HRC for SOS

Might we have just witnessed the dawning of a new era of politics in America in the last 24 hours? I will admit that I was taken aback by speculation that President-elect Barack Obama was considering none other than his former rival-in-chief, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, for arguably the most important post in his upcoming administration, Secretary of State. The two candidates debated endlessly during the primary season on the finer points of their proposed foreign policy initiatives, and their disagreements on diplomacy made for some of the most potent points of contrast between the candidates.

President-elect Obama has made no secret of his affection for Doris Kearns Goodwin's marvelous book "Team of Rivals," which chronicles how President Lincoln invited his vanquished political opponents into his administration in order to negotiate centrist, consensus solutions to the dire problems facing our nation during her darkest hour. If President Obama does indeed select Senator Clinton as his Secretary of State, he will be invoking Lincoln's legacy in a profound way; and in the opinion of this Congressman, there could be no wiser choice for the post.

During his first year in office, President Obama will likely need to keep a laser's focus on domestic issues as we try to climb out of the economic hole dug under eight years of President Bush's financial policies. Therefore, it is absolutely vital to select someone with the experience, toughness, and depth of knowledge to handle increased authority in foreign policy and deliver on President Obama's promise to the world; and who could be more qualified to manage the duties of the nation's top diplomat than the internationally revered junior Senator from New York? She brings two decades worth of foreign policy experience, much of it on the front lines as First Lady during one of the most peaceful eras in U.S. history. Furthermore, she brings instant prestige and credibility to the position; no foreign leader would ever feel diminished sitting in the presence of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

I have had the privilege to know the Clintons since their days in neighboring Arkansas, and I know of no one more intelligent and capable of tackling the enormous challenges we face abroad than Hillary Rodham Clinton. During the Bush Administration, the country watched with horror the consequences of rewarding campaign benefactors with important positions within the executive branch (see: Brown, Michael), and President-elect Obama's selection of Senator Clinton would signify a remarkable step in the right (and opposite) direction by rewarding accomplishment, intelligence and talent rather than patronage.

I was an ardent supporter of Barack Obama during the heated primary season - in part because I agreed with his positions on the War in Iraq and on more aggressive diplomacy - but I whole-heartedly believe that Senator Clinton would make an exceptional Secretary of State. Senator Clinton's vast knowledge, experience representing our country and her finely honed skills of negotiation would serve this country well, and her presence within an Obama Administration would have an immediate, positive impact.

Comments

[happytrails]

ABC for SOS and no Bubbas either!

[backhandpath]

We once had a TN state representative named Steve Cohen.
He was great in Nashville and left a wonderful legacy of work for the city of Memphis and west TN.
Then Steve won the 9th Congressional District by playing the quiet middle and went off to Washington... well actually Steve went first to New York to party with the Party: the Clintons, the Robinson/Sarandons, the Bellafontes... all the Big Party Leaders who gave us NAFTA and 8 years of George Bush. Thanks Steve.

Haven't seen Steve in a while --oh he did show up to get re-elected by again playing an even quieter middle road. And now here he is on Huff Post. Wow Steve.
Hillary Clinton should go back to her district and work for the people that elected her, just as Steve Cohen should come back to TN, do something for the folks at home.
Come on, Steve... a little hand for the voters here?

[ESerafina42]

You show your ignorance by asking Hillary to "go back to her district." Senators don't have "districts" members of the House do. Senators represent the entire state.

[TonalCrow]

Since you already posted this at DKos, I'm going to repeat my response:

Quote:
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She brings two decades worth of foreign policy experience, much of it on the front lines as First Lady during one of the most peaceful eras in U.S. history.
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I don't see how First Lady counts as "foreign policy experience". And she blew -- badly -- her most important foreign policy test: whether to "authorize" [1] Bush to invade Iraq. She might be a rival, but she's not the most-qualified of rivals by a long shot. For example, Richardson -- also a primary rival -- would be a far better choice; he's successfully negotiated a long list of international agreements.

Obama should give first priority to competence. Indeed, given how much damage Bush has caused, we need hypercompetence to get back to where we were in 2000. And Hillary will not deliver anything approaching hypercompetence.

