Hotline After Dark -- Team Of Rivals

Breaking news last night: Hillary Clinton is being considered for Sec/State in the Obama admin.

NBC's Mitchell: "Two advisers to Barack Obama tell NBC News that Hillary Clinton is under consideration to be secretary of state. Clinton would clearly be a very high profile choice to carry the new president's foreign policy agenda. Would she be interested? Well, possibly, say those who know her. Her office would only say that any decisions about the transition are up to the president-elect and his team. Hillary Clinton was seen taking a flight to Chicago today, but an adviser says that was on personal business. It is not known whether she had any meetings or conversations with the president-elect while there" ("Nightly News," 11/13).

More Mitchell: "To pass her over for this, after passing her over for the vice presidency would only be, shall we say, awkward" ("Rachel Maddow Show," MSNBC, 11/13).

Newt Gingrich: "I think it's possible. ... Obviously, as the first lady and as a U.S. senator, she has enormous knowledge about the world. She's very tough, and she proved that during the campaign. She would be a very formidable secretary of state, and frankly, a lot tougher in defending American interests than some of the liberal secretaries of state we've had in the past. So you know, I don't think it's likely, but it's possible. And I think she would be a very impressive person as secretary of state. ... One of the questions she'd have to really think through carefully is, Does she want to give up what is an independent power base, an opportunity for the next 20 years to be one of the two or three if not the most important Democratic members of the U.S. Senate in order to serve as the secretary of state for somebody else?" ("On the Record," FNC, 11/13).

CNN's Borger: "She had before the election said quite specifically that she did not want to be a Cabinet member. But on Monday night, she was in an awards ceremony in New York. And she was asked whether she would consider taking a post in the Obama administration. And she was a little less Shermanesque. ... There's a little wiggle room in there. ... There is some stiff competition, but there's also a sense ... in the Obama world right now that they want a really diverse Cabinet. Hillary Clinton would certainly add to that, and she certainly knows the issues, having served on the Armed Services Committee. But, if you will recall, during the campaign she had a few differences with Senator Obama on foreign policy" ("No Bias, No Bull," 11/13).

After the jump, Obama's invasive questionnaire, Palin's RGA appearance and Steele wants the RNC gig.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

PENCILS DOWN!

There was also a lot of reaction to the seven-page questionnaire that the Obama admin. is requiring for high-level positions. It was first obtained by the New York Times.

Dem strategist Bob Beckel, on the presidential appointments questionnaire including a question on associations: "The vetting is OK. But ... we have been in the last 10 or 15 years driving very good people away from office who don't want to be put up with the scrutiny that they get from the press and from interest groups and from others. I think there's a line you have to draw here. If I looked at that questionnaire, if I had to fill that thing out ... I would never pass those things. ... Who decides what embarrassment means? And it says what would be embarrassing to the president-elect?" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 11/13).

CNN's Brown: "If I have five parking tickets, basically, I can't get a job in the Obama administration. ... Is the thinking here basically that you don't want to find out your assistant secretary of defense is on Match.com with a screen name like Big Hot Stud?" ("No Bias, No Bull," 11/13).

FNC's Hannity: "Wright, Ayers, Pfleger, Million Man March. I'm figuring Obama can't pass his own test. I figure, you know, look at his radical associations. ... Come on, what hypocrisy. ... Let's not forget here. This guy admitted to using cocaine" ("Hannity & Colmes," 11/13).

Weekly Standard's Hayes: "I actually just think they are being prudent. If you look, there have been scandals of this nature. You had a senior Homeland Security official in the Bush administration get in trouble this way. You have got all sorts of these kinds of scandals. And one thing we know about the Obama operation, formerly the campaign, now the transition, is that they like, as they say, no-drama Obama" ("No Bias, No Bull," CNN, 11/13).

IT MUST HAVE BEEN COLD THERE IN MY SHADOW

Meanwhile, Sarah Palin's speech at the RGA, as well as her brief, 11-minute press conference with other GOP govs, stole the spotlight.

CNN's Bash, on the press conference: "Cut off, no doubt, because of the awkward staging, a dozen of Palin's fellow governors brought in to stand behind her. A last-minute decision designed to show unity, but resulted in Palin's colleagues and possible future presidential competitors looking like silent supporters, which several governors told CNN made them uncomfortable. One unhappy GOP governor eying a 2012 run who asked not to be named called it 'odd' and said it '... unfortunately sent a message she was the defacto leader of the party'" ("Situation Room," 11/13).

Gingrich, asked if the other GOP govs had their "noses out of joint" over the attention Palin received: "No. I think they're all professionals. They've all run for office. I suspect they were mildly amused. ... Here's one of their colleagues who was relatively unknown a few months ago. Now she is a national figure. ... And I think they have to take a certain delight that it's not a senator, it's not a House member, it's not a cabinet member, it's a governor. And she did bring the news media down to their meeting in Florida. ... There are a lot of governors who have big stories to tell about what they're doing well, and I think they were kind of happy to have her bring all the attention" ("On the Record," FNC, 11/13).

MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R): "I think Governor Palin's going to be an important voice for the party for months and years to come, but she's not going to be the only voice. We're going to need a lot of work to regrow this party. It's going to have to be a team effort. And so I'm sure she'll play a role and be one of the voices, but in the end, we're going to need a whole team, a whole chorus, a whole symphony to get this thing working again" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 11/13).

STEELE-ING THE SHOW

And during an appearance on "Hannity & Colmes," ex-MD LG Michael Steele was asked if he wants to head the RNC. He also got an endorsement from FNC's Hannity.

Steele: "I want the gig. I'm ready, I'm ready to lead this party. I think we've been kind of wandering and doubting ourselves for far too long. And I think this past election was the culmination of that self-doubt which has to end. We have a message, I think, of empowerment and ownership and opportunity that resonates United States with Americans. ... The fundamentals of our party has not changed. So I'm ready to lead it."

Hannity: "David Brooks raises this question about the battle over the future of conservatism. And he talks about people like myself and Rush [Limbaugh] and some of the old guard institutions, Americans for tax reform, family research, and he talks about traditionalists versus reformers. Now the reformers, to me, sounds a lot like where we've been going, and that is Democratic Party like. Where do you stand?"

Steele: "I stand in the traditions of this party. I stand for the values that we have fought for. The value of family. The value of life. Born and unborn. The value of community. The value of opportunity. The value of growth. If I wanted to be a Democrat, I grew up in a Democratic city, Washington, D.C. I'm from a Democratic state, Maryland, I'd be a Democrat. But I believe in the principles of this party. I want to see us return to the principles of this party. We are the conservative voice in America. That's not a pejorative. That's not a negative. That is something that speaks to tradition. It speaks to progress. It speaks to the future."

Hannity: "By the way, I'm supporting your candidacy. I think you have the vision that Reagan had. ... Whatever I can do to help you, I think you're the person for the job" (FNC, 11/13).