Clinton at State

November 29, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

Clinton at State

Los Angeles Times: In selecting his erstwhile opponent, Hillary Rodham Clinton, to be secretary of State, Barack Obama has gone boldly where no recent president has gone before. Unlike the lawyers, academics and generals who have dominated the office since World War II, Clinton combines substance and essential qualities for the job with celebrity and a political constituency.

For those who followed the 2008 Democratic primary campaign, this appointment might seem head-scratchingly incongruous. Wasn’t it Clinton who impugned Obama’s readiness to be commander in chief with her now-infamous ad about a 3 a.m. call to the White House? Will she now insist on being patched in to that call?

Apparently not. Both Clinton and Obama insist that, partly as a result of her tireless campaigning for him in the general election, they have made their peace and then some. It’s also true that their foreign policy differences were exaggerated in the fun-house mirror of the primary campaign. Like Obama, Clinton is willing to engage this country’s adversaries afresh, but without foreclosing military action when necessary to defend U.S. interests.

Not even her detractors would deny that Clinton is smart, well-versed in foreign and defense issues and single-minded in pursuing her goals. Her perseverance even after Obama seemed almost certain of victory augurs well for her ability to press for diplomatic breakthroughs when persistence seems futile.

Although history suggests it is difficult for rivals to collaborate on foreign policy, Clinton may be particularly well-suited for the challenge. Her high profile could help energize U.S. foreign policy while her background as a lawyer serves her in tough negotiations. Obama’s appointment of Clinton, whatever its complexities, shows the president-elect’s sense of confidence in her and in the administration they now will share.