Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Woot! The Obama Soap Opera Begins

Wow, we're still 42 days away from Obama's swearing in and the intrigue has already begun.

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.

The push by Rice, an early Obama supporter whose position the President-elect wants to elevate to a cabinet post, is also a signal that she intends to use her influence with the new president to play a more significant role than previous U.N. envoys, they said. The transition sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

As RedState points out,
This, by the way, is why it is a bad idea to do as Obama has done and elevate the position of UN Ambassador to Cabinet rank. Essentially, Obama now has two Secretaries of State. And each is apparently fighting with the other–sotto voce for the moment, but it will probably get louder later–to exert power and influence in the realm of foreign affairs. This despite the fact that as an Ambassador, Rice should be taking instruction from Clinton.

Just the latest example where Obama's inexperience at leadership creates problems.