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

[Burkelbile]

No more time-wasting puff pieces on Bill Clinton please.

[kevineight]

How would Hu ff make money if they did not have a Clinton Headline?

[GrouchoMarxist]

Between the Clintons and Sarah Palin, HuffPo's raked in a ton of revenue.

[EllisWyatt]

Just to keep certain posters from being confused, I am giving P-E Barack Obama the benefit of the honeymoon he deserves. I would hope that he will be successful in turning the economy around and bringing the War in Iraq to the successful close that it seems to be approaching.

We are living in dangerous times and it is becoming apparent to me, that Barack Obama understands the legacy he will leave and because of that he will do whatever it takes to do what is best for the United States and he will leave partisanship in the closet as President.

Once the honeymoon is over, like if he starts the "passing the wealth around" rhetoric, I will criticize.

[JamesR.]

You mean like Paulson is doing?

[GrouchoMarxist]

That kind of wealth-passing is okay...he's giving it away to corporations. Redistributing wealth is only bad when actual people get a share.

[Big0725]

Wow, that awfully "white" of you!

[luvobama]

Wanna know a secret?

No one cares what you think. How 'bout that?

[suzycolorado]

There is nothing successful about the war, and you guys made up that whole "passing the wealth around" thing.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Great post. Don't worry Obama was never what the right wing portrayed him to be. He has always been committed to a strong national security and he's as socialist as Bill Clinton since he wants to roll back the tax rates on the rich to the Clinton era. I don't see that happening until the tax cuts expire as to not do anything to hurt economic growth for the short term.

[BillyMae]

What a mistake her appointment was. Keep her in the Senate!

[kevineight]

Still with that argument?

You are going to need to wait a full year before you get to bring that up again.

[JamesR.]

zzzzzzzz

[CostaDelBarto]

Your argument, had you included one, might have been compelling but who can tell?

[NJLawyer]

Bill Clinton for the USSC.

[Big0725]

The man been a politician since 1976. Why would he be selected for the Supreme Court?

[kevineight]

At least he was an attorney general for two years.

Better credentials than Hillary.

[kevineight]

Like promoting a defrocked priest for pope.

[StewieGriffinSays]

His disbarment by that august body might cause a bit of a problem during the confirmation hearings.

[WLA]

People have a short memory.

[Chillinout]

Bill Clinton was disbarred by the Supreme Court, so how would that happen exactly?

http://famguardian.org/Subjects/LawAndGovt/News/ClintonDisbar-011001.htm

[GoogleMaster]

He'd make a killer press secretary.

[donaldw6]

Gibbs is the press secretary.

[luvobama]

ooooh. that would be fun!!! I love listening to him speak. One of the orators in my time.

[edwarvir]

It doesn't have to be hard for Billary to give up
her Senate seat. Please encourage her to keep it
and both of you stay away from PE Obama he has
enough to do in order to get this country back up and
running again, the very last thing he needs is the
CLINTON DRAMA GO AWAY AND STAY AWAY. DO THAT
FOR YOUR COUNTRY BILL.

[PiscesPrincess]

Drama is self inflicted. Get over it.

[williamg]

Talk about not going away - she's the gift that keeps on giving:

"We had John McCain and Mike Huckabee and Gov. Romney and Rudy Giuliani, but Sarah Palin came in on the last day, did a fly-around and, man, she was dynamite," Chambliss said. "We packed the houses everywhere we went. And it really did allow us to peak and get our base fired up."


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16162.html

[WLA]

Palin-style flat-earthers in GA? Say it ain't so!

[EllisWyatt]

2016 my man. Wait until 2016, when former Alaska Governor and Senator Sarah Plain wins the nomination.

[donaldw6]

Sure hope they nominate her in 2012. Then we can discredit her kind of politics once and for all.

[luvobama]

And to think they hadn't been out of their tra.ilers in so long.

[Ramirez]

We need more Sarah Palin threads on Huffp.

[BlackYowe]

The Clinton years were pretty good for me but honestly I think the shelf life of this pair has expired. Bill brings too much drama with him. I could use some fresh faces, honestly. Is there anything at all we don't know about Bill?

[EllisWyatt]

The Clinton years were entertaining, but times have changed and we need serious leaders like Obama and the cabinet members he is chosing. The day of the intern is over.

[WLA]

Shortbus, I can't tell whether I appreciate your Obama love or find it a bit creepy.

[PiscesPrincess]

Stop already with the intern remarks... I pray most people are so totally over it

[GrouchoMarxist]

So it's Bill's fault that the press follows him around and asks him questions? He should just stop being so darn interesting and famous.

Honestly, the only drama is caused by the media, who like to report about drama. What did Bill do besides answer the questions he was asked?

[PiscesPrincess]

Indeed. I agree, the media feeds this drama thing.... get over it, Media types.

[myangeldog1]

Drama vs. trauma.........I'll take the drama anyday.

