Hillary is (not) wanted as Secretary of State

No Drama Obama becomes Big Drama Mamma: Secretary of State could be SOS blunder

[We tip Eric Holder, Tom Daschle, Janet Napolitano and Bill Richardson for Obama's cabinet AND What is the cabinet, what does it do?]

 

Looks like Obama, against his better judgment, is going to pick Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. The ALL-CHANGE Obama administration is fast becoming Clinton Act 2. Could the Hillary appointment be Obama's first big blunder? Obama is very smart. He knows he either has to have Hillary on the team, or he must nip her in the bud. Hillary has an ego bigger than Capitol Hill, and she has a blabbermouth, freelance husband who shoots from the lip at every opportunity. We had hoped Obama would call Hillary to Chicago to put out a few fires. We wanted him to exchange pleasantries about the tough primary season, thank her for her help during the campaign, offer a few gracious words to Bill.  Then, in our hopeful scenario, came the bad news for Hillary: "Senator Clinton, I won't be inviting you to be secretary of state because I can't. It won't work. Look, we have this extremely thorough vetting procedure and already there are warning flags about some of Bill's investments -- and there's an embarrassing mountain of emails from your husband to, well, you get the picture."

Hillary Clinton in line to be Secretary of State  Hillary wants Sec. of State more than Obama needs her. Already this is turning into an ugly drawn out drama. Obama needs to deal with this or the Clintons are going to keep leaking stories to the press, dominating the news cycle, making Obama's cabinet deliberations all about Hillary. Obama does not need the Clintons in his administration. That's what we hope he told her - and if he didn't, he should have done. Obama must not forget Bill Richardson who took a bullet for him with his endorsement. Bill Clinton came down on Richardson like a ton of bricks. The Clinton campaign team talked of "betrayal" by Richardson. Washington Post: "A central question is how Clinton would fare in the vetting process. Another is how well her operation, and her husband's, would blend into an Obama operation that has been famous for its discipline and collegiality."

"To other women?"

"That's not really for me to say, senator, but it doesn't look good, it really doesn't. But I wanted you to be the first to hear this, I wanted to be up front and honest. You're qualified for the job, we know you'd do a great job, but, well, my hands are tied. It won't work."

Pundits are talking of Obama's brilliant Lincoln-like strategy of bringing his enemies around the campfire to share beans and coffee. If it works it will be brilliant, if it doesn't it'll be like the scene in 'Blazing Saddles', you know the one: campfire, beans, coffee, you get the picture.