From the New York Times:
WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders in the Senate are prepared to give Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton a still-undefined leadership role there if she does not become Barack Obama’s secretary of state, Democratic officials close to the situation said Thursday.
…
But driving her consideration, friends said, is a sense of disenchantment with the Senate, where despite her stature she remains low in the ranks of seniority that governs the body. She was particularly upset, they said, at the reception she felt she received when she returned from the campaign after collecting 18 million votes and almost becoming the first woman ever nominated for president by a major party.
"Her experience in the Senate with some of her colleagues has not been the easiest time for her," said one longtime friend who insisted on anonymity in exchange for sharing Mrs. Clinton’s sentiments. "She’s still a very junior senator. She doesn’t have a committee. And she’s had some disappointing times with her colleagues."
In particular, the friend said, Mrs. Clinton was upset when the leadership rejected the possibility of her heading a special new task force with a staff and a mandate to develop legislation expanding health care coverage.
See, Senator, you’re doing it all wrong. What you need to do is go out and campaign hard for a Republican, and then get yourself convicted of at least seven felonies.
THEN the Senate will be nice to you.
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man, that one is right on the money and really really smarts my ass
Exactly, Watertiger. It’s all very simple and I’m surprised Joe LIEberman hasn’t told her this yet. Be patient. He will. Once a left wing backstabber, always a left wing backstabber!
Is it possible it was Hillary’s camp who first put out the rumor that she was being considered for the Sec. of State spot to put Barack on the spot to make him look like a ‘big meanie woman/Hillary hater’ if he didn’t pick her? Hey, could be. Now she’s taking her time in ‘accepting’ the position to make it appear she’s in control and to cover up the fact her husband’s records will destroy any chance for her to be the SOS or the next president of the United States? Huh. Not sure, but the whole thing seems a little suspect to me. Seems like a Clinton concocted scheme to make them look important.
Personally, I think Hillary could do the job, but I don’t like the idea of the Clintons directly being a part of Obama’s Cabinet. Doesn’t sit well with me at all.
In 25 words or less (or more), why, exactly, did they keep Lieberman in his chairmanship slot? There is something way more insidious than bonhomie going on here. And if this has been fully dissected elsewhere, earlier, please excuse.
Time to appoint Bill ambassador to Peru?
While I agree with what you say watertiger….could the cold reception she received when she returned to the senate be the HOORENDOUS UGLY campaign she ran? That could have been part of it. The fact that she asked her friends to leak this to the NY Times now when she is going to be SOS…is pretty disturbing…..obviously she wanted to scorch the senate before she leaves, VERY UGLY, not that they don’t deserve it for the LIEberman debacle. But this kind of nonsense from the Clintons is what I fear we will see her whole tenure, and it is not pretty !
dean himself said he did not know why the liberals wanted joe out, he actually thought it was vindictiveness against him instead of his cheney performance
I actually believe barack was convinced that joe is a democrat and did not know he is not
Or maybe Columbia? Bwa hahahahaha wa hahahahaha!
Or maybe Uzbekistan? Yeah, that would be a nice ambassadorship for Bill. ;-)
Do you want to tell him or shall I? Can you say “balderdash”? Do they think that by surrounding him they can mitigate against his treachery? ‘Cause if they do, we’ve already seen that is so not going to work.
Yep. Wasn’t it her campaign that first brought up Bill Ayers and Rev. Wright? She basically gave the talking points to the Winger Campaign (McCain & Palin) for crying out loud!
“She was particularly upset, they said, at the reception she felt she received when she returned from the campaign after collecting 18 million votes and almost becoming the first woman ever nominated for president by a major party.”
plus ca change.. pour les femmes.
I have played tennis with some professionals, people who have beaten john McEnroe and Yanick Noah
I have taken games from these professionals even though I could never win a tournament match, I have taken sets from these people even though I could never win a tournament match
even the best make mistakes, this is a fact, I do believe Barack and company do not know that Joe is a republican dressed as a democrat, I really really believe that
they should have given her Lieb’s job. You’d think for the sake of party unity they’d get over their Uppity Women thing.
my 13 was for your 10
Let’s not forget
“I bring a lifetime of experience, John McCain brings a lifetime of experience, and Barack Obama brings a speech he made”….OY one of many
Urgh.
