Clinton in the Cabinet?

A lot of talk is swirling around about the Obama administration and the people that he will surround himself with. There are so many possibilities for his most important cabinet positions that it will definitely be a chore to sort through them, but I want to identify some of the key players in this decision-making process.

A conversation about this subject would be incomplete without talking about Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and her reportedly being vetted for the position of Secretary of State. Clinton was one of Obama’s staunchest critics in the early goings of the campaign, but ever since their rendezvous in Unity, N.H. after a tough Democratic primary season, Clinton has been one of Obama’s biggest supporters.

She will have some hurdles to jump through, especially with the fundraising of her husband, former President Bill Clinton. For those who do not understand the reason that this could be a problem, the solution is simple. If Sen. Clinton is in diplomatic negotiation with a foreign country, and Mr. Clinton is performing fundraising in that region of the world, it is reasonable to think that there may be undue pressure put on Sen. Clinton to steer those negotiations in a direction that could benefit her husband’s efforts. While the goal could be altruistic, it would mirror the kind of cronyism that the Bush administration has been mired in since it went to Washington in 2000.

Still, Clinton could be a great asset to an Obama administration, right? She is a highly capable, affluent and determined individual who commands respect around the globe. Would she fit the mold for the Secretary of State position? She has the experience and the fire, but does she fit? Her views contradict Obama’s quite extensively, especially in the areas of foreign affairs and negotiations with adversarial leaders, so would those differences hinder an Obama administration? Shortly put, yes.

In the capacity of Secretary of State she could stand in the way of change in the area of foreign policy, an area that will need to be front-and-center during these troubling political times. Sen. Clinton’s adversarial relationship with Obama is likely still a reality despite the happy faces and the pleasantries. She still has the ambition to become president, and that will not subside come 2012.

There is the old saying to “keep your friends close, and keep your enemies closer,” but the adage doesn’t hold true here. Clinton could do more good for her state and her party, but from the Halls of Congress instead of from a White House office.

There are more capable hands that Obama can lay these responsibilities in. Though the bar is low after the disaster that Condoleezza Rice has been, I hope that the President-elect can come up with a safer answer than Hillary Clinton in the coming months.