Prometheus 6

It's kind of absurd, the way political competitors unleash the hounds of hell on each other's reputations, and must be polite and respectful to each other afterward.

Obama Team Repackaging Clinton After Campaign Digs
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 8:27 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- It wasn't too long ago that Barack Obama and his advisers were tripping over one another to tear down Hillary Rodham Clinton's foreign policy credentials. She was dismissed as a commander in chief wanna-be who did little more than sip tea and make small talk with foreign leaders during her days as first lady.

''What exactly is this foreign policy experience?'' Obama said mockingly of the New York senator. ''Was she negotiating treaties? Was she handling crises? The answer is no.''

That was in March, when Clinton was Obama's sole remaining rival for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Now, Clinton is on track to become Obama's secretary of state.

And, unsurprisingly, the sniping at her foreign policy credentials is a thing of the past.

Obama adviser William Daley over the weekend said Clinton would be ''a tremendous addition to this administration. Tremendous.''

Senior adviser David Axelrod called Clinton a ''demonstrably able, tough, brilliant person.''

Last spring, though, Clinton was targeted with a steady stream of criticism via conference call, e-mail and campaign-trail digs from the Obama camp, all aimed at shredding her self-portrait as an experienced and confident leader on the international stage. Some of those doing the sniping will be taking up key positions -- most likely along with Clinton -- in the new Obama administration.