Politico- Hillary could reject State Offer

[ErinBerin84]

This is why I am weary of insider info, especially from Politico who has been known to stir shit. There have been so many conflicting reports on this from supposed "insiders"...I'll wait to hear from the Obama team, but here's some more fodder for what it's worth. I feel like they could practically get any "insider" to speak up to show a certain view point, and they have to fill pages now that the intial report has been leaked and a decision likely won't be made until next week at the earliest.



http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15738.html


Hillary could reject State offer




Hillary Rodham Clinton isn’t certain she would accept the Secretary of State post even if Barack Obama offers it to her, several people close to the former first lady say.

Press reports that portray Clinton as willing to accept the job – once the Obama transition team vets Bill Clinton’s philanthropic and business ventures – are inaccurate, one Clinton insider told Politico.

“A lot of the speculation and reporting is out ahead of the facts here,” said the person, who requested anonymity. “She is still weighing this, independent of President Clinton's work.”

Clinton, the person said, remains deeply “torn” between the possibility of serving in Obama’s cabinet and remaining in the Senate to “help pass health care and work on a broad range of domestic issues.”

That comment jibes with what others close to Clinton have been saying since the Secretary of State chatter began last week: that Clinton is conflicted and the deal far from done, despite screaming headlines in outlets including the U.K.’s Guardian newspaper claiming the offer was made and accepted.

Most of the speculation about Clinton’s frame of mind in the last few days has been off-base, sources say, because she’s played her cards close to the vest, consulting only her husband and two or three kitchen cabinet advisers.

“We’ve gotten rid of all the other idiots,” joked one Clinton confidant, referring to the Clinton campaign's propensity to leak.

Obama isn’t likely to make a formal offer of the post to Clinton unless he’s given assurances that Bill Clinton’s global charitable foundation won’t create future conflicts of interest with foreign governments.

The Clinton Global Initiative has earned praise for its efforts to eradicate AIDS, malaria and poverty in Africa. But it could prove problematic if the former president continues to arrange donations from foreign countries at the same time that his wife serves as secretary of state.

Obama’s vetting team expressed similar concerns about Bill Clinton’s overseas fundraising when Hillary Clinton was briefly considered for the vice-presidency.

[Maven]

1. I think POLITICO has zero credibility on this issue now - they're a gossip rag

when it comes to speculation like this.

[ErinBerin84]

4. exactly....that's why I am posting this with a huge grain of salt.

So many of their "insider" reports have conflicted each other.

[karynnj]

37. However, they now created themselves an out - either way

HRC becomes SoS - they called it. She doesn't, she rejected it. Either way, they claim they said it.

[JuniperLea]

2. Politico is really going tabloid these days...

I don't even read them anymore.

[Thrill]

3. Hopefully she stays in the Senate. I think she would help Obama better there

[Mojambo]

7. That's my sense as well. n/t

[leftynyc]

5. How long is PE Obama going to give

her to make up her mind? He should offer it to Richardson, IMHO.

[Sensitivity]

9. Obama NEVER said he made any offer: refer to 60 min interview

[leftynyc]

19. I understand that

I think either or both camps would have leaked that the offer never occured by now, otherwise they wouldn't be letting this story suck all the air out of the room.

[Cronus Protagonist]

6. And a bear COULD fart in the woods

Same thing for both of them... so what?

[Cali_Democrat]

8. What an inane article

Politico is a joke.

[ErinBerin84]

12. remember their "Who is OBAMA's mystery MAN?" article before the election?

It was just someone on the security team I think, but they posted it with such insinuation.


And again, my point of posting this article is not to say it must be true, but MANY "insider" articles by Politico have been posted the last couple of days, with conflicting things. AKA, I am going to wait for the Obama team to confirm these instead of listening to alleged insider info, bc I have a sense no one knows what they are talking about.

[Cali_Democrat]

14. Sometimes I actually enjoy reading articles from Politico

They just love to stir the pot and it's fun to just laugh at them.

[ErinBerin84]

18. Once I emailed Jonathan Martin with something

and I added a line about him doing the ribs with McCain at his BBQ's, with a "just kidding" at the end. I really was kidding, but he seemed offended. He emailed me back about how it is just amazing that someone could be objective and still enjoy BBQ or something, blah blah blah. And he said that people make such a big deal of the BBQ, so I guess I'm not the only one who has teased him for it, heh.

[vanderBeth]

23. bwahaha

Funny story :rofl:

[ErinBerin84]

25. and it's not like what I said was false.

Meghan McCain said in her blog that Jonathan martin does the ribs with her Dad...but Jonathan is apparently very sensitive about it, because his email reply back sounded very pissy.

[sandnsea]

10. No leaking in the Obama Administration

They better fix this, or there will not be any position at all. We'll see if they got the rat.

