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| Home Front: Politix |
| Clinton looks to loyalists for State Dept. staff |
| 2008-12-05 |
| Empire Building, the Clinton way... WASHINGTON – Preparing for her new role as secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton is moving to surround herself with a cast of die-hard loyalists and veterans of her husband's administration to help her cope with world crises and backstage Washington power plays. For her team of foreign policy experts, the nation's third female secretary of state is expected to draw heavily from the staff of the first, Madeleine Albright, who was an early supporter of Clinton's unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. Oh, goody... And to deal with internal Obama administration affairs, State Department bureaucratic politics and media pressures, the former first lady appears set to tap current Senate aides and former White House "Hillaryland" stalwarts, whose reputation for insularity and staunch protectiveness has already set off anxiety among career foreign service officers. State Department officials say they have been told to expect visits as early as next week from Clinton advisers who are working with President-elect Barack Obama's incoming transition team. Members of the new administration's team have been at State since mid-November, getting briefings and visiting officials there. Neither the transition team nor Clinton's office would comment. Those officials and people familiar with the transition say most, if not all of Clinton's growing team of advisers will be tapped for senior State Department positions. James Steinberg, President Bill Clinton's former deputy national security adviser, who was once thought a prospect to become Obama's national security adviser, is now "a lock" to become deputy secretary of state under Clinton, according to people close to the transition who spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcements have yet been made. On the policy side, there is strong speculation that Clinton's Senate foreign policy adviser, Andrew Shapiro, will play a leading role as will Lee Feinstein, who was her national security adviser during the campaign. Feinstein is a member of the State Department transition team and served as deputy policy planning director under Albright. For Clinton's personal staff, names already floated include longtime confidante and 2008 Clinton presidential campaign manager Maggie Williams, attorney Cheryl Mills, personal assistant Huma Abedin, current senior adviser and spokesman Philippe Reines and Clinton's chief of staff when she was first lady, Melanne Verveer. Where's the good looking Palestinian chick? Or will she be "behind the scene"? All are known to be fiercely loyal. The prospect of their imminent arrival in Foggy Bottom has been a hot topic of nervous corridor conversation among many in the professional diplomatic corps who fear they will be frozen out of positions of influence. Doug Hattaway, a former spokesman for Al Gore's 2000 presidential bid who also worked for Clinton during the primaries, has been mentioned as a favorite to become the next State Department spokesman. Albright's high-profile former spokesman, James Rubin, along with top Albright assistant Suzy George, have already been seen at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. They are working with a group that will smooth the way for the next U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Albright protege Susan Rice, whose defection to the Obama camp during the 2008 campaign caused a stir among Clinton loyalists. Rubin, based in New York, is advising the transition team. A look at the Obama camp's agency review team for the State Department and its national security policy working group provides hints as to other potential appointments. Among those who served in the Albright State Department are former counselor Wendy Sherman, counterterrorism coordinator Michael Sheehan, law enforcement chief Rand Beers, arms control expert Robert Einhorn, former ambassador to Indonesia Robert Gelbard and Mideast hands Daniel Kurtzer, Dennis Ross and Toni Verstandig. All are potential candidates for top slots. One notable name on the list is Michael Guest, one of only two openly gay ambassadors ever to represent the United States overseas. Guest resigned from the foreign service in mid-career last December to protest the State Department's treatment of same-sex partners of diplomats. Can you say "Ambassador to Pakistan"? Heh heh heh... |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #6 What might Sidney Blumenthal bring to the party? I heard his name floated earlier today. |
| Posted by: eLarson 2008-12-05 20:58 |
| #5 Rounding up the usual suspects. Yawn. The last Sec. of State who actually had power and accomplished things was Kissinger (not that he accomplished the right things, though). Other than that you'd probably have to go back to George Marshall. Recent SoS's have been pretty much window dressing. Rice has been very disappointing - clueless and ineffective. |
| Posted by: Spot 2008-12-05 19:45 |
| #4 Quick somebody, start taking notes for the book.... William J. and Hillary Clinton, the Shawdow Presidents. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-12-05 16:45 |
| #3 She wasn't able to stab him in the back earlier as she needed his $10 mil (which I don't know if she ever received). This way is cleaner. No visible wounds, only the cancer. |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2008-12-05 16:34 |
| #2 Yes, you can just feel the mutual respect... http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/12/04/one_more_question.html |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-12-05 16:03 |
| #1 The Hildabeast is infiltrating the Obama presidency. The Big O is like the king on a chessboard with few moves available to him, while events start their acceleration against him. His cabinet and other high posts are being packed with Clintonistas. He owes everything to his backers, and I mean his big money backers, not the hope and change rubes still waiting for hope and change. Hillary will become the power behind the throne for this puppet. Good Machiavellian tactics, got to hand that to her. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2008-12-05 15:48 |