So Hillary, how do you fancy being the next Secretary of State?

So, if that infamous call comes at three o'clock in the morning, it looks as if Hillary might be the person to answer it.

The former first lady has emerged as a favourite to become the Secretary of State after the President-elect sounded her out in Chicago on Thursday. "There was a serious discussion to determine whether, if offered secretary of state, she would accept it," a source described as "close to the Obama transition team" said yesterday.

Appointing Mrs Clinton the position "has been of great interest to Obama for a while," the source said.

The rancour of the former rivals' duel for the Democratic nomination has receded and the widespread expectation that Mrs Clinton will be asked to handle foreign policy reflects the sheer scale of the problems facing the new administration. From her years as first lady, when she visited 83 countries, Mrs Clinton became an expert in foreign policy. She is on first-name terms with many world leaders and is respected by America's allies.

I don't know why, but I've always had it in my head that Obama would offer Secretary of State to Colin Powell so that he could be seen as reaching across the aisle. After all, when Powell last occupied that position he was outmaneuvered by Cheney and Rumsfeld, which is why I thought he might be tempted to have another go.

And Obama has made a great deal out of the fact that there is no red or blue America, that there is the United States of America. This is reflected even in his choice of reading material.

During the election campaign Mr Obama was asked what books besides the Bible he would consider essential reading as president. He named a biography of Abraham Lincoln, called Team of Rivals. "[It] talks about Lincoln's capacity to bring opponents of his and people who have run against him in his cabinet. And he was confident enough to be willing to have these dissenting voices ... It's a remarkable study in leadership," said Mr Obama.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for burying the hatchet between Hillary and Obama, but I think she's a dodgy choice as Secretary of State. She was all for the Iraq war and some of her comments regarding Iran make me feel queasy.

I can see why this appointment appeals to Hillary, but I'm not sure what Obama actually gets out of putting Hillary into such a position of power.

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Tags: Obama, Hillary, Secretary of State