Have you noticed? Hillary Clinton is suddenly — and finally — nowhere to be found.
Well before she lost the 2016 presidential election to President Trump, the former first lady pushed a conspiracy theory that eventually grew into a major, two-year investigation: Trump had colluded with the Russians in order to alter the outcome of the race. That didn't pan out, but Hillary had other excuses.
For months — which turned into years — she blamed FBI Director James Comey, Russia, computer bots, WikiLeaks, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Facebook, Joe Biden, fake news, Twitter, voter ID laws, the vast right-wing conspiracy, sexism, Barack Obama, ageism, child sex pervert Anthony Weiner, white women, xenophobia, black people, the Electoral College, the Democratic National Committee, misogyny, women cowed by their husbands, and even former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (how America's Mayor caused Clinton to lose Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and Michigan and Florida is anybody's guess).
But the mainstream media despises Trump, and Clinton was a reliable gadfly, so she stayed in the news regularly. She even made millions hawking her book, "What Happened," her take on why she lost the election.
Yet it's been more than a month since Election Day 2020, and Americans haven hardly heard a peep out of her. What's more, the former secretary of state for President Barack Obama has been given no role in a prospective Biden administration, even though at 72 she's younger than 78-year-old Biden.
It's not like Biden hasn't made room for others from former administrations. After all, he found room as climate czar for John Kerry, who served as secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 under Obama. But so far, nothing for Clinton.
Clinton’s omission is odd, given that she won nearly 66 million votes in 2016. She also represents a powerful wing of the party — albeit an old and fading faction — along with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, who remains extremely popular with the rank and file of the party. And she's got the bona fides: Secretary of State, two-term senator, and architect of a planned overhaul of health care that eventually morphed into Obamacare.
As Biden made room for Kerry on climate, he could give Clinton a role on health care. And the former vice president could tap Hillary's decades of experience, even if just as an adviser, whether formal or informal.
Shortly after Election Day, rumors circulated that Biden was considering Clinton for a role in his administration, perhaps as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
The move "would be a way for Biden to highlight the importance of that position in his administration, and that placing her there would raise the prestige of the U.N. itself at a time when global cooperation and the U.S. role on the world stage, has ebbed," sources told the Washington Post.
But a few weeks later, Biden picked Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a 35-year veteran of the foreign service who oversaw the Bureau of African Affairs during the Obama administration, for the slot.
So far, Biden has pulled hard from Team Obama — but a slew of nominees and appointments also have ties to the Clintons, both Bill and Hillary:
Antony Blinken — Secretary of State
Blinken was a member of President Clinton's National Security Council and served most recently as President Obama's Deputy Secretary of State, where he was a staunch defender of the Iran Deal.
Janet Yellen — Treasury Secretary
Yellen served as Federal Reserve Chair from 2014 to 2018 under Obama and Trump and served as chair of President Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers.
Alejandro Mayorkas — Homeland Security
Mayorkas is another veteran of the Obama administration, having served previously as deputy secretary of Homeland Security and drector of Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Jake Sullivan — National Security Adviser
Sullivan is best known for his ties to Hillary Clinton, serving as her deputy chief of staff at the State Department, and her senior policy adviser during the 2016 presidential campaign — as well as in 2008.
Avril Haines — Director of National Security
Haines served most recently as Obama's deputy national security adviser and faced criticism for her role in Obama's secretive use of drones in the Middle East and Africa.
Neera Tanden — Office of Budget and Management
Tanden served as policy director for Hillary Clinton's first presidential campaign and is a longtime friend whose nomination is drawing fire from some who fear she will be disloyal to Biden.
Cecilia Rouse — Council of Economic Advisers
Rouse previously served as a member of Obama's Council of Economic Advisers. She also worked at the National Economic Council in the Clinton administration as a special assistant to the president.
There's still time for Biden to get Clinton in the fold, although a lot of plum posts are already gone.
But then again, maybe Biden saw the report about a leaked email from Tanden to John Podesta, former chief of staff for Bill Clinton and chairman of Hillary's 2016 campaign, on Oct. 20, 2015.
"The good thing about a Biden run is that he would make Hillary look so much better," she wrote.
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