Hillary Rodham Clinton has decided to give up her Senate seat and accept the position of secretary of state, making her the public face around the world for the administration of the man who beat her for the Democratic presidential nomination, two confidants said Friday.
According to Dick Morris, who was not surprisingly against this pick, Hillary had this Secretary of State checkmate in 6 moves.
Move One: Obama Makes An Offer
At their meeting last week, Obama seems to have discussed the possibility of appointing Hillary to State. He may not have overtly offered the job and may have done so out of politeness, but he must have raised the prospect and discussed it with her.
Move Two: Clinton Leaks the “Offer”
Whether or not Obama really offered her the job, Hillary tried to lock him into the appointment by leaking the “offer.” The leak would not have come from Obama and must have come from the New York Senator. It was likely an attempt to force Obama to give her the job by making it public. Now, if he says no, he will have lots of explaining to do to Hillary’s famed “18 million voters,” those who backed her candidacy in 2008.
Move Three: Obama Puts Out Mikva To Throw Cold Water on Appointment
President-elect Obama, sensing that he was being boxed into making the appointment, and possibly angered by Hillary’s brazen tactics, likely suggested to his buddy former President Clinton counsel Abner Mikva that he discuss the drawbacks of the appointment in public. … The message to the Clintons was: this could get embarrassing.
Move Four: Bill Offers to Come Clean, Partially
Responding indirectly to the Mikva statement, former president Clinton offered to cease some of his foreign activities, vet others, and submit his “major” donors to Obama and ethics office scrutiny.
Move Five: Hillary Has Her Aides Talk Up the Appointment
Continuing her desperate efforts to get the job, Hillary likely had her aides issue statements about how thrilled she was at the prospect of doing all the good she could do as Secretary of State. But they were all still careful to offer an out by saying that she was torn between her love of serving the world and her love of shaping health care reform in the Congress.
Move Six: Checkmate to the Queen
