Loyalty in Politics

As a foreigner living the US, it amazes me just how fickle American politicians and politics can be. But oh so compelling. I'm hooked.

You could have knocked me down with a feather when I heard President-elect Obama had offered the post of Secretary of State to Hillary Clinton. It seems like only yesterday she was telling the world Obama wasn't capable of leading the country...and now she pledges to "give her all" to him to his Adminstration. Being a Centrist myself, I have to say Obama's choices national security are a pleasant surprise, especially James Jones. But I wonder if this talented pool of egos isn't going to be too much for the new president to handle. In particular - in Madame Secretary Clinton's case, Obama surely knows he has hired Bill Clinton as well - which has to be a weighty cause for concern in the new Administration given Bill Clinton's globe-trotting ways on the lecture circuit.

I also wonder about the "loyalty" factor. One of the unwritten (at least I think its unwritten) duties of senior presidential aides, such as those on the national security team, is to take the fall for the President when things don't turn out well. I'm sorry, but I just can't see the Clinton's being prepared to do that for their former arch-rival...and in the difficult days, weeks and months ahead for Madame Secretary Hillary, the opportunities for failure abound. How the "shadow administration" of the Clinton family deals with this loyalty issue will make for more compelling viewing than a new start up season of MASH.