Foggy Bottom breakdown
posted at 2:35 pm on December 9, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly
The idea of making Susan Rice a Cabinet-level official as UN Ambassador has already begun paying dividends, but to pundits and not President-elect Barack Obama. The AP reports that Dr. Rice wants her own transition team at the State Department as well as at the UN, angering Hillary Clinton, who has to already be a bit steamed to have an important part of the diplomatic corps outside of her control:
The first sign of cracks in President-elect Barack Obama’s foreign policy team of rivals emerged on Monday as his choices for secretary of state and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations visited the State Department.
As Secretary of State-pick Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.N. envoy-choice Susan Rice separately visited the diplomatic agency’s headquarters in Washington’s Foggy Bottom neighborhood, persons familiar with the transition said that Rice wants to install her own transition team inside the department.
Such a move by an incoming U.N. ambassador is rare, if not unprecedented, because the job is based at the United Nations in New York, where Rice already has a small transition staff, the sources familiar with the incoming administration.
In fact, it’s a shot across the bow for Hillary and sets up immediate tension as to who will run foreign policy for Obama in the new administration. Prior to Obama’s decision, the UN Ambassador fell under the authority of the Secretary of State. Now it looks like the “team of rivals” approach will wind up splitting American diplomacy, with potentially destructive results.
Obama made a big mistake, and he will have to rectify it quickly. Otherwise, the resulting feud will reflect badly on the competence of the least-experienced President in at least 100 years.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages:
Eh, Hillary’s Constitutionally barred from the office anyway, so its all moot.
Iblis on December 9, 2008 at 2:37 PM
the constitution will be a living, breathing document under “The One’s” administration, so Hillary will not be barred from office. I’m not gonna say the word, but all I’ve got to say is, “Meow”!
kingsjester on December 9, 2008 at 2:40 PM
Nah. He’s better than Slick Willy.
He’ll fire Her Thighness after a couple years. Where will that leave Hillary? Completely out of government with no way of touching Obama and directing policy. She’ll be frozen out.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on December 9, 2008 at 2:40 PM
Even with no overt feud, we don’t want two equals running separate foreign policy.
forest on December 9, 2008 at 2:40 PM
Setting up Hillary to take a fall…is she a person others can’t work with…will that be the line and the way to remove her permanently from any voting politics?
Maybe…Obama has a habit of removing obstacles…
right2bright on December 9, 2008 at 2:43 PM
This is going to be goofier than when Zbig was at State under Carter and Andy Young was running his own operation over at the U.N., until he got too one-sided towards Arafat (and in hindsight, Young was just saying what Carter believed, but had to be sacrificed due to the number of Jewish donors to the Democratic Party; given her past statements about the Middle East, my guess is Rice ends up hoisted on the same petard between now and 2012, even if she’s really saying what Obama actually believes).
jon1979 on December 9, 2008 at 2:43 PM
Susan Rice, the least endearing of the Obama surrogates during the campaign…an angry little woman constantly flexing her little muscles. But Hillary is no Obama and she’ll flex back.
Should be fun.
CarolynM on December 9, 2008 at 2:44 PM
Started with Alice Palmer. Continues to this day.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on December 9, 2008 at 2:45 PM
I think Rice will be gone in 6 months. She can’t step in and start a turf war with her “boss” before the job starts. Hillary’s giving up a Senate seat for this, and won’t let this blatant of a power grab slide.
Of course, I also thought Hillary would be the one heading for the Oval Office, so what do I know…?
cs89 on December 9, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Off color comment alert:
Obama is not fit to be President.
He placed two women who hate each other in charge of the same policy area at the same power level.
If he thought that wasn’t going to turn out badly, he’s an idiot of the first order.
BKennedy on December 9, 2008 at 2:46 PM
Ed, indeed
…to our sovereignty. It’s exactly what the O camp have in mind.
Entelechy on December 9, 2008 at 2:49 PM
BK,
I have a feeling mo had alot to do with the appointments. She is a tacky female.
L
letget on December 9, 2008 at 2:50 PM
So do the Clintons… just ask their Sec of Education…
or, since I’m a truther anyway… Vince Foster…
Romeo13 on December 9, 2008 at 2:51 PM
The solution is obvious:
Both women should report directly to Michelle Obama.
SPCOlympics on December 9, 2008 at 2:52 PM
Grrr… meant Sec of Commerce….
Romeo13 on December 9, 2008 at 2:53 PM
One world government here we come.
