Will Bill Richardson Replace Hillary Clinton?

There will be "significant changes" in President Obama's White House staff following the Democratic debacle in the U.S. election, a top adviser said Thursday.
UPI, December 23, 2010

Would changes to Obama'a staff include Secretary of State Hillary Clinton?

US “troubleshooter” Bill Richardson, who just returned from a trip to North Korea, is likely to be tapped to succeed Hillary Clinton to become the next U.S. Secretary of State, Yonhap News Agency said Saturday citing a report.


“Numerous sources are pointing toward New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson as possibly replacing Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State in 2011,” Exminer.com said.

The possibility is opening up, with some circumstantial signs backing up the view.

For example, the current U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s husband, Bill Clinton, is suffering from heart conditions and she is said to want to spend more time with her family, it said.

Richardson was the energy secretary during the Clinton administration and was also U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. In addition, he was interceded in North Korea to rescue Americans held hostage there. The report that Richardson has said that he would like a position in the Obama administration also adds to the speculation.

One problem is that the story itself is coming from The Korea Times--South Korea, but still...

But based on what he wrote for CNN last year, does it even make a difference if Bill Richardson replaced Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State:

Ending the Israeli-Arab conflict, on the other hand, will provide the United States with a much better environment to advance its diplomatic efforts vis-à-vis Iran.

Every single Arab country has repeatedly pledged to normalize relations with Israel once a Palestinian state is created and once peace agreements exist between Israel and Palestine, Syria and Lebanon. Saudi Arabia has taken the lead in ensuring that the Organization of Islamic Conference, which includes every Muslim-majority state in the world, has also endorsed this goal.

The comprehensive peace agreement that Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and special envoy George Mitchell are all working toward effectively takes away Iran's role as the champion of the Palestinians, a significant distraction to our real interests when dealing with Iran.

This does not mean that there can be any sacrifice of Israel's security interests in the process of ensuring America's national security. Indeed, leaders in Israel from the right and the left, from Ariel Sharon to Yitzhak Rabin, have all argued persuasively that Israel's long-term security depends on an end to the occupation. My own visits to Israel and throughout the United States have convinced me that the majority of Americans and Israelis agree.

Richardson hits all the right notes as far as Obama is concerned:

• Peace between Israel and the Arabs helps the US address the issue of Iran
• Resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict will bring peace to the Middle East
• Israel's security will be protected

After all, it appears that Obama is not going to stop pursuing the holy grail of Middle East peace. George Mitchell has assured us that the US will continue pushing the 'peace process':

US Middle East envoy George Mitchell said Thursday that the United States would not terminate its involvement in the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, Israeli media reported.

In an interview on The Maine Public Broadcasting Network quoted by the Haaretz daily, Mitchell said a lack of US involvement in the region could lead to an outbreak of violence. [emphasis added]

Of course, considering how after 2 years, does anyone think the Middle East is a better place with Obama around?

If Bill Richardson ends up being the new Secretary of State, the next 2 years are unlikely to be any better.

Technorati Tag: Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson.