[MRM]

I heard Hillary intereviewed on NPR recently and she was pushed pretty hard to come up with examples of her experience. She was asked point blank if she was in the room when the decisions were being made. The best Hillary could come up with was that she "was on the team" and was part of all decisions that were made.

As Kach pointed out, VPs are about as close to power as you can get. But they have been a mixed bag. TR was a fabulous president. Truman's legacy can be debated endlessly. LBJ and Nixon shared common traits of a certain bitterness and burning desire to be "The One" and get to make all the decisions.

I think being that close to power but not being the one either educates the person or makes them bitter and overreaching when it is their turn. I have to say I think I see those traits in Clinton and I think they are at least partly related to her being so close to power but without any power herself.