[1] The Iraq AUMF is not a Declaration of War. Congress was too chicken to do that. Thus, it is not a valid constitutional authorization for war.

[lbrillante]

I completely disagree. I think that this is Bill Clinton, the ex-president. I think he complicates the matter to a huge extent. I don't think this works. I think that she would be a great Secretary of Health & Human Services. It would give her a big role to play with Healthcare reform... give her a legacy to leave that would have her stamp on it. She cannot achieve that in the Senate because there are too many senators with seniority working on healthcare reform. She would be on the cabinet. She would have access and be able to share perspectives domestically which would be a greater strength for her.

I think Hillary as SOS is a messy, dramatic, unhealthy move.

I am hoping that she would agree to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.

[hudsuckerproxy]

Secretary of Health and Human Services would be a perfect fit for HRC. As you note, she lacks the seniority to play a leading role in health-care reform in the Senate.

But if Obama doesn't offer her a healthcare-related cabinet post, I can see why she might be tempted by SoS despite the Bill factor and other potential downsides.

[ESerafina42]

Please get over the Iraq thing - by your standards Biden shouldn't be VP either. - oh, and let's not forget Tom Daschle. And yeah, maybe they were stupid to expect Dubya to use the authorization wisely, but a hell of a lot of Dems went along, Are you going to hold that against all of them for the rest of their lives. Of course not - only Hillary. I'll make an exception for Lieberman, but then he's never changed his position despite all evidence to the contrary and, while he may caucus with the Democrats, he isn't really one of them anymore.

[fightorleave2]

This is not the freakin' US Civil War. Give me a break. This is also not the time for centrist, pragmatic solutions because that is doublespeak for continuing the status quo.

[thedirtman]

It's troubling that many people don't know who the HHS secretary is. Hillary Clinton serving in that office would change that. We need someone of Hillary's stature who knows HHS and can bring that office up to a new level.

[journey80]

Sorry, but I think we are about to find that this keep-your-­enemies-cl­oser crap is a feel-good moment for Obama and four years of hell for him and for the country we were hoping we just took back.

The most qualified person, remember? Member of the no-drama, fix-what's-wrong team? Not the ones who got us into this mess, and I mean you too, Bill and Hillary, and your DLC corporate revolving door, and your Rubin and Summers Wall Street thieves and their cozy little Greenspan-Gramm deregulating club.

I didn't vote and work my heart out and give every spare dollar I had to keep Lieberman in the Senat and return Clinton people to power. I want new people. New ideas. New government. That's what we were promised.

No one mentioned giving the Larry Summers a do-over. No one mentioned Senator Obliterate-Iran for Secretary of State. You're messing with me, right? Seriously?

No do-overs.
No drama.
No Clinton administration revolving door.

[Petunia39]

Good Post. If Hillary is good for Secretary of State, then why not consider Lieberman for the post?

[healtheworld]

Thank you for speaking the truth! We were promised change we can believe in, not Bush 3.0. My husband once said that when two sides compromise too much, both sides lose--no one gets what they want in the end. If Obama fills his cabinet with the Clinton/Lieberman ilk, we will move even closer to a one-party system. 1984 anyone?

[jobecky20]

I agree. I just hope she says yes, assuming he offered it to her. However, I do think John Kerry is owed something. Maybe not SOS but something. If it weren't for John Kerry, we might not have the privilege of having Obama as our President Elect. The entire country is indebted to John Kerry!

[wyntka]

???? the guy who survived the viet cong but couldn't survive Rove is owed somthing? i'm sure he's a good man, but he ran a crappy whimpy campaign and we all paid for it.

are you saying it was Kerry's dismal performance as a candidate that paved the way for Obama?

[freshnotbitter]

Kerry came within a few thousand votes in Ohio of unseating an incumbent President in a "time of war" (manufactured, I admit) and relative prosperity.

That is a pretty hard thing to do so I hold Kerry in high regard as a politician.

The best secretary of state tends to be the quiet "fixer" type like schultz or christopher, not the "world beaters" like Al Haig, Albright, etc.

Subtlety is required in the delicate world of foreign affairs. Maybe it is not popularly known but the Clintons' screwed the world stage up big time at the end of their term. Clinton is not subtle. I would love to see Clinton going after health care and such at HHS. I'm sure she could put her personal stamp on a "health care for all" program and that would be a legacy that will last forever. And there is no subtlety required. She could do Saul Alinsky proud.

