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Bill Clinton: Only 'sounding board' if Hillary is secretary of state

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor December 3, 2008 10:00 AM

Former President Bill Clinton, in his first extended comments since his wife was formally nominated for secretary of state, said today that the former first couple will discuss everything, just as they always have, but he will stay out of any policy deliberations.

"I'll just try to be a helpful sounding board to her, but I don't think I'll do any more than that," Clinton told CNN in an interview in Hong Kong broadcast this morning.

Clinton said he and his wife have always talked "about everything," and he called her advice "invaluable" throughout his career. "I really care about all these profound challenges that our country and the world are facing," he said. "But the decisions will have to be ultimately the President-elect Obama's decisions to make about what we are going to do, what our policies are going to be."

Barack Obama picked her only after full vetting of the former president's global activities and his agreement to disclose 200,000 donors. Clinton said he agreed to do so to eliminate concerns that supporters were trying to influence US policy.

"If she is going to be secretary of state and I operate globally and I have people who contribute to these efforts globally, I think that its important to make it totally transparent," he said.

The potential for conflict was underscored when Tuesday -- the day after Hillary Clinton appeared with Obama at the formal announcement of his national security team -- Bill Clinton was convening a Clinton Global Initiative meeting in Hong Kong. Tuesday night, there was a gala dinner that featured Donald Tsang, chief executive of the Hong Kong special administrative region, actors Michelle Yeoh and Jet Li, and other CGI Asia members.

His foundation announced this morning that members had committed $185 million for projects that would touch the lives of 10 million people. "I am truly impressed by our Clinton Global Initiative members and the new commitments announced this week that will bring real, measurable change to millions lives in Asia and across the world," Clinton said in a statement.

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