Jane? Christy? Please write to Mr. Obama and help him connect the Lieberman dots. I think the net result will be picture of Gollum.
my inclination is to say that SOS process is very much real but Bill leaked it, ’cause that’s what he does. It will probably still work out, or at least I hope it does (I think she’d make a superb SOS… heck she’d make a much better AG than Holder for that matter). She may need, however, to check Bill into a monastery somewhere.
That’s just hardball politics, and she’s plays it well. The boys don’t like it, that’s all. And I’m not even a fan of Hill’s, but this smacks of sexism more than anything else. Same in 93 when she tried to get healthcare going. She deserves to head up a healthcare committee more than anyone else except maybe Teddy K. If they shun her they’re fools.
I told an attorney pal yesterday that ifi Barack really wanted to reinvigorate the DOJ he’d nominate Nader for AG. My pal is your basic middle of the road liberal, and he agreed with me.
Hillary will be a good Sec. of State. I believe she will carry out Obama’s foreign policy to the best of her ability. She will be a good team player. I think she adjusts/adapts to whatever task is before her. She ran for president, she lost, so he’s ready to move into something new. I also believe her hawkish stance on all things related to the middle east (see AIPAC) served her as Senator of NY. She will change that on a dime if she no longer represents a NY constituency. Bill will always be a lightening rod for the press, and that could serve the Obama administration as well. While the press is chasing Bill, Obama can quietly pass his legislative agenda……….Which leads me to Lieberman………. He was reinstated for his vote. If he doesn’t deliver his vote, he will be banished at some future date.
can’t we get hojo an exotic ambassadorship somewhere.. and force him somehow to take it? Maybe sinking Tuvalu, Stalinist Turkmenistan, or maybe lawless Somalia. Yeah, Somalia. That sounds nice.
I don’t disagree with you, but I think Teddy was trying to reach out to her…albeit probably not big enough…….
I think the spineless Dems in the Senate deserve all the knocks we can give , but I am not so sure that Hillary is simply innocent in all this!
I guess I don’t understand why some believe that she could have expected to get some sort of preferrential treatment. Successful primary candidates, who lose in the general, don’t get any kind of special treatement. Based on John Kerry, it seems almost the opposite.
OT…Holy Joe LIEberman is lying his butt off on MTP
You’re surprised? LOL This is why I call him “Joe LIEberman”! It’s all the asswipe knows how to do.
And on the subject of cabinet appts, they guy who should be Treasury Secy is Former Asst Treasury Secy Paul Craig Roberts, whose response to the Wall st bailout on Democracy Now was “rickless beyond imagination.” Now there’s a guy who can think.
I’m just glad he’s not Sec. of State in the McCain administration.
sorry, that was “reckless beyond imagination”
why not keep him permanently on a shuttle plane setting up hillary’s agenda?
What do we have left to fill? Secretaries of Defense, Interior, Agriculture, Bill Clinton Containment . . . others?
Liddy Dole was Senate ReElection Chair in 06 – they lost 6 seats – she was publicly vilified by her own Party. rightfully so
Cry Baby Boehner has lost 54 House seats in just 2 cycles . . . and was handily re elected last thursday
unsuccessful presidential candidates who were actually nominated are often dumped/shunned.. especially if they ran a campaign as awful as Kerry’s or McSame’s. Unsuccessful primary candidates less so. Otherwise the Senate would be rather empty.
A little known fact is that Lieberman holds the KY jelly concession for the Congress which explains better than anything else I know his continuing influence there.
That’s it! Bill Clinton as Secretary for Lieberman containment. Why has no one else thought of this? *g*
Poissonally I think Hil should be Secy of Defense. It’s a perfect job for a hawkish dem. And the Israelis will tell you, women make the best soldiers.
*coffee spew* lol
yer a funny guy… *smiling*
Encourage anyone with a little more time to expend this Sunday to go over to http://www.washingtonmonthly.com and check out Hilzoy’s near current entry on the fate of a old Detroit neighborhood elementary school.
Something to behold.
We Americans went to Iraq when this is what is happening here in the “homeland”? Stunning to see Detroit,the backbone of 20th century American industrialism,falling to pillage,plunder and ruin.
Tragic beyond scale of comprehension.
One is compelled to wonder–just where are we going and why so fast?
Saving Joe Lieberman may only be avenged when the voters of CT show him the tip of a collective shoe and kick him in the ass on his way out four years from now. Of course the full of self assclown is on MTP this Sunday AM. The guy is shameless.
Barack do you know what you are doing? About Joe Lieberman? With Hillary Clinton?
No, as noted they cheer for a felon.
However another loser from the Senate aint no thang – recall what about 3 other losers had already retuned.
Granted she did get far more voted (being the insider) + she did run a terrible race (she could have won with more work in caucus and less divide politic – ex her speech at nom conv was great).
Back to biz.
Before we start criticizing the Democratic seniority system in the Senate, we should remember that this same system has produced great leaders like Harry Reid.
additional site pointer-
The Hilzoy entry is titled ‘Desolation’ at http://www.washingtonmonthly.oom.
hehe.. ’cause the congressional rethugs are rudderless, paddleless (St. Sarah stole the paddle… it’s in a Wasilla closet) holed, outboard-motor wrapped up in Joe the Plumber’s entrails, and taking on water in a hurricane. They have Joe the Senator frantically bailing for ‘em though.
You are on a roll this morning, sir!
I was under the impression he used more persuasion but let’s n0t go there
u r killing me 2day i must say
bwahahahahhaha
good one
There’s a big difference, though, between “primary candidates less so,” and special recognition or treatment. I don’t think Dodd, in the Senate, or Kucinich, in the House, got any kind of special treatment.
I actually thought HRC might not be welcomed back after some of her (IMHO) over-the-top endorsements of McCains qualifications vs. Obama’s, but was mollified by her subsequent efforts for a Democratic victory. I just think the “old boy club” thing can be overdone.
I personally think Palin Watch and Suppression should be a cabinet position… or at least on par with the national security council ;-P
You broke it you own it
I do not find it surprising that Hillary would have trouble with many of the male Senators. Many of these men are far past retirement age and I doubt they could have imagined a time when women would even have been elected to the Senate. Also rumors of her maybe being Senate Majority leader probably did not set well with many. As to Hillary being SOS I have mixed feelings. If she follows her DLC philosophy of doing what is Politicly safe for her, she will be a very poor SOS. But if she takes on the role and is not using it as a stepping stone to another policial position (President), she could make a big difference and establish herself as a great SOS.
I do not think they are that dumb or see it that way.
They sold something out – what they bought I assume is LIEberman voting with the any extra 12 perc of the time and a few favors. What this says is they know he is mean Joe and would not vote what he ”believes” and would vote with a grudge.
This move could well be a mistake and in any case is another accountability strike. Next one will be worse (crimes and trillions of dollars let go perhaps worse).
OT, but it never really is….
just got this email from a pal south of the border.
worth everyone’s time i feel.
http://charterforcompassion.com/
tina brown of the daily beast on cnn with kurtz
Biden kept all his leadership positions after his multiple primary runs didn’t he?
personally the worst news i’ve read all day is the piece in the NY Times about the death of cafe culture in France. Damn, just heartbreaking. Who will set the tone for vigorous debate as a daily pastime in the public square now? Will they next stop being in the streets everyday? This is truly a sad development.
Maybe it’s not sexism, maybe it’s the fact that she’s still a very junior Senator? Hey Hill, you can’t have everything handed to you on a silver platter. See also: the primaries.
You forgot about getting that sex change operation.
I’m really not too frightened by the “rogue Secretary of State” speculations. Off hand, the only cabinet member I can think of who may have been considered to exceed their authority without being successfully reigned-in was Stanton in the Andrew Johnson Administration. Even Cheney’s grasp of power could only have been accomplished because Bush didn’t say “knock that shit off”.
Yes, there is that.
Lie-berman is nauseating on MTP.
He ran once before. I don’t know what leadership positions he had in 1988(?). But what leadership positions did Hillary lose?