[DJ13]

11. This could be designed as a way for Hillary to save face if Bill's deals get in the way

We wont know what the Obama people find in vetting Bill, but should something come up that might preclude Hillary from getting the job Obama will probably let her turn down the offer publicly to save any embarrassment for her.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

20. That sounds more like it. And the whole world will figure that out.

Who would go through the vetting process if they didn't want the job?

[onehandle]

13. How about ABC as a source?

ABC News has learned that serious progress has been made on the notion of a Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

It is not yet a done deal, but sources say both President-elect Obama and Sen. Clinton are increasingly optimistic that her assignment will happen.

And some Democrats say it could happen as early as in the next week.

One of the sticking points, of course, has been the complex web of international business dealings of former President Bill Clinton. But sources say there has been movement on that front, with some vetting being supervised by Obama attorney Christine Varney with serious involvement by many officials whom the Clintons know and trust, including some Clinton Foundation officials.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/11/latest-on-secre.html

[ErinBerin84]

15. that's fine, but again, there have been conflicting reports from some of these "insiders"

Though ABC is more credible than Politico, but still....everyone is DESPERATE to get info on this, so I'm sure there will be even more confusing or reaching insider info before the official confirmation, and we should regard all of it with a grain of salt. People who advocate for Hillary as SOS post insider info that it is a done deal, and people who don't want her as SOS post other insider info showing there are "problems"...I don't know who to believe at this point, so I'll just wait for Obama.

[onehandle]

17. Fair enough. nt

[mollymongold]

16. Politico that made a big deal of Ayers and Michelle's thesis? That kept trying to stir shit during

the convention? Don't trust Politico, especially when it comes to Clinton/Obama.

[ClarkUSA]

21. Links? On the contrary, The Guardian seem like it's full of shit.

I don't trust anyone who picks and chooses which sources to believe. I guess if CNN came out with same story, it'd be okay. :eyes:
Oh, and it seems ABC has a story that corroborates this one.

[mollymongold]

24. Links that they made a big deal about Michelle's thesis and Ayers?

Oh, and I don't trust anyone who obviously lies about doing something they're not. :rofl:

and you're lecturing ME on choosing what i want, and then selecting what news reports you think are full of shit and which aren't????? OKAAAAAAAAY.

[ClarkUSA]

28. Yes... because I don't believe they did that anymore than other news sources.

Guess your bleating about The Guardian didn't pan out, eh? Oh, and keep watching CNN because they are reporting on Bill's
shady deals and fat speech fees all evening. Hopefully, they'll do it until Thanksgiving, when John Podesta said they'll finally
publicly release the SoS choice. :)

[mollymongold]

29. And I should believe you now, because...?

You don't know whether or not the Gaurdian did or didn't pan out. If Hillary is selected, I can't wait to rub it in your face :D.

[ClarkUSA]

30. You're a broken record. And for a newbie, you sound so familiar....

The Guardian and their unnamed anonymous sources is full of shit. They've gotten so many things wrong before. I'm surprised
people are so stupid they think a foreign paper would know something like that. As if Team O would tell them.

:rofl:

[mollymongold]

31. It's only a matter of time..

:)

[ClarkUSA]

32. Not so fast. First, there'll be full public disclosure of Bill's shady deals and donors.

And won't that be fun for the MSM and Team O to sift through! Can't wait. Really.

[mollymongold]

33. Almost as much as I can't wait for when Hillary accepts?

:)

[ClarkUSA]

34. I thought she already did, according to The Guardian story OP you posted yesterday...

Psssst!! That means your wait is over! Congratulations! :rofl:

[mollymongold]

35. we shall see won't we?

It will not be long before your head explodes.

[ClarkUSA]

36. I don't understand. Why aren't you shouting, "Hillary Said Yes!!" from the rooftops?

Gotcha. :rofl:

[mollymongold]

38. Oh ClarkUSA. You're a lot of fun.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

22. She'd be stupid to accept it. I hope she doesn't. I want Kerry.

[CakeGrrl]

26. I read this as: No formal offer yet because they're still vetting

It's noteworthy that they are trying to bat down the Guardian article and saying the media is getting ahead of itself. That I believe.

Maybe this is the most accurate take on what's going on. Maybe it's also an out in case the vetting fails. I'd prefer to see Hillary focus on Healthcare as Obama implied would happen during their joint campaigning. Give the SoS to Richardson.

[Skwmom]

27. She'll fit right in. And who cares about any conflicts of interests or Bill charging

800k for a speech? People take this stuff way too seriously. In the old days they might have cared about this stuff, but come on this is 2008.

[Metric System]

39. I am so sick of this rumor/story/whatever. If Obama wants Hillary as SOS he won't offer it to her

UNLESS she makes it clear that she will say accept, so this part makes no sense: "Hillary Rodham Clinton isn’t certain she would accept the Secretary of State post even if Barack Obama offers it to her..."