Barack Obama Meets Secretly with Hillary Clinton, May Tap Her for Secretary of State

Apparently, Barack Obama was serious when he told Katie Couric that one of his most cherished books was entitled 'Team of Rivals', which is a biography of Abraham Lincoln. The book discusses Lincoln's willingness to bring political rivals and people with differing opinions from his own into his cabinet and to seek their counsel with matters of national importance. The book also discusses how Lincoln embraced the concept of pushing the American people outside of their comfort zones in order to have them truly understand their civic duties and their role in government.

Now that Obama has secured his victory in the Presidential election, he doesn't actually have to listen to input from any of his former rivals or attempt to appease various sections of the American electorate. But, given the fragile state of the nation when he is set to take office in January, experts believe that Obama - perhaps more than any President in history - must hit the ground running.

Obama's administration will be inheriting an unprecedented global economic crisis, which is largely being driven by failures in the U.S. housing and mortgage markets, as well as two unpopular wars abroad. During the Democratic Primaries, there was talk of Obama selecting Hillary Clinton as his running mate after it became clear that he was going to win the nomination. That idea fizzled quickly because a Clinton on the ticket would have likely undermined the progress that Obama had made with some Republicans as well as undecided voters.

Now, Obama may view Hillary as a blue chip appointee, capable of bringing instant credibility and clout to his foreign policy objectives. Sending Hillary (with Bill no doubt in tow) out to lobby foreign leaders on behalf of the U.S. and the Obama administration may be a stroke of simple brilliance. First, she knows most of the leaders from her time as First Lady. And everyone knows her husband - and he has the respect of most foreign leaders. At first, the situation could be a little muddled, but eventually such an appointment could pay off for a new Obama administration.