... being discussed for Secretary of Defense ... she is being talked for the at most Number 3 ranked position (after President, Defense), sometimes Number 5 ranking position (President, Vice President, NSA, Defense, in whatever order).

And so the main job in front of any Secretary of Defense in any administration that was really serious about even the "kinder and gentler hegemony" line of Pres-elect Obama would be to rebuild State and wrest influence back from Defense.

After the primary season, Pres-elect Obama knows Senator Clinton a boatload better than I do ... p'raps he thinks she really is the right Department Executive to take on that task.


I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.