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Why Hillary became first cabinet pick

BY TOM BRUNE | tom.brune@newsday.com

November 24, 2008

WASHINGTON - How did Hillary Rodham Clinton become the first in line to join the Obama cabinet?

In the weeks leading up to the Nov. 4 election, many experts predicted the first priority for the new president would be to name his economic team, given the shaky markets and grave financial crisis.

Yet since Nov. 13, when Barack Obama summoned Clinton, the junior senator from New York and his once bitter rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, to Chicago for a private meeting about becoming secretary of state, she has been the buzz of the Obama world.

The move to deal with Clinton is at once shrewd and inspired, some New York political analysts and Democratic activists said yesterday.

Technically, Obama will still formally name his economic team first today and tomorrow, Obama aides say, putting off until after Thanksgiving the official announcements of Clinton and other cabinet choices.

Still, Obama transition aides have allowed, and even abetted, news reporting on Obama's weeklong courting of Clinton, an overture sources say caught her by surprise.

But that may allow Obama to get the intense glare Clinton commands out of the way now so he can shift the focus to his economic strategy next week and beyond.

Besides, Obama may not have had much choice other than to go ahead and put her first.

Jay Jacobs, a Clinton friend and chairman of the Nassau Democratic Party, said once Obama decided to ask Clinton to lead the State Department, he had to meet with her right away as his transition team interviewed people for various cabinet posts.

"He couldn't have afforded her appearing to be third choice for secretary of state," Jacobs said.

Obama's top Long Island supporter, Suffolk County Legis. Jon Cooper (D-Lloyd Harbor), said Obama has long talked of putting together a government that would also include former opponents, so it was natural he would reach out to Clinton.

As to the timing, Cooper said he thinks it's possible the Obama transition team may have recognized Clinton's tendency to draw attention and thought that "he may as well get it over with."

But the biggest plus is the strategic political advantage it gives Obama, said Hank Sheinkopf, a New York political analyst and operative.

Not only does this allow Obama to put the Clintons "on a leash" to prevent them from opposing him, Sheinkopf said, but it also gives him a "jump-start" in his foreign policy, since the Clintons have contacts around the world that Obama does not have but needs.

Obama will get political payoff in support where he was weak during the election, unifying Democrats by picking up the backing of Clinton's following among white, blue collar workers, Catholics and women, he said.

As Obama prepares for the new administration, Sheinkopf said, "It is about economics. But it's also about making sure you can govern. What better way to do it than get the Clintons into your administration?"

-Click here to see Sen. Clinton with 23 world leaders she's met

-Click here to see 55 of the men and women who could be in President-elect Obama's cabinet

-Click for 102 photos of Sen. Clinton at work and play