Hillary’s “Extraconstitutional Role”?
Peggy Noonan’s column on what she expects from first ladies makes a rather curious claim:
• We don’t want to think you’re a policy maven too deep in the game. We don’t want to think you’re leading the inside movement to get rid of the veep or the spokesman. At the same time we like to think, and assume, that you have views that you share. It’s your job. But we want you to know we elected him, not you, and that you know it. This of course was Mrs. Clinton’s problem: she thought it was also about her. She took on an extraconstitutional role in the White House. Ever since, she’s had to work to overcome the impression made in those days.
Extraconstitutional? So it’s OK for a president to hire White House staff and political and policy advisers, like, say Karl Rove, but Bill had his accomplished, competent, engaged, intelligent wife serve in an advisory position, it’s some sort of impropriety? I don’t know, maybe the president has some sort of special relationship with his spouse that allows for greater trust, confidence and forthright communication between the two of them. But I guess Noonan just wants first ladies to spend their days smoking cigarettes and reading novels. My blog persona may be harsh on Hillary, but the way she manages to drive right wingers absolutely nuts is rather satisfying.
It’s pretty easy to imagine Hillary, had she not been married to Bill, as a senior staffer in his administration, so you have to ask why the marriage should be an impediment to her laying a policy role. I’m guessing that a first spouse will never take an actual job title — if the white house hierarchy is based on access to the resident, it’d be hard to know where to place someone with unlimited access.
Quixote
August 3, 2007 at 5:15 pm