[kingmiller]

We all like and respect and admire this woman. And taking our lead from President Obama, we should all choose to let the bygones of the Primary campaign be just that - gone. That said, imagine if you Mrs. Clinton as the Sec. of State. This can only be a wise and wonderful and shrewd choice. Imagine a woman who has been First Lady, Senator, and then Secretary of State? Clearly this position would not only be good for the country, but would also secure her place in history as the most influential and powerful woman to ever serve the United States. I highly approve.

[Jamchinadian]

Geez, all these Monday morning QBs coming out of the woodwork. Is it not that one of the reasons we voted for president-elect Obama was that we trust his judgment? Do you think we are privy to the parameters feeding into his decisions sitting comfortably in our homes tap-tapping away? I'm not saying we should never question his judgment, but I think we could relax a bit, see it play out.

People can and do grow. I've, we've all, seen Obama grow during the campaign - starting from the primaries. I think Hillary has grown too, especially since her loss. Losing something important concentrates the mind. Don't hold her past votes against her, give her some credit, she is not George Shrub, nor dead-eye Dick, and besides: remember she will be executing OBAMA's AGENDA - not her own. If she cannot bring herself to do that, then I think she will decline the offer.

[momof3inGA]

I agree! I admit, when the speculation began, it felt like a kick in the gut, but I quickly recovered and within a few hours realized what an impressive move this would be.

It would also give HRC the ability to shine in her own right -- not under her husband's spotlight.

[blueshield]

I'd be very happy with HRC in a senior Admin position, but I just don't get the assertion of "two decades of foreign policy experience" as a qualification for SOS. BO avoided overinflating his experience. His argument was about judgment. HRC's in the same boat, IMO.

The last thing BO needs is an embarrassing Congressional hearing, with the "bullets in Bosnia" fiasco looping in the MSM, which it will. It will harm his Admin before they're even out of the gate, and while she's a marvel, on balance it's not at all clear to me there's much to gain from putting her at SOS.

[rroy]

What I remember most about the Clinton Administration and it's foreign policy is they were on the verge of bringing some sort of peace and a Balanced point of view to the Palestine Israeli conflict,until it was scuttled by Hawks like Netenyahoo­,Sharon,Ch­ristian Cinservatism,and AIPAC.
It was too late in Clinton's term for his administration to take corrective action against Zionism's,and their cohorts excesses,instead they were intensified by the Bush Administration that followed
Maybe,just maybe,Obama will attempt to restart the detant that started`just befor the end of The Clinton Administarion,and with Hillary as the new cheif architect!
Or ,sadly ,the Obama Administration may continue with the same AIPAC dominated policies of the past,which will do nothing more than continue the world wide anymocities against us.
I don't see there ever being stability and securety in the Middle East without a balanced policy vis a vie Palestine and Israel.

[orangepetal]

You remember! It's a little more complicated, but the Clinton Administration worked very hard promoting peace. It is a shame so many people forget. In Israel Rabin was shot and the new leader lost confidence because the security situation deteriorated. The right got into power. Hillary is proberbly one of the few people with real insight in this problem. I'm sure others are qualified and with effort may be successful. The reality is that security in Israel is already a problem now and the right could win the next election which would make things more complicated. Israel, I think, has confidence in Clinton which proberbly could help.

[davism97]

I think you make a good point Mr. Cohen. It would seem to me that in a democracy the more ideas you have clashing against each other, the better the chances that the best idea will emerge to solve a problem. This is why I don't hate the Republicans, and I sincerely hope they get their act together (and dviorce the religious right once and for all). I may not agree with them, but I know I'm not perfect and it's actually healthy to work with people who see things from a different perspective.

[batmanindy]

Great choice. Do not forget that she brings Bill's clout with her in whatever she does. It is a positive in almost every regard and it will most definately be so as she serves America as Secretary of State for Obama.

[ESerafina42]

Yes - as little as some of you guys may like Bill, the security when HE goes to foreign countries is more rock-star protection than tanks to keep protesters away, as with the Current Occupant.