Ok, we all know how the primaries were. It was consistent drama on the daily from Team Clinton. I mean, there was not a DAY that went by without SOMETHING leaked out there by Team Clinton.
Hillary Clinton is qualified to become Secretary of State. She would not be my first pick, since there are others far more qualified, but this is not my decision to make.
This vetting process should be simple, easy but truer than a leaky faucet, we know everything. Or do we?
My take is this. Hillary Clinton wants this position. Right now she is another junior senator, a bench warmer from New York with an international famous name. The senate is not structure to catapult a junior senator to any leader status, it is strictly seniority based.
So, if you lost the nomination, looking at your rival as President-Elect, worked publicly for him to move your support over, of course you will want a cabinet position. This is all about smart politics.
I don't see Hillary being an albatross around Obama's neck, for now. I see her benefiting Obama's Administration. The issue is Bill Clinton.
Team Obama is a strict, disciplined organization. We saw them at work for two years and saw Obama run a stellar campaign. While all the leaks are around us and the media is throwing its opinion out there, Team Obama is tight lipped. As they should be.
We don't know what was said between Obama and Clinton. We also know that Obama has talked to Richardson and rumored others like Kerry for this same position. Now, we hear all this noise about Bill Clinton's business dealings.
Bill Clinton is a former president and probably believes he should get a pass, indifference for this vetting process, but it won't work out that way.
During the primaries some of these questionable folks emerged, like Ron Burkle. As a private citizen, who cares, but in the public eye this is a different story.
All of Bill Clinton's speaking engagements will have to cease, especially the high profiled paying ones. This is potential conflict of interest.
The bottom line, Bill Clinton's books must be opened and examined. Period. Obama cannot allow indifference here, his judgment is at stake. Why appoint Hillary to this position with highly questionable business dealings being speculated? Remember, no drama, Obama?
If Barack Obama asks Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state, she likely will face questions about the global network her husband Bill has created with his foundation, speaking engagements, and business ventures, experts said Friday.
Those questions could include whether Bill Clinton has conflicts of interest or follows the State Department line in his dealings with business and government leaders overseas.
Since leaving the White House eight years ago, Bill Clinton has entered into business partnerships and established the William J. Clinton Foundation, which sponsors international development, AIDS care and other initiatives in projects around the world.
The Clintons dissolved their blind trust and sold their stocks last year, and Bill Clinton disengaged from some investments, to avoid conflict of interest questions while Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) campaigned for president.
But Bill Clinton still runs his foundation, which has raised at least $375 million from donors, including some from foreigners whose gifts have been questioned in newspaper articles.
In one case reported by The New York Times in January, for example, Canadian mining tycoon Frank Giustra gave $131 million to Bill Clinton's charitable enterprises after the two went to Kazakhstan together.
And Hillary covering her bases, if this vetting does not pan out.
From the other side, a Democratic source tells me that Clinton herself is conflicted about taking the job.
So, what will happen? Who knows? Hillary is not even commenting that a meet took place in Chicago last week, so who knows? But Hillary Clinton wants this and Bill better pony up and do whatever it takes for her to GET THIS.
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