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Chuck Hagel for SoDefense
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008...etary-of-state
Hillary Clinton plans to accept the job of secretary of state offered by Barack Obama, who is reaching out to former rivals to build a broad coalition administration, the Guardian has learned.
Obama's advisers have begun looking into Bill Clinton's foundation, which distributes millions of dollars to Africa to help with development, to ensure that there is no conflict of interest. But Democrats do not believe that the vetting is likely to be a problem.
Clinton would be well placed to become the country's dominant voice in foreign affairs, replacing Condoleezza Rice. Since being elected senator for New York, she has specialised in foreign affairs and defence. Although she supported the war in Iraq, she and Obama basically agree on a withdrawal of American troops.
Clinton, who still harbours hopes of a future presidential run, had to weigh up whether she would be better placed by staying in the Senate, which offers a platform for life, or making the more uncertain career move to the secretary of state job.
As part of the coalition-building, Obama today also reached out to his defeated Republican rival, John McCain, to discuss how they could work together to roll back some of the most controversial policies of the Bush years. Putting aside the bitter words thrown about with abandon by both sides during the election campaign, McCain flew to meet Obama at his headquarters in the Kluczynski Federal Building, in downtown Chicago.
Obama, speaking before the meeting, said: "We're going to have a good conversation about how we can do some work together to fix up the country." He said he also wanted to thank McCain for his service to the country.
Asked by a reporter whether he would work with Obama, McCain, who has long favoured a bipartisan approach to politics, replied: "Obviously".
Sources on both sides said Obama did not offer McCain a cabinet job, but focused on how the senator for Arizona could help to guide through Congress legislation that they both strongly favour.
Given Obama's status as president-in-waiting, the two met in a formal setting, a room decked out with a US flag, and were accompanied by senior advisers. Obama appeared the more relaxed of the two, sitting with legs crossed, smiling broadly and waving to reporters, while McCain sat stiffly, with a seemingly fixed grin.
Although the two clashed during the election campaign over tax policy and withdrawal from Iraq, they have more in common than they have differences. They both favour the closure of the Guantánamo Bay detention centre, an increase in US troops to Afghanistan, immigration reform, stem cell research and measures to tackle climate change, and oppose torture and the widespread use of wire-tapping.
Although Democrats made gains in the Senate in the November 4 elections, they fell short of the 60 seats that would have allowed them to override Republican blocking tactics and will need Republican allies to get Obama's plans through. This was highlighted today when the Democratic leadership in Congress announced that a broad economic stimulus package Obama sought was not likely to be passed because of Republican opposition.
Obama confirmed at the weekend that he would offer jobs to some Republicans. One of the names that crops up most often is Chuck Hagel, the former Republican senator who is a specialist in foreign affairs and a critic of the Iraq war.
Chuck Hagel for SoDefense
Five Reasons Hillary Clinton Should Not Be Secretary of State
By Ken Silverstein
It looks like Barack Obama has offered Hillary Clinton the post of Secretary of State and she’s mulling over whether to take the job or not. Obama’s apparent offer makes him look magnanimous and delights Hillary Clinton’s former backers, so maybe it’s smart politics. But there are a number of good reasons why Clinton should not be secretary of state. Here are five:http://harpers.org/archive/2008/11/hbc-90003860
- Hillary Clinton will have her own agenda (as will her husband). She’s not a team player and will bring in a crew of cronies whose chief aim will be to promote the boss, not the administration. Obama may wake up one day and discover that Hillary has decreed a new “Clinton Doctrine” of foreign policy.
- It would be impossible, politically, to fire Hillary. No matter what she says or does, or how insubordinate, Obama will be stuck with her as long as she wants to stay.
- Her husband is a walking conflict of interest. Bill helps a Canadian businessman land a uranium contract in Kazakhstan, and soon afterwards the businessman contributes to the Clinton Foundation. Bill’s personal and business dealings are embarrassing enough without Hillary heading the State Department.
- The Clinton style of management–for example, pitting one faction of staff against another–would be a disaster at the State Department. Just look at how well it worked on the campaign trail.
- And the strongest strike of all against Hillary as secretary of state… look at who endorses her.
I think this is a great move. No Jimmy Carter - Ted Kennedy situation. Better to have her inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in. She's urinating either way...
Major
Better choice than Kerry, but not by much.
I'm only OK with this if Obama pulls a Bush and completely ignores his SOS just like happened to Powell. If Hillary would have gotten the Dem nomination for president, I might have voted McCain.
Could you imagine President-Elect Hillary Clinton choosing the inexperienced first-term senator from Illinois to be her Secretary of State?
Kerry got blocked!
I don't know how I feel about this yet. I understand where he's coming from and I understand the political ramifications of removing her from the Senate and I really did gain a lot of respect for her during the campaign, but....
I just don't know.
