SHOCKED, SHOCKED, TO LEARN THAT POLITICS IS BEING PLAYED HERE – AT 8:47 A.M. ET:  There are reports that Hillary Clinton is still interested in politics.  And here we thought she'd gone to a convent.  From The Politico:

Nearly two years after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ended her losing presidential campaign and endorsed rival Barack Obama, Clinton’s allies maintain a triad of groups that have continued to make her presence felt in the political world — and could serve as a platform for the next phase of her public life.

Next phase?  You mean she's not retiring to become a community organizer, or head of the Barack Obama Appreciation Committee?  I'm surprised. 

Her presidential campaign committee, still in the process of winding down, maintains and makes money off a lasting asset from her presidential bid — an e-mail list of 2.5 million core supporters. Her Senate campaign committee accrues modest interest on a $1.9 million nest egg.

And a thriving foundation called No Limits, founded after Clinton resigned from the Senate to join Obama’s Cabinet, works to burnish her legacy, maintains contact with Clinton supporters and pursues a policy agenda that closely mirrors Clinton’s own — health care and women’s issues.

Now wait, just wait.  Health care?  Didn't they take care of that?  And since she's SecState, shouldn't they be adding a foreign-policy issue to that list?  Does anyone notice?

The three entities operate almost completely apart from Clinton, who is barred by protocol from active involvement in outside groups (particularly those involved in partisan politics). But their operations are intertwined, sharing the same Washington offices and drawing from the same pool of supporters and staff.

Protocol?  Oh, I'll bet that really matters to Hillary. 

Does the term "2016" interest you?  Even "2012" if the wind blows right.

April 29, 2010