Clinton Tracker

Officials: Obama Set to Introduce Clinton on Monday

By BETH FOUHY
Associated Press Writer
   A deal with Bill Clinton over his post-White House work helped clear the way for Hillary Rodham Clinton to join President-elect Barack Obama's national security team as secretary of state, reshaping a once-bitter rivalry into a high-profile strategic and diplomatic union.
   Obama was to be joined by the New York senator at a Chicago news conference Monday, Democratic officials said, where he also planned to announce that Defense Secretary Robert Gates would remain in his job for a year or more and that retired Marine General James L. Jones would serve as national security adviser.
   The officials requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly for the transition team.
   To make it possible for his wife to become the top U.S. diplomat, the officials said, former President Clinton agreed:
   --to disclose the names of every contributor to his foundation since its inception in 1997 and all contributors going forward.
   --to refuse donations from foreign governments to the Clinton Global Initiative, his annual charitable conference.
   --to cease holding CGI meetings overseas.
   --to volunteer to step away from day-to-day management of the foundation while his wife is secretary of state.
   --to submit his speaking schedule to review by the State Department and White House counsel.
   --to submit any new sources of income to a similar ethical review.
   Bill Clinton's business deals and global charitable endeavors had been expected to create problems for the former first lady's nomination. But in negotiations with the Obama transition team, the former president agreed to several measures designed to bring transparency to those activities.
   "It's a big step," said Sen. Richard G. Lugar of Indiana, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who said he plans to vote to confirm Clinton.
   The former president long had refused to disclose the identities of contributors to his foundation, saying many gave money on condition that they not be identified.
   Lugar said there would still be "legitimate questions" raised about the former president's extensive international involvement.
"I don't know how, given all of our ethics standards now, anyone quite measures up to this who has such cosmic ties, but ... hopefully, this team of rivals will work," Lugar said.
   Obama's choice of Hillary Clinton was an extraordinary gesture of good will after a year in which the two rivals competed for the Democratic nomination in a long, bitter primary battle.
   They clashed repeatedly on foreign affairs. Obama criticized Clinton for her vote to authorize the Iraq war. Clinton said Obama lacked the experience to be president and she chided him for saying he would meet with leaders of nations such as Iran and Cuba without conditions.
   The bitterness began melting away in June after Clinton ended her campaign and endorsed Obama. She went on to campaign for him in his general election contest against Republican Sen. John McCain.
   Advisers said Obama had for several months envisioned Clinton as his top diplomat, and he invited her to Chicago to discuss the job just a week after the Nov. 4 election. The two met privately Nov. 13 in Obama's transition office in downtown Chicago.
   Clinton was said to be interested and then to waver, concerned about relinquishing her Senate seat and the political independence it conferred. Those concerns were largely resolved after Obama assured her she would be able to choose a staff and have direct access to him, advisers said.
   Remaining in the Senate also may not have been an attractive choice for Clinton. Despite her political celebrity, she is a relatively junior senator without prospects for a leadership position or committee chairmanship anytime soon.
   Some Democrats and government insiders have questioned whether Clinton is too independent and politically ambitious to serve Obama as secretary of state. But a senior Obama adviser has said the president-elect had been enthusiastic about naming Clinton to the position from the start, believing she would bring instant stature and credibility to U.S. diplomatic relations and the advantages to her serving far outweigh potential downsides.
   Clinton "is known throughout the world, very smart, a little harder line than Senator Obama took during the campaign," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close McCain friend and adviser who is on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
   Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, said the Clintons will have to tread carefully to avoid the appearance of conflicts.
   "The presumption will be that both Secretary of State Clinton and former President Clinton will be very judicious in what they take on because there's a new dimension here," Reed said. "I think they've put up a good framework. This disclosure, this transparency is the right way to go."
   Lugar and Reed both spoke on ABC's "This Week." Graham was on "Fox News Sunday."

