Secretary of State : Hillary Clinton
Who would have ever THUNK it? Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama's Secretary of State! Why would Obama offer it? Why would Hillary accept it? What's the message in the madness anyway? Obama is to be joined by the New York senator at a Chicago news conference today, Democratic officials said, where Obama also plans to announce that Defense Secretary Robert Gates would remain in his job for a year or more and that retired Marine General James M. Jones would serve as national security adviser.
A deal with Bill Clinton over his post-White House work helped clear the way for Hillary Rodham Clinton to join President-elect Barack Obama's national security team as secretary of state, reshaping a once-bitter rivalry into a high-profile strategic and diplomatic union. Once more, would have ever, ever THUNK it? :-)
To hear Dick Morris tell it (as he has), Hillary would not accept the role and Bill Clinton has too many skeletons in the closet to make it work though a Senatorial approval process, especially with the minority but pesky Republicans ready to launch. But, to make it possible for his wife to become the top U.S. diplomat, the officials said, former President Clinton agreed to the following.
1-To disclose the names of every contributor to his foundation since its inception in 1997.
2-To refuse donations from foreign governments to the Clinton Global Initiative.
3-To cease holding CGI meetings overseas.
4-To volunteer to step away from day-to-day management of the foundation while his wife is secretary of state.
5-To submit his speaking schedule to review by the State Department and White House counsel.
6-To submit any new sources of income to a similar ethical review.
Bill Clinton's business deals and global charitable endeavors had been expected to create problems for the former first lady's nomination. But in negotiations with the Obama transition team, the former president agreed to several measures designed to bring transparency to those activities. Well of course! After Hillary steps down she will have such great inside information on all foreign governments, anythin is possible- even possibly being the United Nations Secretary General! :-)