Has not the time arrived to deal with Senate conduct the same way progressives have dealt with conservatism, maybe even a bit more proactively? Despite the recurrent theme of deference and respect offered up automatically to elected Senators, wouldn’t some sort of quid pro quo be more in order? Comity as an operative means to an end should not require automatic capitulation. As for the”Good Ol’ Boys” Club…this should be actively rendered obsolete as say, the last 3 or so inches of everyone’s spine being refered to as vestigal tailbone. While I doubt the term length, means of representation, or other perquisites associated with this particular office could be subject to much change, the conduct of many Senators has become abominable, to say the least. Short of being criminally discharged (see Stevens-AK), the citizenry seems to have little ability to temper the conduct of some of the more egregious members of this group charged with conducting the nations’ affairs. The abuse of the fillibuster comes to mind as one of the worst current examples. There are many others…Men will be men, another way of saying boys will be boys, and just because they got themselves elected is not proof of competence or statesmanship.
Oh Ghu no. That would be worse that what we have now. Nader is out only for Nader, and he hates Democrats (and maybe democracy too).
They’ve cut his balls.
They’ve made it clear that if he votes to block important legislation by voting with the Republicans on a filibuster that he will be kicked out of the caucus.
They’ve insured the 60th vote if Franken and Martin can win. Lie-berman will now have to vote with the Dems for fear of being (very embarrassingly) kicked out of the Democratic caucus and and relegated to the depths of Republican hell.
Clinton as AG – thats ”Rich”.
Corp Wal-Mart lawyer really helps as well.
Clinton is an ok leader but there are many people with more ”experience” and less baggage.
She is up for SOS so Obama can exploit good-cop bad-cop. I am sure Obama knows Clinton will be doing some exploiting as well. I hope the balance he is looking for is achieved. I have my doubts on this pick and others – but then I called Obama as far more DLC and ”center-right” since I dont wear blinders for the persons Clinton and Obama.
New thread upstairs – hope you like rats…
http://campaignsilo.firedoglak…..n-bankers/
is upstairs
In a word: No.
That you believe this speaks volumes your “uncomfortable” with the idea of “Clintons in Obama’s Cabinet.” Your tinfoil hat needs a tweak.
Yes it was, [Mod: no namecalling please]. You must have been too busy salivating to notice that it was her camp who started the mess.
The Clintons only care about themselves. Joe LIEberman does too. Get it?
Except ”maybe” Teddy – a person in congress for about 40 years who has fought for equality and knows all the issues and players. Yeah maybe he should lead it and not a first term junior senator (granted with experience from the failed 90’s fight; but add from any admin the had the soft hand of the ”left” take care of welfare reform, deregulation, free trade loss of jobs, etc – amazing what on can do when they are ”bi”).
Hardball all a person wants does not mean someone else with more power is going to give it up. If Clintons did not make their move now in fact they would be fairly on the outside (though media always gonna keep them in, I mean Clinton got about as much talk as Obama in the week surrounding the election and victory) – they lost to a new person who went on to trounce in the general.
Almost forgot in this era of “Change” – isn’t Clinton the person in congress who has taken the most donations from Health Care lobby? I do believe “the fat man had that in his movie.
I will also sadly note that the candidate of “Change” (that’s Obama) has a worse health care plan the Clinton – if they were both in the Senate I would surly put Clinton on the team and leave Obama to plan the surge in Afganistan with LIEberman or whatever he might want to do.
Tom Daschle will be taking over healthcare in this country. Now that was a great move by Barack Obama if you ask me.
Harry Reid. Is anyone surprised that he’s blown it again? Hilary Clinton is a tough, competent, conservative Democrat who can bring in votes and make policy–exactly the sort of pol, one would think, who would be a shoe-in as a Senate leader. And, if she stays in the Senate, she will ultimately become very powerful. But I can see the temptation.
Why the hell would we want a conservative Democrat at the helm? Also, junior Senator.
Great post, thanks watertiger.
Digg
Very very good!
When Hillary becomes Sec. of State, Gov. David Paterson should pick Eliot Spitzer to replace her in the Senate … if only Spitzer had had airport sex with men in the public rest room.
