The former Clinton foreign policy official said that although Obama has said he would relish having a team of political rivals in his Cabinet, as Abraham Lincoln did, Hillary Clinton may be different.
"Lincoln never had to deal with the special dynamic presented by having this secretary and this spouse," the former official said. "He loves politics and diplomacy, and it's going to be very tough for him to sit back and not get into it."
Secretaries of State frequently must maneuver for power against the White House national security advisor, the Defense secretary and intelligence officials. Clinton would also have to share foreign policy influence with Vice President-elect Joe Biden, who was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Democrats close to the selection process say that Biden supported the choice of Clinton, preferring her over short-list candidate Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.).
Nevertheless, Biden is likely to want to keep his hand in foreign policy, Democratic foreign affairs specialists said. Biden has made it clear that he does not intend to be limited to specified projects, as former Vice President Al Gore was, but will remain free to dip in on a wide range of subjects.
Some people close to the Clintons have expressed concern that Obama may try to centralize power over national security issues at the White House, as many presidents have. To counter that, some predict that Clinton may try to find jobs for some of her loyalists in the White House.
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paul.r ichter@latimes.com
