"I believe that there's no more effective advocate than Hillary Clinton for that well-rounded view of how we advance American interests."--President-Elect Barack Obama
"There are some things more painful than the truth. But I can't think of any."
--author unknown
Listen up. The daddy wants to ask you a question you may not want to asnwer: Was President-Elect Barack Obama's selection of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for Secretary of State a good idea?
Here's what the daddy thinks:
1. No. In the daddy's opinion, this position should have gone to New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson or Sen. John Kerry, two people with greater experience, two people who worked hard to get him elected. Both have great minds and great love for their country.
2. Obama says he wants people around him with competing ideas and with the ability to challenge him in vigorous debate. Fine. But surely Obama, could have found people with less hawkish and with less baggage than Sen. Clinton with whom to debate. They're everywhere in Washington and outside of Washington too. The daddy feels like bypassing Obama's security, shaking him and saying, "Get real, bro! The Secretary of State position is not about collegial debate over ideology or strategy. You're out of law school! It's about carrying out the U.S. strategic interests and the president's message on a world stage. Your appointment of a junior senator with a thin resume (First Lady, senator for a relative short period of time) does not add up, especially with so many other more qualified candidates, female and male, black, white and everything in between!"
3. Another reason is Sen. Clinton's husband. He has been spanning the globe in support of worth causes including his own (his income, his library) for years. But the way he has interlocked worldly causes with consulting on behalf of himself is troubling. Some of this consulting involves helping nasty dictatorial leaders of governments secure favorable trade agreements (for the the respective third world country) with questionable advantage to U.S. workers to the U.S. as a whole.
The notion of Secretary of State Clinton free-floating on her own and occasionally "hooking up" with globe-trotting, super-egoistic Bill Clinton should give everyone pause.
4. There are other cabinet-level positions where Sen. Clinton is more qualified and would probably do our country more good. First and foremost is head of Health, Education, and Welfare. This country needs universal healthcare like yesterday. But the healthcare industry is bloated, bureaucratic, and chaotic. Such a mess needs a tough-as-nails, hands-on administrator like Sen. Clinton. Let's be honest: her universal healthcare plan was better than Obama's; and the implementation of her plan would be a great service to all. The fact that she could use the success of such a program in her bid for president in 2012 is secondary. Okay, she may not be the most qualified to be Secretary of State, but there is no one better qualified to be Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. She possesses the knowledge, skill, and personality to get the job done.
As for the Secretary of State position, Craig Hickman at Fumbling Toward Divinity posted a quote from the Financial Times that more "diplomatically" conveys my feeling about Sen. Clinton's appointment:
"... the main question is whether Mrs Clinton can subordinate not just her opinions but also her political ambitions to making the Obama administration a success. That must be in doubt. Her husband's financial entanglements and irrepressible flair for scandal are further potential pitfalls. In weighing all this and choosing her regardless, Mr. Obama has taken quite a risk -- one that, in our view, is difficult to justify."
What say you? Do you think the selection of Hillary for Secretary of State was a good idea?
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12 comments:
Agree Daddy. Health and Human services, yes. SoS no.
Bill richarson is much more qualified.
Bill Campbell over at
http://bootynovelbill.blogspot.com
did a great piece on this.
I think the basis for the decision came down to a) how much drama will I have to deal with if I pick her for SOS and b) how much drama will I have to go through if somewhere else other than SOS?
Answer: A tossup
Why everything got to have Bill Clinton in it? He shouldn't have anything to do with Obama's decision to select her. Glad he's less sexist than you.
o let's just see how it plays - give it chance...to much 2nd guessing in the media blogs etc boring
I agree 100%!!!
The Borg Queen is perfectly awful.
Not only did she and her husband shamelessly play the race card during the primary but, her much vaunted and PUMA-celebrated resume is a fabrication. Just because she met world leaders and hosted teas while First Lady doesn't mean she has the gravitas to be Obama's Secretary of State.
Bill Richardson has a resume of demonstrated foreign policy experience that makes him more than qualified to steer the country back from the brink courtesy of 8 years of neglect thanks to Bush, Cheney, Rice and Rumsfeld.
This was a purely political decision on Obama's part and one that should make everyone stop and think.
