McCain Staffer Crows At Idea Of Clinton In Cabinet

Over at the Weekly Standard, McCain campaign blogger Michael Goldfarb explains why Republicans should be cheered by the prospect of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton:

Clinton flipped on the war, but as the nomination slipped out of her reach last spring she spoke of the threats this country faces, and of the prescriptions offered by Obama, in language that would warm the hearts of neoconservatives (if we had them). She threatened to "obliterate" Iran in response to unprovoked aggression against Israel, she spoke of unconditional meetings with the leaders of rogue states as "irresponsible and, frankly, naive," and she castigated Obama's transparent saber-rattling on Pakistan ("last summer [Obama] basically threatened to bomb Pakistan, which I don't think was a particularly wise position to take."). On matters of diplomacy, Clinton's views are not so different from those held by John McCain and most Republicans -- and they are certainly well to the right of Obama.

Of course, if Clinton takes the job one expects she'll be loyal to her new boss. Though it would be extremely entertaining, we probably wouldn't see Madame Secretary working to undermine an Obama administration with recalcitrance and rogue diplomacy. But then Colin Powell was a dutiful soldier while inside the Bush administration and that still didn't prevent him from becoming a foil for the administration's opponents. It's not difficult to imagine Clinton performing a similar service for Republicans. She could be held up as the very model of a responsible Democrat, forced against her better judgment to partake in a series of reckless diplomatic escapades pursued by a more ideological president.

Clinton would be a fine Secretary of State, and she is likely to be a nuisance to Obama whether she is inside or outside of his administration, but as our top diplomat she could reprise a role that made Powell a kingmaker in this year's election. And perhaps she could even present the case for war with Iran to an insubordinate United Nations in the event that Obama's personal diplomacy somehow fails to deter the mullahs from their present course.

Read more about Hillary Clinton's Secretary of State prospects.

Comments

[Shake-A-Spear]

Time we had a Secretary of State with balls. Here's to Hillary!

[bobbysmom27]

AMEN!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!

[IslandPress]

Whoever makes it into Obama's cabinet as Energy Secretary, much less Secretary of State, they need to consider ways for the U.S. to become less reliant on Middle East oil, right? Jon Isham, energy and climate change expert and Professor of International Environmental Economics at Middlebury College in VT, says given these fragile economic times, a cap-and-dividend policy should be on the forefront of the minds of the new administration:

http://blog.islandpress.org/246/jon-isham-what-comes-after-yes-we-can

[MizLiz]

Whatever she said during the campaign was just so much pandering. She had to show she had bigger balls than any of the other guys. Imagine downing shots and beer! Ugh!

Whatever she does as Secretary of State will be different from all that campaign nonsense.

[MagisterLudi]

Whereas the Prez elect will do everyhting He pormised during campaign.. Right? Come on, stop the FBS.

[MontereyJack]

she is actually a hermaphrodite, satisfying both sides

[yearlin]

either clinton is not to be trusted. he's asking for drama.

[tyger]

Obama is in charge. He will make the determination as to the policy. If Clinton gets out of line I'm sure he will correct or fire her. Obama is not weak, he withstood all the crap thrown by Clinton and Mccain.

[MagisterLudi]

There's difference between campaigning and actually governning. Especially for a guy who has zero expereince at it. Second ignorant at the helm of US. Whadda country.

[patwal]

But damn he's bright!

[KeepMeLearning]

And you voted for GW I presume???

[bail me out]

two fisrt big bubbles of Obama:
1-forgive Joe Liber the a*ssh*ole
2-appoint Hillary

his admin is now going down the HILL.

[Zofomofo]

Why is this a suprise? We like Obama because he is NOT devisive. That means working with people who are not sycophantic. It's a good thing as long as he calls the shots.
I can't stand Leiberman, but he is not going to disappear because Obama ignores him.

[Strywever]

His admin hasn't even started yet.

[luckyoldson]

Yeah, Obama's entire tenure as President is done, finished, caput.

Oh, wait a minute...

[KNadine]

You're funny Bail me out! Is this how you guys are going to be for the next 8 years?? May want to get use to 16 years of Dems in power.

[Willow712]

Throughout the primaries, everybody knew that obama and Clinton were only a few millimeters apart on their visions for this country. I imagine Obama, Biden and Clinton would be a wonderful team.

[Strywever]

Thanks for that very useful reminder! :-)

[dusty1641]

You are absolutely spot on with your analysis.

[criquet]

Obama's pick is brilliant. It gives him cover to do things he could not with other candidates for the job who are more liberal. H Clinton carrying out LIBERAL forign policy signals it may not be so liberal after all. If she doesn't, she gets the boot and is also out of the Senate and out of favor with her party who may not support her for any other Presidential run. Either way she is marginalised and cannot threaten the way she might have outside.
Give the man credit for thinking many moves ahead.

[JamesInDenver]

Who cares what McCain has to say.

[Dynamohum]

Exactly. This article is completely whack. The picture on the home page is really horrible. Photoshopped and really cheap looking.

[MarvinCat]

This is loopy. Clinton will keep Obama's foreign policy in line with neo-con ideals? What? So McCain borrowed some of her lines from the primary season. It doesn't mean that she is following the neo-con line. And those lines he borrowed--they didn't work then either.

[ConfuciusSay-]

Isn't Goldfarb the person who thinks GlobalWarming has an "upside"?
The same guy that thinks Obama is "anAntiSemite" but couldn't provide any evidence of it in a TV interview ?
The same fellow that thought liberal bloggers "live in basements and play D&D" ?

Well, he does seem to be *quite* the expert.

(Pardon me for snickering behind my hand.)

[1lalady]

This is all a MCCAIN staffer can do , critize and make hay. They definity can't run a campaign. So now they want to crique OBAMA and/or Hillary.? All they know, division, smear, hate mongering. Don't pay attention to these wannabees, because the know not a thing.

[Fudgefase]

He's just trying to muddy the water. We gotta have some trust people, that our guy knows what he's doing...

[Sadie1976]

Thank heavens!—a Secretary of State that thinks like John McCain!—we’re SAVED! I’ll sleep much better now that it was put to me like this! *said with snarky sarcasm*

[Topfeeder]

But what does sweet sweet Sarah think about Hills being SofS?