Hillary Belongs in the Cabinet
Offering Senator Clinton the position of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to lead the reform of the American health care system, is a much better answer to the question "What to do about Hillary?" than making her the Vice President. Serving as Secretary of HHS will allow her to leave a mark on American society that will last for many decades, to the benefit of hundreds of millions of Americans--old, young and yet to be born. Furthermore, it will accord her an opportunity to correct major mistakes that she admits to making during her previous attempt to reform the health care system. Also, the position will provide her with a strong platform from which to launch her future political ambitions. As a bonus--whatever mess her husband inserts himself into will not involve the White House.
Those who will feel that Senator Clinton is being slighted if and when she is not chosen as Vice President will need to be reminded how marginal the Vice Presidency is in the American government. The Constitution provides practically no mission and next to no power for the Vice President. It is the president who is the Commander in Chief, who chooses the members of the cabinet, who submits the budget to Congress, and so on--without even an obligation to consult the Vice President or even keep him or her informed about what is going on. The Vice President does preside over the Senate and, once in a blue moon, casts a tie-breaking vote. The rest of the time, the Vice President is at the mercy of the President. (Moreover, he is often closely monitored by the President. Several times when I visited with Vice Presidents since 1980, a staff member of the President joined the meeting and took notes).
Historically, Vice Presidents have often been isolated and used mainly to stand in for the President in places he did not want to go, especially at the funerals of some heads of states overseas. Historian Stephen Graubard wrote that "the few months Theodore Roosevelt spent in that office, with nothing to do except to preside over the Senate, denied even a seat at the Cabinet table...[the] boredom was so excruciating as to make him think seriously of abandoning politics after his term of office, possibly choosing a university career instead." According to historian Richard Baumann, Teddy Roosevelt said "I would a great deal rather be anything, say professor of history, than vice president." FDR's Vice President John Nance Garner (1933-41) claimed the vice presidency "isn't worth a pitcher of warm piss." As Will Rogers, an early 20th century American humorist, put it: "The man with the best job in the country is the vice president. All he has to do is get up every morning and say, 'How is the president?'"
Because Dick Cheney was the Vice President for the last eight years, Americans tend to think about the Vice Presidency as an all powerful position, playing a leading role in foreign and military policy. There is no sign that Obama would wish to continue to such an unusual pattern.
There is a final bonus in Senator Clinton serving as member of the cabinet rather than as a Vice President: if it turns out that she finds it difficult to be a team player under the direction of President Obama, she will find out that it is much easier to replace cabinet members than a Vice President.
Amitai Etzioni is Professor of International Relations at The George Washington University and author of Security First (Yale, 2007) www.securityfirstbook.com email: comnet@gwu.edu
Comments (31)
Excellent idea.
June 26, 2008 1:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ridiculous idea.
June 26, 2008 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama is treacherous: being Sec. of State means she serves at his pleasure.
She should be vice president but Obama is too small a man to do that. Also having demonized her through out his campaign he has two problems -- trying to be believalbe now lying to her supporters to convince them that he really likes her and they can vote for him without giving her any power or giving her power -- Vice President or Supreme Court -- and offending those of his supporters who bought into his his false claims.
June 28, 2008 11:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's a fine idea and New York is a blue enough state that I think Obama could risk taking one of our Senators.
Though there are 2 things that would worry me.
Bloomberg could run for the open seat and win it as an independent or Republican, narrowing our edge, or Giuliani could come gunning for it again.
June 26, 2008 1:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know that health care is one of Hillary's big issues. But wouldn't this kinda be akin to making her secretary of cookie making? God knows there are only some thing women are good at.
June 26, 2008 1:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm still for putting her on the Supreme Court.
June 26, 2008 2:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'd think it would be every feminist's dream to get to be the deciding vote against the gang of 4. She could make Scalia's life hell for decades.
June 26, 2008 2:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Donal says;
"I'm still for putting her on the Supreme Court."
No, no, no; put Bill on the Supreme Court and not only will Scalia go nuts, the Forces of Wingnuttery might have to be committed.
June 26, 2008 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Two words: "Page Scandal"
June 27, 2008 9:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oooh, you're just too persuasive.
At one point I had thought that Hillary would be a good choice for the Court. Then I began to think of her corporate orientation... and of Big Dog whispering in her ear.
HHS Sec'y sounds like a perfect place for her. But a burr on Scalia's seat does sound awfully tempting :-)
June 26, 2008 2:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not sure how it would go. I also imagine her untethered from Big Dog free at least to fully vent all that pent up feminine wrath and who better to be on the receiving end than Scalia and his fellow up tight Catholics.
June 26, 2008 2:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
blockquote>I'm not sure how it would go. I also imagine her untethered from Big Dog free at least to fully vent all that pent up feminine wrath and who better to be on the receiving end than Scalia and his fellow up tight Catholics
I don't know your gender but that's a pretty sexist remark.
Hillary has shown no sign of "pent-up" anger feminine or otherwise. It is just a footnote in the long list of sexist bullshit that has plagued her throughout this whole ordeal
June 26, 2008 11:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hillary Belongs in the Cabinet
Sure. Fine. Why are we talking about this now? Obama won't make his cabinet appointments until after the election.
June 26, 2008 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well because the sexists are now in their "poor Hillary" mode. It first was "how do we get rid of this Bitch" and now it is "poor Hillary, what should we do with her?"
The frightening part is how obvious the misogyny is yet how clueless most people are about it.
June 26, 2008 11:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
What's wrong with being the senator from New York?
June 26, 2008 5:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly. The people of NY elected her to the Senate. They should have their Senator.
