In all the talk about Hillary at State, I have been remiss in giving President-Elect Obama real credit for performing an incredibly important task for the Democratic Party - his rebuke of Clinton Derangement Syndrome. Via Digby (whose post is also a must read), Eric Boehlert wrote a great piece on the matter:

Politico (and Andrea Mitchell at NBC) say so:

President-elect Barack Obama is "on track" to name Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) as his secretary of state shortly after Thanksgiving, two senior Obama aides said. Financial disclosure issues have been worked out, aides said. The officials said they expect her to accept.

I think this is right and I think it has been a done deal, subject to the Bill Clinton financial stuff, since last Thursday. Basically, when the President asks you to serve, you can not say no. I think a lot of the drama was folks on the Obama side hoping to torpedo the idea and hoping that Bill Clinton would provide the excuse. Bill Clinton knew this and made sure that it was perfectly clear that he would do whatever was necessary. On a related note, I agree with Josh Marshall on this:

Update: "The attorney general is conscious, conversant and alert. His vital statistics are strong and he is in good spirits," according to a Justice Department spokesperson.

original post:

This is frightening:

Attorney General Michael Mukasey collapsed during a speech Thursday night and lost consciousness, a Justice Department official said. ... Mukasey was delivering a speech to the Federalist Society at a Washington hotel when "he just started shaking and he collapsed," said Associate Attorney General Kevin O'Connor. "They're very concerned."

Mukasey began slurring his words during the speech before collapsing and losing consciousness. He was taken to George Washington University Hospital.

We send our best wishes to the Attorney General.

Via Glenn Reynolds, the the Right's brief against Holder - it is the Marc Rich pardon. Interestingly, it does not focus on the Clintons, but on Holder himself:

Steve Benen has a good post on it and what it means. As I have said repeatedly, not knowing a damn thing about health care policy, I leave commenting on this to those who do.

Update (TL): The New York Times reports Pritzger has taken herself out of the running for the position.

Politicial Wire:

CNN reports that Chicago businesswoman Penny Pritzker is President-elect Obama's choice to become Secretary of Commerce.

I do not know what the Secretary of Commerce does. I do know that Pritzker was possibly Obama's largest fundraiser. Still and all, it is good to see another woman in the Cabinet.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

So sez Politico:

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) has been chosen to serve as secretary of the vast and troubled Department of Homeland Security for President-elect Obama, Democratic officials said. Napolitano is a border governor who will now be responsible for immigration policy and border security, which are part of Homeland Security’s myriad functions.

I've never really understood what the Department of Homeland Security does so I will not venture to comment if she is a good choice. I am pleased to see a woman chosen for a high profile post.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

When I discuss Clinton Derangement Syndrome, this is what I mean:

Mr. Clinton pledged the same without elaboration. “Whatever they want,” he said. He added that it was between the president-elect and his wife. “You should talk to them. I’ll do whatever they want.” . . . Some in the Obama camp are bristling at what they see as strategic leaks by the Clintons aimed at boxing in the president-elect and forcing him to offer the post.

Excuse me? As I have seen the story, the Clintons were minding their business when, last Thursday (yes, it has only been a week) President-Elect Obama asked Senator Clinton to come see him in Chicago. President Clinton has offered to remove any impediments he may cause. And "some in the Obama camp bristle?" What in the hell? Meanwhile, it turns out Tom Daschle did some negotiating of his own:

Tom Daschle, according to a "source close to Daschle," has been offered and has accepted the cabinet position of Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Update by BTD - As is well known by now, Daschle's wife is a lobbyist. Presumably she will not be working as one now.

Update by TChris - confirmation from Reuters and CNN. The latter source adds this: [more ...]

Politico, after reporting in quite conflicting fashion for the past few days, now posts a story bylined by two of the main purveyors of the "trouble in Obama/Clinton Land" storylines that flatly states:

Negotiations between the Clintons and President-elect Obama’s transition team are rapidly moving toward a formal offer of secretary of State for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), with both sides expecting a formal announcement in the next seven days, according to numerous officials who are involved.

Who knows if this is true but I think it is.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

The NYTimes argues for passage of the Colombian Free Trade Agreement. I agree with that position. But I disagree with passing it now. The Times writes:

We don’t say it all that often, but President Bush is right: Congress should pass the Colombian free-trade agreement now.

The Times is right on the merits but wrong on the timing. Why? Because we just held a national election where the issue of trade was prominent. I imagine the rush to pass it now is because it is not likely to pass with the new Congress and the new President. If that is so, so be it. Elections have consequences. Unlike the economic crisis or the auto bailout, where immediate action is paramount, passage of the Colombian Free Trade Agreement does not require immediate action.

When George Bush won the election in 2004, the continuation of his disastrous Iraq Debacle is what the people voted for. Even though we did not like it. When the Democrats won the 2006 election, the Iraq Debacle should have been ended. Because that is what the people voted for (that it did not is the fault of the cowardly Dem Congress.) Democracy must be respected, whether we like the results or not.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

So sez the WSJ:

Former President Bill Clinton has offered to submit future charitable and business activities to strict ethics reviews if his wife, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, were nominated as secretary of state, according to Democrats familiar with the deliberations. He has also agreed for the first time to disclose many of the previous donors to his efforts.

. . . "Bill Clinton will not be the obstacle to whether Hillary gets this job or not," said one Democrat familiar with the situation. Another person added: "He's willing to be as transparent as the Obama world wants."

But "friends" love to talk: