Michele Obama has already said that her first job in life is to raise her daughters right and she has been very clear about that. She is moving her mother in to assist in this job. She has shown great examples to the voters regarding her drive to become well educated, her work history, and her dedication to motherhood as well. There is nothing "redundant" about raising successful children.

Hillary supporters have repeatedly been told to "get over it," but Obama supporters themselves seem unable to get over their own animosity for her. Try a little harder, folks....

She'd be fourth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_line_of_succession

Yes, Hilliary Secretary of State will be 3rd in line to the throne.

Why would she even consider this job? Going from one of the top 5 Senators to SecState is stupid. A Senator has way more power the a SecSt. She could do whatever she wanted as a Senator and now she will be Obama's lapdog. Retarded. Very, very stupid move for her. The only job worth giving up a Senatorship for is POTUS.

The Secretary of State is 4th in line to the Presidency behind in order The Veep, Speaker of the House, and President pro Tempore of the Senate. Anyway, we should all chill a while and see what Barack actually delivers in terms of policy and execution of that policy. We must all be really cynical due to the long years of the Bush regime!!!

I had hoped for a change both in 2006 and again this year--apparently dashed again!

The Empire did just fine under W. J. Clinton. Contrary to some of the conversations Bush Elder had with Boris Yeltsin, Clinton's regime had no problem militarizing the vacuum left by the collapse of the Soviet Union. Bombs rained in Iraq and the Balkans, not to mention the aspirin factory in the Sudan. The architect, Madeline “if we got it let's use it” Albright, is back. Zbigniew Brzezinski the architect of the destruction of Afghanistan has been resurrected. Will the Obama “anti terrorist” team invade “slam some crappy little country against the wall” just to show the neocons that he hasn't strayed too far? Trinidad-Tobago might work here: I understand they have some tar pits that shouldn't fall into the hands of somebody or other.

Perhaps I'm too harsh. Perhaps a Secretary of State Clinton could work toward a foreign policy that won't necessitate a new war as soon as we can rebuild a military to wage one. Perhaps President Obama, with Rahm Emannual a combat veteran of the Israeli Army at his side, could finally demand that the Israeli government finally adhere to some of the UN demands. Please help me believe that maybe, just maybe, backstage, behind the hacks and vested interests, there might be some of the people we hoped would bring some really new ideas.

I think inviting Clinton into the administration shows a *severe* lapse of judgment on Obama's part. She won't just be one high-profile person in a high-profile job. No, she'll come with a pile of baggage that could end up casting a long shadow over Obama's public perception as the fresh face of change. That, of course, will seriously impair his ability to set and fulfill his agenda.

Why did he do this?

I know State is 3rd in line to the Presidency, but still, for having been so close to being the nominee of the Democrats, it seemed like a distant second prize. Most Secretaries of State are eminently forgettable -- except for die-hard news addicts.

How many people honestly remember (or care) that Warren Christopher was Clinton's first foreign secretary? Or care? There is a long list of foreign policy academic/PhD types who have been at the helm at State: Kissinger, Dulles, Shultz etc.

Clinton is a totally a political pick. Maybe that's the best thing we need given all the intractable problems in the world. Peace in the Middle East, the Kashmir issue, global climate change, new global financial oversight mechanisms all are likely to require significant political savvy to successfully navigate. Perhaps a skilled politician is the best equipped to deal with such things.

Hillary supporters have repeatedly been told to "get over it," but seem unable to get over their own animosity for her. Try a little harder, folks.

On the other hand, how strange that after insisting the entire campaign that Hillary Clinton's foreign policy experience was nothing more than travelling around enjoying tea with foreign dignitaries, he'd decide she was just the person to handle his foreign policy. How weird is that?

And Michelle? Well, I guess she's now relegated to being what Hillary Clinton used to be, a first lady whose most difficult job will apparently be travelling the world and having tea with foreign dignitaries. Welcome to a future of redundancy, Michelle.... If that's what Obama supporters have decided is a primary role of first ladies, and many of them apparently have.

Remember folks, all the drama surrounding the Clintons is a result of a very specific effort by the Right to damage the Democratic President. Vince Foster murder? c'mon.

Remember how the Right used to refer to Tom Daschle as some frothing at the mouth communist thug? The guy is the blandest, middle of the road politician around. The right uses the media to whittle away at their opposition. Not on issues, but on petty, personal shit, you know, DRAMA.

So, before you dismiss the Clintons because "all that drama", first realize that Newt Gingrich is smiling.

As the future dangles from a rope

That she'd be appointed ambassador to Bosnia

Where she dodged bullets

Whilst she was smokin'

That wild Balkan dope...

Like so much of what people think of Hillary Clinton, the "Clinton drama" is more about us than it is about her. As long as people project the most outlandish things onto the Clintons, it will be ripe media fodder. And, voila, you have drama.

Behind the supposed ambition and ego and envy and power-hunger, there has apparently been someone working their ass off for a host of issues that truly concern her.

In this case, when you put all the projection and speculating aside, it seems that Clinton and Obama have always had a respectful relationship -- and mutual admiration. I think she will be a very capable Secretary of State -- and I think this choice sends two very powerful messages:

- to the US, it says very clearly that Obama truly means it when he says he wants to unite the country and is not intimidated by differing points of view. Bravo to him. This enhances his standing as a leader with vision and cojones all the more.

- to the world it doubles down on the very powerful image of a US that is changing, forward-thinking, and looking to work with the world instead of dominate the world. We are so used to the sight of Hillary Clinton that we forget that there is a very powerful message in the fact that this is a woman who has had a long career of fighting for empowering women all over the world. Internationally, she is iconic among women fighting for leverage in their societies. She understands that the solution to many of the world's crises (economic, religious v. secular, education, health care, environmental...) requires greater empowerment of women -- especially in the developing world. This choice says to me that Obama understands that too - and that's excellent news.

I say well done, Barack Obama. After that long hard-fought primary, if he can rise above and work with her, then who are we to second-guess? Whatever we think we know of what goes on behind the scenes, I think it's safe to assume that he knows a great deal more . . .