What I find most implausible is that the Clintons turned over their list of donors a day or two ago, and that it's already been vetted. For my money, it's more likely than not that the media is manufacturing controversy with or without the help of an unnamed transition official. But Palin at the turkey farm - what was that all about?

I suppose with even private insurers climbing on board and money for a marketing blitz a little short this year, Clinton couldn't poison the health care juggernaut, but the specter of using her for a re-run of the 1994 debacle remains a risk, not to mention the temptation for her to extract favors from the insurers in exchange for a sweetheart deal that screws the rest of us.

As Secretary of State she'd be free from the vitriol of domestic critics and be freed up to do serious work that she has some tailwind for. Her husband was rather popular on the world stage, she's met several heads of state so she isn't an unfamiliar face. Finally, I'd love to see what she does with what amounts to half a presidency before I see her face again in 2016.

This is a superb opportunity for a dry run by a would-be president. I don't much like her, but I'd be very curious to see what she could do as SoS and it would allow me to find out whether I'm wrong about her.

Not sure how much fundraising an SoS is capable of compared with a Senator and she has bills to pay, so maybe THAT's what's holding her back? Those DLC roots aren't easy to loosen.

I think all the leaking has disqualified her at State. Why would any President put up with a SOS who can't keep her mouth shut. I know, I know, she isn't personally leaking, but she hasn't told her camp to stifle either.

Personally, I think he wants her out of the Senate. In no time she'd start obstructing him at every turn and begin to make noises about another run in 2012. This solves that problem and puts her on his leash. she has to tow his line. Its a very high profile job and if she screws up or appears to be undermining the President it will reflect very badly on her.

I think she could do a good job as Secretary of State and it it would throw a wet blanket on any mischief. First term Secretary of State. Late in the term he'll throw her on the Supreme Court if he gets the chance and she's there for life.Problem solved.

Can we get real here?

Any other Democrat on the face of the earth would have accepted this offer immediately, for two obvious reasons. First, it's a critical job that puts the candidate at the spear-point tip of American foreign policy. If you want to have an effect on this nation's standing in the world, which affects all else from national security to jobs to our future decades hence, you couldn't do more if you were President.

Second, the presdent-elect of your own party asked you to do this, AND UNLESS YOU'RE A SELF-INVOLVED PRIMA-DONNA-DIVA-BITCH, you're going to do it for that reason and that reason alone. On what possible basis -- as a politician -- could you turn this down? Who would you have to be to even imagine that you get to pick and choose what you do and when you do it when you actually lost the election?

But this is no ordinary woman. This is the historical baggage known as Hillary Clinton, and we've all got to worry about what she wants, how she feels, whether she's got her asshole husband under control or not, how his betrayal of her was a betrayal of all of us, and how she's really a victim and god would you just make all of this fucking drama go away?

GO AWAY.

It's always all about the Clintons. It's never about the United States of America when the Clintons are involved, it's about them. And the truth of it is they haven't done a whole hell of a lot for our country, either when Bill was in office or afterwards. For God's sake, they didn't even fight to depose Bush in 2004! Instead, Bill Clinton actually sucked up to and validated the Bush family during those years, including during and after Katrina.

WHAT THE FUCK???

Go away. Go back to the Senate. Or better yet, quit and start your own pity party like Ralph Nader.

Just stay away from the Obama administration because you're nothing but one big ego, and we don't need the distracton(s).

I'm not sure that SoS would be prelude to another POTUS run for HRC. After two Obama terms she would be 68 or 69, and SoS is a tiring gig with much more traveling than a Senate seat. She may see it as a very prestigious dead end - but who knows? I say she takes it.

but Clinton is left without a gavel of her own. It's no one's fault, and she isn't being deliberately slighted

Gee, if they hadn't insisted on keeping Holy Joe as a seatwarmer at the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, that one would have been open. But I guess it was more important to keep an avowed turncoat in place at one of the Senate's most important chairmanships than to let 2008's second-highest Democratic primary vote-getter have a committee of any sort.

Many people think Hillary would be ideal to work on a new UC type health plan. But OTOH, her involvement in early 90s left a bad taste in many mouths, not all conservative. It is not at all clear that her being deeply involved in a major overhaul of health care would be a good thing.

I was puzzled at first, but the more I think about, the less strange it seems to me. She's what, 60 or 61 now? So unless she wants to die in harness like Strom Thurmond, a "lifetime" Senate seat probably doesn't mean more than one more re-election, if that. I certainly wouldn't be surprised if she wanted to retire in 2012, at the end of her current term. So it's not like the choice is between 4 years at State and 20 more years in the Senate--the time frames are similar.

It's also certainly possible that she doesn't like the Senate that much--I think her choice to run for Senate was largely driven by her larger political ambitions to become president. Now that they're foiled, she might not be so enthusiastic about staying on in the Senate.

Plus, as Secretary of State you're the person in charge of a large and important department, as opposed to only being 1 of 100 Senators, playing at best a supporting role to leadership which is playing a supporting role to the President.

"But, she hasn't told her staff to stifle either"

Funny, never really thought of her in a Archie Bunker sort of way. Perhaps if she had told Bill to stifle himself, as Archie told Edith, might have helped.

Gee, if they hadn't insisted on keeping Holy Joe as a seatwarmer at the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, that one would have been open.
And the gavel would have been handed to someone else with more seniority. Chairmanships, particularly those of the sixteen standing committees, are given out based on seniority. It's doubtful that opening one more chairmanship would even have created an opening for Clinton to chair one of the lesser committees.

I can't really fathom why Hillary would want to remain the junior senator from New York in lieu of taking a role as prominent and significant as Secretary of State. If I were she, I'd try to do some good on the international scene and then enjoy retirement -- why so many senators seems to want to stay in office until they die is a mystery to me.

Quite apart from Hillary, I find it interesting that nobody seems to mind having senators who are approaching the age of John McCain's mother, with some being considerably less spry and mentally sharp than she is. I realize it will never happen, but I'm starting to think a mandatory retirement age for congress critters in both chambers would make a lot of sense. It certainly would be one way of making sure a senator doesn't have to wait decades before getting a gavel!

She's what, 60 or 61 now? So unless she wants to die in harness like Strom Thurmond, a "lifetime" Senate seat probably doesn't mean more than one more re-election, if that. I certainly wouldn't be surprised if she wanted to retire in 2012, at the end of her current term. So it's not like the choice is between 4 years at State and 20 more years in the Senate--the time frames are similar.

She lives a healthy lifestyle has enormous energy, and is a great legislator. I'll be sad to see her go.

why speculate about something that is going on behind closed doors? Everything we know about this comes from the media which is a highly unreliable narrator. They are spinning stories based on the comments of "Clinton people" or "those close to Obama" who may or may not know anything, in fact. And any speculation which involves divining the intentions of Hillary Clinton, getting into her head, is a trip to a fantasy-land of our own making.

Have we learned anything from the selection of Joe Biden as Secy of State? The whole Hillary as VP speculation thread was 90% media created bullshit.

I think Hillary Clinton would do a Great Job as Secretary of State for our President-elect Barack Obama. People should not Utter words about other's. Don't Judge the Cover of a Book! Hillary Clinton was Our First Lady in the White House when her Husband Bill Clinton was Our President, and she knows what she's talking about. Folks! out there! You must be Jealous and you don't have the Ability and Knowledge to hold that Secretary of State Position like Hillary Clinton. She's a very smart woman and fits in that positon perfectly.

I agree with ThePhantom here. There's a sense of entitlement about Hillary Clinton, a sense that she's bigger than the game. It's this sense that led her campaign to believe the narch to the nomination was a coronation -- and more than anything else, that's what energized Obama's candidacy as a truly viable alternative to the same old Clinton games the public was largely sick and tired of playing.

If Hillary Clinton wants to contribute to public policy, she can, just as Edward Kennedy has done successfully for decades. I don't believe he's never been a majority (or minority) leader. If she's more interested in power for power's sake, keeping in the public eye and another White House run, then to hell with her.

Obama thwarted HRC in the election but he thwarted WJC as much or more. I think she'll take SOS because it slots in with Bill's globe trotting and view of himself as a global kind of guy. As much as HRC has accomplished, Bill is always lurking. It's amazing what she's put up with from him but I get the impression that she still defers to Bill.

The Senate was as much a route back to the White House for him as her and she was going to win it for them both. Now that that path has been taken away, what's the next best thing for Bill? Hillary becoming ambassador/peacemaker/negotiator to the world with Bill in tow, jetting around the world at taxpayer expense and hobnobbing with his buddies hither and yon. There's no need to contend with the hard stuff like the president has to deal with and Hillary gets to bail on the Senate which will just be a constant reminder of what she didn't get.

How truly dedicated to the state and citizens of New York will Hillary be if Bill is traveling and she is in the Senate working on Health Care? She wants to be with him and she wants him to be with her.

Just as when they were in the WH, we'll be getting a twofer at State when she takes the position.

There should be a leadership position available for her. I think senate majority leader Clinton just rolls off the tongue.

Sounds so much better than senate majority leader Reid.

For everyone who argued that Reid didn't undercut Obama with his first offer to Lieberman, I present this as evidence that Reid is undercutting Obama again.

Oh you want her for state? Well, let's see if she'd rather have what I offer.

Looks like Reid is going to be the main source of opposition for Obama's policies.

She can have Harry Reid's job anytime she wants it as far as I'm concerned.

Poor choice, Not as bad as Rice, but another abrasive jerk in a diplomat's post.

Another vote here for the Phantom's position. It's beyond me why everyone isn't just plain sick and tired of the Clinton show. The Clintons are just another manifestation of our sad, sick fascination with celebrities of all types. It's one thing to go ga-ga over a rock star, who after all, can't do anything to affect our lives unless we allow him/her to do so. But a politician in a senior post? Major damage potential.

And then there is Article 1, Section 6 of the Constitution: "No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office."

Cabinet salaries have been raised since Jan 2007, when Clinton began her current term of office. Obama, the Con law guy, surely knows this. As will every senator when the time for advice and consent rolls around. Does he really want to try an end run around the Constitution?

The last thing Obama needs is Hillary in any kind of Senate leadership position, let alone majority leader. Given the Clinton's unyielding personal ambition and penchant for high drama, NOTHING would get done with Hillary as majority leader, since she would use a Senate position more to block any Obama initiatives than to enable them, always with an eye toward her own next run.

Not that Harry Reid is any prize, but Hillary? No, thanks. Off to SoS with her, if that's how it's got to be.

I wish Hillary and Bill Clinton would stay out of the Obama Administration! She would be more useful as a senator - her healthcare that she's so devoted to... don't abandon your principles now. No more Clintons!

I'm of the opinion that she never really wanted to be Senator anyway. It was just a stepping stone to the presidency, which is all she really wanted. And now she's realized that she's missed her shot and has almost no chance of getting it, and is just looking for some last big thing before letting her bow out of politics gracefully.

Were she to quit her seat now or even at the end of her term, it'd make it obvious that she was only in the Senate in order to pad her resume. Nor would she want out by losing an election. But...if she accepts this gig and does a good job at it, she'll have left her mark on history much better than anything she'd do as one of one hundred in the Senate. So that's what I think it's all about. And it's even possible that she's decided a strong enough stint as SOS is enough to help her restart her presidential campaign, as she'd want some better resume padding than what she's got. But whatever it is, I don't think she ever really saw herself as Senator Clinton, and was only in it for the experience. And this allows her out of all that, without making it obvious that she wanted out.

She's 61 but she's female. Women live longer. She would have to get to 80 before she fades the way McCain is at 73.

What impresses me is how much the other Democrats in the Senate apparently want her to stay there. If she quits she'll just be replaced by another Democrat (appointed by Governor Patterson).

I think it's pretty simple. Hillary wants to run for President again, and she knows one of the knocks on her was no foreign policy experience. And I doubt Bill would be bending over backwards to cooperate, if Hillary didn't really want the job.

Senate was a steeping stone to her entitled run for the Whitehouse...Now she has been there 7+ years and has not ONE chairmanship to her name---reflects her lack of people skills.

She never traveled 'with portfolio' only as the 'wife of' or 'in the party of' ...She is a guiltless liar who made up her credentials and borrowed her Husbands CV...

This is a pit of despicable moral ineptitude and OBama has fallen into to it!!!Forgeting that men in the 1860's were honorable---regardless of the rivalry!!!

ThePhantom @ 8:26 PM posted "...It's alwats about the Clintons...,it's about them."
Actually, it's about the media. Apparently you can't recognize that what is propelling these stories isn't the Clintons, but is rather the media attempting to hide the fact that they have nothing to report. Can't have that so, let's try a report on what we think is running through Sen. Clinton's mind. That has been the standard operating procedure for the media on any story that concerns the Clintons for nearly two decades now.
I don't wonder that many people suffer from "Clinton Fatigue", but I do wonder that these same people don't recognize that they are being played, time and time again by the same sloppy journalists and wannabe insiders who know that anything, sane or not, about the Clintons is NEWS! and therefore must be immediately disseminated, whether there is any basis of truth in the story or not.
To be honest, the biggest divas I've ever seen have been posters on the various liberal/progressive/Democratic blogs.
Oh, and in case you haven't realized it yet, I am quite happy with Sen. Clinton as a senator, would have been delighted to have seen her as President, and quite willing to let Mr. Obama pick her as SoS if that is the postion he wants her in.
(Does the "nyaah" go here? Or should I make a separate entry?)

Everything is going to be just fine. Remember the good ole days? They call them the good ole days for a reason: http://www.236.com/news/2008/11/21/7_reasons_why_hiring_a_clinton_1_10374.php