Hillary and Obama

I do not know what to make of President-elect Barack Obama's consideration of Sen. Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. I don't doubt she has the qualifications to be a good secretary of state - but she is not alone in being so qualified.

I do have doubts whether she is a team player - despite what your old basketball coach told you, I reckon that the Clintons have always spelled team with an "I" in it. This would make me worried if I were Obama.

Even while I can't understand why he would want her, I am further puzzled as to why she would want him as her boss. Being a senator is not chopped liver, despite the best efforts of Republicans to diminish Obama's senatorial service during the campaign. And it isn't a case of making a breakthrough for women: Condi Rice is a woman and there was Madeleine Albright before her.

And how does being secretary of state advance Hillary's quest to be president one day? Her future stocks would rise and fall on his success or failure. If he lasts eight years, she will be in her late sixties, and being older isn't a great advantage (ask John McCain). If Obama doesn't succeed in winning re-election in four years, she would be younger but still toast for being linked to a failed administration.

Perhaps Obama figures that she would be more trouble in the Senate than at Foggy Bottom. Perhaps he is really a heavy sleeper and if she is so eager to answer the phone at 3 a.m, he might as well let her.

But it sounds like trouble to me.