Hillary Clinton Would Not Serve Second Term In Obama Cabinet

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tells CNN's Wolf Blitzer in an interview set to air on Wednesday's edition of "The Situation Room" that she would not serve a second term in President Barack Obama's cabinet.

Executive Producer of CNN's "John King USA," Michelle Jaconi, relayed the news in a tweet on Wednesday afternoon. Here's an excerpt of the interview released by the network:

Q- If the president is reelected, do you want to serve a second term as secretary of state?

No

Q- Would you like to serve as secretary of defense?

No

In the exchange that follows, Clinton also signals she has no interest in serving as president or vice president of the United States. The indication should come as no surprise. Last year, she suggested her role in the Obama administration would be her "last public position."

Clinton reiterates the same outlook to Blitzer in the interview airing tonight. "I have no intention or any idea even of running again," she says. "I'm going to do the best I can at this job for the next two years."

As for what might lie ahead for Clinton in her post-political life, she predicted last year that she'd likely "go back to advocacy work, particularly on behalf of women" after serving in the Obama administration. She added that she would conduct that work on a global scale, explaining, "If you look at what is still happening to women in many parts of the world it is tragic and terrible."

Comments

[Kye154]

02:36 AM on 03/20/2011

In WikiLeaks November 30, 2010 document dump, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton found herself in the unenviable position of having to explain to the world community why she personally authorized her underlings to spy on behalf of the United States. Such revelations undercut her ability to carry out her duties as the face of U.S. negotiating and diplomacy.

She'll never be an effective negotiator with diplomats who refuse to forgive her exuberances, and even foreign diplomats who do forgive her will still regard her as the symbol of an overreaching United States, Diplomacy is about face, and the only way for other nations to save face will be to give them Clinton's scalp.

So, the Obama administration had no othere choice, and already decided by January, to "gracefully" notified her, that she was going to be replaced by the end of this term. It really wasn't her decision to make whether or not to "leave".

[Maliengus]

07:50 AM on 03/23/2011

You don't by any chance rent out that crystal ball of yours do you? I'd be more than happy to put down a hefty security deposit.

[dukeofurl01]

02:06 PM on 03/19/2011

Wow. But what about the way her Saturday Night Live character portrays her? She has to live up to that!

[usaville]

02:04 PM on 03/19/2011

I believe he was obligated to make this bad choice in the first place.

[Marshall Wyatt Earp]

01:24 PM on 03/19/2011

What??? Has she finally realized that her party's policies have destroyed America?

They are subsidizing Mexican freight haulers for feul and leaving the US citizens hanging out to dry. They subsidize large freight companies with tax dollars, which steals from the little guy, and keeps feul prices high and food prices raising.

We don't need the foriegn oil that her party is making a killing on with the stock market. We have oil that is seeping out of the ground, and has blasted out of the ground at a rate of millions of barrels a day.

We don't even come close to China with polution.

Children need to learn to be decent and suffer consequences for bad behaviour... before they become adults.

Having gays and lesbian come out of the closet, brought all the sick freaks out too.

AND THE MAIN ONE... WE ARE ALL OF THE HUMAN RACE... IT'S ENTHNICITIES THAT ARE DIFFERENT.

WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! WHERE'S THE AMERICAN PRIDE THAT FOUGHT TYRANNY OF ALL TYPES???

[Kye154]

01:21 PM on 03/19/2011

It is probably a wise decision on her part that she leaves as Secretary of State at the end of this term. She has added absolutely no value to the position, and few foreign dignitaries like dealing with her. Being Secretary of State involved harder work than she ever wanted to do. She was only in the position for hree basic reasons:

1. To consolidate her Democratic followers behind Obama when he got elected,
2. To satisfy her self serving pompous character,
3 .Because her husband was popular. Notice, it was Bill Clinton who was called upon to get the two News reporters released from North Korea last year, not her.

[BolaMuyis]

01:39 PM on 03/19/2011

You're a real peace of work you know that? If I say what I really feel... Just go read "Hot Air" or some other conservative blog where you can get your fill of BullSh*t! Hillary is an honorable citizen whose done more for the country than your side has or ever will.

[usaville]

02:06 PM on 03/19/2011

Uh, no.

[Maliengus]

07:52 AM on 03/23/2011

Clinton wasn't "called upon" by anyone in the Obama administration. Lil 'Kim asked for him specifically, indicating that if Clinton came to see him, he would consider letting the two women go. Bill Clinton gracefully obliged.

[frank day]

12:11 PM on 03/19/2011

Hillary should be the next VP.

It would be good exposure for her run in 2016.

[TrentT]

02:05 PM on 03/19/2011

Except for the fact that she said she didn't want it.. you know that might be a little kink in that idea of yours.

