Enough already!

After a long, drawn out battle in the democratic primary, Hillary Clinton lost. She did, however, learn one thing: she is entitled to more power than she deserves. Now that cabinet selection time has come around, media and public alike are clamoring to hear her name mentioned as one of the appointees because she deserves it -- she just tried so hard out there. Somehow, winning a lot of support in a nomination contest requires that he who was victorious over you recognize your efforts and crown you with some other position. That is wrongheaded and backwards. Neither she nor John Kerry should become Secretary of State. George Patton had it right, I think: "Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser." At least that's how it used to be.

So the SOS isn't for her. Apparently, now she's not satisfied with her position in the Senate (click here for NYT article). Until the 1960s, the Senate was hierarchical and based on seniority. If the president starts changing congressional chairs and leaders, then we really haven't gotten rid of the spoils system after all, only moved it from the post office to the cabinet and Legislature. Politics is not an easy job. It's the worst job, but some people thrive on it. My suggestion is that when one finds themself complaining about the injustice of the inner workings of the political system, one should find themself a more just profession.

But driving her consideration, friends said, is a sense of disenchantment with the Senate, where despite her stature she remains low in the ranks of seniority that governs the body. She was particularly upset, they said, at the reception she felt she received when she returned from the campaign after collecting 18 million votes and almost becoming the first woman ever nominated for president by a major party.

“Her experience in the Senate with some of her colleagues has not been the easiest time for her,” said one longtime friend who insisted on anonymity in exchange for sharing Mrs. Clinton’s sentiments. “She’s still a very junior senator. She doesn’t have a committee. And she’s had some disappointing times with her colleagues.”