Washington, Dec. 4 : The biggest obstacle facing Hillary Clinton''s Senate confirmation as the next Secretary of State may not be husband Bill''s wheeling and dealing abroad for his foundation, but 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.

DAMASCUS, Syria, Dec. 3  -- U. S. President-elect Barack Obama's choice of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state should help build peace in the Middle East, an official Syrian source says.

In a report published Wednesday, the source stressed the importance of Clinton's presence to the resuscitation of the Israeli-Syrian peace talks, Ynet. news. com said.

The Syrian official also commended Clinton for her commitment to "render the U. S. a power for positive change" in the world by cooperating with the international community to solve global crises.

Washington  - Senator Hillary Clinton was "shocked" by the possibility that president-elect Barack Obama would consider her for secretary of state and struggled with the decision when the offer came, her husband, former president Bill Clinton, told CNN Wednesday.

"She adored being in the Senate. I think she loved it more than any job she ever had," Clinton said in the interview.

Washington, Dec 3 : Republicans spent much of the year portraying President elect Barack Obama as a socialist and an appeaser who would kowtow to America’s enemies, but have started heaping praise on his national security and economic teams and at times gushing more than even some Democrats.

The GOP is finding little to criticize in Obama’s choices, defanged, in part, because the individuals Obama has appointed have rendered their earlier charges of radicalism inoperative, Politico. com reported.

Washington, Dec 3 : Even though American television host Oprah Winfrey was backing President-elect Barack Obama during the elections, she still accepted at least five million dollars from his rival.

Winfrey had, according to federal tax returns and other reports, accepted the donation for her self-named South African girls’ school, Fox News reports.

The Emmy Awards winner tendered her full support to Obama during his campaign, threw a lavish launch party in his honour, endorsed him on her show, and even cried when he won.

However, it has now been revealed that Winfrey is also a very close friend of Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons, who happens to be a leading Republican donor and supporter of John McCain.

London, Dec. 3: U. S.