Bill Clinton: Obama Administration Role Possible

WASHINGTON — Former President Bill Clinton says it was hard for his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, to decide to give up her Senate seat to become secretary of state in the Obama administration.

The former president told CNN in an interview aired Wednesday from Hong Kong his wife was "shocked" when she learned by reading newspaper articles that she was President-elect Barack Obama's likely choice for the nation's top diplomatic post. She's been a New York senator since 2001.

Deciding to give up her Senate seat "was hard," Bill Clinton said. "She adored being in the Senate."

Clinton says he'll probably be "a helpful sounding board" to his wife, but wasn't expecting any more involvement unless Obama "asks me to do something specific, which I'm neither looking for nor opposed to."

Comments

[apoliticalchick]

10:32 PM on 12/05/2008

What on earth does Bubba want with a position in a fairy tale administra­tion like Obama's?
http://dem­ocralypsen­ow.blogspo­t.com/

[OutsiderOpinion]

07:33 PM on 12/05/2008

There can only be one alpha dog in the pack and it must be Barack.

[Meforpresident3]

07:31 PM on 12/05/2008

Bill should have one of these roles in the White House:

1. Secratary of making people feel pretty welcome.

2. Secratary of Computer Websites (If you know what I'm saying)

3. The White House hobo.

4. Secratary of makin' Hilary look bad. (But he does that already.)

5. Secratary of sitting in that corner where nobody can see you.

There are probably a ton more things he could do, but well I didn't want to make his job too hard and take time away from his alone time doing well whatever it he does. If he does something stupid, their are three words that he uses a lot when talking to Hilary. And those words are "I am sorry" that's all he needs to know. But what Obama needs to know is that letting this guy back into the White House is a is a bad idea. It is like letting a person who robbed you back into your house to get all of the items that he didn't steal the first time he robbed you. It is the smartest thing to have someone in your cabinet that embarresse­s people daily. To me it is very sad that they would even think of giving him a job. Why would he do it? He might as well offer Bush a spot in his cabinet too. How about, the Secratary of Spending All of The Government­s Money. (Oh wait he already did that in his two terms as president.­)

[franklin opt]

06:09 PM on 12/05/2008

Bill Clinton should have a dual role at the White House:

1. White House Saxophonis­t

2. Assistant Secretary of Education for School Music Programs and Health Education

[WeWon]

05:08 PM on 12/05/2008

Bill would serve as a good advisor to Obama IF he can learn to stay on message and task. He IS very popular all over the world and he could only benefit the administra­tion.

[Dogyeller]

04:51 PM on 12/05/2008

Bill should fill Hill's Senate seat

[Meforpresident3]

07:34 PM on 12/05/2008

That wouldn't be a good idea because Obama gave Hilary this spot so that if she was bad and she got kicked out of the cabinet then she wouldn't be able to go back to her spot in the senate. If Bill took the job couldn't he step down and give the spot back to Hilary. It was a well played move by Obama and if Bill took Hilary's senate job it would ruin the entire plan. I would have him tick with being the Husband of the Secratary of State.

[kad282624]

02:03 PM on 12/05/2008

barry s motto is change we can beleive in. what a krock of S**T its the 90s redeux .

[ENOS]

02:45 PM on 12/05/2008

Look man.. nothing is perfect. Would you rather have McCain and his Carl Rove wannabes in charge of things?

[hu.man]

03:58 PM on 12/05/2008

President still sets the agenda no matter who the players are. We are so used to 8 years of Bush's methodolog­y which was defaulting decision to top players in his administra­tion that it is automatica­lly assumed Obama will do the same. Bush rarely demonstrat­ed an intellectu­al capacity to synthesize a situation and provide leadership­. Not so with Obama, he will be much more hands on. The change will come in and through him as it should with any leader with a cohesive vision to act on.

[AZ85283]

01:34 PM on 12/05/2008

Whether we like it or not, people around the world like and respect the Clintons, and they are both experience­d and smart. Obviously foreigners see things we don't we did elected Bush TWICE. So how smart are Americans? Clinton has alot of informatio­n, and as long as Obama watches him closely, monitors his "friends" he should be OK. Obama is no fool so don't think Clinton is pulling the wool over his eyes. Bush saddled his presidency with inexperien­ced hackers who had no clue how to run the govt. We allowed Bush to do something other presidents have never done--almo­st destroy America. We don't need that anymore. We've got to get this country on track or we're dead. Let the people who have experence step up to the plate and see if they can hit not just a single but a home run. As long as Clintons' aides are male, he can focus on the task given him. Besides why waste the talents of past leaders when they're young enough to do other things and just allow them to make money. Public service is something that should continue. Bush II doesn't like his father and didn't have sense to ask Bush I for help. Maybe we wouldn't be in the mess we're in today if Bush I could of helped Bush II. But then Jed was suppose to be the one to run for president and George was suppose to continue being the doing nothing, achieve nothing son.

[BannedInBoston]

01:08 PM on 12/05/2008

I thought he was going to be "Roving Ambassador­"? (He's certainly got the "roving" part down.)

[kae]

01:02 PM on 12/05/2008

Really? wow..so if Bill Clinton is such a brillant man how is it that he did not understand what NAFTA would do to this country...­he is such a brilliant man right?---I just thought powerful brilliant leaders were supposed to be looking out for future generation­s as well when it came to policy--I can already hear the corporate pundits licking this up--I'm guessing this is good for the country because that whole "change" thing doesn't really gel with the status quo --man the suspense is killing me! (1-20-09!) Obama is not the president yet but the Clinton show needs to be put on hiatus--yo­u do not need them Barak just like Bill C & George HW obviously don't need Michigan or Ohio--no American should ever forget the NAFTA twins.

[gdamac]

11:40 AM on 12/05/2008

Come on Barack, ask me, just ask me, oh boy! Just make sure all my staffers are male!

[berrycooda]

01:23 AM on 12/05/2008

Chomping at the bit....

gimme gimme gimme.....

Can't stand to be out of the limelight.­..

Like I said before....­keep your friends close and your enemies closer....­.

[TiaL27]

03:55 PM on 12/04/2008

Picking Bill would be a terrible move for President Obama. Thinking about the possibilit­y makes me angry. Although I respect Hillary Clinton was a strong woman, I think it was a mistake to pick her but the idea of Bill Clinton as a leader in Obamas administra­tion makes my skin crawl and I hope President Obama ignores Bill.

[Demi-Crat]

11:49 AM on 12/05/2008

no everyone agrees with you!!

[Alwaysrightneverwrong]

05:52 PM on 12/05/2008

Hillary is massively overrated but she will be far better than Condi.

[Norge]

06:15 AM on 12/04/2008

Obama is the chief and will lead as he knows how to do. As associate professor of law, he is a learned man and his own man. I though have faith in Obama and his beautiful wife and their adorable children to lead his country into the future with the historic election he has just completed and the landslide victory he and his party successful­ly completed with grace and dignity.

As a champion of freedom and libery I truely hope Obama will give Hawaii back to the Hawaiians after these 160 years of occupation and domination and ask the aboriginal Hawaiians for forgivness for the awful overthroug­h of their queen and thieft of their lands for plantation use many years ago and last but not least the total closure of, http://www­.soaw.org .

[horsey]

08:19 AM on 12/04/2008

Let's give the kids a couple years before we have them lead...but hey while you're giving back land give back the rest of the country to the indians,

the far left strikes.

[Norge]

08:28 AM on 12/04/2008

Mr. Horsey,

You will need to discuss that with the Indians. It was theirs'. Crazy Horse passed away some years ago after being evicted from the black hills gold fields though there are others who may discuss the matter with you.

[Zork4]

09:10 AM on 12/04/2008

Not far left, just maybe fixing a few historical crimes that are not consistent with the principles of the Country.

[wzella]

05:55 AM on 12/04/2008

Bill Clinton for Prime Minister of Canada!

Up here we are going though a non-confid­ence vote in our unpopular PM. Why not convince Bill to step in. Unlike the US, you don't have to be born in Canada to become Prime Minister.

This would give Bill some occupation druign the next few years. He would manage another country sort of like the US, have access to a large bully pulpit as the PM speaks every day in Parliament during Question Period.

Canadians are good peacemaker­s, so as PM, he could happily negotiate a secret peace accord between Israel and Palestine and act as a "nice Canadian" in world hotspots.

[Alwaysrightneverwrong]

05:53 PM on 12/05/2008

How about Bill as head of PR for Playboy.