Senate Committee Approves Clinton

Texas Republican unsatisfied with oversight of Bill's foundation

(NEWSER) - Easy confirmation is supposed to be a perk of appointing a senator well-liked by her peers. But John Cornyn of Texas is threatening to hold up a unanimous-consent agreement on confirming Clinton as secretary of State, Politico reports. Cornyn isn’t satisfied with Clinton’s proposal for oversight of her husband’s charitable foundation and has asked for revisions. “It’s his hope they’ll meet him halfway,” says a spokeswoman. If not, confirmation could get delayed until tomorrow. More»

Lawmakers likely to raise conflict of interest issues

(NEWSER) - Senate Republicans are considering calling on Bill Clinton to testify at his wife's confirmation hearing for secretary of State, Politico reports. It's unusual for anybody apart from the nominee to testify at a confirmation hearing. But GOP lawmakers are concerned about Bill's worldwide business dealings and their potential impact on his wife's new position. They may also relish any opportunity to put the Clintons on the spot. More»

Clinton a strong secretary, but not yet administration's voice

(NEWSER) - Ask Hillary Clinton or her staff about President Obama and they’ll praise him and tell you the relationship between the two really is strong. But the tensions between the State Department and White House are starting to show, writes Joe Klein . The president’s foreign policy hasn’t yet yielded results, and on her recent Pakistan trip, Clinton gave the first hints that she’d like to assert her independence—and move beyond what Klein calls “the Rodney King ‘Can’t we all just get along?’ phase.” More»

Bill Clinton praises Obama, urges him not to get depressing

(NEWSER) - Bill Clinton knows a thing or two about dealing with recalcitrant Republicans, and he has some advice for President Obama: "It takes two to tango." The ex-president tells ABC News he gives Obama an “A” for his performance so far, along with a warning about appearances. “I just want the American people to know that he's confident that we are gonna get out of this and he feels good about the long run,” says No. 42. More»

(NEWSER) - As Hillary Clinton takes over the State Department, it's worth remembering that her train-wreck presidential campaign followed an "audacious 2000 run for Senate" and an excellent record as a legislator, Michael Crowley writes for the New Republic. "The question—not only for Hillary's legacy but for US foreign policy—is which of these models she will bring to" her new job, Crowley observes. More»