Musical Chairs Begins Before Clinton Leaves

By DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press Writer
   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate seat is still warm -- and occupied -- but the first notes are already sounding in the game of musical chairs to succeed her.
   If President-elect Barack Obama does select her to be Secretary of State, it would further scramble the power structure in New York, which was upended earlier this year by Gov. Eliot Spitzer's premature departure amid a prostitution scandal.
   Just the names of potential successors -- a Kennedy and Cuomo among them -- conjure images of Democratic royalty.
   Clinton's elevation to Obama's cabinet would give the current governor, David Paterson, authority to appoint someone to the U.S. Senate until a special election in 2010 to pick who would to serve out the last two years of her term.
   Paterson's spokeswoman, Risa Heller, offered no clues Friday what the governor might be thinking.
   "Senator Clinton is an outstanding senator, and would be an extraordinary Secretary of State but that's a decision for President-elect Obama," Heller said. "We aren't going to speculate on speculation."
   Until Spitzer's resignation, Paterson himself was considered a likely person to succeed Clinton if she had won her bid for the White House.
   That seems more unlikely, now that Paterson is saddled with a financial crisis, has no lieutenant governor to automatically succeed him and has clearly signaled he'd like to keep the state's top job.
   So the list of usual suspects quickly grows unusual.
   There's New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who has long wanted to be governor but perhaps could be persuaded to become a senator instead. Picking him would remove a potential primary rival to Paterson. Cuomo bombed in the 2002 gubernatorial primary against Carl McCall.
   A spokesman for Cuomo declined comment.
   Some are already pushing for Buffalo-area congressman Brian Higgins. Tom Suozzi's name has come up, too. He's the Long Island politician who made a name for himself railing against New York's notoriously high property taxes, battled Spitzer for the 2006 gubernatorial nomination then was appointed by Spitzer to chair a tax-cap commission.
   In a year where Barack Obama broke down racial barriers, either Higgins or Suozzi would be a nod to one of the traditional pillars of New York Democrats: white Catholics.
   And a candidate like Higgins could help Paterson when the two have to campaign together upstate in 2010. The recent electoral successes of Empire State Democrats, who took the Senate for the first time since 1965, left many upstate residents wondering whether they will be ignored by a state government dominated by politicians from New York City.
   Higgins "would lend balance to the state power structure," said Erie County Democratic chairman Len Lenihan. "Right now all of our main Democratic officials in the state are from downstate."
   A Higgins spokeswoman did not immediately return a call for comment.
   Plenty of other New York members of Congress are in the early mix as well: Nita Lowey, who was in line to become a senator until Clinton moved in; Steve Israel, a moderate from Long Island; New York City's Carolyn Maloney or Jerrold Nadler, both veteran lawmakers; or Kirsten Gillibrand, a relatively new upstate politician but one who has won Republican votes and raised scads of money.
   Israel said he wants what's best for Clinton, but if she were to leave the state, he would consider succeeding her.
   "I love public service and if the governor were to ask me to continue in a different capacity, I'd welcome it," Israel said. "I like the priorities that our current senators have. Should Senator Clinton choose to leave the Senate, the state needs someone who can fill her shoes and fight for her priorities."
   Clinton's Senate seat was once held by Bobby Kennedy, and some are already suggesting his son, environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., should put the family's name back on the office door.
   Jockeying for the job is really a campaign for the vote of a single person: the governor. In that regard, it's worth remembering that Paterson's closest adviser, William Cunningham, has long personal and professional ties to Suozzi.
   And New York's senior senator, Charles Schumer, will likely have a strong opinion in the selection process.

  

Officials: Hillary Clinton Eyed as Secretary of State

By LIZ SIDOTI
Associated Press Writer
   CHICAGO (AP) -- Two Democratic officials say Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is among the candidates President-elect Barack Obama is considering for secretary of state.
   The New York senator, who campaigned hard against Obama for the Democratic nomination, was rumored to be a contender for the job last week, but the talk died down as party activists questioned whether she was best-suited to be the nation's top diplomat.
   The talk resumed in Washington and elsewhere Thursday, a day after Obama named several former aides to President Bill Clinton to help run his transition effort.

Hillary Clinton Campaigns for Obama in Michigan

Hillary Rodham Clinton campaigned in Michigan Saturday for one-time rival and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, telling voters they cannot afford to see another Republican in the White House.

 

"We cannot turn over our country with these deep deficits, with these serious economic problems, with the international challenges, to the same team that got us into this mess in the first place," Clinton told more than 1,000 people gathered at a park in this town 10 miles west of the state capital.

"There's no doubt in anyone's mind that Senator Obama understands the economic challenges we face as well as the need to change the way we do business here at home and around the world."

Clinton also planned to campaign for Obama in Grand Rapids and Flint later Saturday. All events are free.

She said the "day of reckoning" has come for voters. She called Republican George Bush's presidency the worst in U.S. history. She added that Republican John McCain is a friend she respects.

"But I do not believe that the Republicans should be rewarded for what they have done to our country. Think of it that way," Clinton said.

She said the next president will inherit a lot of problems and, referring to Obama, said Americans want someone with new ideas and an ability to think outside the box.

Clinton lost the Democratic nomination to Obama in a close race but has recently stepped up efforts to swing her supporters behind her former rival.

She has invited her primary-season partisans to get involved directly in Obama's campaign and to donate to it.

The New York senator has campaigned for Obama in a handful of battleground states such as Ohio and Florida.

The crowd in the park included women like Joyce Bixler, 57, who said she was very disappointed Clinton lost the nomination.

"I am very much for Obama, though, and his change," said Bixler, a retired sale consultant who lives in Cortland, Ohio. She was in the area visiting friends.

Bixler said if Obama had selected Clinton to be his running mate, she would have "no doubt" about Democrats winning the White House.

"I still get goose bumps when I hear her talk because I wanted her so badly to win. I just think she's a smart woman."

Grand Ledge resident and Obama supporter Linda Drahnak, 64, said she came partly to hear how Clinton would persuade independents into Democrats' corner.

She wanted Clinton to "make the case that if Democrats do not win then the country may go to hell in a hand basket more than it is right now."

Drahnak, a retired payroll manager, said she liked Obama's "way of uniting people."

Hillary Clinton Tells Ohio Supporters: 'No Palin'

Campaigning for Barack Obama in battleground Ohio Sunday, Sen. Hillary Clinton signaled out Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin by using a slightly revised applause-line delivered at last month's Democratic convention.

 

Clinton told a crowd of 1,200 supporters -- many wearing "Hillary for President" T-shirts leftover from her bitter primary fight with Obama -- that Palin and Republican presidential nominee John McCain would only continue the failed policies of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

"No way, no how, no McCain and no Palin," she said as the audience erupted in cheers.

Clinton campaigned heavily in the state in the weeks leading up to her March 4 Democratic primary win, and she returned to economically troubled northeast Ohio on Sunday to urge her supporters to work just as hard for Obama and Joe Biden, the Democratic nominees for president and vice president.

"This election is going to be a game-changer," Clinton said at Lorain County Community College, about 30 miles east of Cleveland. "We have the opportunity to go beyond the failed policies of the last eight years."

Rep. Betty Sutton of Akron, a Clinton supporter during the April and May primaries, introduced a recently laid off Ohio auto plant worker, who then introduced Clinton.

Keeping her remarks to just 20 minutes, Clinton spoke about the economy, a topic she was expected to address again at a rally in Akron later Sunday.

Clinton recently campaigned for Obama in Florida, another swing state, and was one of several high-profile Democratic women who vouched for Obama in Ohio over the weekend.

On Saturday, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano campaigned in Columbus, in Marion in the northern part of the state and in Rossford, outside of Toledo.

Clinton Expected to Release Delegates Wednesday

By DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press Writer
   DENVER (AP) -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will gather her hard-won primary delegates Wednesday at a reception where she is expected to formally release them to vote for Barack Obama.
   Clinton has invited her pledged delegates to a reception at the Colorado Convention Center, not far from the main Democratic National Convention arena.
   A Democratic official told The Associated Press Sunday, a day before the convention begins, that she is expected to release her delegates at the Wednesday event. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss details publicly.
   Asked about Clinton's plans for the event, her spokesman Philippe Reines said it will be "an opportunity for Senator Clinton to see her delegates -- many for the first time since the primaries ended, thank them for their hard work and support, and most importantly to encourage them to support and work for Senator Obama as strongly as she has in order to elect him in November."
   The public move of releasing her delegates can serve a dual purpose for Clinton: Display a united party, and display her still formidable political strengths for the future.
   The New York senator has support among key voting groups that Obama has yet to win over, particularly women, older voters, and working-class voters.
   Coming into the convention, many Democrats have wondered exactly how and when Clinton would throw her delegates to Obama, and if that would be a messy, contentious affair.
   Republicans are already trying to take advantage of such potential fissures.
   John McCain's campaign launched a television ad suggesting rival Barack Obama snubbed Clinton because of her criticism during the Democratic primary fight.
   The ad features clips of Clinton, including one in which she accused him of negative campaigning, and a voiceover announcer says: "She won millions of votes but isn't on the ticket. Why? For speaking the truth."
   Clinton aides responded that she clearly supports Obama and agrees with him on important issues like health care and the Iraq war, and doesn't agree with McCain on those issues.

Hillary Clinton to Headline Second Night of Convention

By NEDRA PICKLER
Associated Press Writer
   HONOLULU (AP) -- Hillary Rodham Clinton will headline her own night at the Democratic National Convention.
  Nominee-in-waiting Barack Obama's campaign announced Sunday that he gave his former primary rival top billing on the convention's second night in recognition of her strong second-place showing in the marathon Democratic primary.
   The campaign said Obama's wife Michelle is slated to headline the opening night on Aug. 25, while the yet-to-be-named vice presidential pick will speak on the third. Democratic officials say Bill Clinton is also scheduled to speak that night.
   Obama is expected to become the party's first black presidential nominee on the fourth and final night as the convention moves from the indoor Pepsi Arena to a bigger venue at Invesco Field at Mile High stadium. It happens to be the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

Hillary Clinton Sets Campaign Dates For Obama

FROM THE AP ON MYFOX: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to campaign for Barack Obama in Nevada and Florida this month, events expected to be her first solo campaign appearances on Obama's behalf since she lost the Democratic nomination contest.

The Obama campaign said Tuesday that Clinton will host rallies and voter registration events this Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada, and again in South Florida on Aug. 21.

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Bloomberg Hosts Party for Clinton

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is attending a reception in her honor hosted by Mayor Michael Bloomberg at Gracie Mansion at 6 p.m. tonight. It's supposedly to "welcome back" Clinton after her primary campaign.

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FROM THE AP: Mayor Michael Bloomberg is throwing a party to welcome Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton back from the presidential campaign trail, but says he has no plans to help her with her campaign debt.

The fete Monday evening at Gracie Mansion, where Big Apple martinis and barbecue are on the menu, is not a fundraiser for Clinton. She is still working to retire millions in debt from the hard-fought Democratic primary that she lost to Sen. Barack Obama.

Bloomberg said he's hosting the reception to welcome her back from the 18-month-long fight, where he says she worked with her heart and soul.

The independent billionaire mayor did not endorse her or anyone in the primary, and has not yet said whom he'll be supporting in the general election.

Why Bill Clinton May Cheer McCain

FROM HOT AIR: ABC's Good Morning America caught up with Bill Clinton this weekend while the former president tours Liberia.  They discovered that Clinton still has not recovered from the bruising primary.

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