Some mull idea of Sen. Bill Clinton

[Placebo]

If Hillary Rodham Clinton wins the presidency, some top Democrats would like to see her husband, former President Bill Clinton, appointed to serve out Hillary’s unexpired Senate term.

“As a senator, he’d be a knockout,” said Harold Ickes, who was once a top White House aide to Bill Clinton and now gives behind-the-scenes advice to Hillary. “He knows issues, he loves public policy and he’s a good politician.”

Some Democrats and political analysts say Bill Clinton would thrive in the world’s greatest deliberative body, much like Lyndon Johnson did before he became president.

“President Clinton would excel in the Senate,” said Paul Begala, who helped Bill Clinton get elected and served in the White House as a top aide.

More...

Interesting times, folks. Interesting times. :)

[yurbud]

1. so we'd end up with presidents Bill, Hill, Bill...

[yurbud]

2. he could run for president again and despite his faults and policy short-comings, win again

[TheWraith]

4. No, he couldn't. The two-term limit isn't sequential, it's total. NT.

[yurbud]

7. i just meant people would vote for him again

[Erika]

3. Yes. Indeed.

I would love the Clintons in the WH! Yes!

[Bozita]

5. I'm thinking Secretary of State in ANY Dem administration

Want to start to repair Republicon damage to America's image?

Can you give me a better choice?

[BadgerKid]

13. Any internationally visible position

would be great since he seemed to be well-liked abroad. Sec. State, UN Ambassador,etc.

[UnyieldingHierophant]

21. I agree, I think SoS would be a much more desirable position for him*

[SharonRB]

25. That's where I've been saying I'd like to see him

SOS or Ambassador to the UN.

[IndianaGreen]

6. Is New York the Clintons' private fiefdom?

Let's keep Hillary in the Senate, where she belongs, and let the next Democratic President appoint Bill Clinton Ambassador Plenipotentiary for the Middle East, his mission to bring about peace to that troubled area.

[mazzarro]

8. This is a stupid idea

Progressives are not supposed to be for hereditary positions and I think that this is what all the clamor for everything "Clinton" seem to be aiming for. If Clinton wants, he could start training program to pass some of those political knack of his to other "mini-clintons" in the progressive world and help make the progressive movement stronger and more agile.

[Placebo]

9. I don't see why people are so obsessed with the name.

I can't imagine anyone else in the world more qualified to fill that seat than William Jefferson Clinton. That being said, I'm sure there are a lot of NY democrats who could serve in the senate admirably and make their state and the nation proud.

[OneBlueSky]

10. IF Hillary were to win the presidency (highly unlikely, imo), that seat will likely go to . . .

Bobby Kennedy (who has expressed an interest) . . .

[tritsofme]

11. If both Kennedy and Clinton expressed interest

I think the wishes of the former POTUS and POTUS elect would take precedent in Spitzer's mind.

[SharonRB]

26. Either he or the Big Dawg would do a fine job

The people of New York could be proud of either one of them. I think it's a moot point, though. I don't think we're going to see a President Hillary.

[cyclezealot]

12. We have policy differences with BIll

Like the destruction following Nafta and the Telecommunications Bill. Yet, we somehow respect BIll more than Hillary.
I'd like to see him in the Senate. Can you imagine the likes of wingnuts such as Oklahoma's wingnuts senator having to sit in committee with Bill. I'd love it. I suspect Bill has learned from his presidential mistakes. ( He did his best to prevent the Bankruptacy bill after all, unlike Hillary.) I suspect overall his voting record might be better than Hillarys.

[FarCenter]

14. A younger Daniel Patrick Moynihan would be better

Senator Clinton's predecessor was 49 when elected senator in '76. He went on to server three terms before retiring in '00.

Spitzer should look for someone in their early '40s who can server with distinction, hold the seat for four terms, and build the kind of clout that senior senators acquire.

New York deserves effective representation in Washington, not celebrity senators.

[Kittycat]

15. I'd much rather see him take up a more international role

Under Hillary, he'd have a greater opportunity to work on world matters. IMO, he's beyond just the US now. He has a responsibility to work for a greater/global change - and I would have liked to see him in a UN role. However, that too could have been limiting. If we place a "title" on him - it will limit him in any regard. It's one of the reasons why I admire what Gore has been doing for the past 5 years. He follows the problems, rushes to aid, gets his hands dirty - and isn't restrained by some expectation of what his current job role should or shouldn't be.

