Morning Trio--7/18/09

Voice of America: Clinton Denies Pressuring India on Pakistan Relations

AFP: World celebrates as South Africa's Mandela turns 91

AP: Coal miners boycotting Tennessee tourist sites

Evening Trio

Courier-Journal: BREAKING: Tom Gish, crusading E. Ky. newspaper publisher, dies

AP: Mukasey feeling better, returns to work

NY Times: Clinton Decides to Accept Post at State Dept., Confidants Say

Afternoon Trio

Voice of America: Israeli Tanks Move Into Gaza Strip

Dick Morris: If Obama appoints Clinton, it's the audacity of broken promises

MLB.com: Reds break ground on spring facility

BREAKING: Report: Hillary Clinton to be Obama's Secretary of State

The British newspaper The Guardian is reporting tonight that Hillary Clinton will accept Obama's offer and become the next Secretary of State, pending US Senate approval. From the article:

Hillary Clinton plans to accept the job of secretary of state offered by Barack Obama, who is reaching out to former rivals to build a broad coalition administration, the Guardian has learned. Obama's advisers have begun looking into Bill Clinton's foundation, which distributes millions of dollars to Africa to help with development, to ensure that there is no conflict of interest. But Democrats do not believe that the vetting is likely to be a problem.


Clinton would be well placed to become the country's dominant voice in foreign affairs, replacing Condoleezza Rice. Since being elected senator for New York, she has specialised in foreign affairs and defence. Although she supported the war in Iraq, she and Obama basically agree on a withdrawal of American troops. Clinton, who still harbours hopes of a future presidential run, had to weigh up whether she would be better placed by staying in the Senate, which offers a platform for life, or making the more uncertain career move to the secretary of state job.

In my view, Obama's reported--and I stress reported--pick will definitely please the liberal mainstream media because Secretaries of State usually do not take positions on domestic issues. Obama wants the focus regarding Clinton's reported appointment away from her liberal domestic policies and more toward her foreign policy views, which seem, as the article mentions, a little more hawkish than Obama.

Your thoughts???

Morning Trio

AP: Officials: Sen. Clinton eyed as secretary of state

AgencySpy: Anti-Christianity Ads Slated for D.C.

Bloomberg: Europe Economy Falls Into First Recession in 15 Years

Morning Trio

BBC: Suicide attack at Afghan ministry

Chuck Norris: I'm Voting for Those Not Yet Born

WYMT: Hillary to Hazard