Well
known Hillary Clinton fan Cynthia McFadden on Tuesday pushed Secretary
of Defense Robert Gates to agree that the former First Lady could do his
job.
Talking to both Clinton and Gates for Good Morning America, McFadden
noted that the Defense Secretary has pledged to leave within a year.
Motioning her head to Clinton, sitting to the left of Gates, the ABC News anchor prompted, "Any thoughts about who might do a good job?"
Assuming a stance of modesty, Clinton protested. But, McFadden
continued, "Could she do your job?" The Nightline co-host didn't let up,
pushing Gates, "If [Obama] asked you whether she could do it, you'd
say?"
Clearly
fascinated by the topic, McFadden put the question to Clinton: "If the
President asked you to serve as Secretary of Defense?"
The network journalist has a long history of conducting fawning, almost embarrassing interviews with Clinton. On
January 30, 2008, during the then-presidential candidate's campaign, McFadden worried, "When you lie awake at night...what worries you?"
On
December 19, 2007,
McFadden posed a similarly sympathetic question: "There's never a night
when you go back to whatever hotel room, whatever city you're in that
night, and crawl in a ball and say, 'I just, this just hurts too much?"
The full Clinton interview will air on Tuesday's Nightline. At least in
the GMA version, there was, predictably, no elected Republican to
contest the idea of Clinton as Defense Secretary.
A transcript of the GMA segment, which aired at 7:40am EST on November 9:
ROBIN
ROBERTS: And while President Obama is in Asia, Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates were in Australia
for meeting with their counterparts there. Nightline's co-anchor Cynthia
McFadden is here with a rare glimpse inside their relationship, including how each feels about her taking over his job. And you're just getting back.
CYNTHIA
MCFADDEN: Yeah, just a few hours ago. It's been quite an odyssey,
Robin. At midnight, on Friday, we took off at Andrews Air Force Base
with Secretary Gates. And 20 hours later, we're back on the ground with
Secretary Clinton. This is the duo's fourth trip together this year,
and while those who have held their offices have historically have poor
relations, these two have forged a powerful alliance. They agreed to
sit down for an exclusive joint interview. Their first ever outside of
the U.S. So, you tell me you're not going to stay on for more than
another year, Secretary Gates. Any thoughts about who might do a good job? [Motions towards Clinton with her head.]
HILLARY CLINTON: We're hoping that time line keeps moving further and
further beyond. We came in together. We should go out together. That's
my theory.
MCFADDEN: Could she do your job?
ROBERT GATES: Sure.
CLINTON: Well, yeah. No, no, wait a minute. It's not fair- First of
all, we want Bob to stay. I don't want him on national television,
talking about somebody else doing his job. I hope I can convince him to
stay.
GATES: But, I will say this. I think that one of the great strengths
that Hillary brings to the job of Secretary of State is as spokesperson
for the United States around the world. That's not the role of the
Secretary of Defense.
MCFADDEN: If the President asked you to serve as Secretary of Defense?
CLINTON: I have made it clear I love the job that I have.
MCFADDEN: [To Gates] If he asked you whether she could do it, you'd
say? [Clinton and Gates start laughing.] Hey, you can't blame a girl for
asking.
CLINTON [Talking to personnel]: Hello, everybody.
MCFADDEN: Although she says she's completely happy with her current
job, when we sat down with her alone, she opened up about her
disappointment over last week's midterm elections, which took place when
she was half a world away.
CLINTON [to McFadden]: What happened?
MCFADDEN: The Democrats really took a licking.
CLINTON: Yeah. I'm very, very sorry about that. But, I was very sad to
see a lot of good people turned out of Congress for doing the right
thing.
MCFADDEN: Well, you lived through it.
CLINTON: I did. 1994.
MCFADDEN: Lots of headlines about it, questioning, wondering whether or
not President Obama can pivot the way your husband was able to. What do
you think? Can Obama pull a Clinton
CLINTON: Well, I think he can show clearly, the leadership that the country expects from him and which he is providing.
MCFADDEN: Your husband moved toward the middle.
CLINTON: You know, I think that is the conventional wisdom. But I don't
think that Bill changed his principles or changed his objectives, or
really reversed course in any way.
MCFADDEN: Have you talked to Mr. Boehner?
CLINTON: I have a call into him. I haven't talked to him yet.
MCFADDEN: You're going to work with him, though?
CLINTON: Absolutely. You know, I know him. I was in the senate when he was in the Congress.
MCFADDEN: The election heard around the world. We talked about a wide
range of topics from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Don't Ask, Don't Tell,
which will be in my full report on Nightline, Robin.
- Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