The Hillary pick was brilliant!! If things go bad for the Obama administration over the next four years he can blame her keeping her from challenging him for the nomination. This man is brilliant and will change the world! I hope he keeps his promise to change the don’t ask don’t tell military policy.
Hopefully, Bill will keep his luv muscle in his pants this time…
See, Senator, you’re doing it all wrong. What you need to do is go out and campaign hard for a Republican, and then get yourself convicted of at least seven felonies.
Most succinct summing up ever.
The Israel Lobby has been suspicious of Clinton ever since she called for a Palestinian state, and also didn’t get up and walk out when Arafat’s wife accused the Holly Land of poisoning Palestinian children.
Of course, she’s had to make amends. She’s been a good little panderer ever since.
The neocons are suspicious, and we’re getting quite a pushback from the media to a Clinton SoS.
Should make for good political theater, if nothing else. Happy days are here again.
HJC might make a great Secretary of State — except that State desperately needs a great manager. Her campaign made all too clear that she’s not one.
A well-informed source tells me that the only competent manager State has had in many years was Colin Powell: that Powell genuinely cared about the well-being of our Foreign Service Officers and their families, and addressed it effectively.
State right now is seriously demoralized. It lacks FSOs with requisite language skills and depth of experience. If Clinton is confirmed as SoS, State needs a more than competent manager as second in command to do the unglamorous but critical work of rebuilding the place.
State career staff are demoralized.
So are career staff at the DoJ. At the EPA. At Interior. At NASA. FDA. etc.
It would be difficult to find a department or agency within today’s Federal Bureaucracy that is NOT filled with demoralized career staff. Every department needs yeoman and heroic efforts to get it back to competent and moderately productive.
There aren’t that many miracle worker agency heads available.
“HJC might make a great Secretary of State — except that State desperately needs a great manager. Her campaign made all too clear that she’s not one.”
Day to Day management of the Department is usually the primary responsibility of the Deputy Secretary — true in most departments. We still don’t know if Hillary gets the pick, or whether it will mostly come from the WH. Normally I would agree that the state of Hillary’s campaign, and her lack of strategic management skills are a black-mark on what could be expected of her as management, but I want to hold judgment to see who gets the political deputy and assistant level appointments. I tend to think Obama may have fairly clear programatic goals here that will very much influence appointments. For instance should we see Sam Nunn get his special interest, Arms Control, as an undersecretaryship, (Nunn-Lugar which became Obama-Lugar last congress), — Nunn was one of the very early promoters of Obama’s candidacy, — we will see a slightly different set of relationships in State, and between the Department and the WH.
It is important to distinguish appointments on several levels — some have huge public value, as I think Hillary does in much of the world. Others are people of fairly deep technical merit — as Nunn would have on Arms Control.
I mostly agree. I have thought the whole idea a kind of crazy, risky, no-better-choice kind of thing. HRC makes a better career move by becoming SoS, though that position usually gets a new face after four years.
This gets her onboard and highly visible so she can’t do much that will undercut Obama’s administration domestically. If she does, she undercuts herself. It gets Bill onboard in a peripheral way but if Hillary is in the cabinet he is less able to take potshots.
A problem remains of course, in that Bill is entirely capable of ensuring Hillary’s failure to do anything right. I think it is unconscious on his part, but all the more dangerous for that.
I THINK Hilary can be a good employee; I certainly hope so. Obama can fire her in a heartbeat but that would not be auspicious for his reputation as a wise decision maker nor auspicious for our relationships around the world.
If she gets and takes the job, what then? In 8 years she will be nearly as old as McCain is now, give or take a couple of years. In 4 years, can she run against Obama when she is working for him?
And then I say, again, this is brilliant. And if she and Bill fail the entrance exams, maybe they’re toast. Maybe that’s the brilliance.
I really have no idea.
I responded the wrong thing to the wrong post and person. Sorry.
ON another note:
As chief executive, Obama isn’t supposed to be making decisions about Congressional matters. (Separate branch of government.) Think about what happened to LBJ who thought he could influence all his old pals. Nope. They wouldn’t even have lunch with him.
If Obama had a significant role in Lieberman’s getting to stay at the dance, shame on the Dems, AGAIN, for having nobody they can look to for real leadership. And, shame on Obama for not pointing this out.