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Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Rich Galen :: Townhall.com Columnist
Obama and Billary
by Rich Galen
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Will the Dems' health care Christmas Present to America be an improvement or detriment to our health care system?


Here's the line-up of President-elect Barack Obama's advisors and Cabinet officers as of tonight:
Attorney General - Eric Holder
Chief of Staff - Rahm Emanuel
Commerce - Bill Richardson
Council of Economic Advisors - Christina Romer
Defense - Robert Gates
Health & Human Services - Tom Daschle
Homeland Security - Janet Napolitano
National Economic Council - Larry Summers
National Security Advisor - James Jones
State - Hillary Clinton
Treasury - Timothy Geithner
UN Ambassador - Susan Rice

The biggie on that list is Sen. Clinton to be Secretary of State.

To be fair, former President Bill Clinton pretty much opened up his donor files and made his speaking schedule and new income sources subject to ethics reviews. Sounds like a small price, but for someone like Bill Clinton that - and other concessions - are very big deals.

The popular press was abuzz with conjecture as to whether former First Lady, soon-to-be Former Senator, and soon-to-be Secretary Clinton could toe whatever lines might be drawn by Mr. Obama.

She will. She's put up with Bill Clinton. She'll put up with Barack Obama.

But that's not going to be the fun part. The fun part is going to watch whether soon-to-be former Gov. Bill Richardson can keep his feet away from Hillary's toes.

Richardson was a minor Congressman from New Mexico when he engaged in some personal but Carteresque high profile foreign policy as the AP's Josef Herber reports:

As a seven-term congressman, Richardson showed a knack for freelance diplomacy, rushing off to such places as North Korea, Sudan, Cuba and Iraq on unofficial diplomatic missions.

In 1995, he persuaded Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to release two American aerospace workers who had wandered into Iraq from Kuwait. He helped free three Red Cross workers in Sudan and mediated with North Korea over the downing of two U.S. Army helicopter pilots.

You may remember that Richardson wanted to be President, but dropped out of the race in early January. Around Easter, despite assuring Bill Clinton that he would not abandon the Clintons who promoted him to UN Ambassador and Secretary of Energy, he endorsed Obama.

That led Mull-fave James Carville to say according to an NY Times piece by Adam Nagourney and Jeff Zeleny:

"Mr. Richardson's endorsement came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver, so I think the timing is appropriate, if ironic."

Richardson made it known he would not be opposed to being named Vice President in payment for having endorsed Obama. That didn't happen so he made it known he wouldn't be opposed to using his talents running the State Department in the first Obama Administration.

That didn't happen, either. Not only did he not get the State Department gig, but it went to … Hillary Clinton.

And you wonder why I stay in Washington decade after decade.

Hillary Clinton, who was spurned by Bill Richardson in favor of Barack Obama, is getting the job that Bill Richardson really wanted from Barack Obama.

Richardson is going to be Commerce Secretary which is a very exciting job. Anyone know the name of the current Commerce Secretary? That would be Carlos M. Gutierrez.

Nice guy. Competent guy. Seen him lately on the Sunday shows talking about how the U.S. Department of Commerce is handling the economic downturn?

Here's the top item on the Department of Commerce's website on how the Secretary is intimately involved in the Big Three auto manufacturers' bailout: Late last week Secretary Gutierrez and Energy Secretary Bodman submitted letters to Chairmen Dodd and Franks, outlining specific benchmarks to determine financial viability.

I am not beating up on the Commerce Department or on Secretary Gutierrez.

My point is, this is what Richardson got. The notion that he will be satisfied watching Hillary Clinton on Meet the Press every other week while he is sending strongly-worded letters to Senate and House Committee chairs is laughable.

Obama may be assembling a Team of Rivals, but there is no evidence that the team will play nicely together.

It is Obama and Billary. But the Bill is Richardson, not Clinton.

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About The Author

Rich Galen has been a press secretary to Dan Quayle and Newt Gingrich. Rich Galen currently works as a journalist and writes at Mullings.com

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(19 comments so Far)
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Reply # 1
Date: Dec 3, 2008 - 11:47 AM EST
The next four years...

... is going to be interesting in many ways.

Obama HAD to make Hillary SECSTATE to keep her from opposing him in the 2012 primaries.

Just watch - a few years as SECSTATE, then she'll be his first appointment to the SCOTUS.
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Reply # 2
Date: Dec 3, 2008 - 12:51 PM EST
Primus54
Even had Hillary Clinton remained in the Senate rather than deciding to be Secretary of State, I think it's EXTREMELY unlikely that Hillary Clinton would have opposed Barack Obama in the 2012 primaries. The age when a powerful rival in one's own political party seriously challenged an incumbent president in their own party for a second term if the incumbent wanted one went out with the 19th century. Look at Teddy Kennedy's failed attempt to deny Carter re-nomination in 1980.

