Give Bill Hillary's Seat

There's a proud tradition of former presidents going to Congress; we could do worse than Bill Clinton in the Senate
By Gabriel Winant,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 26, 2008 8:00 AM CST
Give Bill Hillary's Seat
In this Sept. 2005, file photo former U.S. President Bill Clinton speaks in Beijing, China, to honor Chinese physicians serving the HIV/AIDS population. Since leaving the White House in early 2001, Bill Clinton has raised at least $353 million for the William J. Clinton Foundation, which finances his...   (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

With so many pols jockeying for Hillary Clinton's potentially open Senate seat, David Paterson needn't agonize over the decision: Just give it to her husband, write Karl E. Meyer and Shareen Blair Brysac in the Washington Post . It would give Bill "a fitting day job," be a boon to mid-meltdown New York, and "offer a refreshing reverse twist on a tradition whereby deceased male senators, representatives or governors are succeeded by their widows."

Ex-presidents have gone to the Capitol before. John Quincy Adams served honorably in the House for years after losing reelection to the White House, leading the fight against slavery and helping create the Smithsonian. “Who better than Bill Clinton to deepen and energize such a tradition?" As an added bonus, "Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would not have to fret about suitable protocol for dealing with her spouse on foreign trips were he occupied, full time, with senatorial duties." (More Bill Clinton stories.)

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