Clintons

Hitchens, Salon editor trade insults over the Clintons — Hitchens, Salon editor trade insults over the Clintons... [Tags: clintons, salon editor, trade insults]

State Department Staffers "Excited" About Clinton — Photograph of Secretary of State-designate Clinton and President-elect Obama after yesterday's announcement she will be Secretary of State by Charles Dharapak/AP With Hillary Clinton getting ready to move into the executive branch as Secretary of State under President-elect Barack Obama, her future staffers are looking forward to meeting her. The NY Post reports they were "hovered around TV sets at the State Department yesterday to get a glimpse of [the] new boss... and most of them - even Republicans - said they were thrilled about the chance to work for such a high-profile figure." One staffer said, "We've all... [Tags: abc news, alessandra stanley, barack obama, board of realtors, charles dharapak]

Beth Arnold: Hillary's Best Incarnation Yet (Hail to the Community Organizer-in-Chief!) — I watched Obama's press conference announcing his National Security team yesterday, and I was struck by our president-elect's team-building skills. Hillary Clinton was warmly and honorably named to one of the most prestigious appointments in his cabinet, but she wasn't singled out with the genuflecting the Clintons had come to expect--and she didn't project that arrogance. On yesterday's stage, Hillary had become part of Obama's inclusive and what-seemed-like-already-jelled team. Plus, in a moment of what I hope proves to be an inspired choice for Secretary of State, he gave the Clintons a lesson in generosity and class. I was caught... [Tags: arrogance, barack obama, body language, clintons, community organizer]

On The Clinton Appointment: More Facts, Less Drama, Please! — Finally, someone says it. John Isaacs, the Executive Director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, has written a great piece about how much Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton agree on many critical defense and foreign policy issues. His point about the media is absolutely dead-on correct. The traditional media (and many blogs) put their manufactured drama over substance: President-elect Barack Obama announced today that he will nominate Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) to be Secretary of State. Selecting a former rival for the most prestigious of cabinet positions has unleashed a torrent of media coverage, most of which has... [Tags: barack obama, cabinet positions, clintons, disagreements, foreign policy]

Cenk Uygur: Obama's Big Gamble — Barack Obama has decided that he is going to try to shoot the moon. He is going to try to expand the tent and see if he can get everyone to buy into his ideas for reform. If it works, everyone will be invested into the change that's coming. If it doesn't, then his administration might spin out of control. The old saying is that you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I don't really believe that. How did that work out for Julius Caesar? It worked to the tune of about eight daggers in his back... [Tags: barack obama, bill clinton, christmas card, clintons, committee chair]

Von Hoffmann Award Nominee IV — "When he is forced to fight, Sen. Obama's inexperience shows. His record, slight as it is, is tough to defend. He's got a glass jaw, and he will fall into the trap of identity politics. In fact, he already has. The "could we beat Obama?" conversation is purely academic. It's over. The Clintons have defeated him already, because he is leaving South Carolina as "the black candidate." He won't win another state. Even worse, in November Hillary will carry 90 percent of the black vote, despite their cynical, race-based campaign against the first viable black presidential candidate," - Michael Graham,... [Tags: award nominee, clintons, glass jaw, good year, hillary]

Strawmen of Daily Kos — In a flood of recent trad media articles on the apparent designation of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as Secretary of State, Beth Fouhy of the AP has given us a gem about the impending alliance. This is the best line:   To be sure, not everyone is happy about the Clinton pick. Many bloggers at the liberal Daily Kos Web site have been venting frustration, decrying her campaign attacks on Obama and her repeated defense of her Iraq war vote. Eh, come again? Granted, many people at Daily Kos are not happy about the Clinton pick. Many Daily Kos users... [Tags: afterthought, assertion, bitter rivals, bloggers, blogosphere]

Arianna Huffington: Hillary + Obama = High Drama — It's too early to tell what changes Hillary Clinton will bring to Barack Obama's foreign policy, but she's already had an enormous effect on his brand. Her addition to his team has turned "No Drama Obama" into "Mo' Drama Obama." Hillary's appointment isn't even official, but the Obama/Clinton narrative has already left the realm of politics. Its twists, turns, shadings, and complex emotions are the stuff of literature. But who would be the best writer to do this saga justice? Reading the New York Times' accounts (here and here) of the "awkward dance" that led to Hillary's selection by "the... [Tags: arianna huffington, barack obama, clinton administration officials, clintons, confidants]

The Golden Straitjacket Of Foggy Bottom — My positive take on Clinton at State in the Sunday Times: Earlier this year, it seemed a good idea to plonk her on the ticket to defang the threat. That would have followed the “team of rivals” concept that Obama wanted to purloin from Lincoln. It would also have given the Clintons an independent claim on power. By winning without them and even, in some measure, despite them, Obama can now bring the Clintons into the power structure while retaining clear dominance. The State Department appointment is prestigious enough not to be condescending, yet also keeps Clinton off the... [Tags: bloody war, clintons, domestic critics, dominance, foggy bottom]

Mark Joseph: Secretary of State Clinton? I Just Don't Get It — For the life of me I just don't understand why a) President-elect Obama would want to choose Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State and b) she would accept the post. Why would Obama want to tarnish his brand new administration with the Clinton soap opera of Monica, Whitewater, Vince Foster, Marc Rich and company when he could start fresh with an entirely new team? And why would he want a mortal enemy like Hillary who is probably at this very moment plotting her comeback strategy for 2012, inside his administration, leaking to the press and undermining him? I thought he... [Tags: clintons, comeback strategy, good shape, harry reid, hillary clinton]

Musings Over Morning Coffee — Stories That Never Grow Old. One of the remarkable things about this gap between when Obama won – an across the board rejection of Bush, conservative and Republican politics – and when Obama takes over is the fear it engenders in those with a stake in "more of the same". Guiltier than most is the media, who can't give up the old themes and haven't wrapped their heads around the new. The new is the public has other things on their mind, like the economy, foreclosure, health reform and why the Bush Administration can't just go away. Here are some... [Tags: bush administration, bushes, campaign finance reform, campaign financing, clintons]

Your Abbreviated Pundit Round-up — TGIF! Pundits love Fridays! Paul Krugman: There are some disturbing parallels between 2008 and 1932, and one disturbing one is the gap between when the discredited Bush leaves and the new folks take over. David Brooks: And yet as much as I want to resent these overeducated Achievatrons (not to mention the incursion of a French-style government dominated by highly trained Enarchs), I find myself tremendously impressed by the Obama transition. Jonah Goldberg: Hey, bankruptcy for GM isn't so bad. Better that than government pragmatism and confidence. The effects of that would be much more long-lasting. Jay Cost: Watch me... [Tags: charles franklin, clintons, david brooks, david corn, david ignatius]

Bill's Speaking Fees Create Potential Conflicts For Hillary — It would be interesting to know how the average New York voter would respond when told that during the past three years their Senator and her spouse personally received $2.1 million from such major banks as Goldman Sachs ($800,000), Lehman Bros. ($300, 000), Citigroup ($425,000) and Deutsche Bank ($300,000). The money -- honoraria payments to former President Clinton -- demonstrate that the conflicts between Bill Clinton's multi-million dollar financial entanglements and his wife's possible selection as Secretary of State are just as relevant in the case of the elected office Hillary Clinton currently holds, raising to front and center the... [Tags: bailout, campaign contrib, center for responsive politics, clintons, conflict of interest]

Another chapter in Hillary for State saga — Blog: Blogger reporting the Clintons have handed over all of Bill Clinton's post-presidency paperwork for vetting process.... [Tags: bill clinton, blog, clintons, hillary, paperwork]

Hillary Clinton: Obama's First Drama — I was agnostic on the matter of Hillary Clinton's possible appointment as secretary of state--until last night. If Barack Obama, the president-elect, wanted to pull a Team of Rivals play, that had seemed fine to me. ... [I]f Obama and his savvy band of advisers thought that handing her one of the best jobs in the Cabinet would generate political benefits they could use to advance their agenda, I, as a non-fan of Hillary Clinton, was willing to say, okay--for what that was worth. But then this happened: the presidential transition of no-drama Obama became infected by the never-ending soap... [Tags: appointment, barack obama, clintons, health care reform, hillary clinton]

Clinton's Chances: Associates Say "The Job Is Hers If She Wants It" — CHICAGO — Associates of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday the former first lady is weighing whether to leave the Senate and become secretary of state in the Obama administration, a job they say she believes is hers if she wants it. Transition officials for President-elect Barack Obama said other candidates have been vetted for the job. But the New York senator has emerged as the leading contender and the vetting of former president Bill Clinton has been particularly intense. Associates say Hillary Clinton has been told that Obama wants her to be secretary of state, although accounts differ on... [Tags: aides, anonymity, barack obama, bill clinton, clintons]

Bill Clinton Gets Involved in Secretary of State Talks — Politico, which cast some doubts on whether Hillary Clinton would even want to be President-elect Obama's Secretary of State yesterday, now reports, "Negotiations between the Clintons and President-elect Obama’s transition team are rapidly moving toward a formal offer of secretary of State" for Clinton, with an announcement expected within the next seven days. And "a key part of satisfying Obama’s vetting team, former President Bill Clinton is open to giving up foreign sources of income if she becomes secretary of State, according to a close friend." Bill Clinton has made a lot after leaving office (their joint tax returns showed... [Tags: bill clinton, charitable foundation, clintons, doubts, foreign sources]

Clinton Weighing Her Options — By Ben Pershing Like the moon blotting out the sun, the Clintons and their attendant dramas continue to eclipse other stories on this cold and newsy Wednesday morning. Even as Eric Holder appears likely to become the nation's first African American attorney general and Ted Stevens has been belatedly felled by Alaska voters, the most compelling question continues to be whether Hillary Clinton will be secretary of State. Yesterday's episode ended with a cliffhanger: It...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.... [Tags: african american attorney, alaska voters, attorney general, cliffhanger, clintons]

Your Abbreviated Pundit Round-up — Wednesday is a good day to abbreviate. Thomas Frank: It is possible, I suppose, that the pundits are right and the public didn't really mean it when it elected a liberal Democrat president and gave Democrats even larger majorities in both houses of Congress. Maybe America really wants the same nice, reassuring, centrist thing as always. But it is also possible that, for once, the public weighed the big issues and gave a clear verdict on the great economic questions of the last few decades. It is likely that we really do want universal health care and some measure of... [Tags: ails, apostate, barack obama, clintons, david broder]