Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York has reservations about accepting an appointment as secretary of state in the Obama administration, an adviser to Mrs. Clinton who is familiar with her thinking said on Tuesday.
The adviser described Mrs. Clinton as flattered by President-elect Barack Obama’s interest but said she was agonizing over the decision. Mrs. Clinton likes being her own boss and is reluctant to give up the independence that comes with that, said the adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the process was at a delicate stage.
I love these "friends," especially the "spoke on condition of anonymity because the process was at a delicate stage" bit. If this "friend" really believes the "process is at a delicate stage" how does their speaking, anonymously or otherwise, help? I swear to Gawd, people just love to see their words in the paper don't they? The Clintons have too many "friends" like this. One thing Obama has over the Clintons, their "friends" know how to keep their yaps shut.
On a related note, David Border (?!?) writes a mostly good column on why Hillary should turn down the job:
I do not doubt that she could do the job -- and do it well. I have been a fan of the former first lady's since I covered her efforts for health-care reform 15 years ago. What I saw in the recent campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination was convincing evidence of her physical stamina and moral courage, and of her capacity to improve her own performance at every step of the process. I admired her readiness to endorse and campaign hard for Obama after her own candidacy fell short.
What, then, is the problem? Clinton is the wrong person for that job in this administration. It's not the best use of her talents, and it's certainly not the best fit for this new president.
. . . Some commentators have suggested that Hillary Clinton is frustrated by her lack of seniority in the Senate and the fact that she is not yet a chairman of any of the committees handling big policy areas. I find that a curious notion. Her influence, which is vast, does not rest on seniority. It rests on the respect she has won from colleagues in both parties for her hard work, her preparation and her mastery of the substance of policy. Senators want her support for their efforts, and both Republicans and Democrats are eager to join hers, because they know she commands a unique audience both in the Capitol and across the country. That was true in the past, and it is even more true after the impressive campaign she ran for the presidential nomination.
If Clinton can be of service to Obama in Foggy Bottom, she can be of even greater value as an ally on Capitol Hill.
I see it that way too. My one reservation on this is that Bill Richardson seems to be the person Obama would pick if clinton does not take the job. That would be a grievous mistake. Richardson is a dolt, unfit for the position. John Kerry is vastly superior to Richardson for this job. But he seems not to be under consideration.
By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only
