Fuck all the haters. I think Hillary Clinton is kind of a badass, and now she’s the top diplomat of the United States. It’s no President, but it beats sitting around with your thumb up your ass:

Hillary Rodham Clinton has decided to give up her Senate seat and accept the position of secretary of state, making her the public face around the world for the administration of the man who beat her for the Democratic presidential nomination, two confidants said Friday.

Mrs. Clinton came to her decision after additional discussion with President-elect Barack Obama about the nature of her role and his plans for foreign policy, said one of the confidants, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the situation. Mr. Obama’s office told reporters Thursday that the nomination is “on track” but Clinton associates only confirmed Friday afternoon that she has decided.

“She’s ready,” said the confidant. Mrs. Clinton was reassured after talking again with Mr. Obama because their first meeting in Chicago last week “was so general,” the confidant said. The purpose of the follow-up talk, he added, was not to extract particular concessions but “just getting comfortable” with the idea of working together.

A second Clinton associate confirmed that her camp believes they have a done deal. Senior Obama advisers said Friday morning that the offer had not been formally accepted and no announcement will be made until after Thanksgiving. But they said they were convinced that the nascent alliance was now ready to be sealed.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been tripping down some pre-birth nostalgia. Man, the ’60s sucked. I mean, flower power, youth movements, activism, race and gender equality and all that seemed like a step in the right direction. But what came of it? A whole bunch of slain leaders and a generation of folks who, for the greater part, either dropped out or sold out. Going into the ’60s, conservatism was ready to take the fall. Then most leaders who stood for a societal shift got taken down by assassins.

So with great trepidation I forward you the announcement that the politician I have the most hope for, Barack Obama, is accepting his party’s nomination at Invesco Football Field. No matter how tight security will be, I have great fears that one lone nut - or one nut with the blessings and backing of a covert group - could take him out of the race. It’s terrible to think, but it is a tragic possibility. His security better be made of comic book-quality ninjas or else we all might be fucked.

From The Associated Press:

Obama to accept nomination at football stadium
By BETH FOUHY
NEW YORK (AP) — In a break with tradition, Barack Obama will accept the Democratic presidential nomination at Invesco Field at Mile High, a 76,000-seat stadium, rather than at the site of the party’s national convention across town.

Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean acknowledged the decision to move Obama’s speech on the final night of the Aug. 25-28 convention to the giant open-air football field of the Denver Broncos would raise security challenges, but said he and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper had agreed such concerns won’t deter the change in venue.

Dean, in a conference call with reporters, also batted away questions about logistical challenges and added costs the change would produce, saying those things would be worked out in the coming weeks.

Obama, speaking to reporters in St. Louis, said he was excited about the move.

“Sometimes our conventions don’t feel like they are open to everybody,” Obama said. “For us to be able to do it in Invesco Field is an opportunity for 80,000 people who might otherwise not have been able to participate to get involved.”

It won’t be the first time a presidential candidate has accepted the nomination in a stadium. On July 15, 1960, John F. Kennedy gave his acceptance speech before tens of thousands at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

(more…)

I guess now it’s on:

“I don’t know why she said what she said,” Mrs. McCain explains in an interview with ABC News’ Kate Snow airing Good Morning America Thursday. “Everyone has their own experience. I don’t know why she said what she said, all I know is that I have always been proud of my country.”

McCain’s comments reference remarks Obama made a Wisconsin rally during her husband’s fight for the Democratic presidential nomination against Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. “For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of country not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change” Mrs. Obama told the Madison crowd, sparking outrage from conservative critics.