Politico.com
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) plans to accept President-elect Barack Obama’s expected offer to become secretary of State and resign from the Senate, a top Clinton adviser said. An announcement is expected shortly after Thanksgiving, officials said.
"She knew this was the right thing to do but just needed to sit with it for a bit to make sure," the adviser said.
Clinton spokesman Phillippe Reines said in a statement to reporters:
“We’re still in discussions, which are very much on track. Any reports beyond that are premature.”
Financial disclosure issues have been worked out, aides said.
The choice unites the two rivals in the most protracted presidential primary in American history, giving Obama the Team of Rivals Cabinet he had promised.
Former President Bill Clinton authorized unprecedented disclosures about his finances to Obama's vetting team, and transition lawyers are satisfied, officials said.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15843.html
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) plans to accept President-elect Barack Obama’s expected offer to become secretary of State and resign from the Senate, a top Clinton adviser said. An announcement is expected shortly after Thanksgiving, officials said.
"She knew this was the right thing to do but just needed to sit with it for a bit to make sure," the adviser said.
Clinton spokesman Phillippe Reines said in a statement to reporters:
“We’re still in discussions, which are very much on track. Any reports beyond that are premature.”
Financial disclosure issues have been worked out, aides said.
The choice unites the two rivals in the most protracted presidential primary in American history, giving Obama the Team of Rivals Cabinet he had promised.
Former President Bill Clinton authorized unprecedented disclosures about his finances to Obama's vetting team, and transition lawyers are satisfied, officials said.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15843.html
For those of us who believed that Obama/Clinton would have been a great ticket, this is actually even a better outcome.
We'll let Biden go to the state funerals and occasionally growl for the media when the Republican minority in Congress gets too uppity.
Now all we need is a more sensible Attorney General than the last two we've had to endure and then we're cooking with gas
We'll let Biden go to the state funerals and occasionally growl for the media when the Republican minority in Congress gets too uppity.
Now all we need is a more sensible Attorney General than the last two we've had to endure and then we're cooking with gas
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/11/is_clinton_barred_from_state_j.php
Pete Williams of NBC raised the question on MSNBC this afternoon: Is Hillary Clinton barred by the Constitution from accepting the post of secretary of state?
Article One, Section Six of the U.S. Constitution says:
No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.
Essentially, you cannot take a job if the salary was increased during your current congressional term. And the salary for cabinet officials has gone up in the past year. Even if it is lowered back down, constitutional scholars say that may not be enough to fix the problem.
The question is whether this would be an issue at confirmation - if Clinton is nominated to the post - and who would raise it. Senators traditionally grant their colleagues some deference and it could be considered politics at its worst if Republicans try to block her nomination with this argument. But senators may be loathe to vote for something scholars tell them is unconstitutional.
That being said, this development may make Obama, or Clinton, think twice about the appointment.
-Matthew Berger
already a fix....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxbe_fix
Pete Williams of NBC raised the question on MSNBC this afternoon: Is Hillary Clinton barred by the Constitution from accepting the post of secretary of state?
Article One, Section Six of the U.S. Constitution says:
No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.
Essentially, you cannot take a job if the salary was increased during your current congressional term. And the salary for cabinet officials has gone up in the past year. Even if it is lowered back down, constitutional scholars say that may not be enough to fix the problem.
The question is whether this would be an issue at confirmation - if Clinton is nominated to the post - and who would raise it. Senators traditionally grant their colleagues some deference and it could be considered politics at its worst if Republicans try to block her nomination with this argument. But senators may be loathe to vote for something scholars tell them is unconstitutional.
That being said, this development may make Obama, or Clinton, think twice about the appointment.
-Matthew Berger
already a fix....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxbe_fix
