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

[PhilipTaylor]

McCain said many things he does not believe during the campaign and that is what lost him the election. Likewise Hilary said some things in the primary aimed at "winning" and that were NOT central to her normal belief system. Both elections clearly showed the strategies were ineffective so for the Goldfarb to celebrate is silly!

Correction!

[sposton]

You are missing the whole point of neoconservative movement.

[PhilipTaylor]

McCain said many things he does not believe during the campaign and that is what lost him the election. Likewise Hilary said some things in the primary aimed at "winning" and that were central to her normal belief system. Both elections clearly showed the strategies were ineffective so for the Goldfarb and others in that camp to celebrate is silly!

[aOsO]

This guy is tying to play mind games with weak minded liberals who are crying over this decision. I'm glad to see that nobody on here is falling for the trap (sarcasm off).

[ChandraSF]

Mr. Goldfarb, you are demonstrating how bankrupt Republicans have become. Their highs in the future will come not from actions they control or take, rather from failures in the Obama administration. You folks are to be pitied.

[gcw]

I'd really like to see Sen Clinton take a year to be Top Cop (Attorney General). She would be the best clean-up batter of all.

[RockySoldier]

reason enough to keep her the heck away from that job. it's a disaster waiting to happen. President Obama would have to spend more time in direct diplomacy because she and her husband would be totally off the reservation constantly. Half of the job at State is managing the bureaucracy. She couldn't even manage her campaign.

No way.

[Chaucea]

Yep! Quite agree.

[NationalTreasure]

neo-con policies on defense, national security, foreign policy, economics, energy and the environment have been a useless mess and are throughly discredited so to have someone praise Hillary as being nearly a neo-con is a fairy tale

the neo-cons are delusional and irrelevant

[pixy242a]

Hilary on her worst day will be 1000 times better than Sarah at her 'best' whenever that would be.

[KeepMeLearning]

Sarah at her best? Never.

[sposton]

I voted for neither Hillary nor Sarah. I voted for Barack Hussein Obama. ;-)

[Tubalcain]

He's right as much as I don't like him. Most people don't realize that Bill,Hillary & Lieberman are actually moderate republicans who happen to call themselves Democrats. Lets not pretend on Bill's record either in Arkansas or as Prez.

[pixy242a]

So what if they are, Obama said he would have Republicans in his cabinet, maybe he includes them as such :)

[Petunia39]

I will take Republicans like Hagel and Powell over the Clintons anytime, when it comes to foreign policy.

[nomobull]

she has not even gotten the job.

[Petunia39]

And let's hope she doesn't.

[PHM]

Given the McCain Campaign's track record on decision making of any kind it might be best if this guy and any other McCain "staffer" just shut the "F" up for awhile. They really need to let some time pass for public health reasons...so many Americans are "busting a gut" they are laughing so hard...

Maybe this guy should run on up to Wasilla and work for Carribou Barbie...the Poster Child for Republican decision making!

[Tom Joad]

MEMO
TO: Goldfarb
FROM: all of us

We don't care what you think. The Republiban lost the election and lost ground in both houses of the Congress. Blog that.

[bbridges1962]

Who gives a rooster's sphincter what McCaint's team of idiots think?

[sposton]

That would be true if Obama intended to impose his agenda, at least vigorously defend it. He is obviously not doing that. He wants a bipartisan approach to foreign policy which is commendable in itself. The trouble is that he is not pulling the rest toward some better and "change" position but is already drifting towards the conventional neoconned positions of official Washington. You don't have to believe this is so but such beliefs go against the available evidence.

[RockySoldier]

very bi-partisan. nicely done.

[EliasWilliam]

I can't stand it - the Hillary bashing has begun again. I voted for Obama, but I was really creeped out by all of the disgusting trashing of Hillary that went on in the media, from policial opponents (not Barack himself but others), she is an extremely intelligent woman who will do a great job. Obviously Obama sees that and believes in the hope of everyone coming together.

[RockySoldier]

more of the same paranoid 'oh my god THE MEDIA! They were SO biased against Hillary! It's sexism! They were SO biased against McCain! They think Obama is the Messiah! Ahhh!'

I've never seen a woman with more wealth and power with more supporters claiming her victimhood than Hillary Clinton supporters. You people are absolutely insufferable.

Stop the insanity. Stop the screeching.

[frenchie25]

I know - admitting to be a Clinton supporter these days gets the same kind of reaction that professing yourself as a liberal did back in 80s. It's like a war zone. Regardless, there aren't too many politicians around smarter and more capable than Hillary Clinton.

Go ahead, PE Obama. Do your thing. I trust you.

[campgranata]

I disagree that she is an extremely intelligent woman yet concede she is, in the eyes of the culture, a well educated one. Bill Clinton is the bright Clinton: she is his wife. and what would cause you to believe she would do a great job, at anything, for she hasn't yet? Health care expertise has been granted to her for the last twenty-five years which is how long she has been 'working' on it and it has yet to pass. Clearly she is an expert on how not to get a plan passed. She has done little for the citizens of NY state in the senate and much for her presidential campaign which with all her advantages she lost to a tyro. through a series of mismanagements she negated her advantages through stupidity and stubbornness and especially the dumb lies she told, on camera yet. When one lists the faults of MRS Clinton they are accused of Hillary hating or bashing but what has she ever achieved on her own since meeting Bill Clinton? nothing.

[BretLevick]

With the GOP chomping at the bit for a 3rd war against Iran, I don't think our country would have survived a McCain presidency which would have arguably been the proverbial nail in the coffin. We can truly be thankful for Obama's victory.

[sposton]

I agree with you if all you have done is to cast your vote against McCain. If you were for Obama's change agenda then what Obama has done so far must be a big disappointment or you must construct some logical explanation for his choices. You know, rationalization is a wonderful tool. ;-)

[dagnew]

O knows what he is doing. I trust him.

[txgal44]

Thank you. I do too. I trust him completely. You don't hear a lot of this on here. It's like they voted for him and now, they question everything he does. If they keep this up, I'm going to have to find another site to visit. These people on here are annoying!!

[bbridges1962]

This is one of the Obama friendly ones. If you want to see some evil...head on over to U S A ToDay. That is where all of the very angry GOP hangs out.

[sposton]

We voted for him with certain expectations. When those are not met we have the right to open our big mouths. Please don't elevate your blind trust and your adoration above our questioning because it does not deserve to be there. Sorry to puncture your bubble but democracy can be and must be occasionally annoying. ;-)

[rageagainstmachine]

Ditto. Most posters here second guessed Barack (myself included on occassion) continually during the campaign. I finally realized myself about 2 months ago (after being wrong about just about everything I thought he should do) that he pretty much knows what he's doing.

Hey, I'm no fan of Hillary Clinton, but if anyone here thinks that Barack is stupid, or that he doesn't understand the issues and drama surrounding the Clintons (much of it media induced by the way), they simply don't know our President-elect.

He has a very analytical mind and great decision-making skills. I'm gonna trust him on the Hillary thing. And you know what? I think she could turn out to be an excellent SoS, despite all the hysteria.

[flyrod]

Perfectly said. I feel the same way.