The only good thing about the Borg Queen leaving the Senate is Gov. Patterson can now appoint a much superior person to replace her.
I'm hearing two strong possibilities:
1. NY AG Andrew Cuomo
2. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown
I don't know if it was a good idea but I do believe Barack has a reason behind his choice and I'd love to know what the REAL reason is. So far he doesn't strike me as a man who does something without a solid reason behind it.
Hey there,
Hillary as SoS will be a public relations DISASTER for Obama...just wait and see....she will slam him in all sorts of subtle ways.
Condi was a loyalist all the way. She never ONCE disagreed with anything Bush was doing. She stood by all of his foolishness.
Hillary will continue to prove to the American public "see you should have voted for me instead".
She still wants to run for president. She HAS NOT abandoned that ambition.
Susan Rice deserved to be SoS and it is sad that she was passed over for a LESS qualified white person simply because Obama owed her.
@ Anonymos 9:15 AM
You are suggesting the Daddy is sexist??! Clearly you haven't read any posts on this blog. Bill Clinton has PLENTY to do with it since his organization has international funding and his wife is taking on an international role.
I think that if she follows the Presidents instruction period, that she can make a great SOS. She's tuff as nails if she puts it to good use. That also means Bill needs to clean up his act so he doesn't screw her and the President up. He had his turn and may want to press on to retirement. In which case Obama is going to be in trouble if either one goes rogue. Bill Richardson got the shaft, he deserved something better to make up for mistakes in the past. My own gut check says if you put her in charge of dog catcher in Washington, she would turn the dogs loose in pantsuits on the President and they will crap all over the place!
Sagacious: I went to the website you mentioned but couldn't find the article. But many people have weighed in on the appointment. I just wanted to document my own. Thanks.
RevvyReb: This may well have been Obama's thinking. I'm coming to visit you over at your blog.
Anon: Welcome. You lost me on the sexist reference. Sorry.
Christopher: I've followed your writing and your blog. You know the deal: that she and Bill come as a package, that neither can be trusted.
2sweetnsexsy: Welcome. Love that name. And I agree. It was political reward for that great speech at the convention (her best, I think), the more than 70 appearances she made on his behalf and for getting Bill to come into the fold. She EARNED the right to be selected to at least a cabinet-let position in his administration. Come again.
Hi, Lisa. Welcome, sister. I would like to think that you're wrong: that Hillary will serve Obama loyally for a couple of years and be appointed by Obama to the Supreme Court, where she would provide more balance to that group. But what you say could occur as well. I'm coming to see you. Blessings.
Rainywalker: All you say is true. It saddens to speak negatively of Bill Clinton. He was the Barack Obama in the early nineties for the democratic party. I and so many union members (I was a Teamster at the time) put so much faith in him. But, by creating and promoting agreements like NAFTA, he sold out a lot of American workers. So, I'll just cling to the hope that he will be supportive of Sen. Clinton in her new position by not creating a scandal. Thanks.
her or sam nunn if u asked me and happy 21st amendment day
Ya know Daddy, the more I think about it the more I start thinking that we need to just sit back and watch for a while.
I'd like to hope that O Man has lined these people up and said "Look [I hate that word used as a pretext], we're going to do things my way. We're going to do things differently and we're going to hit the ground running to make these changes. If you're with me and you can do that, fine, if not, hit the road."
Now, when he does hit the ground running, stepping on toes and making all kinds of changes, he has a team of seasoned professionals on his side and nobody can claim that he's a rogue acting alone and dangerously with no experience behind him.
Let's see what happens.
MacDaddy:
1. What's your secret? I went to Christopher's blog and only found one big white wall staring out me from my browser. Whassup with that?
2. I'm luke warm about Richardson and definitely opposed to Kerry as SoS. HRC definitely done BHO wrong in the primary, but I definitely think she can prove to be an improvement over Richardson (never understood what people think so highly of him for). But why not Wesley Clark????
3. HRC has no shot at POTUS, assuming we can keep BHO safe. I see Senator Caroline Kennedy facing off against Senator Jeb Bush in 2016. (You all heard it first on DADDYbSTRONG!)
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