Hillary for Secretary of State?

[PEZGolf]

Boy, I hope this story is false or if Hillary is really offered the position of Secretary of State by our new Presiden-elect, she TURNS IT DOWN!! If nominated, she will be GRILLED by the Republicans in the Senate, as she should be. There are many other possible candidates---Senator Chuck Hagel, Colin Powell (although he says that he is not interested), and others. I do not like Hillary, even though she is OUR Senator in New York State. When she tried to put together a government sponsored health care system during her husband's Presidency, she failed miserably. That was a test of management skills on a large issue affecting ALL Americans!

I understand the "political" reasons to offer her the job, but I hope that she bows out so she "can continue to serve the interests of the people of New York State, who elected her, and all Americans".

[LottaBalata]

Boy, I hope this story is false or if Hillary is really offered the position of Secretary of State by our new Presiden-elect, she TURNS IT DOWN!! If nominated, she will be GRILLED by the Republicans in the Senate, as she should be. There are many other possible candidates---Senator Chuck Hagel, Colin Powell (although he says that he is not interested), and others. I do not like Hillary, even though she is OUR Senator in New York State. When she tried to put together a government sponsored health care system during her husband's Presidency, she failed miserably. That was a test of management skills on a large issue affecting ALL Americans!

I think her failures during Bill's term, was simply inexperience. . .I'm not at all an advocate of the Clinton's. As people, they are dirtbags pretty much. As politicians, I think they're almost impressive. I think Clinton was one of the better presidents this country had seen in awhile.

Hillary has quite a bit more experience now. . .I don't know. I try not to say too much about politics. Until this election, I had not voted before. I'm 37 btw.

[LongestDrive]

She's being veted by the Obama transition team as we speak and I trust the judgment of this team and of the man who ultimately makes the call.

When I think of Hillary, I think of all the times she lied on the campaign trail (ducking from sniper fire in Bosnia anyone?), not to mention Bill's shady off-shore dealings.

A better option is Bill Richardson. He has far more foreign policy experience than she, having been a diplomat.

[iacas]

Boy, I hope this story is false or if Hillary is really offered the position of Secretary of State by our new Presiden-elect, she TURNS IT DOWN!!

You're a little late. She was offered the job last week. She was also taking the weekend (and then some) to think about it. Schwarzenegger has already come out in support of the offer.

[jmoc]

Keep your friends close, your enemies closer. Machiavellian? ... jmoc

[erwintrace08]

Curious if anyone here thinks for her and Bill's support during the election (especially towards the end when BO needed their help), that they didn't make a deal?

The Clinton's Support = Sec. of State position?

e

[PEZGolf]

Curious if anyone here thinks for her and Bill's support during the election (especially towards the end when BO needed their help), that they didn't make a deal?

Probably so, but the REAL question is Obama's motivation. He has read the book, "Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin, who, as a graudate student, taught me at Harvard College. In the book, she discusses how Lincoln appointed two of the people who ran against him for the Republican nomination for President. After his victory, he selected Seward as Secretary of State, and Stanton as Secretary of War. He did so because he felt they were the best qualified for the jobs. He had enough self-confidence to appoint rivals to the two most important positions in his cabinet. Seward ended up becoming good friends with Lincoln and his wife. It appears that Obama is following the same strategy. Personally, I do not think that Hillary is the best qualified for the important position of Secretary of State and I hope she does turn it down.

[mphsglf]

You're a little late. She was offered the job last week. She was also taking the weekend (and then some) to think about it. Schwarzenegger has already come out in support of the offer.

If you believe the

New York Times or The Guardian (UK), the offer has not yet been made but is being strongly considered. Articles are from yesterday (11/16) and today (11/17) respectively.

[PEZGolf]

If you believe the

I wonder if this story was leaked to fly a "trial balloon" to see what the reaction will be. I saw that Dr. Henry Kissinger has come out to say that Hillary would do a very good job. We know that some Republicans will use Committee hearings as a basis to question her about some of the activities that she and her husband have been quilty of. Even though Committee hearings last only a day or two, the tough questions that can be asked can be a source of embarrassment.

[Chilli Dipper]

Personally, I have been hoping that Bill Richardson would receive the SoS nomination. Some Republicans in the Senate have expressed support for the prospect of Hillary in the Cabinet, but methinks they have some alterior motives; frankly, I believe they would rather just have her out of their hair, and make her the White House's problem!

[Brer Hog]

We know that some Republicans will use Committee hearings as a basis to question her about some of the activities that she and her husband have been quilty of.

What happened to the days when committee hearings were used to find out about the person being considered for the office for the GOOD OF THE COUNTRY... so maybe we don't appoint scoundrels who are more interested in power and influence than serving the people of this once great republic?