I guess the results will tell the story for me. If it works out well, then obviously a great pick. If she and bill bring agendas and affect the administration negatively then obviously horrible pick. If its somewhere in the middle? I don't know.
Really, this is probably a high risk high reward move which is usually contrary to what Obama usually does. He usually is very much a down the middle safe play kind of guy, and this is a way larger roll of the dice than I'm accustomed to seeing from him. The safe pick would have been Kerry or Richardson, but that doesn't mean they would have been the best pick. It also doesn't mean this will blow up in his face.
I think the largest benefit from this will simply be the removal of her agenda from the senate. It paves the way for him to have a much easier time passing legislation through without having it opposed by Hillary setting herself up for another run at the nomination. Biden would probably be too old to run for a presidential run in 16, so Clinton is basically pining her presidential hopes on Obama at this point.
The biggest point of contention I have with this pick are Clinton's Iran comments earlier this year during the primary. I'm hoping this administration can make headway with regards to Iran, so I really don't like this pick on that account. I think purely on a diplomatic standpoint, Richardson is the best pick but the truth is that SoS is a political appointment with ramifications beyond the actual diplomacy so I can understand this selection from that stand point.
I don't know, I see cons and I see pluses to this move but I'm not sure which side outweighs which. It really does play to Obama wanting to be a uniter, however.
PS - I do like this pick a million times more than a possible Kerry pick.
Awesome!
Why is it that other media are not reporting this. All I see is the Guardian article (and I love to see stuff blow up in their face). Maybe I missed something....back to googling.
I would have liked Richardson but i'm ok with Hillary.
I am still pretty sure Richardson will have a spot in the new administration.
I can only see Hillary taking this post if Obama has promised she's a shoe-in for something like an SC seat as soon as one opens up. SoS is not a long-term position. Given the difficulties facing the administration in its first term she won't get to make much of a mark and it cripples her in any attempt to challenge Obama politically (not to mention hampers her ability to raise money and campaign for future efforts at PotUS). In NY she's basically got a senate seat for life where she can safely sit back and manuever. Why give that up for SoS? There's more to this offer than meets the eye.
I would've liked to see Richardson there, but I can see how Hillary would be good as Secretary of State... mainly due to good influence from Bill. I'm not a fan of her by any means, so I'm holding my breath on this decision. I won't rip her until she does something asinine.
Yeah me too! Richardson I think would have been the safer pick with less BS to worry about, plus with the experience to back it up.
Good point.
There's the fact that if the President asks for your service you don't turn it down. Also, its not like she's a shoe in for a nomination if she remains in the senate. Really sitting in the senate for 8 years isn't going to get her in the White House. I strongly doubt that she's being promised a supreme court position and I severely doubt she'd even be considered for a post there.
Obama doesn't owe her anything so I doubt she's negotiating for anything here. She's not exactly wielding a lot of leverage.
I'm pretty sure Stevens retires very soon after Obama takes office. If he was promising her an appointment, she wouldn't have to wait long, so there wouldn't be much point in taking over State for just a few months.
Awesome move
Let's see, for the foreseeable future we're going to be dealing with the Middle East. What do Muslims hate? Women and blacks.
Hillary as SoS? Brilliant
Stupid pick.
This means it's a brilliant pick. Whatever AHF says, go with the opposite and you'll be fine.Awesome move
Let's see, for the foreseeable future we're going to be dealing with the Middle East. What do Muslims hate? Women and blacks.
Hillary as SoS? Brilliant
Stupid pick.
This means it's still a stupid pick, and that you're ignorant when it comes to the cultures of the Middle East. But hey, I'm not sure what I expected on that for someone who gets their world view from DailyPOS and DemocrapticUnderground.
But go ahead, keep up the lib way. Ignorance is bliss, I guess.
Its funny because some conservatives on this board have their mind made up on how they are going to feel about a pick but have to wait to see the pick to find the "reason" why. Hilary is SoS? Oh well then its a horrible pick because countries in the middle east hate blacks and women.
Yeah, and I don't believe I've ever disclosed my reading list before. DailyKos and DemocraticUnderground are terrible sites, but I bet AHF loves him some Free Republic.Its funny because some conservatives on this board have their mind made up on how they are going to feel about a pick but have to wait to see the pick to find the "reason" why. Hilary is SoS? Oh well then its a horrible pick because countries in the middle east hate blacks and women.
It's funny because by your logic we should make better progress on the illusion of pakistani-israeli peace, because hilary is only one of those things. Not being condescending, I actually totally agree with your second statement.Awesome move
Let's see, for the foreseeable future we're going to be dealing with the Middle East. What do Muslims hate? Women and blacks.
Hillary as SoS? Brilliant
Stupid pick.
This is still a much better pick in every category than Kerry, and better in terms of possible rewards then Richardson.
I hope Obama offers her the job and I hope she takes it.
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