SO I was watching the speeches last night with a roomful of friends - Obama supporters all of us. And while we were watching Hillary's speech - which was an excellent "campaign" speech, BTW - if she'd been campaigning like that from the beginning she'd be the nominee - as I was watching that non-concession, FU speech, I was asking the same thing everyone else was:
"What in the hell does she want?"
It bothered me all night - I dreamt about it for god's sake - and this morning it hit me:
She wants Congress. The whole thing.
After all, what do you ask for when you've just been usurped from the one thing you thought was rightfully yours--the Presidency?
You don't want Veep - way too low class, and no power at all.
You want something just as powerful as the Presidency. You want a co-equal branch of government.
Not the Supreme Court. Important, sure, but moves too slow, and no real glory. You're just one of nine, unless you're the Chief Justice. But Roberts just got that role, and he's young....he'll be around forever. What glory in Associate Justice? None, I say...
What you want....what I think Hillary wants...is to be the most powerful person on Capitol Hill.
I think she's going to ask for Senate Majority Leader. Not sometime in the future, when Harry Reid is done. Starting with the next Congress, in January of '09.
"But wait!" you say, "Obama can't guarantee that!"
Ah, but he can. As the defacto (and soon, facto) head of the Party, he can influence what happens on the Hill, and especially within the Democratic Caucus.
But what about the House? Nancy Pelosi is solidly in charge there, right?
Well...yes. But I'd bet anything at this point that if Hillary wants Senate Majority Leader, she also will want someone as Speaker who is a "Clinton Loyalist".
If you were in her shoes, wouldn't you?
Now, I don't know how hard that part is to arrange, but again, a newly crowned Party Head like Obama has a lot of sway...and if everyone is on board as the plan that will get a Demo President and bigger margins in both Houses of Congress....I can see it actually happening.
Think about it. President Obama will have huge coattails, especially if HRC is campaigning her heart out for him. The Dems will have a veto proof margin in the Senate and have more weight to throw around in the House.
If Hillary were Senate Majority Leader, and had a solid Clintonista as Speaker....why, she'd rule Capitol Hill...
..In fact....she'd almost be like a Co-President, wouldn't she?