[jujubees]

11:59 AM on 03/19/2011

Obama filled with indecision.
Can we call Libya Hillary's war?
This is a European problem if it is anyone's problem...Another war for oil? This time, Libyan oil being bought by Europe?

Support the strike against the Huffington Post...
Read about it here:
http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/17/newspaper-guild-huffington-post-strike/
A strike called by unpaid Huffington Post contributors received a major boost Wednesday with a call to arms released by the national Newspaper Guild.

The industry association called on contributors not currently on strike to cease contributions and asked members to help by “shining a light on the unprofessional and unethical practices of this company.”

read the comments as well, some are spot on.

[mrsm00the]

11:43 AM on 03/19/2011

Hillary Clinton won't serve a second term as Secretary of State? Is that a threat or a promise?

[travelaholic]

01:09 PM on 03/19/2011

I vote for Palin. And Snooki.

[MEDASI]

01:44 PM on 03/19/2011

SHUD UP DODO!!

[TotallyAmazed]

04:49 PM on 03/22/2011

I think we had them for 8 years already.

[truly moderate]

11:42 AM on 03/19/2011

Hillary is a real people's champion. Personally I feel there are multiple reasons for her not choosing to go a second term.

1. Being sec of state is brutally demanding. The jetlag alone can take its toll over the years.
2. Shes served for a number of years as a public servant and wants to do something else, NGOs are a great way to serve communities.
3. Most likely she wants to spend more time with her husband and her family.
4. There are some ideological differences between her and the president, but she has respectfully kept these out of the lime light. Hillary is more conservative when it comes to foreign affairs, and she shares some of Bush's ideals that the US should take a bigger role in liberating oppressive counties from their dictators. Ofcourse, she is much more diplomatic than Bush was.

Overall, I am sure honestly feels the president is doing a good job. However, I think serving in an NGO, she will have more freedom to do her work independently.

[Magee]

01:17 PM on 03/19/2011

Hillary may be more conservative than Obama on foreign policy, although his stand against the Iraq war was made from the safety of the Illinois senate. Hillary is far more liberal on the domestic issues, and would never have bowed to the right wingers as Obama has.

[TheKurgan]

11:41 AM on 03/19/2011

I sometimes wonder what it would be like with a Hilary-Barack P/VP combo. Somehow, I don't think we'd be in the soup the same as we are right now. I thought it would have been best if she had been elected and served eight years with Obama learning as VP for that time, and then coattailing in afterwards. That would take me almost to retirement without a Republican in the White House to kill my chance at SS. *smirk*

[TrishtheFish]

12:02 PM on 03/19/2011

Do you really think it would be any different if the corporations and the ultra rich were pulling the strings on Hillary rather than Barack? Think about it.

[Magee]

01:19 PM on 03/19/2011

It would have been different, as Hillary knew about the right wing conspiracy to dismantle America, when Obama was a teenager.

[TheKurgan]

04:40 PM on 03/19/2011

Somehow, I think she'd have the gumption to tell them to go to hell. You see, Hillary Clinton is an ultra rich woman in a middle class mindset. She and Bill could RAKE in the dough, hoarding and collecting and sitting there in Chappaqua letting the coins roll through their fingers and muttering "MUAHAHAHAHAHA" through crazed lips with eyes wide in the gold shine like some grotesque pair of misers from Aesop's Fables.

Instead, she and Bill use their money to help others both at home and abroad. She knows what it's like to come from humble beginnings. Her father was a small business owner in Chicago, and was a carbon copy of today's "30K a year Republicans." She actually WAS a Republican until she grew up and saw the light. She saw Nixon's fraud in the 1960 Election and didn't back down. She finally told them where to go after the 1968 convention and its racist message.

This tough old broad wouldn't back down from a bunch of you know whats in 1968 and she wouldn't do so now. Man, I wish we had a woman prez.

[Ally707]

07:22 PM on 03/23/2011

SS will be around for awhile, I would not worry if I were you, I remember in my younger days, I thought SS would be done away with before I would ever get to collect it. Well I'm collecting it and now I hear my kids say that it will be gone before they ever get to collect. I agree some what about the Hillary thing only I wish it were her that was President and someone entirely different then Obama as her VP. He just does not have any experience, and besides I could never get past that Bill Ayers thing.

[Klarsonent]

11:39 AM on 03/19/2011

I like Hillary and I voted for her as a candidate for President. I think she's doing a good job as Secretary of State. But, I can certainly understand her decision to NOT serve in a future public office.

[SeattlePepe]

12:40 PM on 03/19/2011

What is it you don't like? Curious about your perspective as so often, the SoS is an extension of the President's policy. She's acting on behalf of the Commander. Is it Hillary's style or the policies/choices she's making?

