Dowd: Picking Hillary As Secretary Of State "Cool Idea ... So Un-Clintonian"

NY Times:

It's a cool idea, Hillary Clinton as secretary of state.

At long last, the feminist icon would represent the feminist ideal of getting a room of her own, all on her own.

...

Even if Bill scurries past the questions on sexual harassment claims, conflicts of interest, civil suits, real estate holdings, federal investigations, diaries, gifts worth more than $50 and Internet aliases, the Clintons will still have to grapple with No. 8: "Briefly describe the most controversial matters you have been involved with during the course of your career." (It would take books, and it has.)

Read the whole story: NY Times

Comments

[fromero]

08:54 AM on 11/23/2008

Her coyness in accepting the post--making Obama beg, in effect--is already an ominous sign.

[chavi00]

10:20 AM on 11/19/2008

Dowd's snark is too much and not funny. It's great that she loves giving people nicknames -- I guess she does have something in common with W.

Time for the Times to give her the boot and hand over that space to new voice -- Sarah Vowell would be great.

Maybe Dowd can be a talking head on "Best Week Ever" or "I Hate The Clinton: 00's Edition"

[jpmdevildog]

10:07 AM on 11/18/2008

Hillary is so over Secretary of State, and after a new position: Commissioner of the Bureau of Mutant Affairs.

http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/election-08/hillary-wants-mutant-position/

[amantell]

02:51 PM on 11/17/2008

Dowd has always been hard on Hillary. From her article it's apparent why: Dowd doesn't think Hillary earned her credentials, which is a point I agree with. The interesting paradox of Dowd's opinion is that in spite of her derisive attitude about the way Hillary has secured power for herself, she's always recognized Hillary's strengths, and seems happy for Hillary now that she's got the possibility of reaching political goals on her own, rather than relying on her husband's coattails. I share that opinion too.

[zapper501]

01:25 PM on 11/17/2008

dowd is a complete waste of time to read. with her make believe words and her make believe dialog, she has nothing to say of any value on any subject. it amazes me that such no talents get big paychecks

[binq56]

12:25 PM on 11/17/2008

Maureen Dowd has too much Clinton hate to write anything fun or interesting about them. I used to find her columns one of my favorites in the NYT, but not any more. She just comes of mean and hateful. What was once humor inflected insight is now just puerile bile.

[zapper501]

01:20 PM on 11/17/2008

dowd is a waste of time to read. you can get more relevant information reading the comics

[LarBear]

11:37 AM on 11/17/2008

I don't really know much about Maureen Dowd... The impression I'm getting so far is if one flips the Anne Coulter coin over, the other side is Maureen Dowd??? Both Negative, unhappy and filled with their own Ego importance??? Maybe it's just a bad first impression....

[munki]

11:08 AM on 11/17/2008

Why be so negative...
put is on a T-bar and think... rationally... with cool temperament

Pros and Cons of Hillary being SS...
then talk about it... I did it and end up with COOL...
overall... NO one is perfect...
Richardson is another good selection but do not give the TOUGH image...
maybe I am wrong... why tough, firm yet... with a polite political smile?
You are dealing with more than Americans but 100+ other nations...
Smile... you are on candid camera... and try the T-bar

[mjc]

11:05 AM on 11/17/2008

Though I have never read any of Dowd's comments in the nasty vein about Obama, she is on record as a Hillary Hater and there's no question that her discussion of the Clintons is anything but biased. There are many of us who don't want Hillary Clinton to be the Secretary of State in Obama's administration. It is a thankless job, one quite open to the folks who, like Dowd, hate Hillary or hate the Clintons and who will use any failures.....and yes, Virginia, President Obama will have failures....to cream Hillary Clinton. And I would not expect Obama to defend her much, either. Condi Rice bopped all over the mid-East in an effort to make Geo Bush look like he was really interested in solving the Palestinian problem to no avail. It made Rice seem so ineffectual but didn't damage the good 'ole boy peacemaker image of Bush at all. All the Hillary Haters on these threads will be searching with a fine-tooth comb for any way to blame Hillary rather than Barack. Really is ridiculous how the cult of personality has taken hold in this country but it has and either Clinton should stay well away from those folks.

[Nonamnesiac]

10:54 AM on 11/17/2008

Clinton for Secretary of State is a particularly disappointing selection on Obama's part. Although Hillary demonstrated heroic loyalty to Obama after she lost the nomination and I am not at all hostile to Hillary serving in an important position in the Obama Administration, Hillary lost the nomination because she lacked the judgment in international relations to wholly reject the warmongering policies of the neocons. To this day she has not apologized for putting the lives and limbs of my military family members, and millions of other military family members like mine, in harm's way against the interests of the United States. She supported labeling a part of the Iranian government a terrorist organization, in effect giving Bush authority to attack Iran according to Senator Jim Webb. She continually articulated a close-to-neocon predisposition and demonstrated an incredibly narrow world view -- exactly the opposite of what she needs to perform as a competent Secretary of State. It is even more disappointing because the most qualified person for Secretary of State in a generation, Bill Richardson, is there for the asking. Richardson has the exact perspective necessary to supplement Obama's stated goals of switching from cowboy militarism as our foreign policy to effective negotiations. Hillary doesn't have those talents based on her record, although she has many talents. The choice means that Obama may have decided to adapt to many of W's instincts -- all of which were wrong. Hopefully Hillary is self-honest, recognizes her limitations and rejects the offer.

[Kreskytim]

10:42 AM on 11/17/2008

Maureen Dowd needs to buy herself a litter box.

[Americano]

11:06 AM on 11/17/2008

Hillary will do a great job! She is a professional and a dedicated public servant. I disagree with Dowd, having someone like Bill Clinton's wife in a high cabinet post would never had been realized in a Bill Clinton cabinet. It is well documented that Bill had open fiery discussions with his top advisors at meetings. He enjoyed the give and take of diverse ideas to reach the best solutions to America's problems. Also reaching across the isle to find the best people is also very Clinton like!

[Sundialsvc4]

10:29 AM on 11/17/2008

Is it so strange that Professor Barak Obama, Esq. would choose to hire Professor Hillary Clinton, Esq. in some official capacity?

[Moka11]

10:18 AM on 11/17/2008

It is so nice to see that Maureen Dowd continues her smug opinion of all things Obama. Everything to her has some sort of Shakespearean/Freudian slant to it and is somehow entertaining to her.

The one thing that flies in the face of everything Mo Dowd writes concerning "Barry" is that Barack has, with a few slights and exceptions, never really shown anything more than respect, inclusiveness, and maturity concerning Hillary and/or the Clintons. I can't say the same for his surrogates but who can forget Lanny Davis, and a few other hardcore Clinton backers.

I always remember Hillary suggesting maybe Obama could be HER VP selection when it was already mathematically impossible for that to happen. I suspect if Hillary somehow won the nomination the Clintons would have tried to banish Obama. But it appears that Obama is far more secure than most immature politicians and some posters here who can't think of how clever it is to have a Sec. of State whose last name signifies a peaceful time that had worldwide respect.
Yes, she voted for the war resolution. That was a political choice and calculation many made including Kerry. I don't expect she or anyone else will be making mistakes like that again.

[Okieborn]

10:13 AM on 11/17/2008

NO MORE CLINTONS !!!!!
AMERICA VOTED FOR CHANGE FOR ThIs " GREAT NATION" !!!

[Demi-Crat]

10:23 AM on 11/17/2008

and 18000000 wanted Clinton!!!!!

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

09:52 AM on 11/17/2008

Despite the growing buzz for Hillary as SecState, I still prefer Hillary as Senate Majority Leader.

[Teadye]

11:02 AM on 11/17/2008

Maybe but for good or ill that won't happen. Despite her much-touted "experience" she just doesn't have the seniority.

I'm happy with her at State. I can easily see her as a worthy successor to Albright and her primary election "resume" seemed to point up her interest in State type functions. The original set of prospective Secretaries of State didn't really spark, but I think Clinton does. When I first heard the idea, it just seemed right.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

12:36 PM on 11/17/2008

I hear ya.

Don't get me wrong: Biden would have been my choice as SecState, and maybe he will have a higher profile as a tag-team SecState with a Kerry or a Richardson. Hillary wouldn't need same.

But the role of Senate Majority Leader is crucial -- maybe moreso than SecState -- given the Repuke infatuation with the filibuster, and Reid's inability to counter it.

[flifishun]

11:08 AM on 11/17/2008

I second the motion.