The only road for Hillary Clinton to have even THOUGHT about a viable presidential run in 2012 would, frankly, have to be paved over the dead body of Barack Obama. As long as Obama was still alive by the primary season in 2012, whether he proved to be acceptable in his four years or was an unmitigated disaster even in the minds of Democrats, Hillary had no realistic way of being able to be elected president in 2012. In fact, that she accepted the Secretary of State position tells me that she has come to terms with the bitter reality that she will all but certainly never be elected president. I can't imagine that she would have accepted the position if she thought she could still make a realistic try for the White House in 2012 absent the demise of Barack Obama by then.

Actually, though, I personally am DELIGHTED to see her as SoS. And, although many of her Democratic Senate colleagues would never publicly admit this, I'm sure they ALSO are delighted to get her out of the Senate (and I'm sure Nancy Pelosi is privately rejoicing about this as well, as she won't have to compete with Hillary for the role of queen bee on the Hill).

I'm actually still quite surprised Hillary accepted this job, given that if either she or much more likely Bill makes problems for Obama, he can fire her - and then she's TOTALLY out of the game in Washington DC.
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Reply # 3
Date: Dec 3, 2008 - 12:52 PM EST
2 DAYS/4 JUSTICES = REAL "CHANGE"?
Yes, folks, approximately 48 hours from this posting, at least four Supreme Court justices, perhaps more, will determine whether or not the Donofrio lawsuit goes to a hearing. Fasten your belts, it's going to be a bumpy ride (for B.O. supporters).
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Reply # 4
Date: Dec 3, 2008 - 1:40 PM EST
I am still shocked
Hillary took the job. I think it was a set up. Obama needed Bill's people - all of them, to fill his cabinet. He had no plan for becoming President. The two most important positions (Gates and Hillary) are important for one reason and one reason alone - blame. If something happens "to test Obama" in the words of his VP - he can blame Bush and Hillary. Bush since Gates was "his man" and Hillary because her job was to make everything happy, good, calm, and peaceful all over the world.
I thought her to be more poltically savvy than this consellation prize that will absolutely backfire in her face. She will finally really be "under fire", but it will be from American's declaring she set Obama up and didn't do her job at the first sign of an attack or our soil or soil we own (embassy somewhere).
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Reply # 5
Date: Dec 3, 2008 - 2:59 PM EST
Hillary And The Two Bills.
It is puzzling to me why Oama has selected used retreads for his cabinet. Would serious people have voted for him if they had suspected it would be Clinton Redux?

The lower IQ people who voted for him would not care if he selected the Seven Dwarfs as his cabinet. Some did not even know he had a cabiinet,except a kitchen or bath cabinet.

I thought at one time the Clinton's had dirt on him and would force him to do their bidding. I still wonder about that.
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Reply # 6
Date: Dec 3, 2008 - 3:08 PM EST
Standshisground

Excellent points in your reply.

Although I wouldn't put it past ANY Clinton to defy historical precedent in primaries.

Ted Kennedy was a victim of his indiscretions and being viewed as the "not very bright" brother of John & Bobby.

But, I hadn't thought about Hillary getting fired and being banished from power.

Interesting...
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Reply # 7
Date: Dec 3, 2008 - 3:33 PM EST
Ah, yes
2009 promises to be the beginning of some very interesting times..O the magic one promises changes and he gives U.S. a combination of
Obamabots and clintonistas (with a couple of
exceptions). It's like putting camel spiders and scorpians in the same bucket..
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Reply # 8
Date: Dec 3, 2008 - 4:07 PM EST
Don't feel sorry for Bill
Don't feel sorry that Bill had to open up his files, etc. to get Hillary the job. Look at what he has gained! First, she is fourth in line for the throne - ah - Presidency. Second, he can get all these FREE trips around the world. And third, he gets to campaign (at no cost to himself) to be elected the Secretary General of the UN next time it comes up. What more can he ask for? (I know, I know. He can get all the free sex too.)
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Reply # 9
Date: Dec 3, 2008 - 4:09 PM EST
Obama not a NATURAL BORN US Citizen!
Hey folks, don't you think it's a little presumptuous to argue about Obama's appointments and policies, when he's not even a natural born US citizen? Ergo, he doesn't meet one of the three basic qualifications for the presidency? HE WAS BORN IN KENYA, AND ALL HE HAS IS A FAKE BIRTH CERTIFICATE.