[AikidoSoul]

18. I agree with most of what you say here, but I would like to see Gore become president

because of the magnitude of environmental problems now visible that threaten to unravel the web of life. Environmental problems are much worse than is being discussed publicly. Unlike most politicians Gore is uniquely capable of seeing the writing-on-the-wall patterns that show foundational life support systems are being dangerously undermined.

I'm not just talking about global warming here.

Gore is a holistic thinker... a necessary skill when looking at the environment and how different systems interact with each other. His analysis of global warming illustrates this ability to think laterally and holistically -- and so does his book "Earth in the Balance" that he wrote more than a decade ago. For example, Gore understands that the toxicities of widely used synthetic chemicals undermine health and life at the cellular level, and has concerns about their effects on entire systems. Gore understands that one sickened part of the web affects other systems. There is probably nobody in government today that realizes this as deeply as Gore does -- that all biological systems are critical to the survival of others. On an individual level Gore also knows that if you poison an organism, that it becomes weakened and more vulnerable to other stresses in the environment.

When we look at the massive devolution of whole regions of the ocean-- it is telling us that we are in deep, deep trouble. Although Gore has not spoken about this yet that I know of -- I think he of all people would understand how serious this threat is.

Although Gore plays an important role with what he is doing now - the impetus for change is still much too slow. Think of how much he could accomplish if he were able to get elected to the biggest bully pulpit of all! He is a supernerd when it comes to understanding and discussing these problems, with an unique ability to make the language of science accessible even to those who have no background in the topic. Think of it -- he has been a teacher for the past several years -- Gore would be able address these issues in a coherent way and do much more than he is able to accomplish as an independent activist.

It may seem strange to parallel Gore's holistic biological system thinking with the possibility that he holds holistic views of world cultures and political systems -- but I think it's perfectly valid to make that assumption. We need leaders who can see the need to develop more intricate systems of interacting with other countries, systems that interact with more precision, compassion and honesty than ever before. I suspect Gore would employ diplomacy as a priority strategy, with a high degree of contact and even intimacy with other cultures. If you think about it long enough it becomes clearer that this kind of intelligence and understanding -- is the only hope for moving humankind towards becoming civilized.

Anthropologists keep looking for the link between civilized man and the Anthropoid Ape -- but I think we've already found him. It's us!

[Kittycat]

28. Oh, I agree 100% and for more than just the environmental aspect

Gore is the only candidate I could say that today I stand behind 100%. I'm still bothered and undecided about our frontrunners at the moment.

[LiberalFighter]

16. Let's wait until after the election is over.

We did this same thing figuring out who would be good in Kerry's Cabinet.

[IndianaGreen]

17. Team Hillary, it appears, is already vetting for cabinet secretaries

This is akin to a football team getting ready for the Super Bowl before their first pre-season game. If we thought Bush suffered from hubris, what about Team Hillary?

[Emillereid]

19. Personally I already suffer Clinton fatigue -- I'm totally weary of

of their triangulating, nuanced double talk. And they're both too cozy with the Bushes and Ruppert and other powers that be. If we can't have Gore, let's at least go for Kucinich or Edwards or Obama.

[jahyarain]

20. hmmm. better yet,

how about President Gore appoints Bill the next Secretary of State?

[Psephos]

22. We have 300 million people...let's try someone not named Clinton or Bush

A pox on both their houses.

[muryan]

24. ill try someone named clinton

if it means not having to live with someone named bush, guilliani, mccain, gringrich or hunter.

[chieftain]

23. The author of the article is RW journo hit man Bill Sammon.

He is trying to stir up anti Clinton feeling in the Republic base. I think Bill as a Senator is a great thought but my bet is that this article is just one more effort to create animosity among Leftists who are not as enthusiastic about Bill in Congress as I am.

[The Backlash Cometh]

27. He has great experience.

I'm not so sure I'm against the idea, as long as he doesn't become a Lieberman.

[MasonJar]

29. The world community loves Bill and hates George with a passion.

Bill Clinton can take on any international job: Sec of State, UN Ambassador, etc. Bobby Kennedy should be in charge of the Dept of the Interior and Al Gore should be anything he wants. If Bobby prefers to be a senator more power to him.