Via Outside the Beltway we see this interesting rumor: Analysis: Clinton eyes U.N. post
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 (UPI) — Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has set his sights on becoming U.N. secretary-general. A Clinton insider and a senior U.N. source have told United Press International the 56-year-old former president would like to be named leader of the world body when Kofi Annan’s term ends early in 2006.
“He definitely wants to do it,” the Clinton insider said this week.
I call it ‘rumor’ because: a, it’s based on anonymous comments, which actually means that I’m being generous by calling it a rumor; b, it’s UPI, which can be erratic (‘course, the same can be said for AP and Reuters, let alone AFP, but that’s a different issue); and c, it’s the tradition that citizens of permanent members of the UNSC aren’t considered for the Secretary-General’s job. Which is actually a pity, because like James Joyner I think that former President Clinton wouldn’t be a bad choice for the job.
I just can’t see the world sitting still for overturning ‘c’, though – even for Our Bill. A shame…
Moe
I blame the toe-sucker.
Looks like Edward gets to head that health care task force in my Administration sooner than I thought.
Oh wait, Secretary General of the U.N.? Not Ambassador to the U.N.? Gosh, I’m relishing the absolute rug-chewing insanity that will ensue among certain folks if Clinton took this job.
Still, Edward, would you also consider taking over the National Endowment for the Arts portfolio? I would like the Smithsonian’s art collection to be hung in installments on my bedroom wall for the duration my term.
That’s because neither you nor James are wingers. Could you imagine what the Freepers would do if Clinton were head of the One-World Government? Literal end times. There are members of my family who believe –no hyperbole on my part — that the UN has a slush fund explicitly set up for the Antichrist, a disturbingly common belief in the rural area I come from. Their heads would explode.
Never happen. The only living American who might have any chance to pull off getting sec-gen would be Jimmy Carter. Not that he’d want the job.
it’s the tradition that citizens of permanent members of the UNSC aren’t considered for the Secretary-General’s job.
And it’s a good tradition too, IMO, though I agree that Bill Clinton would be a good S-G. But not so overwhelmingly good that he deserves to have the tradition broken on his account.
Same goes for Jimmy Carter.
smells like Rove to me. Get the Republican leaners to knee-jerk at the thought of ole Bill back in world-wide power.
He couldn’t exactly make the UN worse.
Read the UPI pieced linked to, and I agree that Moe is being generous in classing this as a “rumor”, rather than
just plain old bull—-: but I wonder if this sort of “speculation” means that the prospect of a Kerry Presidency is looking more and more likely by the day (then again, it COULD just be wishful thinking)?
One gets the general impression that most of the Bush Administration could care less if the whole UN just imploded (and if Bill Clinton was inside, so much the better). Since Sen. Kerry has made pushing for more international engagement (other than the “you’re with us or against us” attitude of the Bush gang) a main point of his putative future foreign policy: having a major senior-statesman type like the Big Dawg at the UN (tho more probably as US Ambassador: S-G really might not be workable) would probably work wonders in boosting our cooperation quotient. And, as Sebastian points out above, how much worse could Clinton make it?
Seriously, it’s Dick Morris for certain. That’s what “a Clinton insider” always means in right-leaning publications.
I heard a rumor that Bill’s going to renounce his US citizenship and become a citizen of North Korea in order to enable the move. Also, he’s changing his name to French McBlameAmerica.
hehe, hehe praktike said “insider”, hehe hehe.
Sorry, wrong thread…
(delurking)
Never will happen:
1. No candidate from the P5 would ever become SG, as has been pointed out.
2. Candidacy rumors already abound at the UN. Supposedly, it’s Asia’s “turn”, although Poland has made a strong case that Eastern Europe (a voting bloc) has never had a turn.
The UN forgot Poland!
Heck, Clinton would make a great General Secretary, and I say that as a Clinton hater – not a personal animus, just never cared for his style or his core values. He’s certainly a good schmoozer, and having an American with an internationalist outlook, is better for us than having the head of the UN be some sort of tranzi progressive with an anti-American outlook.
Of course, if Bush gets re-elected I don’t doubt that he wouldn’t trust Bill not to undercut him diplomatically, so the idea is DOA unless Kerry wins. Incidently, if Bill was Secretary General of the UN in 2008, how would that affect a potential Presidential run by Hillary?