Just A Grunt on December 9, 2008 at 2:54 PM
So, who’s the President who’s had less experience?
dean_acheson on December 9, 2008 at 2:55 PM
It’s just the beginning of what is bound to be one of the worst examples of leadership in the history of the world. Obama’s big leadership idea is that he should get a team of rivals. That is prima facie evidence that he should not be allowed to manage a Dairy Queen, much less the United States of America. Good Lord, have mercy on this country.
indythinker on December 9, 2008 at 2:56 PM
Obama wanted to focus solely on the economy and come across as the savior of the American worker. That is all well and good but you cannot throw this Rice in with Hillary and expect all to not have to get involved at some point.
Who is going to speak to Hillary? Rahm? No freaking way. The only one that can talk to her is The Black Caesar and he is scared to death of her.
grdred944 on December 9, 2008 at 2:57 PM
::Breaking out the popcorn:: :-)
cannonball on December 9, 2008 at 2:58 PM
Hmmm, might this turn into a shadow battle between Rahm and Bubba? Lots of possibility here.
a capella on December 9, 2008 at 2:58 PM
The bad news: these clowns are practically advertising for enemies of the US to attack. The good news: a large proportion of the folks in target areas for terrorist bombs are liberals. Would it be rude to hope that both Rice and Clinton are in the UN building when the dirty bomb goes off?
Vashta.Nerada on December 9, 2008 at 2:59 PM
Hillary’s Constitutionally barred from the office anyway, so its all moot.
Iblis on December 9, 2008 at 2:37 PM
So is Obama! :smile:
artist on December 9, 2008 at 2:59 PM
She gives the impression of someone who had a very unhappy childhood, and is still in it. She makes Rahm Emanuel look like Richard Simmons.
CK MacLeod on December 9, 2008 at 3:00 PM
I am really enjoying this. Now with the Gov. of Illinois in the clink the drama is just beginning!! And Obama is not even the Pres yet!!
izoneguy on December 9, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Susan Rice is a minority, and her distant ancestors were treated poorly by your distant ancestors or friends of your distant ancestors, or people that your distant ancestors might have known.
She doesn’t just deserve a Green Beret Transition Team, the Hildabeast should swear fidelity to her.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t be “fair”.
notagool on December 9, 2008 at 3:00 PM
She is soon to become a Rice Krispie.
faraway on December 9, 2008 at 3:01 PM
Maybe the First Lady told him in advance. Maybe that’s the idea.
Then again, it’s typical with a messiah complex to come up with a “vision” on a whim, and have operatives scurrying to make it work. Maybe this one won’t.
manwithblackhat on December 9, 2008 at 3:03 PM
I seem to recall that the Chinese character for “discord” represents two women under the same roof.
CK MacLeod on December 9, 2008 at 3:07 PM
I wonder who’s been feeding Obama that idea of ‘controlling’ HRC?
Bravo! Keep up the good work.
/wink, wink, nudge, nudge
Sir Napsalot on December 9, 2008 at 3:08 PM
She is likely to mind her own business when it is worth minding. When it is not, she takes her mind off her own meaningless affairs by minding other people’s business.
Cheshire Cat on December 9, 2008 at 3:09 PM
Me too me too.
jellybelly on December 9, 2008 at 3:10 PM
I seem to recall that several notable dictators in the past century appointed political rivals to cabinet level positions, the idea being that the infighting would prevent a conspiracy that could wrest control from the leader.
Let’s hope is appointments are due to inexperience and not by design.
SPCOlympics on December 9, 2008 at 3:10 PM
The same crowd hailing Obama’s pick of HRC for Sec State will surely blame Bush? You know, all these happened ‘under Bush watch’.
Sir Napsalot on December 9, 2008 at 3:12 PM
He think He can negotiate in good faith with the Mullahs in Iran. If He can do that the surely He can get two lady underlings to make kissieface with each other.
SlimyBill on December 9, 2008 at 3:12 PM
Pork chops and rice
faraway on December 9, 2008 at 3:12 PM
Rice is gonna get crushed by the Clinton MACHINE
lodge on December 9, 2008 at 3:14 PM
Both Hitler and Stalin played that game to full effect.
the_nile on December 9, 2008 at 3:15 PM
Susan Rice is a disaster in the making as far as foreign policy goes.I can’t recall a single thing she has been right about or a theory in her “soft power” world that makes sense in the real world.
Obama’s lack of experience and leadership putting him in a position to have so many ego’s around doing the work so that he can just be a figure head is going to be a cluster fu$k that will leave us vulnerable to a focused and determined enemy like the jihadist.
Hillary will eat Susan for lunch and Obama for dessert.
She’s a Clinton,knows the DC game,can play it as good as anyone,and has way more experience than these two put together.
I hope this circus Obama is creating does not get a lot of people killed.
Baxter Greene on December 9, 2008 at 3:15 PM
A disbarred secretary of state has a problem with an ambassador appointee?
The plot thickens.
Black Adam on December 9, 2008 at 3:16 PM
Rice is the loser on this one.
I’ve seen Hillary’s profile and she just won’t fit under the bus.
fogw on December 9, 2008 at 3:16 PM
Cat fight!
Wyznowski on December 9, 2008 at 3:17 PM
My bet: Rice stays, Hillary goes. There’s the Constitutional issue — as if that means anything to Osama Obama — and the fact that Rice was cuddled up to The Messiah long before he brought Clinton on board.
For all her other faults, I don’t think Clinton will be comfortable with the anti-Israel leanings of both Obama and Rice. She’s been played, and she’ll figure it out soon enough.
Ditto, BTW, for Rahm Emanuel.
MrScribbler on December 9, 2008 at 3:19 PM
From her page at Brookings:
http://www.brookings.edu/experts/r/rices.aspx
Maybe she might want to update that?
WisCon on December 9, 2008 at 3:21 PM
It is awfully interesting that Team Obama’s transition
team is a busy bee!
Cross HilRod,don’t scratch her back,and she’ll scratch
your eyes out!!
And,just superb,while HilRod and Rice play around with
American foreign policy,it sends an early Christmas gift
to the terrorists who are rubbing their hands in glee
under da Christmas tree!
canopfor on December 9, 2008 at 3:21 PM
What could possibly go wrong?
Two headstrong ego maniacs vying for control of foreign policy sounds like a winner to me.
Ares on December 9, 2008 at 3:22 PM
Rice against Clinton – WOW – that could be epic.
Two very tough women – and I do mean tough.
jake-the-goose on December 9, 2008 at 3:31 PM
so did our Dictator… Lincoln…
/starts to whistle Dixie…
Romeo13 on December 9, 2008 at 3:33 PM
Why can I picture this bonehead out in a rock-strewn field signing a treaty on some rickety table that’s ready to fall over?
She’ll make Albright look like Jeane Kirkpatrick.
benrand on December 9, 2008 at 3:34 PM
I can see Hillary now, bobbing her shoulders and saying, “Oh… no you di-ant!”
Sugar Land on December 9, 2008 at 3:36 PM
Maybe, just maybe the GOP should block Ms Rice’s confirmation just like they blocked John Bolton. Seems fair to me.
luckybogey on December 9, 2008 at 3:37 PM
OK, I get the hot dog and popcorn concession….
DL13 on December 9, 2008 at 3:41 PM
As does Hillary, she slipped up with Vince Foster. I’m sure she wont make that mistake again.
christene on December 9, 2008 at 3:42 PM
If Obama’s poll numbers remain high, be prepared for the GOP to roll over and play nice. They have no spine and don’t care how pathetic they look.
ramrocks on December 9, 2008 at 3:43 PM
“Present” — President Elect Obama
Labamigo on December 9, 2008 at 3:46 PM
Obama and his regime will do whatever they damn well please. The Constitution has become nothing more than a facade . . . much like the “Wizard” in the “Wizard of Oz”.
rplat on December 9, 2008 at 3:54 PM
Interesting possibility but being a degenerate gambler, I will take that bet.
Rice is no threat to Obama. Hillary is. Rice did not get 17,000,000 votes this year in national elections. Hillary did. Obama did not pick Hillary because of her masterful diplomatic skills. Her foreign policy experience is limited to claiming to having been shot at once.
No, he picked her to put her on ice. The last thing he needs is for her to tell him to take his job and shove it. She could still back out of this gig and not lose face. On the contrary, if she puts out the right grumbles her PUMAS and many of those who see Obama as a continuation of Bush would be inclined to have another look at her.
There are no such issues with Rice. She is just another misguided liberal black feminist one-worlder that Obama can push aside with little negative reaction. He may lose the liberal black feminist one-worlder vote in 2012 but he can deal with that.
It shouldn’t come to that, though. Hillary will scream at someone and Rahm will tell Rice to setup shop in the UN and stay away from foggy bottom. But, if push does come to shove, Rice will be gone faster than you can say, “Obama was born in Kenya.”
grdred944 on December 9, 2008 at 3:54 PM
No. Obama is making the classic Democrat mistake. Mirco-management.
There is no way that the UN Ambassador should be a Cabinet level job. It should be correctly placed under State.
Nor should the “Auto Czar” or any of the bailout managers be a Cabinet appointment. They should be under Commerce because that is where all the correct type of expertise is located.
Making them Cabinet positons is only grandstanding. Obama seems to have a gift for that. But when everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.
That’s something that has bitten past President’s hard. The best was Eisenhower. He know how to use his staff. When to kick them, when to stroke them and at the same time play the old duffer wandering around the golf course.
Kennedy,Johnson,Clinton. All micromanagers. Nothing happened in their administrations witout their finger being in the soup.
Obama looks to be the classice micromanager. A finger in everything but controlling nothing. Especially when he comes to loggerheads with the Premanent Bureaucracy. which all President’s do.
schmuck281 on December 9, 2008 at 4:03 PM
Barry thinks he’s a good peoples manager. SOmeone needs to tell him that running a government (THE Most Powerfull in the World at that) is not like running a campaign. Hillary looks set to run all over the place and do what ever the hell she pleases
Dritanian on December 9, 2008 at 4:23 PM
CAT FIGHT! Good thing that both the U.S. State Department and the United Nations are useless and worthless organizations. Putting the least qualified as representatives to these dysfunctional organizations is a good thing–for the U.S.A. and the rest of the world.
***
Compare the skill, experience, and accomplishment levels of Condi Rice and Hillary Clinton for State–then John Bolton and Susan Rice for U.N. What a pair of clowns!
***
Stand back and watch the fur fly! All sound and fury–signifying nothing.
***
John Bibb
rocketman on December 9, 2008 at 4:31 PM
B*tches will be in a cat fight while L.A. S.F. N.Y. are under attack. Great, just great idiot Barry.
Mercy4Me on December 9, 2008 at 4:57 PM
Let the games begin. I bet on Hillary, she’s smarter and has a score to settle.
Done That on December 9, 2008 at 5:08 PM
Cat fight!
[munches popcorn]
Badger40 on December 9, 2008 at 5:11 PM
Needs more Steve Martin
- The Cat
P.S. Or Earl Scruggs and Steve Martin and . . etc etc
MirCat on December 9, 2008 at 5:14 PM
UNITY!
OldEnglish on December 9, 2008 at 5:38 PM
Or Dr. Dre/Snoop Dogg (what PEBO is REALLY thinking)
(Content Warning)
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on December 9, 2008 at 5:38 PM
Hillary will win, she has Bill on her side.
Big error by Obama.
albill on December 9, 2008 at 5:55 PM
Along with Barry comes James Brown in a dress, she must be thrown into the mix. Barry is in a pickle.
Wade on December 9, 2008 at 6:09 PM
This will make wheel #2 that has come of the Clinton bus.
It’s gonna crash.
Jed1899 on December 9, 2008 at 6:48 PM
In the current DoS organizational chart, the UN Ambassador reports to the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizational Affairs — TWO levels below SecState.
Hillary, you go, girl! You gotta keep the troops in line.
BillyRuffn on December 9, 2008 at 6:58 PM
So much angry estrogen out of control and at the helm… er, helms… what could go wrong?
DANEgerus on December 9, 2008 at 9:09 PM
Good. GOOOD!!!!!
/The Emperor
Hawkins1701 on December 10, 2008 at 1:26 AM
Obama and his regime will do whatever they damn well please. The Constitution has become nothing more than a facade . . . much like the “Wizard” in the “Wizard of Oz”.
rplat on December 9, 2008
Pay no attention to the man behind the black face. Just concentrate on the black face that you elected to absolve you of your white guilt. Now, don’t you feel better?
(indignant cries of “racism” in 4,3,2…)
SKYFOX on December 10, 2008 at 4:39 AM
Easy to see who will win in this feud. To the likes of Barry O the UN is the more valid organ for US diplomacy than any Constitutionally appointed executive department. What’s puzzling is whether HRC was this naive. She will have a fiefdom and get to be in the news, and the danger of having to ever be in the same room as Joe Biden is severely reduced, but otherwise she will be completely neutered. (And since she’s already sexless, a clean sweep.)
curved space on December 10, 2008 at 6:24 AM
With 79% approving SO FAR of BHO’s choices for positions, even STUPID Republicans, we can see how this plays. BHO can and will do whatever HE wants… Conservatives can not stop him yet, and in my opinion, we should just sit back and watch the collasal cluster-f that is about to happen… This is gonna be fun UNTIL we get hit again, then real Americans will demand a REAL President. Remember, stupid morons voted for the a-hole to be POTUS… God help us!
Mark Garnett on December 10, 2008 at 7:26 AM
The above easily wins the contest as the most intelligent comment on this topic.
Obama has shown a certain executive inexperience by racking up the balls the way he has. It was his attempt to show the UN and its supporters that they had his ear, and its failure was predictable from the moment of its announcement. There cannot be two foreign policies without bad things resulting for the country pursuing such misguided diplomacy.
unclesmrgol on December 10, 2008 at 9:23 AM
I think Clinton got set up. Surprise! She has to deal with Susan Rice and Suzanne Powers.
Blake on December 10, 2008 at 11:34 AM
This is going to be a very interesting four years. Sure hope the GOP has enough pieces left to pick up.
N4646W on December 10, 2008 at 11:56 AM
Comment pages: