TONY CAMPBELL OP-ED: Kill Bill, Part III

The moderate Republican commentator opines: "Obama’s predicament: How to keep Senator Hillary Clinton as a close confidant while keeping former President Bill Clinton from being a distraction? Over the last week, it has been reported that Senator Clinton is being vetted for the position of Secretary of State. One of the hiccups in making this deal is finding out what Bill has been up to over the last eight years that could cause Obama a severe migraine during the confirmation process. Personally, I am torn on offering Hillary Clinton any role in the new administration. It makes good political sense for Obama as he is able to have her as a part of his team. This decision follows the logic of having your friends close and your enemies closer. On the other hand, in the short term, any misstep by Bill is going to cause undue headaches for Obama. In the long term if Hillary stays at State for a couple of years, and can demonstrate a failure of leadership at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, she will be better positioned to run against Obama in 2012. She will be free to say, 'I supported President Obama but he was not up to the task of leading our country.'"

He adds: "As for Bill and Hillary, this continuing story reminds me of 'Kill Bill, parts 1 and 2'. Uma Thurman spent most of those two movies fighting her way to be free of Bill’s (David Carradine) influence. For most of her adult life, Hillary Clinton has been Bill’s first lady in Little Rock and in Washington, D.C. Now she has the ability to put her stamp on the foreign policy of the United States of America…the only problem is the continued shadow of Bill."