HILLARY CLINTON TO BE U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, TRANSITION AIDE SAID
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.11.2008 14:22 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ President-elect Barack Obama is on track to nominate
Hillary Rodham Clinton as Secretary of State as early as next week,
according to reports.
One week after the former rivals for the White House met secretly to
discuss the idea of Ms Clinton becoming the nation’s top diplomat,
the two sides were moving quickly toward making it a reality, barring
any unforeseen problems.
Mr Obama is on track to nominate her after next Thursday’s Thanksgiving
holiday, a transition aide has said.
The aide said the two camps have worked out financial disclosure
issues involving Mrs Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton,
and the complicated international funding of his foundation that
operates in 27 countries. The aide said Mr Obama and Ms Clinton have
had substantive conversations about the secretary of state job.
Ms Clinton has been mulling the post for several days, but the
transition aide’s comments suggested that Mr Obama’s team does not
feel she is inclined to turn it down.
Some Democrats and government insiders have questioned whether she is
too independent and politically ambitious to be an effective secretary
of state. But Mr Obama is said to admire her talents and experience,
as do many other Democrats.
A senior adviser to Obama said the president-elect believes Ms Clinton
would bring instant stature and credibility to U.S. diplomatic
relations and that the advantages to her serving far outweighed
potential downsides.
Ms Clinton would have to surrender her Senate seat, which she has
held for eight years, to take the job.
Clinton spokesman Philippe Reines would not comment, The Telegraph
reports.