DEMAND OBAMA PROVE HE'S A NATURAL U.S. BORN CITIZEN - SIGN THE FED EX LETTER TO THE SUPREME COURT TODAY: (deadline is Thurs 12/4 12pm)
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId= 82449

AMERICA IS WORTH IT!
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Reply # 10
Date: Dec 3, 2008 - 4:13 PM EST
Primus54
Some people (not just myself) think that Obama's naming Hillary as Secretary of State was a Machiavellian move in his part and that Obama is secretly HOPING that Hillary (or much more likely, Bill) does something to embarass him or make major problems for him such that he COULD fire her with ample political justification - and therefore dispose of her politically once and for all. If such a thing happened, I can't imagine that Obama's fellow Democrats would side with Hillary in this fracas over their own party's incumbent president. And since she would be out of the Senate and no longer hold any position in Washington DC, she'd have no position to strike back at Obama.

Like you, I actually wouldn't have put it past Hillary to challenge Obama in 2012 based purely on ETHICS or recent HISTORICAL PRECEDENT. Hillary's problem in 2012, without the death by then of Obama, would have been purely PRACTICAL. If Obama had by then done an acceptable enough job as president to retain enough support within the Democratic Party for renomination, then Hillary would have been forced to mount a purely insurgent run against him within her own party - and would surely have antagonized almost all the party's leaders and Congressional delegation. If Obama by 2012 has been such an acknowledged disaster as president even to Democrats that he was either too weak even to win re-nomination in the primaries or decided it was best not to even try for it, leaving the nomination open to Hillary in either case, then Hillary would have been the party's standard-bearer in a year in which the American populace would be extremely unlikely to be in a mood to replace ONE Democrat in the White House with ANOTHER - and therefore she would been looking at the great likelihood of being on the wrong end of a Republican presidential landslide.
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Reply # 11
Date: Dec 3, 2008 - 8:30 PM EST
Hispanic Seat
Maybe the Secretary of Commerce is reserved for Hispanics. Are we seeing a pattern here?

Lots of opportunities for moneymaking and graft. Ron Brown was having a blast as SecCom until he was shot in the head.
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Reply # 12
Date: Dec 3, 2008 - 8:32 PM EST
Why Hillary?
Because her oppo research organization found out that Obama is NOT a natural born citizen. What Hillary wants, Hillary will get.
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Reply # 13
Date: Dec 3, 2008 - 9:28 PM EST
Why Hillary???
I'm not particularly well educated, but I'm NOT THE VILLAGE IDIOT either!!
I think we all agree that Mr O is an extremely clever fellow, but I'm sure he's also smartenough to know that he really doesn't KNOW MUCH! Except Politics.
So it behooves him to surround himself with exactly the sort people we're seeing..And a colossol blunder by Willy wouldn't be out of the question!! !Hillary will serve him WELL..
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Reply # 14
Date: Dec 3, 2008 - 11:43 PM EST
obama is only a orator!
the old clinton bunch will run the white house!we will miss president bush!
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Reply # 15
Date: Dec 4, 2008 - 7:46 AM EST
Billary has ambition
without scruple or limitation.
As SecState she/he/it moves WAY up the line of succession to the Presidency; if I were Obama and Biden, I would be sure NEVER to be on the same flight, or in the same car.
I further suggest that Obama appoint Bill a special emmissary to the Far East to investigate the child pornography/sexslave trade in that area. Now THAT is something he can sink his teeth into, so to speak.
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Reply # 16
Date: Dec 4, 2008 - 1:46 PM EST
no firing.
They may hate each other, but I can't see Obama firing Hillary. He is too "hope and change and peace and make nice" for that, and I think he feels bad for beating her and wants to help her pay off her stupid amounts of campaign debt. I think he'll sic Bill Richardson on her if she makes any trouble. It will be a circus in the illuminati cabinet, that's for sure.
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Reply # 17
Date: Dec 4, 2008 - 7:26 PM EST
Interesting indeed
The next four years will be interesting indeed though I hope it's not tragicaly so.
Possibly the "Change" we might see is complete failure brought on by "The One" and his group of cronies.
Billary certainly will no help.
It all remains to be seen.
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Reply # 18
Date: Dec 4, 2008 - 7:31 PM EST
B.O. SUPPORTERS SWEATING BULLETS TONIGHT
How can they not be really anxious about the Supreme Court deciding whether or not to go forward with litigation that could ultimately pop their balloon?

I wonder what the Comrade's political hacks are thinking on the eve of this? I have a feeling the MSM can't hold the story much longer.
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Reply # 19
Date: Dec 14, 2008 - 9:33 AM EST
"....first administration...".....WHAAT?
We're already conceding a second term to this filth? How can you possibly even write this...unless you are relying on the "jinx" factor.

Oh I hope you are relying on a "jinx" factor. Just say it isn't so.
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