Todd Beeton at MyDD has a post up regarding rumored talks between the Obama camp and the Clinton camp with respect to Clinton stepping down from the race.
The former First Lady would get the chance to pilot Mr Obama’s reforms of the American healthcare system if she agrees to clear the path to his nomination as Democratic presidential candidate. Senior figures in the Obama camp have told Democrat colleagues that the offer to Mrs Clinton of a cabinet post as health secretary or to steer new legislation through the Senate will be a central element of their peace overtures to the New York senator.
Personally, I’d like to see Sen. Clinton as majority leader in the Senate. I’m not sure how you get Sen. Reid to step aside, but I think she’d be better at the job. If she would like the health secretary position, that would be pretty outstanding as well. Having Sen. Clinton in a position of power, focused primarily on the health care issue sounds to me like a positive thing for the country.
More cabinet rumors:
Another Democrat who has discussed strategy with friends in the Obama inner circle said that Mr Obama was openly considering asking Mrs Clinton to join his cabinet, alongside two other former presidential rivals: John Edwards, who is seen as a likely attorney general; and Joe Biden, who is a leading contender to become Secretary of State. Mr Obama hinted at the plan last week. “One of my heroes is Abraham Lincoln,” he said. “Lincoln basically pulled in all the people who had been running against him into his cabinet because whatever personal feelings there were, the issue was ‘how can we get this country through this time of crisis?’ And I think that has to be the approach that one takes.”
I don’t suppose Sen. McCain would be interested in the Secretary of Defense position?
katie says
Sen. Clinton will not concede the nomination tonight :)
Doug says
I wonder if she’ll “suspend her campaign” or promise a fight through the convention or what.
katie says
Myself, I perfer the reports saying the “senator has made the decision (to suspend) in part to give her greater leverage in negotiating with Obama on matters including the potential for her to join him on the ticket as vice president.”
BTW, anyone know what IN state law allows regarding presidential write-in?
Rev. AJB says
Maybe it’s because I watched “Kinsey” last night; but I can’t help but look at your headline and think, “Honey, I’m sorry, I’m a victim of premature speculation;-)”
Dave says
I don’t know if having her involved is going to get anything done. She couldn’t get it done the first time, and I’m afraid that she’ll be too partisan to actually form the compromises necessary to get something as huge as health care reform through a divided congress.
Though I suppose if you keep her close, then its harder for her to work against you in 2012.
Buzzcut says
Maybe it’s because I watched “Kinsey†last night;
Good god, what did you do that for?
I’m catching up with the first season of 24. Strangely, Senator Palmer is very Obama-ish, but his wife is TOTALLY Michelle Obama. Totally.
Isn’t 24 like 8 years old or so? How did they know?
Buzzcut says
What the hell does Hillary know about health OR human services?
Rev. AJB says
I’m an IU grad. I was there when the second-most controversial director (behind Kinsey himself) was in charge of the Kinsey Institute. And it just happened to be on IFC last night as I was flipping channels.
I was mad that they didn’t film any of the scenes in Bloomington or at IU.
John M says
Yeah. Considering that the parts of IU’s campus that existed in the early 1950s are fairly well-preserved, I was disappointed that they didn’t use some shots of the campus, at least as scene-setting footage.
eclecticvibe says
As for presidential write-in you have to register as a write-in candidate by July 3. Indiana has a sore loser law, so if you compete in a Primary, you cannot compete in the general as another party’s candidate or independent. Write-in votes aren’t counted in counties such as Marion or St. Joe unless the write-in candidates win a plurality of the votes.
Rev. AJB says
Yeah, and I also didn’t like the way Herman B. Wells was portrayed. I mean it’s pretty well known that he was gay; but I didn’t think he was wishy-washy. He was the one who built IU to be the school it is today. He was still the beloved “father-figure” who was rolled out at every function I went to when I was at IU.
Oh well, you can’t have everything!
Parker says
I’ve got to ask – why do you want Hillary as Senate majority leader?
Anything specific?
Doug says
Nothing in particular. I just get the sense that she’d be more effective than Reid has been. If nothing else, her media profile is high enough that she’d get more attention when she pointed out how much legislation is stalling because of Republican filibusters.
Don’t get me wrong, filibusters are part of the game; but I get the sense that there is a feeling out there that the Congress isn’t getting anything done and I think that more attention ought to be paid to why that is.
Buzzcut says
I threw out the Senate Majority Leader idea simply because she happens to be a Senator, and it is a position with more power, which she does seem to crave.
It’s a bone. What other bones would she take?
She deserves something. She’s going to lose to Obama by less than 1%.
Buzzcut says
Don’t get me wrong, filibusters are part of the game; but I get the sense that there is a feeling out there that the Congress isn’t getting anything done
And the electorate is going to fix that situation by giving the Democrats the House, a fillibuster proof majority in the Senate, and the Presidency come November.
Wouldn’t you think that Hillary would want to be Senate ML over 60 Democrat Senators?
Doug says
Just, for what it’s worth, I predict the Senate will be 54 (D), 44 (R), 2 (I) and that the House will be 250(D) – 185(R).
John Good says
What do you think of Clinton as a Supreme Court justice? . .
Doug says
I suspect she’d be a decent one though I don’t know how deeply she’s thought about Constitutional issues or the nature of her thinking.
Parker says
Doug –
You or I would be more effective than Reid. Heck, I’d give odds on my dog Harry being better. Certainly more popular – or at least furrier!
But what do you think Hillary would bring to the job that would be good for the country?
And Supreme Court justice? I just don’t get that at all…
Rev. AJB says
Could you imagine trying to get her through the process of becoming a Supreme Court justice. You thought Bork had it bad….