[PiscesPrincess]

Amen....

[luvobama]

Me too.

[wendynyc]

God we have so much work to do - do we need so many distractions?/

Clintons - oh no!

[PiscesPrincess]

Oh yes... do you have a good alternative? if not then forget about it.

[loki]

Seems like the powerful and wealthy are rising to the top seats of power, again. The names have changed, but the same type of people are in charge still. And how about Obama not even bothering to help Georgia run off election since he has what he wanted. What would it have taken him, a couple hours and a flight there ? Even if we wouldnt have won there, it sure would have made him look more like he was at least attempting to do what he promised. But he has what he wants, so it appears like nothing else matters. I sincerely hope I am completely wrong here and as usual, I only want to be proven wrong. Show me real proof, not just derogatory words like a rethug would.

[breakingnews]

PE Obama is no longer the Dem nominee and he should not insert himself into the Georgia race. He is trying to be post partisan and bring this country together.

[GrouchoMarxist]

You know the economy is bad when people can no longer afford paragraphs.

[breakingnews]

LOL!

[parrotkisser]

I can't even afford to buy a vowel.

[CostaDelBarto]

Lol.

I ran out of cash to finish this

[impik]

Heee.

[donaldw6]

Apparently, no one believed Martin had much of a chance, and Obama's presence wasn't likely to be enough. As for the rest, I guess you're just going to have to wait like the rest of us. We lived through eight years of Bush, so have a seat. The Obama years haven't even started.

[ThunderclapNewman]

Martin wasn't going to win.
Obama recorded both radio commercials and telephone messages for Martin.
Campainging for a candidate who was going to lose in any case would have cost Obama a good deal of political capital, and he needs that to get his economic recovery package passed.

Obama is now trying to be less partisan, so that he can get his agenda and policies in place.
That's more important.

If you have some magical method by which people new to Washington yet with vast experience in government can be identified, notify the Obama transition team immediately.

Remember---as Obama has said repeatedly---the change comes from him.
The policy comes from him.

Stop whining.
The man hasn't even been inaugurated yet.

Sheesh!

[stacib]

If Obama had taken the time to go campaign when the country is facing so many issues and he has so much immediate work to do, what would have been the response of the "average" American? Secondly, Obama LOST Georgia. There was no way he was going to take a chance on another defeat there because surely, if Martin still lost it would have been reported as Obama already losing his voters. He was in a no-win situation here, and considering that the Senate will be okay without one more democrat, it was a good bet to take.

[jennyquatro]

What does the headline of the story have to do with Bill being appointed for anything? They just don't jive. And it's funny seeing the hand-wringing going on. Sheesh, maybe we can appoint Alberto Gonzales for something. Now THAT would be fun!

Obama is in charge and it's been made VERY clear. Be glad.

[kay]

That's one Bush-era outrage that isn't ending January 20th. They finally hired a real prosecutor, and she's just busy, busy, busy.

Gonzales will be back in the news. That's my prediction, along with all of those poor schmucks who lied under oath.

[GrouchoMarxist]

Didn't some Texas court subpoena Gonzalez a couple weeks ago?

[GrouchoMarxist]

It doesn't. They just know that a good, juicy Clinton headline will generate a lot of comments and ad revenue.

[yezbats33]

Oh, I forgot; I wonder if he will again recommend bombing a sovereign nation for 78 days.
Hmmmm, bombs for thought.

[donaldw6]

yezbats33 has scored a point.

[glorialovelace]

Nevertheless, there are a couple of "sovereign nations" I can think of that would make very nice parking lots.

[donaldw6]

That's a big reason we didn't elect McCain.

[WLA]

Look. A Palin '12 voter!

[yezbats33]

Just what I thought, here comes Slick Willy. Did any of you have any doubts that he would wind up in the Obama administration in some capacity?
Rumor has if that he is going to be the Amb. to the U.N.

Will rides again.

A bucket please.

So much for Obamas own identity.

[WLA]

Please read the entire article and not just the sensationalist headline.

Thanks.

[GrouchoMarxist]

That's asking a lot for those with limited capacity.

[donaldw6]

Susan Rice is Ambassador to the U.N.

So much for rumors.

[kay]

Thank God. I thought she got dumped. I thought "her poor parents! after that tribute!"

[arvada]

Whoa, 5 comments

[williamg]

Obama already named his Ambassador to the U.N.

[glorialovelace]

Obama has already appointed an Ambassador to the UN. Pay attention.

[williamg]

"Jesse Jackson won in South Carolina twice in '84 and '88 and he ran a good campaign. And Senator Obama's run a good campaign."

--Bill Clinton

[Midnightrain]

Duck for cover!

[williamg]

lol

[GrouchoMarxist]

Yep. He ran a good campaign, and he won. So it's all good.

[BatedBreath]

WJ and Jeb need to get hobbies that keep them away from politics.