JimEd Speaks Out

The biggest obstacle facing Hillary Clinton's Senate confirmation as President-elect Barack Obama's top diplomat may not be her husband's wheeling and dealing abroad for his foundation, as many suspected.

Instead, it could be the U.S. Constitution.

According to an emolument clause in the Constitution, no lawmaker can be appointed to any civil position that was created or received a wage increase during the lawmaker's time in office.

President Bush ordered Cabinet salaries raised to $191,300 from $186,600 by executive order early this year, while Clinton was senator.

Dreisdach said as long as Democrats control the Senate, the Obama transition team won't worry about this provision in the Constitution.

"The Obama team is well aware of it and they have dismissed it," Dreisdach said. "I find it hard to believe that a Democratic majority will take a different view."

The Pentagon's role in homeland security will be expanded with 20,000 uniformed troops expected inside the United States by 2011 to help state and local officials respond to a domestic catastrophe, FOX News has confirmed.

Under the phased plan, three rapid reaction forces will be ready for emergency response by September 2011. All the forces would be trained to respond to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive attack.

A spokesman for the U.S. Northern Command told FOX News that the first brigade under the phased plan will be made up of active duty soldiers; the next two will be comprised of a mix of soldiers from the National Guard and Reserves.

The Washington Post reported that the long-planned shift in the Defense Department's role in homeland security was recently backed with funding and troop commitments after years of prodding by Congress and outside experts.

Critics of the change fear that the new homeland emphasis threatens to strain the military and possibly undermine the Posse Comitatus Act, a 130-year-old federal law restricting the military's role in domestic law enforcement, the newspaper said.