How's That Senate Gig Looking Now, Hillary?

For some strange reason I think Dick Morris had way too much fun when writing this column. Did Obama effectively wall off Hillary? Will she strike back if the opportunity presents? Has she finished the transformation from harridan to sympathetic figure? How is it that with her and Bill's financial history she may be the least controversial appointee in Obama's Cabinet on that score?

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is finding that her job description is dissolving under her feet, leaving her with only a vestige of the power she must have thought she acquired when she signed on to be President Obama’s chief Cabinet officer.

Since her designation:

Vice President Biden has moved vigorously to stake out foreign policy as his turf. His visit to Afghanistan, right before the Inauguration, could not but send a signal to Hillary that he would conduct foreign policy in the new administration, leaving Hillary in the role of backup.

Richard Holbrooke, the former Balkan negotiator and U.N. ambassador, has been named special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan. He insisted on direct access to the president, a privilege he was denied during much of the Clinton years.

Former Sen. George Mitchell (D-Maine), negotiator of the Irish Peace Accords, was appointed to be the administration’s point man on Arab-Israeli negotiations.

Samantha Powers, Obama’s former campaign aide, who once called Hillary a “monster,” has been appointed to the National Security Council (NSC) as director of “multilateral affairs.”

Gen. James L. Jones, Obama’s new national security adviser, has announced an expansion of the membership and role of the NSC. He pledges to eliminate “back channels” to the president and wants to grow the NSC’s role to accommodate the “dramatically different” challenges of the current world situation.

Susan Rice, Obama’s new United Nations ambassador, insisted upon and got Cabinet rank for her portfolio, and she will presumably also have the same kind of access to Obama that she had as his chief foreign policy adviser during the campaign.

So where does all this leave Secretary of State Clinton?

While sympathy for Mrs. Clinton is outside the normal fare of these columns, one cannot help but feel that she is surrounded by people who are, at best, strangers and, at worst, enemies. The competition that has historically occupied secretaries of State and national security advisers seems poised to ratchet up to a new level in the current administration.

Comments

[mark l.]

secretary of state is the BEST job for someone who wants to stay in the politcal spotlight, but bear no reponsiblity for national governance.

if hrc was fighting in the senate, it would only be to support the figurehead, obama-no credit would be given to her.

not a big hil fan, but I am happy for her. I'm certain if she had won, the stimulus plan would have come from her own team, and not outsourced it to the house.

[WBestPresidentEver]

I have finally figured out where all the loons in the entire democratic party get their news and views. This communist Web page goes on and on. UNBELIEVEABLE !

Marxist thought online.
http://www.politicalaffairs.net/section-Standard/

[mark l.]

fodder for conspiracy buffs...

succession to the presidency puts sec of state at #4.

the laugher is that tim geithner would follow her at #5.

[PA]

"where does all this leave Secretary of State Clinton?"

Immune to blame for any sort of economic meltdown caused by Obama/Pelosi/Reid

[Dan]

Mark - After Obama, we'd be done before we got through Biden. There wouldn't be anything left to govern.

[Jane]

I think watching this will be absolutely fascinating. Her mind must be whirling as she tries to figure out how to get out of Foggy Bottom and on some plane to visit some highly sensitive ME country to have a giant photo op with Chelsea in tow (and this time, she'll dodge bullets for real.) I think she makes it two years, tops. Does she challege O in 2012? Hmmmm....

[mark l.]

I think obama is just a figurehead.
Rahm emmanuel controls whitehouse policy, as evidenced by the House being the source of the stimulus.
obama is just a reflection of rahm.

how good is emmanuel?
anybody coming into the wh as #1 would have him replaced.

[mark l.]

to be filed under poor meassage preparation:

obama gives his 'economic speech'.
the next day geithner shows up and basically says the dog ate his homework.

can't think of any quality chief of staff who would let the momentum of a potus speech be followed up by geithner's folly. some bad days left to be had, this week, that were preventable.

[Daro]

Rahm hates Hillary's guts. She once called him a f*cking Jew and he's never forgotten it...

[WarrenY]

If Billary had any sense, she would immediately resign from her position as Secretary of State, prominently noting the undermining of her position by Dear Leader.

[WarrenY]

If Billary had any sense, she would immediately resign from her position as Secretary of State, prominently noting the undermining of her position by Dear Leader.

[Oh, bother]

"So where does all this leave Secretary of State Clinton?"

About where Judd Gregg is, except he should have seen it coming.