Besides, health care in our country doesn't need some executive branch regulatory band-aid fix; it needs a legislative solution. And if Hillary is so all-fired-up to fix our health care system, she needs to be in the Senate to do so.
June 26, 2008 7:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly times 2.
Secy of HHS is an administrative position not a policy leader. The problem in passing health care will primarily be a legislative one.
I'm pretty sure Sen. Clinton would prefer to be involved in policy debates on issues other than health.
June 27, 2008 11:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
HHS would be fine, but really...you know...it would be the nightmare Scalia would never wake from.
so I say Supreme Court after Stevens retires. then Obama can appoint Lawrence Tribe to fill the next vacancy, and we might get some of our constitutional rights back.
June 26, 2008 6:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
She didn't do real good job the first time she worked on health care and if anything she seems to have become more set in her dysfunctional ways. With that said, it does seem like a good idea, in that it solves the what to do with Hillary question and opens up a Senate seat for a true progressive.
June 26, 2008 6:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
HHS would be fine, but really...you know...it would be the nightmare Scalia would never wake from.
so I say Supreme Court after Stevens retires. then Obama can appoint Lawrence Tribe to fill the next vacancy, and we might get some of our constitutional rights back.
June 26, 2008 6:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think your emphasising the historical role of the VEEP as marginal is way off base. Obama himself rates the role highly - he's articulated it - his principal adviser and counsellor.
To the extent that HRC herself wants it, we all know why. She came out with the reason herself on at least three separate occasions that I'm aware of - she got away with it the first two times.
But with regard to health care, I'm wondering how on earth Hillary & Obama are going to unite over this. The sole issue I've respected her on is that she's passionate about mandating insurance - and with good reason: the system will need the contributions of young, fit people. Obama is committed to keeping it voluntary.
How are they going to reconcile this? Any ideas, anyone?
June 26, 2008 7:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gee, I don't know - maybe we could just get the insurance companies out of the health care business? Insurance companies take, what, 30% or so off the top of every stinkin' dollar spent on health care. The dollar is weak enough as it is, but when you get only 70% of the value you pay for, it's no wonder the system is broken.
Market-based solutions such as conservatives like to advocate for only work when you have a true market. But when my daughter broke her arm, we didn't shop around. We didn't call the various urgent-care centers and get quotes. We didn't get on the Internet and visit William Shatner's favorite orthopaedics bargain website. There is no free market in essential health care services.
It is therefore entirely in the realm of government to regulate what is essentially a public good to ensure adequate, affordable, accessible health care for all citizens. When the American people finally comprehend this and demand that their representatives serve the people instead of the insurance industry we will begin to attain the quality of health care our skilled practitioners and technology can provide.
June 26, 2008 7:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Young, fit people cannot subsidize old sick people because:
(a) there are not enough of them (birth rates are stable even as longevity continues to increase)
(b) they don't have the money
(c) young fit people with lot's of money (enough to subsidize the unhealthy) are almost certainly getting health care from their employer.
Most young people do not have health care for the same reason as everyone else who doesn't have it--they can't afford it.
June 27, 2008 11:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Why does anybody think she wouldn't screw the pooch again?
In the campaign, she said the problem the last time around was inadequate public relations. No. The problem is she vastly overestimated her understanding of health care and the way Congress works, then thought she could ram the crappola she devised (along with health care incompetent Ira Magaziner) down everybody else's throat.
Who needs all that again?
People think she's some kind of policy whiz. Bull. She's a lawyer who can serve up verbiage. She's knows a tad more than the average person, who doesn't follow this stuff, so she comes off as wonkadelic. Bull.
June 26, 2008 7:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Put her in charge of the Department of Ag. They don't like Dems anyway.
June 27, 2008 1:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
How about political watchers and the like "GET OVER IT" with Hillary, Clinton vs. Obama 2008, Gore vs. Bush 2000, the 90s, 80s, disco, and 60s...
June 26, 2008 8:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
sorry, but i have to say it, no f*cking way.
hillary wouldn't deal with her past mistakes, she would be in the catbird seat in the cabinet to help herself, and bill to line their pockets with even more of the green that folds.. as they have been doing ever since they were first in the white house.
this working class woman isn't ignorant. since getting into the senate, hillary clinton has been working for corporate interests and foreign interests. she continued to work for interests like monsanto, as she and bill did in the 90s, and india. it's no secret that she has a huge slush fund from indian and saudi interests. also, having a fundraiser titled 'rural americans for hillary' at the k street headquarters for monsanto's lobbyists is a big tip off that she views her constituency as narrowly as bush does. those with the big bucks to pay for her time are the only interests she serves.
so again, sorry, but i'm not deceived.
June 26, 2008 10:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is exactly what I've been sayin' - I believe the cabinet position, to support the creation and implementation of a positive healthcare system, for HRC is a very good idea. She has the passion, skill and knowledge to get the job done.
And no, I was not a HRC supporter in the primary.
June 27, 2008 12:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think Hillary would see a cabinet position as a step backwards. On the other hand, she would see an appointment to the Supreme Court as a move forward.
June 27, 2008 5:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
More of a lateral move, considering she has never held a judgeship (is that a word?).
As much as I like the idea of Hillary meeting Scalia and Thomas head-on, I would much rather see someone like Bruce Fein who seems to actually get the Constitution. While I know little of Fein beyond the position he publicly took recently, Clinton has no special knowledge of Constitutional law that would qualify her for SCOTUS.
Of Course, neither do Scalia, Thomas, or Roberts, for that matter...
June 27, 2008 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hillary belongs in the nut house along with all the other egomaniacs...
Of course, if it would get her out of our valuable NY senate seat, I am for it.
June 27, 2008 1:43 PM | Reply | Permalink