Clinton Turned Down Powerful Senate Post: Report

Hillary Clinton passed on becoming boss of the superpowerful Senate Appropriations Committee to pursue the more prestigious secretary of state job with President-elect Barack Obama, the Daily News has learned.

As chairwoman of the panel that controls the nation's purse strings, Clinton could have pumped billions in federal dollars into the Empire State.

Instead, as Obama continues to piece together his cabinet, Clinton is poised to become the third female secretary of state, following Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[frenchie25]

The bottom line is that HRC left the Senate because Ted Kennedy completely dissed her from health care reform, afraid that she would detract from his legacy. I'm convinced that if ol' Teddy had granted her a greater role in health care reform, she would have stayed inh the Senate.

That said, IMHO she will be a great SOS...as reported in the NYT today, heads of state will do back flips just to have their picture taken with her.

[Bitsko]

Looks like somebody ticked off Mort Zuckerman, publisher of the NY Daily News.

[apoyo]

Are they faking out the press again?

[AsISaid]

Gosh, the self-sacrifice this woman makes for the chance at unmitigated power!

[GeeWhillikers]

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Sen. Daniel Inouye next in line for the Senate Appropriations job? How is it that Hillary (with no seniority in the Senate) was offered the post on a silver platter just like that? This story seems a bit suspect.

I mean, come on. She's not allowed on the Health Care task force because she has no seniority and clout, but instead, she is given the Senate Appropriations Committee to HEAD? How does this even make sense?

[naschkatze]

She is not even on that committee.

[Bitsko]

Here's a list of committees she sits on.
http://clinton.senate.gov/senate/committees/index.cfm

[Avembe]

I know many many ,people don't care BUT i am sincerely interested in knowing what Lynn forrester is doing...so if anyone has any news about this woman....sorry !about this hater...

[StillIRise]

Here's my take on it:

The advantages of appointing Hillary to the position of Secretary of State from Obama's point of view:

-it removes her from the Senate, where she is more independent and in a better position to undermine his presidency.
-it places her in a position that is beholden to his agenda, his policies and his vision. She will be speaking and acting on his behalf, and serving at his pleasure. In other words, Hillary Clinton, the politician, will be, for all intent and purpose, silenced.
-it eliminates or weakens the possibility that she will attempt to run against him in 2012.
-it curtails Bill's activities and speeches in his global engagements, in that he has agreed to have his speeches vetted and to other conditions that will essentially rein him in.
-Hillary is an intelligent, experienced and skilled politician who is respected in the world community and can be of great service to Obama's administration and to the country as Secretary of State.

My next post will be my take on the advantages of accepting the position from Hillary's point of view.

[EuroHuffPoFan]

StillIRise ..

" who is respected in the world community "

Upon what do you base this premise ?

[macbabe]

2016 Gov of NY and rule NY all rest of her days and live happily ever after...

[Independent voter]

Hillary is not respected at home or abroad. The true nature of the beast became abundantly clear during the primaries.

From M. Goodwin writing about Hillary.

"We have seen an X-ray of a very dark soul. One consumed by raw ambition to where the possible assassination of an opponent is something to ponder in a strategic way. Otherwise, why is murder on her mind?

It's like Tanya Harding's kneecapping has come to politics. Only the senator from New York has more lethal fantasies than that nutty skater."

[Demi-Crat]

I like and respect Hillary Clinton!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[naschkatze]

I'd like to know who are the sources for these stories. It seems to me that the Clintons have a great spin machine which feeds the media anything it likes, and then the media run with it. CNN is a good example. I don't believe this particular story at all. Clinton is a very junior senator, and there was no way she was going to leapfrog over longer serving senators to become the head of a powerful committee like Appropriations.

[Sereena]

When Hillary's person.al escap ades see the light of day, what was once just ru.mor and inn u endo will shock some people, surprise others, and cause some to de mand she be fir.ed.

[RiggsMD]

Hillary knows which position is best for her to get-her-ducks-in-a-row for 2012. It really doesn't matter that she turned the position down, the democratic agenda will be pushed forward aggressively. As Secretary of State Hillary will be even more powerful. True, government is a business for Americans and America and it is about the money, but, the Clintons are about "POWER"! The democratic control will assure anything Hillary was thinking about pushing in the Senate gets an expodited push. And, all you New Yorkers will get your issue. Hillary is on and has been on the power level of politics for a very longtime. If you're shocked as to why she turned down the job, you probably need to brush-up on Hillary's activities and actions in the Senate and in politics on a whole. Obama 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[StillIRise]

I don't understand how Hillary's role as Secretary of State will position her for a 2012 election, unless of course she chooses to run against her President and her party's candidate for 2012 - Barack Obama.

Should she choose to do so, it will not hold her in great favor with the Democratic base, if Obama's first term is successful. Considering that Hillary's effectiveness as Secretary of State will be largely determined by her willingness and ability to promote Obama's foreign policy agenda, she will play a very meaningful role in the success of his first term, and thereby in her own success as Secretary of State as well. Ultimately her success, which will inherently elevate his success, virtually eliminates or weakens the potential for her to run against him in 2012.

Therefore, from my perspective, if Obama has a successful first term, and if Hillary still chooses to run for president, it would have to be in 2016, when she will almost be as old as John McCain.

I believe that Hillary will strive to be the most successful Secretary of State in recent history, and that she has made a decision that this will be the end of her political aspirations and her legacy.

[ntf1]

Hillary like all politicians as well as most humans is an opportunist. I believe she is continuing to bolster her resume for another run at the White House not in 2012 but in 2016. My take is that she will serve as SoS until 2010 when she will run for the Governor's seat of NY. Assuming she wins the seat, she will not only have gained executive experience from a possible 6 years, if she were to win reelection, as governor but she will also have gained experience in foreign policy as SoS. That's my hypothetical take/scenario - a little far-fetched but Hillary has the clout and popularity to make it plausible.

[RiggsMD]

Understand this, Hillary is not and was not in this to be Secretary of State. She still can't believe she lost. She will run against Obama again in a heartbeat. Over half of the democratic base is pro Hillary and the women's vote is more significant than you probably know. Sure people love Obama, I love the fact he's our president as well, but there is a movement for Hillary that will require she run in 2012. Her strive for success ends in the White House if she can beat Obama. Do your homework. Obama 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[duze]

Here are a few more of Hillary's activities.
Paul v. Clinton, L.A. Superior Court Case # BC304174. Charges are fraud, deceit, neglience, unfair businessa practices, unjust enrichment and civil conspiracy. The judge hearing this case is Aurelio Munoz, who was appointed by Bill Clinton. This case has been pushed back several times.
Check out YouTube: "The Video Hillary Doesn't Want You To See", Part 1 and 2.
Check out details of the case at : Peterfpaul.com How the Obama vetting team missed this little fact is very questionable.

[riverhouse]

I find it hard to believe that a junior member of the Senate with their rules of seniority would become chairman of the appropriations committee. I'm not from MO - I'm a NYer - but somebody will have to prove that one to me conclusively.

[heal57]

Me too. It does not compute.

[larazon]

Why??? Why did she turn down that job?

She would have done more good there; instead she's going to bring her right-wing views to the State Department and make us miserable for 4 years!

UGH!

[negotiatethis]

I can see it already based on these posts. We Dems have power now and already fighting among ourselves. Give us 4 years, maybe less and we'll look just like the GOP. Is it that hard for us to understand that about half the Dems voted for BO and the other half for HRC? They came together after the primary, like they said they would. Now why can't we show the same solidarity, the same forgiveness, and the same resolve to work together for the future of our party and our country? Did we learn nothing from the last 8 years? This petty bickering helps no one except the GOP.

[LadyMing]

Well said and bravo! Hopefully, everyone will calm down after Jan.20 but probably not, I mean we are going through tough times in this country, can't we at least try to come together?

[WongChin]

Since when does legitimate criticism of a party member, even if she is a party leader, equate to party division?

Given all the incredibly brazen and desperate campaigning that happened in the Democratic primaries, it is time for the leaders to DEMONSTRATE they are not power-hungry opportunists who put self above country, not one to second-guess a justifiably skeptical public.

For me, as much as I used to love the Clintons, and as talented Hillary is, I was surprised that they would raise the race card, declare a fellow Democrat unqualified for president in the same breath they praised the GOP candidate, raise the specter of assassination, and seemingly intend to kneecap their party's nominee even when there was zero chance of him not winning the nomination. If you have chosen to do all that, it just does not disappear with a magnificent convention and spirited campaigning.

Time will, of course, heal all this, and Obama and Hillary have started well. But vigilant we must be.

[PoliticalAmazon]

Wong Chin, thank you. Very well put. The pandering to bigots was the end for me. I actually remember a time when there was segregation, and to flame the fires of bigotry to gain a few votes....it's heinous, IMO.

[jacqmac]

Vigilant? Yes! By all means! However, there has been such a flapping and squawking in the media and in these comments every time the SOS and HRC have been mentioned together, that it's almost laughable! I EVEN heard someone postulate, on NATIONAL NEWS on a network I watch for its SOLID coverage, that maybe BILL CLINTON would run for the Senate seat from NY now that it appears that HRC's seat will be vacant! Are you freaking KIDDING me? This goes way beyond VIGILANCE into the realm of unnecessary paranoia and gloom and doom spreading! First of all, OBAMA is the PRESIDENT and therefore HRC's BOSS. He CAN FIRE HER or at least ask for her resignation! Second, the OBAMA ADMINISTRATION hasn't even taken office yet! Won't be 'in place' until noon on Jan. 20. Third, NAME ANY ONE with as much experience and PULL internationally as HRC, just ONE!
True, Governor Richardson has UN experience, but that is far and away DIFFERENT from actually carrying out presidential mandates and requests internationally. ALL of these people are Democratic survivors--every single one of them held on through eight dark years in a less that friendly environment. There's actually NO DEMOCRAT IN D.C. who wasn't a 'graduate' of the Clinton years. After all, as has been pointed out repeatedly, TWELVE years of Republican administration prior to the LAST Democratic President were 'retreaded' for the last eight years. Vigilance? By all means!

[PoliticalAmazon]

Actually, Dems are not fighting amongst themselves. I--and many others--have not questioned Obama's decisions up to the HRC for SOS decision. I figured he knew best out to implement his vision, and so far he has not proven my confidence in him to be wrong.

Again, the problem is NOT in everybody else. It's in the Clintons. They have made their compromised bed and now they have to live with it.

You cannot blame us for not trusting two people who have proven that the only thing that they can be trusted in is their own self interests.

[JackNasty]

In 1993, First lady Hillary Clinton created a failed health care scheme that put insurance company profits first. In 2002 Sen. Hillary Clinton failed to detect the Bush Administration's blatant lies about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. She voted to go to war over those lies. Hillary Clinton's qualifications for a job in health care or in international affairs seem dubious at best.

Please President-elect Obama, place her where she can do more harm.

[negotiatethis]

see above

[JackNasty]

If you expect blind obedience, you would be better looking for it in a the GOP or in a cult.Criticism of those in power is a constitutionally protected right.

The only thing the Clintons have ever fought to protect is their own self-interest. Hillary has a problem sorting facts from bald faced lies. We need a Secretary of State who will place our nations interest ahead of her own and will not fall for lies.

[PoliticalAmazon]

ITA! As SOS she can do so much damage. Think of her ability to send American jobs to India under the guise of her activities as SOS.

The fact is that there isn't a cabinet position I can think of that HRC would be well-suited for. She has done much to limit her marketability in a position of such prestige.

It's not that I don't think she's brilliant. She is. I've seen her in action, and she can develop a 6-point politicy on women's empowerment in Africa on 10-minutes notice.

But, outside of her Senate position, the actual experience she brings to the table is limited to being married to a president and being a lawyer.

Bill Richardson is far more qualified than HRC for SOS, and would do a much better job.

I think it is a sad state for America that Obama feels he must give the very important SOS position to someone who is not the most qualified just to keep her from causing problem for his administration if she remained in the Senate. I don't care how you look at it, that is just WRONG. As a nation, we should not have to settle for less in the SOS cabinet position because HRC cannot be trusted to do what is best for this country if she remains in the Senate.

[hudsuckerproxy]

I'm OK with Hillary as SOS, but it's a pity that due to her junior status in the Senate she didn't have the option of playing a meaningful role in health-care reform, her signature issue.

[PoliticalAmazon]

This is another case where HRC, by her previous actions, limits her marktetability as a candidate for a pretigious cabinet position.

Any Obama-administration health-care measure HRC touched would be doomed to fail. It's not just Republicans who don't trust her judgment on health care. Many Democrats also remember how she cleaved to the insurance and pharmaceutical industries when she tried a run at health-care reform in the WJC administration.

You can't blame anyone but HRC for her being off anybody's list for anything that has to do with health-care reform. She managed to insult and alarm just about everybody involved in politics with her way-too-friendly-to-insurance-and-pharmaceutical-companies approach to health-care in the WJC administration.