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Give Bill Hillary's Seat

There's a proud tradition of former presidents going to Congress; we could do worse than Bill Clinton in the Senate

By Gabriel Winant, Newser User

Posted Nov 26, 2008 8:00 AM CST

(Newser) – With so many pols jockeying for Hillary Clinton's potentially open Senate seat, David Paterson needn't agonize over the decision: Just give it to her husband, write Karl E. Meyer and Shareen Blair Brysac in the Washington Post . It would give Bill "a fitting day job," be a boon to mid-meltdown New York, and "offer a refreshing reverse twist on a tradition whereby deceased male senators, representatives or governors are succeeded by their widows."

Ex-presidents have gone to the Capitol before. John Quincy Adams served honorably in the House for years after losing reelection to the White House, leading the fight against slavery and helping create the Smithsonian. “Who better than Bill Clinton to deepen and energize such a tradition?" As an added bonus, "Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would not have to fret about suitable protocol for dealing with her spouse on foreign trips were he occupied, full time, with senatorial duties."

[Images (4)]

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In this Sept. 2005, file photo former U.S. President Bill Clinton speaks in Beijing, China, to honor Chinese physicians serving the HIV/AIDS population. Since leaving the White House in early 2001, Bill... (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

John Quincy Adams (1767 - 1848), the 6th President of the United States of America and the son of John Adams, the 2nd President of the United States. (Getty Images)

Former President Bill Clinton speaks to the invited guests at the 17th Annual Salute to Freedom Gala on the Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008, in New York. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton laughs while listening to remarks about his wife, presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in San Juan, Monday, April 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

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Amid the blizzard of résumés blanketing Washington as the Obama era dawns, there is a superbly qualified candidate for full employment whose name has been overlooked. - Karl E. Meyer and Shareen Blair Brysac

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Give Bill Hillary's Seat