Obama's dilemma: two Clintons
for the price of one!
By Arun Kumar
Washington,
Nov 20 (IANS) Amid continued media frenzy over the possibility
of Hillary Clinton becoming the next secretary of state, Bill
Clinton is reported to have made several concessions to help
move his wife's vetting process along.
Among
other things the former president has agreed to make public
all donors to his foundation and clearing all of his future
speeches and charitable activities with Obama administration
officials, media reports said citing Democratic sources.
But
there continued to be some dispute about whether president-elect
Barack Obama had formally offered the job to Hillary Clinton.
However, aides to Obama were Wednesday quoted as saying that
it would be difficult for her to now walk away from the position.
Obama's
staff has gone down the path of thoroughly vetting her and
her husband with the understanding that, if he should make
an official job offer, she would accept it, the Washington
Post cited the aides as saying.
Another
candidate for the post, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson,
emerged from his meeting with Obama last Friday under the
impression that the job had not been filled, it said. The
2004 Democratic presidential candidate Senator John F. Kerry
is also said to be on Obama's shortlist for the position.
Two
Obama transition officials cited by CNN didn't say how fast
financial information is being turned over, but they did shoot
down a report suggesting that transition officials are annoyed
by slow cooperation from the Clintons.
Clinton
is mulling whether to take the post with her husband and close
advisers, the Post said citing a source, noting that becoming
the nation's top diplomat would be a major and career-changing
decision for the former first lady.
Bill
Clinton said Wednesday that he would do whatever was asked
of him in regard to the vetting process.
"Whatever
they want, this is a deal between president-elect and Hillary
and you should talk to them, but I'll do whatever they want,"
he said. "We're both committed, completely committed
to his success so that's for them to work out.
Whatever
they do, I'll support."
Clinton's
international and financial dealings with his foundation and
presidential library have been a sticking point with an Obama
camp worried that Clinton's position in the cabinet could
create a potential conflict of interest as the country's top
diplomat, CNN said.
"I
think that he knows a lot of world leaders and he has informal
conversations with those world leaders, and those will be
conversations that the administration will not be able to
track nor can they control," said Politico's Jeanne Cummings.
Steve
Clemons, director of the American Strategy Programme of the
New America Foundation, said despite their policy differences,
"hiring Clinton may be a masterstroke of genius that
has all the markings of a high-risk, high-reward move with
which this political tycoon Obama has grown comfortable."
"By
bringing her on, Obama finally gets the keys to the Clinton
political franchise, adding it to the Daley, Daschle and Kennedy
Democratic party franchises he has already acquired and integrated.
Obama neutralizes a potential rival for the 2012 race,"
he added.
In
an editorial Wednesday, the Post said "Hillary Clinton
should get fair consideration, but Bill Clinton's role would
have to change."
"Choosing
Clinton would show that Obama (and this comes as no surprise)
is confident enough to surround himself with smart and capable
people. But if Obama chooses Ms. Clinton, he'll get Mr. Clinton
-two for the price of one, you might say," it said summing
up Obama's dilemma.
Indo-Asian
News Service
Prabuddha
Bharata>>>
Vedanta
Kesari>>>
Vedanta
Mass Media>>>
|