NY Times says Hillary Clinton accepts US Secretary of State position

November 21, 2008 The New York Times has stated that Hillary Clinton has accepted the position of the United States Secretary of State. In order to accept the position, she has to step down as the current junior senator of New York.

The Times quotes two unnamed Clinton campaign "confidants" who say that she is "ready" to take the position. Clinton would be the third woman in U.S. history to get the position. The other two were Madeline Albright and Condoleezza Rice.

Earlier campaign officials for U.S. president-elect Barack Obama said that Clinton would not be offered or accept the position until after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. Clinton aides reportedly tell the BBC that the reports are premature.

"We're still in discussions, which are very much on track. Any reports beyond that are premature," said one of Clinton's senior advisers, Philippe Reines.

"This is a bold choice for the President-elect known as 'No Drama Obama'. It is a high stakes gamble, subject to how this nomination is received, which will either be a 'sheer stroke of genius' or his 'first big blunder'," said Jon-Christopher Bua, a political analyst to Sky News.

"Judged solely on her own merits, Hillary is clearly an exceptionally bright and qualified candidate ready and able to take on this challenge," Bua added. "And she will now be working for the man who defeated her in a rather bitter contest to be the Democratic candidate."