"THE ONE" AND THE OTHER ONE

Posted at 7:21 a.m. ET

Leave it to the Clintons to be the stars of Barack Obama's transition.  While the president elect trots out such magnetic personalities as Tom Daschle, his choice for Health and Human Services, the real story is Bill and Hill.  Does she want it?  Will she take it?  Will she be offered it?  Lie down with Clintons and you get up with a public-relations problem.

So, a few words about the position of secretary of state:  It ain't what it's cracked up to be.  Just as the Constitution is what the Supreme Court says it is, the post of secretary of state is what the president says it is.  Condi Rice clearly has the ear of President Bush, and ranges far and wide.  Colin Powell, no.  James Baker, in the administration of Bush 41, was practically an extension of the president, and foreign ministries knew it. 

Edmund Muskie, Carter's second secretary of state, is barely remembered in the role.  Richard Nixon's first was William P. Rogers, long forgotten because the effective power was kept by Henry Kissinger, Nixon's national security adviser, and, later, both national security adviser and secretary of state simultaneously. 

Dean Acheson (Truman) and John Foster Dulles (Eisenhower) are recalled as active, powerful secretaries.  But during World War II, Cordell Hull complained that Franklin D. Roosevelt gave him nothing to do.  He resigned.

So now Hillary ponders.  Presumably, she wants the job, or her husband would not be making grand pronouncements about revealing more of his finances to the Obama transition team than he's ever revealed.  But does she really want it?  She's not exactly the errand-girl type, and that's how it can wind up.  She might also look at the history:  Secretaries of state have not gone on to higher office.  Like the mayor of New York City, it's kind of been a retirement position.  Hillary is only 60.

But wait, wouldn't she be a star overseas?  Yeah, right.  How many American votes are there in Pakistan?

Secretaries of state take the rap when things go wrong, and the president takes the credit when things go right.  Dean Acheson was blamed for Korea, Kissinger for a detente policy that enraged the Republican base, Baker for being anti-Israel, Albright for doing her little dance with the dear leader of North Korea.  The one guy who came out with stature was George Marshall, but he was a five-star general.  His stature came with the package.

So we sit and wait and wonder.  And we read about Hillary rather than Barack.  I wonder how this guy will deal with the Russians.

November 20, 2008.