Clinton to Earn About $4,700 Less Than Rice

[tekisui]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON – Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton would make about $4,700 less as secretary of state than her predecessor, Condoleezza Rice. Congress late Wednesday lowered the salary for the nation's top diplomat to keep Clinton's nomination from running afoul of the Constitution.

An obscure section on compensation for public officials, the Emoluments Clause, says that no member of Congress can be appointed to a government post if that job's pay was increased during the lawmaker's current term.

In other words, Clinton, D-N.Y., might have been ineligible to serve in the post because she was serving in Congress when Rice's salary was raised to its current level of $191,300. So late Wednesday, the House and Senate quietly rolled the secretary of state's salary back to $186,600, its level in January 2007 when Clinton began her second Senate term.

Even at the lower rate, Clinton would still get a raise over her Senate salary.

more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081211/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/clinton_pay

[YOY]

1. I don't think it's about the money.

n.t.

[tekisui]

2. Of course not, it is about the Emoluments Clause.

It could be a Constitutional confrontation had they not taken this step.

[Turbineguy]

3. It's about

the shoes.

Our new SoS will not be as well shod.

[Beacool]

6. What, no Condi F*** Me black shiny boots????

:evilgrin:

[ThomWV]

4. Great deal for the American People, we get to pay less and get one hell of a lot more.

[rvablue]

5. ...

:boring:

[mudesi]

7. I think she'll survive (nm)

[trotsky]

9. The Clintons are in a position now where she should just donate her salary.

And in fact that's probably what happens, in a roundabout manner.

[dysfunctional press]

8. does that mean that she'd have to wait until 2012 to get a raise?

since that's when her current senate term would have ended.

[Renew Deal]

10. Misogyny!

:evilgrin: