Media reports suggest Sen. Hillary Clinton's chances of landing the Secretary of State post in the Obama Administration are on the upswing. In a story on Obama's meeting with Sen. John McCain, NBC Nightly News reported that "momentum is building for" Clinton, "a prospect serious enough transition officials are now pouring over Bill Clinton's finances and donors to his foundation, a concern potential conflicts of interest with an active former president whose philanthropic efforts span the globe."
The Washington Post reports, "Officials did not describe Obama as having formally offered" Clinton the Cabinet seat, but "said that there is an understanding that if she can sort out some of the complications that accompany her husband's global work -- which has made him an international philanthropic powerhouse but also earned him millions in speaking fees from foreign companies, creating a potential conflict of interest -- she would have a strong, if not completely certain, shot at it." MSNBC's Hardball also reported that "specifically at issue is [former President] Clinton's elaborate and secret financial ties to foreign governments, businesses and individuals."
Britain's Guardian, meanwhile, reports "Hillary Clinton plans to accept the job of secretary of state offered by Barack Obama, who is reaching out to former rivals to build a broad coalition administration, the Guardian has learned."
The New York Times reports in a front-page story that former President Clinton's "postpresidential life as a globe-trotting philanthropist, business consultant and speech-giver poses the highest hurdle for Mrs. Clinton to overcome if President-elect Barack Obama chooses to nominate her as secretary of state, according to aides of the Clintons and Mr. Obama."
Meanwhile, the CBS Evening News called a Clinton appointment "the most intriguing possibility of the whole transition," but noted that former President Clinton has "earned millions from speeches and business dealings around the world, including countries like Saudi Arabia and China, which could complicate dealings his wife might have as secretary of state."
Meanwhile, CNN The Situation Room Obama officials "are trying to push back on a report that was on Politico.com earlier today suggesting that they're exasperated with the slow pace from the former President. Obama officials insist that, at least for now, they are getting the information as quickly as they think they should be and they're not exasperated at all."
Chris Matthews, on MSNBC Hardball, said, "When I first heard that the President-elect could pick Hillary Clinton as his Secretary of State, my impulse was, trouble." Under the headline "Obama's Cabinet pick risks alienation of pals," the Washington Times reports that Obama's appointment of Clinton "would leave the other possible contenders for secretary of state in the dust with bruised egos," including Sen. John Kerry and Gov. Bill Richardson.
The New York Times profiles Gov. Bill Richardson's career, noting "despite intense courtship by the Clintons and having served in Mr. Clinton's cabinet, Mr. Richardson endorsed Mr. Obama during the epic primary battle."
Coverage of yesterday's meeting between President-elect Barack Obama and his GOP opponent in the presidential race, Sen. John McCain, portrays their discussion as fruitful and indicative of a possible new era of cooperation in Washington, DC. The Chicago Tribune reports, "By meeting with McCain so quickly after the election, Obama demonstrated both magnanimity and practicality." Bloomberg News notes the meeting "was arranged" by Sen. Lindsey Graham and chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.
The Washington Post notes that before the meeting, "asked by reporters whether he will help Obama once his term in office commences, McCain replied: 'Obviously.'" After the meeting, USA Today notes Obama and McCain issued a statement in which they said "they will seek 'a new era of reform' in the coming years."
ABC World News says when former rival candidates "meet for the obligatory make-nice photo-op and pledge work together, it can usually be a fairly meaningless gesture, but advisers to both...Obama and...McCain say there was something different about their meeting today." The CBS Evening News said "areas of potential cooperation for Obama and McCain include improving education, ethics reform, torture and the future of the US detention facility in Guantanamo, Cuba."
The Wall Street Journal says that according to an "Obama aide," the two "spent about half the meeting discussing how they can help usher in an 'era of reform to Washington.'" A McCain aide "said the meeting was cordial and productive."
The New York Times' John Harwood, on MSNBC Hardball said, "I think there was some substance. They talked about the issues they agreed on. We didn't hear much about those during the campaign for obvious reasons." The AP calls the meeting "just the latest effort by the president-elect to heal wounds from the long and bitter campaign and seek help from his former rivals." The New York Times also reports "advisers to both Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama said that they did not expect Mr. McCain to be offered a job in the new administration."
The Politico reports "the dynamic of their relationship won't be known for some time, but associates to both men said they were committed to trying to make it work." CNN The Situation Room, meanwhile, said that if yesterday's "performance seems forced, let's not forget it was their first face-to-face since that final debate in New York when McCain got aggressive about Obama's ties to Bill Ayers."
The Washington Times, AFP, Financial Times, and The Hill also report the story.
Helping Obama Could Boost McCain's Legacy A number of analyses also argue that working with Obama on issues in on which they agree could be McCain's best chance to "reclaim," as NBC Nightly News put it, "his reputation as a bridge builder." The CBS Evening News showed Jim VandeHei, executive editor of The Politico, saying of McCain, "This is a man with a very rich appreciation for history and his place in history and I think he'll want to fix any damage that he did during this campaign by ending on a high note in the Senate."
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In a "Transition Memo," Helene Cooper writes in the New York Times, "Whatever happened to Mr. No-Drama-Obama? After running a campaign known for its almost military-like cool and discipline, the president-elect is now assembling a staff whose members are known for their combativeness," including Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Congressional liaison Phil Schiliro and Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, as well as possible cabinet nominees Lawrence H. Summers and Sen. Hillary Clinton.
