It's Not JUST About Hillary!

As the drama of "will she or won't she" drags on, we ladies who are looking for some satisfaction, other than Sarah Palin, have been missing a bet!

Today's news seems to be filled with "she will" but there are so many other women being considered for top jobs we ought to be clicking our heels in glee!

Janet Napolitano, already Governor of Arizona, for Homeland Security; California Representative Jane Harmon for National Intelligence Director; Kansas Governor Kathryn Sebelius for Energy or Education or Inez Tenebaum or Linda Darling-Hamond. Sebelius again along with Jane Garvey for Transportation. EPA - Lisa Jackson, Mary Nichols and Kathleen McGinty. Commerce - Laura D'Andrea Tyson. Veterans Affairs - Tammy Duckworth. HUD- Renee Glover. Labor - Linda Chavez and Maria Echaveste. Counting Hillary that's fourteen women being considered for cabinet positions!

No small accomplishment. If I was a teacher I'd be assigning my students to Google each and every one of these women to find out who they are and how they attained the level of accomplishment necessary to rate such consideration. I'm willing to bet, too, that each and every one of them can name the periodicals from which they get their news!

One thing for sure, Obama is not sexist. On that note I'm going to borrow from the poster above and add it to the Obama slogan. This one is for the ladies. "We can do it. Yes we can!"

That Pesky Constitution!

Wow! Talk about throwing a monkey wrench into the works! It looks like the Obama organization is getting it's baptism by fire and he hasn't even entered office!

Now, we must remember that Hillary has not officially been offered the job of Secretary of State. It has merely been discussed. It has also been discussed with the better credentialed Bill Richardson. It has been implied it's Hillary's if she wants it as long as (her) Bill falls into line. Some reports say he is; others say he is dragging his feet on some details. That could be a blessing for Obama - and a way for a graceful "out".

It has been revealed that there is a section of the Constitution that may bring the curtain down on this act of political theater. Article 1 Section 6 to be exact. It states:

"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.”

The keyword here is "emolument". Salary.

Hillary was in the Senate when the Executive branch salaries were raised three times - $183,500 in 2006 to $186,600 in 2007 to the current $191,300. Check out Level 1.

If the section of the Constitution being discussed is being interpreted correctly, it would seem Hillary is ineligible for the post.

What does Obama do now? Does he cater to the Clintons or does he uphold the Constitution? Stay tuned.

Neigh Saver

"Born free, as free as the wind blows
As free as the grass grows
Born free to follow your heart"

I know. The song was about lions. But never-the-less it applies.

Imagine. No fences, no saddles, no one on your back, nothing stuck in your mouth to be used as a steering mechanism. Free as the wind blows. Wild horses.

We have a wonderful monument to them in central Washington. They embody the very essence of freedom and grace and spirit. When I read that some 33,000 of them is considered overpopulation and that the old and unadoptable are rounded up and placed in a holding facility more accurately described as a mud patch, my blood ran cold. I knew that their ultimate fate would be at a slaughter house. Euthanized, they say. How do you accomplish that humanely with thousands of animals?

On the bright side, this has the makings of a great Western! Mrs. T. Boone Pickens has galloped to the fore with a promise to adopt them all, have them sterilized and buy them a home on the range large enough, even, to accommodate the extras that are inevitable from those left to romp on the Bureau of Land Management property. No mud patch here. She's shopping for some one million acres!

She even has plans to form a foundation to help with the project. Now that's giving back to those among us who have no voice and cannot help themselves.

I've never met Mrs. T. Boone Pickens and I certainly don't run in her social circles but I know I'd like her. Other than her wealth, you see, she's just like so many Americans. A well educated "mutt" (as Obama once described himself), having been born to a British father and a Lebanese mother and schooled in England and France. Maybe we're finally on to the great equalizer when it comes to bringing people together. Animals. You see, she's always had a love for the West and wild horses. Commenting on the beauty of them she said, "This is our national heritage and it needs to be preserved." Note the word "our".

And indeed it does.

Political Expediency Trumps Party Loyalty

Man, I feel like I'm watching the political version of the Sopranos with Joe Lieberman as Tony! A man with no scruples, no honor, loyalty only to his own ambition.

