2011-03-21

I think we're stuck with her now.

Roger L. Simon over at Pajamas Media the other day mentioned that our Secretary of State has now assumed the Presidency solely because she was able to help influence President Obama to join the coalition enforcing a no fly zone over Libya.  Personally, I don't see it. Mrs. Clinton has previously not really shown very much influence in the administration, which is actually a pretty good thing, considering her job performance up through last Thursday could not be described as successful. I see this as a temporary situation; she will not be seen as one of the more trusted members of the cabinet for very long.

When Hillary was first selected to be the Secretary of State, I did not think that she would be in office very long. I thought that the very reason she was hired was so she could be fired. Not just fired, but fired in a way that would ruin her as a politician forevermore. I have really been expecting it for about a year now. Obama must have known, given her level of competence creating Hillarycare in the 90s, that she would sooner or later, (and much more likely sooner,) do something worthy of getting the heave.

How much of a political force would Hillary be in the future after Obama held a press conference, more in sorrow than in anger, announcing that he was forced to make a change at Foggy Bottom, because there is only so much ineptitude that he can put up with. He could then read a list of her faults and errors in judgment (that could take longer than a typical State of the Union address) and mention that when he first chose her to lead the State Department, he thought he was getting a first rate person to fill the position. “Unfortunately, events have proven that my optimism about her ability was regretfully misguided. Now let me be clear, I think that Mrs. Clinton is a wonderful person and I thank her for her years of service to the country, but America’s diplomacy is so important that it must be placed in the care of somebody whose judgment and temperament are better suited to the position.”

I thought that he had most of that speech already written before her confirmation hearings were done. Yes, subjugate her as a member of the administration early in the term when criticism from a former rival would be exponentially damaging, but throw her under the bus (Obama has Olympic level ability at that event) as soon as it is politically feasible. Now that the narrative is that Hillary influenced Barrack to intervene in Libya, Obama is probably stuck with Hillary for the rest of his term. Unfortunately, that means that we are, too.

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