The AP says Obama is "forming a White House leadership team that combines experienced Washington insiders who can help build a bridge with Congress and trusted associates who share his Chicago roots." Meanwhile, the Washington Post contrasts Obama's campaign-trial calls "for fresh perspective in Washington" with his White House team appointments, saying, "it is becoming clear that Obama in fact sees value in having plenty of the 'same old folks' around to help him."
Podesta Seen As Battle-Tested Painting a generally positive portrait of his skills and previous service in the Clinton White House, the AP profiles John Podesta, "a leader of President-elect Barack Obama's transition team," in a story titled "Sex, lies and scandal: Obama aide has seen it all." Podesta "was the Clinton administration official who worked to douse scandals, outmaneuver Republicans and keep Bill Clinton popular even through impeachment. He's now in charge of a 450-person staff whose experts...aren't always in sync with those of his new boss."
New White House Aides Briefly Profiled. The Washington Post briefly profiles newly-appointed White House aides Greg Craig, Pete Rouse, Mona Sutphen and Jim Messina.
At the end of a tedious process fraught with difficulty the US and Iraq have signed a status of forces agreement that calls for the withdrawal of US forces by 2012. The CBS Evening News reported, "It could be the beginning of the end of the US military presence in Iraq." In Baghdad, US Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Iraq's foreign minister "signed a new security pact, it calls for US forces to leave Iraq's cities by June 30 of next year and all troops would be withdrawn by 2012. The measure still needs approval from Iraq's parliament." The AP says "there is a good chance parliament will pass the agreement with a large majority, since the parties that make up Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's coalition government dominate the legislature."
The Washington Post reports that though "American officials have pointed out that there is nothing stopping the next Iraqi government from asking some US troops to stay...there is no doubt that the accord, if passed by parliament, would sharply reduce the U.S. military's power in Iraq."
The Financial Times reports the agreement "paves the way for Barack Obama, the president-elect, to follow through on his campaign promise to end the Iraq war," while CNN The Situation Room said in "another gut check for the President-elect," Obama "is going to have to decide whether his withdrawal plan is going to match with the realities in Iraq."
The New York Times reports, "Iraqi and American critics of a security agreement governing American troops in Iraq voiced their objections on Monday, a day after the Iraqi cabinet approved the pact and sent it to Parliament for ratification." Opposition has "created an unlikely association between the followers of the anti-American Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr, who rejected the agreement out of hand, and some Sunni politicians." In the US, "officials acknowledged on Monday that the agreement still left some contentious issues vaguely worded."
The Washington Times reports Rep. Ike Skelton also "warned that the U.S.-Iraq agreement contained 'vague language' that would 'likely cause misunderstandings and conflict between the US and Iraq in the future.'"
A "Reversal" By Bush Under the headline "Bush Reversal On Iraq Deadline Gives Obama Breathing Room," the Washington Post reports that "by agreeing to a fixed deadline for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, President Bush contradicted years of promises that he would never agree to anything but a 'conditions-based' plan for phasing out the American military role there. But he may also have given President-elect Barack Obama more flexibility in fulfilling his campaign promise to bring the troops home."
Iran Appears To Soften Opposition McClatchy reports, "Iran on Monday softened its resistance to a pact that calls for withdrawing American forces from Iraq by the end of 2011, a shift that could make it easier for Iraq's ruling Shiite Muslim government to secure parliamentary approval."
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Three Senate races remain undecided Georgia, Minnesota, and Alaska. If the Democrats are successful at taking all three (which are currently all held by the GOP), President-elect Barack Obama could have a 60-seat majority in the Senate. While the Minnesota and Alaska contests are in the process of counting (and recounting) votes, there is a runoff in the Georgia Senate race between Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R) and challenger Jim Martin (D) to be held in early December. Sen. John McCain campaigned for Chambliss last week, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports this morning that former President Bill Clinton will be in Georgia to campaign for Martin tomorrow. However, the AP reports this morning that "some Democrats are wondering why the star of their party," Obama, "isn't scheduled to head South to campaign." University of Georgia political scientist Charles Bullock "said if Obama wades into the race it becomes, in large part, a referendum on him. 'He stakes his reputation in this contest and if Martin loses that looks bad,' Bullock said. 'On the other hand, if he comes here and Martin wins it makes Obama look all the more potent, which could help him get some new agenda items through.'" Despite Obama's absence from the race, his campaign is making its presence felt, as WMAZ-TV Macon reports that "About 100 people who worked for Obama agreed to come to Georgia and work for Martin's campaign."
The scrapping between potential 2012 GOP candidates is getting an early start. In a blog posting, The Politico reported that Mike Huckabee "is using his new book, out this week, to settle a few scores, not the least of which is with his fierce primary rival, Mitt Romney." Romney, "Huckabee writes, was 'anything but conservative until he changed the light bulbs in his chandelier in time to run for president.' At another point, Huckabee portrays a Romney proposal to encourage more investment in the market as, 'Let them eat stocks!'"
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Jay Leno: Today in Chicago, for the first time since the election, John McCain sat down with President-elect Barack Obama. Pretty impressive. Obama agreed to sit down and talk to McCain without any preconditions."
Jay Leno: "In fact, when Sarah Palin heard about McCain meeting with Obama, she accused McCain of palling around with terrorists."
David Letterman: "Everybody is kind of making up and getting back together. Senator McCain and President-elect Barack Obama" even "got together and had a nice visit. And...Obama thanked McCain for choosing that nutty Alaskan chick."
Conan O'Brien: "At a big photo op...earlier today in Chicago, Barack Obama tried to smooth things over by meeting with his former opponent John McCain." Obama "congratulated McCain on running a good campaign," while "McCain congratulated Obama on being a stupid jerk face."
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