[EquipmentJunkie]

What happened to the days when committee hearings were used to find out about the person being considered for the office for the GOOD OF THE COUNTRY... so maybe we don't appoint scoundrels who are more interested in power and influence than serving the people of this once great republic?

Right but that's different than fear inducing character attacks into a nominees personal life that that have absolutely nothing to do with their qualification to do the job at hand.....

[Dub]

I wouldn't trust the Clinton's to wash my car....much less hold any further office. Scoundrels.

[ganjagolfer]

hillary clinton is a great man. she will make a great sec state

[jmoc]

Right but that's different than fear inducing character attacks into a nominees personal life that that have absolutely nothing to do with their qualification to do the job at hand.....

That's what is commonly referred to as "Borking" from the way the Dems treated Judge Bork during his "nomination process". Now that that genie is out of the bottle, "borking" is the standard,

sad but true...... jmoc

[PEZGolf]

In my opinion, two of the best Secretaries of State in my time have been Dr. Henry Kissinger and Jim Baker. They had absolutely opposite styles---Kissinger was a very public person and loved the limelight, while Baker was quiet, and seemed to be overshadowed by others in the Cabinet, but got the job done. Both understood "realpolitik" and the economic and political forces that made the leaders of nations decide the way they did. In this day and age, it is easy for the Secretary of State to play "second fiddle" to a strong Secretary of Defense or National Security Advisor. The Secretary of State should be the Chief Diplomat, but also be in charge of our relationships with other countries, whether that involves diplomacy or force.

Kissinger had a unique role---he held two positions:

Henry Alfred Kissinger was the 56th Secretary of State of the United States from 1973 to 1977, continuing to hold the position of Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs which he first assumed in 1969 until 1975. (from Wikipedia)

In my judgement, Colin Powell had the potential to be a good Secretary of State, but was outmaneuvered and "set up" by Donald Rumsfeld. Condi Rice was also a "second fiddle" to Rumsfeld until two years ago, when Rumsfeld was the sacrifice for the failures in the War of Iraq (remember how the unpopularity of the war cost the Republican Party the control of the US Senate, and Rumsfeld was asked by President Bush to resign?). Since then, Rice has been on her own, and has failed to produce a major settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, backed Musharraf to the bitter end in Pakistan, was blindsided by Putin in Georgia, and has not had a major accomplishment to her credit---I do NOT count a kiss and a hug from Khaddafi as an accomplishment. THAT is the "kiss of death" from that Prime Sponsor of International Terrorism!!

I do not believe that Hillary would do a better job than either Kissinger or Baker, the standards I would use to judge a possible candidate for the job.

[PEZGolf]

I read a good analysis yesterday------------NEVER hire someone you CANNOT fire. If Obama does select Hillary for Secretary of State, and she accepts and is confirmed by the Senate, and starts messing up or acting independently, can you imagine Obama FIRING HER?? The problem with "star power" in a cabinet is that the "stars" may eclipse the sun in brightness. Hillary is a bad choice, and I hope she does not get the job.

[PEZGolf]

Now, on the positive side of news from the transition team----it appears that Timothy Geithner will be nominated to be Secretary of the Treasury. Not only is he the President of the New York Federal Reserve Bank (at the young age of 47), but he has a great deal of experience in dealing with international financial crises. In 1997, as an aide to then Secretary of the Treasury Larry Summers, Geithner put together a plan to intervene to rescue South Korea. According to the article in the Weekend Edition of the "Wall Street Journal", Summers was reluctant to take action, but Geithner laid out the dire consequences of not taking action.

In most cases, I am not in favor of government intervention in our economy, but these are NOT normal times and the usual solutions will NOT work. Based on Geithner's background with South Korea, and also with Mexico and Indonesia, he is not a rookie. Two of his positions I really like:

1. In March of this year, BEFORE the worst had come, Geithner took the stand that the US government had to change its regulatory system to deal with the new financial instruments that had been developed. The goal is "to address the vulnerabilities in our financial system revealed by this crisis". In 1999, the Glass Steagall act was repealed and with the strong push by then Senator Phil Gramm, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley- Act took its place, and many of the restraints on financial institutions were eliminated. As Alan Greenspan has now admitted, the assumption that the managements and Boards of Directors of our financial institutions would be wary of risk and would exercise self-restraint were WAY WRONG. So Geithner realizes the need for new regulations.

2. According to the article, Geithner was "one of the first officials to warn about a financial instrument, known as a CREDIT DEFAULT SWAP, which investors buy to protect against defaults on corporate and other types of debt."

I hope that Geithner is the "right man at the right time and in the right place."