Gingrich: Hillary Clinton Would Be 'Terrific' Defense Secretary

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton probably wasn't expecting any kind of endorsement from Newt Gingrich this week. Gingrich, the former Republican Speaker of the House, has been a thorn in the side of Democrats ever since Barack Obama took office, now railing against "radical" legislation from the left's "machine," now denouncing Obama's stance on the lower Manhattan mosque. But Gingrich offered up some unexpected praise for Clinton in a recent interview with George Stephanopoulos:

STEPHANOPOULOS: What about Hillary as Secretary of Defense, as part of a midterm shake-up?

GINGRICH: Well, if she would take it, then she'd be terrific. I served with her on the Transformational Advisory Group of the Joint Forces Command. She's knowledgeable, she's tough. I think that she would be a very aggressive defender of the military in terms of what it needs, its budgets and its concerns. I'm not sure she would have quite as much fun. I think she's probably having a better time being Secretary of State.

As Stephanopoulos points out on his blog, Clinton recently fielded a question about whether she'd be interested in replacing the outgoing Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. Clinton's non-answer: "I have made it clear that I love the job I have."

At this point, having already batted away rumors of another presidential bid and a job switcheroo with Vice President Joe Biden, Clinton may want to consider printing up a shirt that says "Not Considering a Career Change." In smaller letters underneath: "Or At Least Not Going to Tell You If I Am." Gingrich, meanwhile, could invest in a sweater reading "Ask Me About My Presidential Aspirations, For the Love of God."