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Hillary's next move?

BY GLENN THRUSH | glenn.thrush@newsday.com

June 6, 2008

Now that she's no longer running for president, here are some possible career options for Hillary Rodham Clinton:

>>VICE PRESIDENT

PROS: Her popularity with white lunch-bucket voters, Hispanics and women gives Obama better chances at winning states like Ohio, Missouri, Michigan, Florida and Texas.

CONS: Many in Obama's camp think she's the embodiment of Beltway malaise, plus the watch-your-back-Barack factor and B-I-L-L.

>>HEALTH CARE REFORM CZAR

PROS: Nobody knows more about the topic, and she wants to make up for early '90s failure.

CONS: Too much baggage, too much potential for upstaging Obama.

>>SENATE MAJORITY LEADER

PROS: She's savvy, forceful and steeped in legislative details

CONS: She's a backbencher, half the Senate is lukewarm and fellow New Yorker Charles Schumer -- not Clinton -- is considered the rising star in leadership.

>>SUPREME COURT JUSTICE

PROS: Has the gravitas, legal training and would breeze through confirmation.

CONS: Would end her political career -- and Bill's business ventures could cause conflicts of interest.

>>SECRETARY OF STATE

PROS: Projects forceful but fair image to rest of world.

CONS: Obama foreign policy advisers think she's a grandstanding hawk and Joe Biden is more likable.

>>NEW YORK GOVERNOR

PRO: No one would ever call her a carpetbagger again.

CONS: Would she run against David A. Paterson? Mike Bloomberg? Schumer?

>> WHITE HOUSE RERUN

PROS: She'd only be 64 in '12 and there's an I-told-you-so factor if John McCain beats Obama.

CON: Who would want to go through this again?