Choice of Clinton carries risks for Obama

By Caren Bohan - Analysis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, inspired by his hero Abraham Lincoln's idea of creating a "team of rivals" in his Cabinet, may be gambling by choosing his ex-adversary Hillary Clinton as secretary of state.

Obama admires the New York senator's work ethic, his aides have said. He also believes the former first lady's star power would boost his efforts to improve America's global standing.

Beyond that, Obama sees value in Lincoln's concept of bringing together strong personalities to allow for rigorous debate. He hopes that will lead to sound decision-making -- a strategy described in "Team of Rivals," a book about Lincoln by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.

But Obama may be courting trouble in tapping the woman he narrowly defeated in the race for the Democratic White House nomination, some analysts say. They note that Clinton maintains her own power base within the party and may not have fully put to rest her own presidential ambitions.

"She is someone who nearly became president," said Reginald Dale, a scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "She is a major political leader in her own right and probably feels she still ought to be president. She would be pretty forward in advancing her policies."

MODEL RELATIONSHIPS

Many experts cite the close relationship between former secretary of state James Baker and President George H.W. Bush as the model for a well-functioning foreign policy team.

They note that President George W. Bush had a much chillier relationship with his first secretary of state, Colin Powell.