Jack & Jill Politics

Via the Associated Press.  While it has not been formally announced, it appears to be a done deal:

UPDATE:  Clinton realizes to take the SoS gig, she has to give up her Senate Seat.  Duh.  Now she’s “wrestling” with the idea of whether or not she should give it up.  Maybe there’s still hope Obama will go with someone else.

WASHINGTON – President-elect Barack Obama plans to nominate Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state after Thanksgiving, a new milestone for the former first lady and a convergence of two political forces who fought hard for the presidency.

One week after the former primary rivals met secretly to discuss the idea of Clinton becoming the nation’s top diplomat, an Obama adviser said Thursday that the two sides were moving quickly toward making it a reality, barring any unforeseen problems.

The senior adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity because the president-elect is not prepared to officially announce the nomination, said Obama believes Clinton would bring instant stature and credibility to U.S. diplomatic relations.

Obama is convinced the advantages of Clinton serving far outweighed potential downsides, the adviser said.

There are times when the President is going to do things we like and things we don’t like. One has to respect that Mr. Obama is demonstrating he is not going to be a lockstep POTUS – that he will exercise his own decision-making ability.  Advisors will do just THAT – give ADVICE.  He is truly showing the Harry Truman way of having “The Buck Stops Here.” You have already read what I’ve had to say about this potential pick, and the only thing I can speculate is that Bill Richardson must have had more baggage than Clinton (which I find hard to believe).

I cannot help but think that Mr. Obama’s choice of Hillary is also a slap in the face to Richardson as well.  Not only would picking Richardson had been a good, competent choice, the bonus would have been the willingness to place a Latino in a stellar position of trust with America’s Foreign Policy.

Many of you who read JJP insisted when this began to be discussed, that we should wait and allow this to play out.  Well, it appears it’s playing out and in a way most of us feared.  Unlike some blogs that react to bad news by engaging in some forms of manipulative protests, we at JJP learn to live with the choices of our elected officials and their leadership – but again, we must also demand Mr. Obama be held accountable to the people who elected him.  I still believe he will be, but while I don’t like this pick, I’m respecting it because if the President did EVERYTHING we wanted, he will not get any work done in the next four years, and he has big messes to clean up.  Go ahead and chime in, JJP readers – I know y’all have something to say on this matter. I can’t help but be afraid this choice is going to come back and burn the President, because I believe she will spend the next four years undermining Mr. Obama while trying to set herself up to challenge him in 2012. That’s my opinion – but, hey, I’m just another damned blogger who believes the only thing Mr. Obama owes the Clintons is his ass to kiss.