Politics on the Hudson

Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign Web site has a statement from President Clinton on her nomination as secretary of state:

“As an American, I am thankful that President-elect Barack Obama has asked Hillary to be secretary of state and that she has accepted. As her husband, I am deeply proud.

“She is the right person for the job of helping to restore America’s image abroad, end the war in Iraq, advance peace and increase our security, by building a future for our children with more partners and fewer adversaries, one of shared responsibilities and opportunities.

“She has already earned the respect of foreign leaders and diplomats through her work to promote human rights and the empowerment of women through access to education, healthcare and economic opportunity. And Americans know, from her leadership in the Senate on national security, that she will always put the security, values and the interests of our people first.

“In her service to the people of New York and our nation, Hillary has demonstrated the knowledge, passion, resilience, and capacity to learn that our country needs at this critical time. She loves being a senator from New York, but as she has in all the thirty-seven years I’ve known her, she answered the call to serve. I commend President-Elect Obama for asking her to be a part of a great national security team. America will be well-served.”

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s possible nomination as secretary of State is fraught with complicated issues, according to Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, who spoke with the New York senator during a Senate Democratic caucus this morning at the Capitol.

“I let her know how supportive I was of the idea,’’ said McCaskill, who often was a spokeswoman for President-elect Barack Obama during his hard fought primary campaign against Clinton.

The two senators also discussed how complicated the nomination might be because Clinton’s husband is a former president.

“It’s complicated on a lot of levels,’’ McCaskill said.

Clinton would be the first spouse of a former president to serve in the cabinet of another president, although not the first rival for the presidential nomination to serve in a president’s cabinet. Obama has pointed out that was done by President Abraham Lincoln, who assembled a team of rivals as his cabinet.

During the caucus, Democrats voted to allow Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman to continue as chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Although Lieberman, an independent, campaigned for Republican presidential candidate John McCain, Senate Democrats chose to follow the advice of Obama to not punish him.

Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a big booster of Clinton’s failed presidential bid, said she thinks Clinton “would be absolutely terrific’’ as secretary of state.

U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton is back on the stump for Democrats this weekend, including the Obama-Biden ticket.

Her schedule calls for her to campaign in West Virginia and Arkansas today before making a two-day swing through Pennsylvania on Sunday and Monday.

In West Virginia, she’ll attend a campaign event for congressional candidate Anne Barth. Later today, in Arkansas, she’s set to participate in a rally on behalf of Obama and Biden on the steps of the state capitol in Little Rock.

Sunday she and former President Bill Clinton will join Biden for an afternoon rally in Scranton, Penn.; Monday she’s scheduled for events in the Philadelphia area, details TBD.

The moment came at 10:14 p.m. in the east.

Sen. Barack Obama accepted the nomination of the Democratic Party tonight to become the first black American to run for president on a major party ticket.

Obama used the same soaring rhetoric that has been his trademark, but laced with the specifics his doubters wanted to hear.

From tax cuts for 95 percent of Americans, to new spending on early education and affordable health care for all Americans, Obama ran through a long list of policy promises he said would be paid for by eliminating corporate tax loopholes and unecessary federal programs.

“You see, Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country,’’ Obama told an open air crowd of 75,000 excited Democrats at Denver’s Mile High Stadium.

“We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage,’’ he said. “Whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so that you can someday watch your child receive her diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was president. When the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of go down $2,000 like it has under George Bush.

“We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off and look after a sick child without losing her job. An economy that honors the dignity of work.’’

Obama opened with thank yous to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Ted Kennedy who had delivered speeches earlier this week calling for party unity. He also thanked his wife, Michelle, and his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden.

The build up to Obama’s speech included musical entertainment from Sheryl Crow and Stevie Wonder, short storytelling from people in battleground states about the real-life difficulties they face, and speeches attacking the Republicans by former Vice President Al Gore and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Former President Jimmy Carter said today that former President Bill Clinton “made a perfect speech’’ Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention to unify party members.

At a news conference with reporters and editors of Gannett News Service and USA Today in Denver, Carter said the Democratic National Convention this week has successfully “has eliminated that disparity’’ between supporters of Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

“I think the Clintons have performed superbly under very difficult emotional and political strain,’’ said Carter. “I am filled with admiration and gratitude to both of them.’‘

In his address to delegates at the Democratic National Convention tonight, former President Bill Clinton took on the criticism that presidential nominee Barack Obama is too inexperienced.

Clinton noted he was the subject of similar criticism when he first ran for president in 1992.

“I was too young and too inexperience to be commander in chief,’’ he recalled. “Sound familiar?  It didn’t work in 1992.’’

According to the former president, “Barack Obama is on the right side of history.’‘

Former President Bill Clinton will discuss “Barack Obama’s commitment to a stronger and safer America, as well as the history of Democrats making positive change in the lives of all Americans’’ on the third night of the Democratic National Convention, according to the  Democratic National Convention Committee.

The keynote speech  that night—Wednesday, Aug. 27—will be delivered by Obama’s yet-to-be-announced vice presidential running mate.

Three of his potential veeps—New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Indiana Sen.Evan Bayh and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden—are scheduled to speak that night, whether they win or lose the coveted position of running mate.

Other Aug. 27 speakers announced today: West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller, who will discuss national security;   Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, who will talk about energy issues; Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar; House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn of South Carolina; Rep. Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania and Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth.

Sen. Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton have issued a statement on the shooting today of the Arkansas Democratic Party chairman at party headquarters. The Clintons describe the chairman as a “cherished friend and confidante.”:

“We are stunned and shaken by today’s shooting at the Arkansas Democratic Party where our good friend and fellow Democrat Bill Gwatney was critically wounded. Bill is not only a strong chairman of Arkansas’ Democratic Party, but he is also a cherished friend and confidante. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bill and his family today and we wish him a quick recovery.”

Updated: Gwatney has died. The Clintons have issued a second statement:

“We are deeply saddened by the news that Bill Gwatney has passed away. His leadership and commitment to Arkansas and this country have always inspired us and those who had the opportunity to know him. Our prayers are with his family during this time.” 

For background on what happened, I’m putting the full AP story after the jump…

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How’s this for an interesting dinner trio?

Bill and Hillary Clinton joined Rep. Nita Lowey for a meal at X2O Xaviars on the Hudson in Yonkers last night.

“It was a friendly, social dinner,” said Nina Blackwell, a spokeswoman Sen. Hillary Clinton. She declined to provide further details about the outing.

Lowey, a Harrison Democrat, was key supporter and fundrasier for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.  Her congressional district also includes the Clinton’s hometown of Chappaqua.

X2O, for those unaware, is chef Peter X. Kelley’s trendy new restaurant along the Yonkers waterfront. It’s opening was hailed by city Mayor Phil Amicone as evidence of Yonkers’ continuing turnaround.

Following the example set by his wife, former President Bill Clinton today offered his support for Barack Obama.

“President Clinton is obviously committed to doing whatever he can and is asked to do to ensure Senator Obama is the next president of the United States,” Clinton spokesman Matt McKenna said in a statement.

However, Clinton, according to an Associated Press account, has not spoken with Obama since Hillary Clinton suspended her campaign for the presidency.