[Klarsonent]

04:40 PM on 03/19/2011

I'm going to try posting an answer again, since the other one never made it here. Hillary has done a great job. And, I also think Obama has done a good job as President. While many Dems do not approve of all of his decisions, myself included (i.e. with regard to the extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy), overall I applaud his decisions.

I think Hillary's decision has nothing to do with Obama or his decisions. I think it has more to do with her age. I can relate to that. LOL

[nicothebaker]

11:31 AM on 03/19/2011

The rebels in Libya are grateful for Hillary. She seems to have the work ethic needed in a President. And actual leadership qualities that are largely missing with our current President.

[wagthedog1001]

11:39 AM on 03/19/2011

You have no clue.

[Ergon]

11:46 AM on 03/19/2011

That's Hillary the Hawk, not Hillary the bleeding heart for the Libyan people speaking. Otherwise she'd be invading Bahrain and Saudi as well, and wouldn't have supported Hosni Mubarak to the bitter end.

[garysgary]

11:25 AM on 03/19/2011

Hillary is the closest thing we have to a true statesman. Period. (remember that word, statesman, we don't use it much anymore) We need her and more like her. She has earned the respect of people here and world wide. Bravo. Hope she runs in 2014 but, if not, the Clintons will be great World Ambassadors.

[SeattlePepe]

12:41 PM on 03/19/2011

What is a World Ambassador? Are they not Americans and, as such, American Ambassadors?

[carolina919]

11:17 AM on 03/19/2011

Look, it's perfectly reasonable if she has decided not to serve a second term. It isn't "perfectly reasonable" to announce that decision now. To what purpose? Someone posted here that at least she is fulfilling her "obligation to serve"...Part of that obligation requires her "best effort". Announcing an intention to leave nearly a year out isn't smart or savvy. If she wants to be an advocate for women she's got a darn good position from which to "advocate". This announcement serves no purpose but is a distraction and complication that she shouldn't want for her own sake....or is it just a more sophisticated version of self sabotage? And what's the advantage? Isn't this setting off a scramble in every foreign office now, with people "hedging their bets" since they aren't sure who they'll be dealing with in the future...even if President Obama is re-elected. I just don't see the"upside".. it isn't even "self serving" Way to undercut the administration you represent Secretary Clinton. You sure gave those "reluctant" partners in some foreign capitals another reason to "wait you out". Even if she has no intention of serving again I just don't see what good announcing this does....I'm not impressed with the "candor"....I think this announcement was inappropriate and wrongheaded...nice way to take the winds out of your own sails, there, Madam Secretary.

[carolina919]

11:21 AM on 03/19/2011

Many give her credit for not "quitting" like Gov Palin did in the middle of her term. But the military have a term that might be apt...it's "Road Warrior"...someone who is "Retired on Active Duty". Mrs. Clinton may keep up a full travel schedule, attend lots of briefings and "stay busy" over the next year but whatever she does going forward everyone knows she's "working out her notice"....

[Magee]

01:22 PM on 03/19/2011

I think she's letting folks know that she doesn't really agree with Obama. Hey, he abandoned his supporters, why shouldn't she abandon him?

[carolina919]

06:00 PM on 03/19/2011

If that's the case, there's a much better option...it's called a "resignation". As it is she's this country's designated Secretary of State.....I think her response unneccessarily cuts the ground out from under her for the rest of her tenure...however long that is...And to heck with this this "sending a message" if that's what it is...that's passive aggressive big time and if that's what's going on she shouldn't wait til next year to resign anyway.

[Maliengus]

07:58 AM on 03/23/2011

Do you really think she'd serve out another two full years if she found it impossible to work with the Obama Administration? Come on....

[Lisa Claudio]

11:13 AM on 03/19/2011

Some people wonder why I gush over Lisa Murkowski, Senator from Alaska who won her re-election bid as a write in candidate against all odds and in defiance of the Tea Party mystique. The Republican party left Murkowski out to dry, in favor of a trend (I truly believe the Tea Party is a trend). I mention this because I believe also that the Democrats did the same to Hillary Clinton. Left her out to dry in favor of a dream. It's too bad that write-ins for the White House face impossibly insurmountable odds... I am a Hillary supporter to the end. I voted for the President because she said so, and in the end, it seems that McCain in the White House may have very well been disastrous. Don't get me wrong - I do support my President, and refrain from criticism of him, understanding the forces at work to undermine him. I do think wistfully and often, however, about how different the landscape might have been had it been President Hillary Clinton...

[Klarsonent]

11:43 AM on 03/19/2011

Great post.

[Carl Grimes]

09:44 PM on 03/21/2011

That was very well put. And you managed to do it without any hateful rhetoric. Awesomeness >_