I don't care how odious a woman is, it's sexist to call her a "token". I still haven't gotten over the sting of seeing two different writers on Salon use that phrase when McCain selected her.

But this is a good article, nonetheless.

One can be disappointed with the pick of Clinton as Secretary of State, without being a Clinton hater. In one blow Obama is depriving the Senate of a progressive member (on domestic policy) and giving the reins of foreign policy to a hawk. That's a double lurch to the right. Clinton would have been great as veep, AG, anything. But not Secretary of State.

Like every other supporter of this appointment (aside from Kissinger and other people from the right), Conason chooses to ignore her foreign policy record and views. The issues don't matter. That's called "political wisdom".

Perhaps Salon could persuade Joe to write about it in his next article.

chanted the media's childish insults and disgusting smears. It all came from the right's character assisination in the 90s, and the far left's cherry picking of the most spectacular governing record of our time. When they voted for Nader it was the last straw. To this day they haven't appologized, or even admitted what they did. Talk about delusional. And the hits just keep on coming. They mistook Obama for Noam Chomsky and lost it after the primary when he lurched to the center. They never noticed that he'd swiped the entire Clinton policy agenda from day one. They've shown over and again that they know zip about anything. Who cares what they think now.

Fat Can in a Polyester Pantsuit

She is a vicious, lying warmonger. This choice proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are not going to get a transformative presidency or foreign policy.

We will improve upon Bush/Cheney, but that is the lowest of the low bars. We are merely going back to the Establishment crap we have had to endure for decades.

We are not getting rid of the pernicious doctrine of American exceptionalism. We will just be a bit smarter following along.

This and other personnel choices have convinced me to finally pull the plug on the Dems. To hell with Barack and to hell with his stupid choice of S of S.

I'm not a doctor or a politician. There is much people don't see as perfect in a politician, a baseball pitcher, a prison inmate, a kennel dog catcher from the Humane society... on and on. None are perfect. I believe when we critique our fellow human, we are wishing for improve in our tainted self. Who is perfect with no flaws? You can't perform appendectomies or surgical amputations of heads who express a fallen 'critter'... view. No behead who we don't view as flawless. *ectomy is to 'cut' offs'

Ya wish to "progress" and elevate,

or rise a higher virtue to aspire to?

Yes! Let's hope no more squirrels.

Hillary has rowed a tuff old furrow.

I mean:`Being married to Bill? Ugh?

No. huh. Life is a arduous struggle.

We get skinned shins or black eyes?

I saying:`Life is improvement: Aspire!

Joe C. a doc who do only *ectomy? no.

Look? Let's choose to do a GOP-ectomy.

Believe me,`I never wish to kiss Hillary C.

Yeah, I'd like to know when incredible insight Erin Aubrey Kaplan has into Hillary's butt. It may be bigger than Michelle's which I guess is even more profound to Kaplan.

I can't believe Salon/Joan defended that crap.

Back on topic: I like Hillary, I just don't see Secretary of State as playing to her strengths. But knowing Hillary, she'll pull it off.

My god by the end of this he'll be coming into work high on PCP and jerking off on the cameraman while screaming "ClintonClintonClinton!!!!!!!" It will be awesome to watch him stroke out on camera.

I've been surprised by the blowback from some folks about Sen. Clinton as Secretary of State. If you want to look at it from the "Hillary Positive" view, it gives her a high-profile cabinet position of high visibility, where her world traveling history can be well utilized. And if you look at it from the "Hillary Paranoid" view, it gets her out of the Senate, and keeps her from making mischief.

I think both P.O.V.s are a bit overblown, but I personally think it's a fine pick. (Not, of course, that anyone's hanging out waiting for me to weight in on it, of course.)

But if you still have doubts, think about this: David Broder and Tom Friedman both think it's a bad idea. All we need to make it unanimous is Bill Kristol weighing in against Hillary, and then we'd know she was the perfect choice.

"The answer is not necessarily that his campaign rhetoric was false or insincere, but that he developed respect for her over the difficult months of that harsh contest -- and came to believe that she would be as formidable at his side as she was in his face."

Or maybe his campaign rhetoric was just false and insincere.

Where do you get off framing people who want to hold her accountable for her actions in government for the last 7 years as "Clinton haters." Is that like being a "terrorist hugger?" Please. I'm adverse to her being the secretary of state because she voted along with the neo-cons on everything from the patriot acts, to the 2 wars, to listing Iranian Guard as terrorists. I don't hate her. I'd just prefer she'd stay a Senator and be accountable for her previous votes.

Everything is going to be just fine. Remember the good ole days? They call them the good ole days for a reason: http://www.236.com/news/2008/11/21/7_reasons_why_hiring_a_clinton_1_10374.php

So does this mean she no longer thinks that talking to Iran is equivalent to appeasing Hitler? Or that pre-emptive invasions are in general a good idea just as long as they're "well-executed"? Maybe it does, but I wouldn't know, because this entire article and every other article talking about the appointment reeks of the typical politics-as-sports coverage that is all about how a particular 'move' will be perceived rather than what consequences it will have. The media, including Salon, has its head so far up its own ass that it can't even tell anymore.

Oh how silly we on the "far left" must be to have thought that the Clinton years were anything but a perfect Golden Era of our Glorious Empire! I mean being opposed to things like the Defense of Marriage Act or the global gag rule or the War on Drugs or the School of the Americas is just silly ranting that's beneath all you Serious Bipartisans, right? Fuck you.