Is the First Lady a member of the federal executive branch?

Question

I always thought no, but Hillary Clinton keeps talking about her experience "in the White House" as some sort of qualification for president. I'm confused. What do you think? Is being married to a president in any way executive experience? If you think so, what specific positive act or important decision did she do or make in that capacity?

Pretty funny responses here so far. For the record I am 30 years old and have been married for four years. I do remember the Clinton administration very well and I remember that after Hillary failed to convince a Congress controlled by her own party on a health care takeover that she immediately faded into the background out of embarrassment.

Also, married people don't know each other's jobs 100%. I can tell you that I have very little idea what it's like to be a teacher, though my wife is one. She might even ask me my opinion on an issue, but I never claim that I am qualified to give a good answer or that she should line up with every one of my ideas.

Answer 1

That's just Hillary's fantasy...that having secret meetings to try to take over the healthcare industry somehow qualifies her to run the country...the woman couldn't run a hot dog stand.

Answer 2

It is part of the Executive Branch. Article II Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution states: The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his office during the term of four years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same term, be elected, as follows: Article II Section 1 Paragraph 6 of the U.S. Constitution states: In case of the removal of the President from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by law provide for the case of removal, death, resignation or inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what officer shall then act as President, and such officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or a President shall be elected. Article II Section 4 of the United States Constitution states: The President, Vice President and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. The constitution only mentions briefly about him being the President of the Senate, but states he does not have any vote unless their is a tie vote, then he has authority to vote on that particular thing. He is a member of the executive branch because he would fall into the same position as President if the President could not perform his duties.

Answer 3

She is not a member of the executive branch but Hillary was appointed by her husband, the Pres., to assist in writing and promoting a health care reform plan. Just as the Pres. can consult experts in any field any time he or she wants to, Bill Clinton consulted with Hillary and gave her a job besides running the White House.

You know, Laura Bush has a job that she does for Dubya---she oversees the state dinners, runs the household, and consults with the Pres. on various state matters. It's not a paid position but hosting visitors to the White House is still a vital part of the political process. You can't host the President of Iraq and just throw a bag of Doritoes out on the coffee table.

Hillary did all that and more. Maybe you're not old enough to remember how Newt Gingrich and the Republican machine killed the Clinton health care plan, but I remember it well. They threw every political dirty trick scheme they had at her and she took them on. Sadly, tragically, and much to our financial loss, Gingrich and his machine won that battle, but I don't think they are going to win the war.

Oh, and in case you haven't noticed, Hillary's been a Senator of a very "insignificant" state for many years. She's also been a lawyer for something like 40 years.

Answer 4

The First Lady has no actual job duties. She can do absolutely nothing at all but be a housewife the whole four years if she chooses. Traditionally, however, the First Lady does a great many things as Hillary points out. She is right next to the President; hell, she sleeps with him. The title "First Lady" is honorary, however and, as I said, has no actual job duties, is not enumerated anywhere as a position and has no actual power.

Answer 5

Its not an official position, but if you are smart you learn a lot about the workings of democracy behind the public facade, you learn about whats politics and whats COO of the office, what you can and cannot do, the perks and the dangers.
Although unpaid, it is most certainly an executive experience.
You have a staff, you have expectations, you meet and greet people on the world stage, you represent your government at various functions.
Hillary is a serious person, and very hard working, when she first looked at the Healthcare crisis she worked with people to try to find out what would benefit the country. For this rather modest committee, she was and is roundly castigated for being a socialist, and the insurance world pounced on her for being anti-business and ran ads threatening the public about how they wouldn't be able to choose their own doctors. Fast forward seventeen years and we still have crappy availability, its still too expensive, and now the insurance company is the one who holds your health care choices in their hands, and they are the ones who tell you what hospital and which doctors are available to you. If its not on their list, it don't exist.
Complain and moan and raise the spetre of socialism as you will.
Hillary was right.
Oh, and yes, she is the twice elected Senator of a very large state, one she won with considerable Republican support in the Upstate areas. She obviously didn't fade into the background in embarrasment, she became a senator.
One of the funnier things about the series Commander in Chief was the segment dealing with what the upaid spouse of a president was responsible for, hardly the justahouswife notion men have. And they don't even get paid even though the women married to them may have to give up well paid jobs to assist their spouses.

Answer 6

Universal health coverage was shot down by the insurance lobby and their Republican toadies in Congress.

I think Hillary could do as good a job as G.W.Bush.

If she went through a 50% IQ reduction.

Is the First Lady part of the Executive Branch? Ask Cheney, he's appointed himself as Font Of All Wisdom on that subject.

Answer 7

Hillary's single executive experience, Hillarycare, was a dismal flop. The only other thing that she did while in the White House was hire a bevy of feminist watchdogs to keep an eye on her horndog husband 24/7 and screen bimbos. Her senate career has been equally lackluster. She has not originated any legislation. The people of NY elected her to represent them, not to raise funds. Why she, as well as thousands of other liberals, think that she is qualified to lead our country is beyond understanding.

Answer 8

No. Since Eleanor Roosevelt it has been customary for the presidents wife to be an activist for some cause. There is no constitutional mandate. As far as Clinton goes, she is a Harvard law school graduate like bubba, and was probably more involved in the presidential process of any first lady in history.

She is probably qualified to be president. So was her husband, but I stopped voting for democrats after Bubba sold my good manufacturing job to the Chinese.

NADER '08!

Answer 9

The answer is no. But she worked closely with her husband who was president at the time. She experienced what it was like to be president by watching her husband. So in a sense, being married to a president did give her executive experience. She may not physically do it, but she was there. I don't think I remember anything positve other than the fact that she stood by her husband when the Monica scandal hit.

Answer 10

She headed a commission on national health care. Its recommendations were not accepted. Now the country very much regrets that mistake. She is extremely competent and talented, she was right (100% right!) on national health care and the country would do well to elect her President. You could probably count the numbers who have died because the country stupidly believed the insurance companies expensive advertising campaign against her health proposal in the millions by now. Lucky for you it hasn't included you, yet, but it still may.