I liken it to the Sopranos rather than the Godfather because the Democrats seem to have lost the part of their collective anatomy that would have kept their voices deeper. I'm also beginning to worry about the "new" politics. I've heard of "turn the other cheek" and "forgive and forget". Nice platitudes all, but this is ridiculous. All because the Democrats need Joe Lieberman's vote. It's disgusting.

It really began back in the 2006 primaries. Ned Lamont beat Lieberman so Lieberman ran against Lamont, and a very weak Republican as an Independent. When he won he labeled himself an Independent Democrat so he could caucus with the Democrats. That should have been the handwriting on the wall.

So what happened? Chairing the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee wasn't enough? He wanted a bigger leadership position since he had been a failed Vice Presidential candidate? The grass looked greener?

Ah, yes, there was that fateful kiss. Such a kiss usually has dire implications, but true to the Bush administration's inability to get it right, the one who was doomed was the one who planted it!

Opportunity once again raised it's head. The real possibility of becoming a Vice Presidential candidate once again. He glued himself to Republican McCain's side even more tightly than Cindy or Lindsey Graham. Alas, the fates were against him. McCain couldn't choose him and McCain lost. No cabinet position here.

But there is hope and change brewing in Washington. A new type of politics! Is there a place for Lieberman to resurrect himself once again?

Yes! His own party (Democrat again, if you're having trouble following this) said, this is "not a time for retribution." And, "He is one of the most progressive members to come from the state of Connecticut and that says a lot." What? What does that say? Maybe Chris Dodd can explain it to me!

Man, what other profession can one enter where you can call your own shots, decimate the candidate from your own party and be welcomed back with no penalty.

Joe Lieberman. You are a good example why people have little taste for politics. And you Democrats who allowed all this largess for the sake of his vote are a close second.

Is Political Gamesmanship Dirty Pool?

Sometimes I feel like I'm writing a continuing story instead of a blog. "In the previous episode..."

Okay, in the previous episode I addressed whether Bill was going to be the cause of Hillary not getting the job of Secretary of State. I'm beginning to wonder, however, what the Obama campaign is up to. The concern is whether contributors to Bill's foundation and philanthropies might be in conflict with governmental policy. That he has been a globe trotting philanthropist since leaving office is no secret. That he has contributors that have been at odds with our government is also no secret.

According to the New York Times Clinton is likely to have to make significant concessions in his activities in order for Hillary to pursue hers. The article tells us he is inclined to do so. At what cost?

The Clinton Global Initiative has done wonderful work world wide. Perhaps one of the better known projects is the work being done to eradicate AIDS in Africa. The question boils down to whether having Hillary as Secretary of State outweighs the work being done by Bill Clinton's organizations. Suggestions for those concessions include declining speaking fees from foreign businesses that have a stake in the actions of the American government. Where are you going to find one that doesn't?

Should the foundations be able to accept donations from foreign governments, businesses and individuals and if so allowed should he be made to make them public? If they are made public, why not?

One of Obama's close advisers, commented, " It's not just what he says or does - it's the fact the foundation is involved with foreign countries, some of which might well be in conflict with U.S. policy. It's more than a legal problem, there are ethical problems and appearance problems."

I'm sorry, but Obama and his advisory team were well aware of all these issues long before Hillary's name was floated. It is one of the reasons given for bypassing her for the Vice Presidency.

So. What the heck are they doing? I can't believe they'd be foolish enough to snub Hillary a second time. Okay, she wants out of the Senate. Reid has made it perfectly clear he isn't going to step aside for her. She's too junior to get plum committee chairmanships. She likes the limelight. The Supreme Court is too low key for that. What's she to do? Does the fact that she is able count?

In sorting through all this I've come to a few conclusions. The obvious one is it is not Bill who is being considered for the Secretary of State post. It's Hillary. As his wife, one might assume she knows the contributors. As a U.S. Senator, would this not also be a conflict of interest?

I think too, it ought to be remembered that William Jefferson Clinton is a former President of the United States. Hillary is a United States Senator. They have devoted years of their lives to the country. Does Clinton and his post-presidential work not deserve better than to be dragged through the proverbial mud of "what ifs"? In more simplistic terms it's like if I were denied a job with benefits because my husband is in the benefits business.

I don't begin to understand it. The Clinton's have long been masters of political gamesmanship. I have not liked it. It doesn't look any better coming from the Obama side.