PrintJune 6, 2008
Clinton, Obama in Secret Meeting
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton sat down to discuss the future of the campaign in Washington yesterday as rumors circulated that Clinton had backed off her previous utterances about wanting to be Vice President:
The meeting followed Clinton's disavowal hours earlier of efforts by some supporters who have urged Obama to choose her as his running mate. The push-back came a day after the former first lady said she would end her quest for the Democratic nomination and endorse the Illinois senator.
"She is not seeking the vice presidency, and no one speaks for her but her," communications director Howard Wolfson said. "The choice here is Senator Obama's and his alone."
Clinton was planning an event in Washington Saturday to thank supporters and urge them to back Obama's candidacy. But as she was bowing out of the race, supporters in Congress and elsewhere were ramping up a campaign to pressure him to put her on the ticket in the No. 2 spot.
Bob Johnson, the billionaire founder of Black Entertainment Television and a Clinton supporter, sent a letter to the Congressional Black Caucus Wednesday urging the group to encourage Obama to choose Clinton as his vice presidential pick. He said he was doing so with her blessing.
An Obama-Clinton ticket is simply not in the cards. The Obama campaign could never be sure about controlling Bill Clinton and the two of them would be a handful in any Obama Administration. At this point, all you can say is that Hillary would accept the nomination if offered but that Obama is not likely to offer it.
What the candidates discussed is unknown but it is likely that Hillary's "demands" are modest and include nothing for herself. She probably wishes some of her people to be hired by Obama for the fall campaign as well as putting some others in key positions at the convention. Obama will take those things under advisement and that will be that.
It is likely Hillary gave the candidate her thoughts on who he should choose for Vice President. So far, about 20 names hae been floated with very little excitement attached to any of them. Only Hillary Clinton could energize the party beyond what it already is under Obama. For that reason alone - the Clinton's desire to dominate the political discussion in this country - it is probable that she will get nothing from Obama.
