Obama offered Hillary the SOS slot 7 days ago...why the long wait before an official answer?

[RiverStone]

If she is saying yes, the longer we wait to hear it, the more it suggests some kind of trepidation. We hear Bill's foreign business connections are being vetted for any conflict of interest. Yet still, come on --- no need to drag this out much further.

Between the purposeful leaks, the rumors, and what we know - how long is too long before the drum roll (to hear from Hillary) feels like political theater? Bad theater...

Why keep President Elect Obama waiting?

[gristy]

1. Obama offered Hillary the SOS slot 7 days ago?

Really? You gotta link for that?

[RiverStone]

5. Huffington Post --- 11/14/08

President-elect Barack Obama offered Sen. Hillary Clinton the position of Secretary of State during their meeting Thursday in Chicago, according to two senior Democratic officials. She requested time to consider the offer, the officials said.

Multiple reports have indicated that Clinton was under serious consideration for the nation's top diplomatic post, in addition to Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and Chuck Hagel, the Republican Senator from Nebraska.

A longtime aide to the New York Senator argued to the Huffington Post that there are strong reasons why Obama would be inclined to make the post worth Clinton's time.

"She is a beloved figure around the world. She has visited over 80 countries, as first lady and senator together," the aide told the Huffington Post. Noting the fact that Clinton learned as first lady how to be effective as a "backdoor diplomat," the former White House assistant said Clinton mastered "a lot of the intricacies of these issues before ever joining the Senate's Armed Services committee. She's tough; she had meetings with some Prime Ministers and Presidents where she had to deliver some blunt messages for us."

more:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/14/clinton-met-with-obama-ab_n_143810.html

[FrenchieCat]

9. according to two senior Democratic officials.....

A longtime aide to the New York Senator....

are the sources in that story.

also in the story, the Hillary Clinton quote that said a week ago...."I'm going to respect his process, and any inquiries should be directed to his transition team."

[tekisui]

2. Unconfirmed leaks.

Nobody really knows what was offered or talked about in their meeting 7 days ago.

[firedupdem]

3. Don't believe everything you hear or see on the news RiverStone,

they are full of shit and don't know anything. Nobody knows except the transition team and Obama. Everything else is a guessing game.

[RiverStone]

7. True, tho Huff Post has been more reliable than the corporate MSM

Agree, there is nothing direct from Obama suggesting yea or nay on the "news leaks".

[firedupdem]

8. They have been shitty lately. I can hardly watch!

[Diamonique]

4. Actually we don't know that he's offered it to her at all.

All we have is leaks and guesses by the media. We have had absolutely nothing official from the Obama camp.

Frankly, I'm sick of all these leaks. Their only purpose is to give the media something to buzz about.

[SoCalDem]

14. I wish he would have a news conference and announce that he's chosen Richardson

and that he did not choose Hillary because her "people" who joined him, have BIG MOUTHS, and they might endanger foreign policy because they don't know when to STFU !

[Erin Elizabeth]

6. I'm glad everyone else said it.

There's NEVER been any official confirmation of any kind about this supposed job offer. All it is is a "supposed" thing. My guess is that it's never BEEN a job offer.

[AtomicKitten]

10. No Drama Obama is waiting on what I think can fairly be called Drama.

((foot tapping)) :eyes:

[Occam Bandage]

11. ...according to the media, who know nothing whatsoever. nt

[Sebastian Doyle]

12. I really wish he would announce Secretary of State Richardson tomorrow

and put an end to this bullshit once and for all.

[Clio the Leo]

13. Dont you know! Unless Barack posts it here himself it's an absolute LIE! :-) NT

[Phx_Dem]

15. Cuz she's a douchenozzle???

[happychatter]

16. I know why but I don't want to say

HRC can run the Insurance industry reform segment of Health Care reform - remember her method as First Lady was to pretty much let the Insurance companies dominate the discussion of medical reform... it was HMO's for all if you recall - Now, she has to reform it?

perhaps things will be rocky enough for Obama in 2012 she can challenge him (unlikely, especially in time of War)

OR

Be the Secretary of State, mandated with enthusiastically carrying out the policies of President Obama, with whom she has so recently, and vehemently disagreed, on THAT very issue - in this scenario, the Presidency is entirely out of reach until 2012 and unlikely then, as well.

I think she'll be a fine Secretary of State

I think team Obama is freaking brilliant

Bill and Hillary have definitely met their match

I will be glad when this is over, so I can go back to badmouthing the president and fomenting dissent, regarding war, extractive and exploitative foreign policy, insane trade agreements etc.

I just love this guy

I think he'll actually DO what he says he'll do... a rare and wonderful thing

I'd take my sweet time if I was her too... drama aside, she has a lot on her plate, eh?

[liberalpragmatist]

17. People like to consider their options, you know

First off, we don't know for sure that the position was actually offered: we've gotten lots of contradictory reports, none of them coming from the top of either side.

It *does* look like there has been serious discussion on both sides about the possibility. But whether an offer has been made or whether any firm intention by Hillary Clinton was conveyed is not yet clear.

In the end, though, IF an offer were made by Obama, it makes sense that Hillary is taking a few days to think about it and consult with her friends and advisers. Face it: it's a tough call.

* The Senate offers her a lifetime seat and offers by Ted Kennedy to lead a major effort on health care reform and an offer by Reid to create a new leadership role for her.

* The State Dept. is a higher-risk/higher-reward offer: she gets the highest-ranking cabinet post, one with a global profile and could potentially leave a major mark on geopolitics. But there's also the potential that she'll be out of the loop (as most recent first-term secretaries of state have been -- NSA's typically wind up with more power), and whether she's a success or a failure, in four years she'll likely be unemployed again.

It makes sense that she'd be undecided about the possibility.