination and public discussion.

[zulchzulu]

17. Barack offering the SoS position to Hillary was the decent thing to do...

...but I think after all gets done, and basically because Bill doesn't want to fully vet ALL of his contributors, Hillary will decide that it's "thanks but no thanks"...

The mainstream media has had to fill in the gaps with the transition story and this drama fits in perfectly.

If anything, it shows to me that Barack, Bill and Hillary don't mind the media frenzy over this... it keeps the transition story on the front burner and the speculation from all quarters must too amusing.

Barack gets massaged for making the offer; Hillary gets massaged for being indicated that she could do the job; Bill gets massaged for getting some focus on his global efforts and they all inertly know that Hillary will finally decline the position but with great admiration for Barack's offer.

Everybody looks good. The story eventually will be a mere footnote.

[brianna69]

16. I like Hillary

and was initially excited about her being SOS. Now I am thinking it would probably be best if it didn't happen. I like both Hillary and Bill but there is way too much drama around the Clintons and that is never going to change. Look at the difference between how the other appointments have gone smoothly without fanfare so far as against this current media circus with Hillary? Their styles and ways of doing things are like night and day. I'm thinking maybe Richardson would be a better fit as SOS and his personality compliments Obama.

[tekisui]

18. Oh, I think Bill wants ther to have it, very badly.

He seems to be pushing it hard. Hillary is not as enthused about it.

[cooolandrew]

19. Hillary has showed herself a person responsibility in how hard she campaigned with Barack.

[zulchzulu]

20. I'm glad she came out to campaign for him...but that's not really the issue...

Being a Secretary of State involves a whole set of skills and complex issues where he or she is working for the President. It's a world away from the campaign trail.

[cooolandrew]

21. The Clintons are highly respected in most of the world she seems ideal to me. The world was >

happy for Obama or Clinton I feel.

[zulchzulu]

23. I guess I'm worried that the Clintons together may overstep with his efforts

I have zero problems with Hillary as SoS except that I think there are more talented people like Holbrooke who know a lot about foreign policy. She would put a good face on the screen.

I just worry about how Bill's efforts would be seen as weakened in his eyes and he might overstep and thus bring Hillary into the mix.

That said, I'm willing to give the Clintons a chance at the World... but I'll probably disappointed in how we gave the Clintons to rogue like Fox news to distract from the Obama message.

[Maru Kitteh]

25. So you think Obama is too weak to handle his cabinet.

That IS what you are saying. Think about it.

[Clio the Leo]

24. You're right, they're just bowing to peer pressure. .... HA! NT