Clinton Joins Obama?

(Newser) - Democrats may lose a powerful fundraiser in Hillary Clinton when she becomes secretary of state, the Hill reports. Cabinet officials usually avoid overt campaigning for other candidates, and Clinton’s fundraising prowess and network are likely to be particularly missed: HillPAC, Clinton’s leadership political action committee, has directed more than $2.9 million to other Dems since 2002. More »

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton is already working to restore some of the strength sapped from the State Department under the Bush administration, the New York Times reports. Clinton is seeking a bigger budget for the department and wants to restore the role played by high-profile special envoys. Officials say Clinton also wants to carve out a bigger role for the department in tackling the global financial crisis. More »

(Newser) - Caroline Kennedy wants Hillary Clinton's Senate seat, Politico reports, and she’s hired veteran consultant Josh Isay to calm the hype around her last name, give her image a boost, and get her networked. “She doesn’t know anybody, and he’s the guy to make the introductions and guide her through the process,” says a top New York Democrat. More »

(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 »

(Newser) - Separate visits to the State Department by Hillary Clinton and Susan Rice yesterday suggest that the rift between Barack Obama’s two highest-level diplomats may not have healed, reports the AP. Rice, the incoming UN ambassador, bucked her former Clinton administration bosses to support Obama in the primaries. Now she’ll technically be a Clinton subordinate, though Obama may elevate her position to Cabinet-level status. More »

(Newser) - The Internet is home to embarrassing photos of just about anyone, but few more so today than one of wunderkind Barack Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau groping a cardboard cutout of Hillary Clinton, the Washington Post reports. The photo was posted briefly on Facebook; Favreau, 27, has since taken it—and most others—down. The incoming White House director of speechwriting had no comment. More »

(Newser) - What if you got promoted, but the new job came with a pay cut? That’s Hillary Clinton’s situation, reports the Boston Globe . The Senate is planning to reverse a $5,000 January raise for the secretary of State to sidestep a constitutional clause that forbids members of Congress from taking government jobs whose salary has gone up during their elected term. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she plans to go along. More »

(Newser) - We’ve seen this buddy movie before: to succeed, former fierce competitors Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will need to put away their rivalry to become not just partners, but friends, write Michael Abramowitz and Glenn Kessler in the Washington Post . Secretary of State Clinton has to be able convince foreign leaders that she’