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

[TstormVA]

I bet Hillary said upon reading this story "Damn Bill It's always about you. Can't you let me be the news for once"

[GrouchoMarxist]

Yep. It's Bill's fault that CNN asked him the question. You nailed it.

[Shadow08]

I say bring in the Big Dog if he can help. This country is in dire need of experienced people and Bill Clinton has plenty of experience. if want need somone to "politic" call Bill. He knows the ropes.

[EllisWyatt]

Suzycolorado' don't look now but'..............

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/03/chambliss-palin-key-to-my_n_148061.html

And a video to boot,

[williamg]

Well, she is the most important member of the Republican party. She deserves to be covered (except for when she is briefed by Steve Schmidt, of course).

[Nochnoi]

Covered in honey and rolled in fire ants you mean...

[breakingnews]

Silk briefs, perhaps, also?

[suzycolorado]

If she's the Repubs almighty then why do I keep hearing Jindal in 12?

[ThunderclapNewman]

The Republicans think little Piyush is going to be their very own Obama.

[tiredofwaiting]

I would like to see Bill dispatched to Jerusalem pronto, to help broker a deal for peace; a One State solution(sharing the land, the operative idea here) with Jerusalem a neutral zone a la Switzerland, (perhaps Jordan gets to caretake!

[soundfury]

One State? Gee, you're not biased, are you? Heh.

[tiredofwaiting]

no, not at all, but scroll down for my other (clarifying) post.

[maxdenn]

If President Obama ever calls me for advice regarding his appontments, I'm going to give him an earful.

[GrouchoMarxist]

ROFL!

[BabsfromKansas]

I would hope you would say wonderful things about me when he calls about Secretary of Education, maxdenn!

[Ramus]

Good. Obama should send Bill to Israel and let him cut a deal that makes Israel give back all the territory they took in 1967 and see to it that they remove all the Israeli settlements in the West Bank . If they don't do that we should not give them any more money. If the Israel/Palestinian mess is not cleared up there will never be peace. Of course lots of people make lots of money from war and weapons and so peace is a threat to such profiteers. Humans would need to think of other things to do with themselves between birth and death.

[rudiy]

They took! Start a war, lose and cry foul when you will not even recognize the country who defeated you, but definantly demand the land you lost back. A good start would be recognizing Israel's right to exist. Without that, why would you think Israel do anything?

[Ramus]

Why would Israel do anything? For our money of course. Israel has a right to exist. But they have not been great neighbors. There are plenty of Israelis who are progressives..or liberals and with luck those Israelis will be returned to power. Most Israelis want peace too. This mess can be resolved peacefully. But the war profiteers won't like it and neither will the illegal settlers in the West Bank.

[who38]

We can't afford to give them any more money. Besides, Israel is one of the few countries in the world that has a budget surplus.

[morticia]

that`s right!! Ramus you are spot on.

[frenchie25]

remember one of the first questions asked during one of the first democratic debates:

if you were prez, how would you use bill clinton in your administration

[who38]

Wasn't his answer ...."as a doorstop."?

[frenchie25]

poor use of pronouns, 'm afraid. "his" who? is 38 your IQ?

[Aldyth]

I suspect that Bill Clinton will have the same kind of role other past presidents have had. Jimmy Carter has been sent on diplomatic missions or at least he was until he pissed off the entire State of Isreal and a good portion of the Jewish population of the United States. Bill Clinton may be a good choice for specific diplomatic missions, if Obama and his advisors feel that Clinton is likely to be the most effective voice.

Other than that, I don't see former President Clinton accepting a job and a paycheck from Obama. Nor do I see him agreeing to be appointed to Hilary's seat in the Senate. It would be interesting to watch and the press would love covering Bill and watching his every interaction with a congressional page. If he went to the Senate, he would be competing with Obama for attention and power. I'd like to think that Bill Clinton is smarter and respects the job more than that.

[AnotherMike]

"Neither looking for nor opposed to"...

Please explain to me how Bill Clinton saying that to the Hong Kong media means what the title of this article implies.

[suzycolorado]

no

[PoorManRichMan2009]

yup

[GrouchoMarxist]

It's intentionally sensationalist so as to entice suckers into posting on the thread, thereby generating clicks and revenue for the Web site.

[arvada]

Heh, I resemble that remark.

[parrotkisser]

So we're helping the economy?

[Freedomscap]

The headline is misleading. The editor has issues, but a job, nonetheless.

[tiredofwaiting]

btw, i'm a South African Jew, who has lived Stateside for thirty odd years (as a political exile for many of them) voted for Mandela in absentia and believe apartheid needs to be dismantled wherever it still exists. a two state solution only perpetuates that idea of seperatism. we cannot afford to exist in that old paradigm. bill has the respect of the middle east and could be intsrumental in completing what he began on the white house lawn, when rahm emanuel coaxed arafat/rabin's handshake. israel feels 'safe' w/clinton, and might be in a better position to LISTEN without fear, and bill gets to redeem his fractured (albeit great) legacy. as a huge admirer of the clintons and a mega hillary fan, i urge president-elect obama to put clinton power to use every way he can! bill posted in the mid-east would be a brilliant, unprecedeted move. hillary could move easily (protected by her husband in a culture that remains patriachal) and also focus on the other trouble spots.bravo barack for the choice of hillary as sos!

[maxdenn]

Dare I say President Obama can in all likelihood, take care of himself?

[GrouchoMarxist]

Dare I agree with you?

[BabsfromKansas]

You dast.

[ThunderclapNewman]

I remain astonished at the number of people who cannot understand this very simple, and amply displayed, fact.

[kevineight]

No doubt.

I don't think Bill is trying to horn in, but I do believe that Obama will be vastly the better president.

Obama has vastly more discipline than has Bill.

[myangeldog1]

Absolutely.

[solopico]

That is vastly more uses of the word vastly than I have seen in a vastly long time.

[HittinItAndQuittinIt]

Obama is most likely a grown man

[SCG]

Do I think he's capable of mistakes? Yes.

[revruc1]

If I only made 1 million lasy year, I would work next year for a dollar. Well, I guess they know we have a paper a-hole. The thought of 700 billion itself (???), lets me know I can create another treasury system, with that much money you can purchase another wall street. Why, the average man like me cannot conceive 700 billion. Bill Maher stated on Larry King: "I am scared that Bush will tear up the nation before he walks away." Now comes, who has the nerves to try him for Crimes Against Humanity. He is no different than Saddam. Except, Saddam was over there. He is pooring this nation and his friends are printing counterfeit money (nothing is backing it). Even Obama said: "We cannot keep printing paper". If we print counterfeit money we will go to jail. Let the big three failand put the ones running the companies in jail. Cars will still roll. Just like in Vietnam and war, soldiers will die. Close them down, people are out of work anyhow. Cars will roll regardless.

[StewieGriffinSays]

Get back on the freeway. You are driving the wrong way on an access road.

[suzycolorado]

are you lost?

[BabsfromKansas]

It's a wonder the CEO's of the Big 3 didn't get lost coming to DC! i hope they got caught in our dreadful traffic..of course, it would have been better if gas were still $4.50/gallon..and they had 3 screaming kids in the back seat and a car-sick dog....SIGH..I miss our family vacations.

[GrouchoMarxist]

Friends don't let friends drive drunk.

[kevineight]

That was profoundly incoherent.

[vinceoffer]

Did kevinseven have a birthday?

[ThunderclapNewman]

Translated from the original gibberish?

[GrouchoMarxist]

And a poor translation, at that.

[KarateKid]

PE Obama has an opening for a human shield. Any takers? You'll get to see the world, after all.

[HappyIdiot51]

WTF is that supposed to mean?

[KarateKid]

Didn't you read the article about David Duke and his ilk? Why try to avoid it or sweep it under a rug? You know there are bad people out there, moreso with an AA as President. Awareness is a part of prevention. Wouldn't you take a bullet for him?

[EarthToZoey]

Odd question.

[myangeldog1]

I nominate YOU !

[KarateKid]

Thank you. I'd be game, and I wouldn't hesitate to take a bullet either. But would you?

[Stilts9]

Folks, the talent pool must really be shallow if Bill gets to "do his thing"in public during the Obama Administration.

Hey, how about Chelsea to replace Hillary in the Senate. That'll keep the Oligarchy going strong.

[StewieGriffinSays]

She won't be old enough until 2010.

[DrBillo]

Bill could be a great help and Obama will know when to use him--that's why he is President-elect

[GrouchoMarxist]

Yep

[InfoWarriorNY]

woo woo ?

[kay]

It's a bad idea. Informal counsel, great, and it's not like anyone can or should control that.

An official role is a terrible idea.

[cjgnew]

What a smart politician is Bill Clinton! He sure didn't screw up on choosing his vocation. To those who are still frightened by an Obama presidency, if you were not able to relax before, you sure can do so now, because for an ex-president of the U.S. with an ego like Bill Clinton's to subject himself to a position where he would report to President-elect Obama is a stamp of approval that is as good as it gets.

[GrouchoMarxist]

So true! Bill should resign his position as ex-president immediately!

[cjgnew]

I took a quick look at your profile, and I'm impressed. So, a compliment from a pro like you is something to be cherished. Thanks a million! I wouldn't be surprised if ended up clicking on the my favorite icon next to your user name pretty soon.