Hillary finally endorsed Barack Obama, which she should've done the evening that he achieved victory. Wasn't it strange that a woman determined to zoom through the glass ceiling and respond to a 3 a.m. call as a tough president and commander in chief demanded time to pull herself together before pulling out?

Still, Hillary's endorsement speech was excellent in balance and message. Her words helped propel her toward consideration for the vice presidential slot. But if it becomes hers, heaven help us!

This "dream team" duo has been touted by some wishful thinkers as the surest path to victory. But the veep is usually a second banana, expected not to compete with the president for limelight. And this is just not Hillary, who sees herself as deserving of and entitled to the presidency.

Bill has supported her grandiosity wholeheartedly. Throughout their marriage, Hillary fiercely protected Bill from himself. He seems to me to be dedicated to her ambition, knowing that it protects his own. This long-standing mutual-defense pact is a large part of the glue that binds them.

The primary reason that I imagine Hillary actually settling for No. 2 would be to strengthen this glue. The vice presidency could bring unique historic significance to the Clinton legacy.

And also finally lead to the presidency: One of the ways was treacherously alluded to it in Hillary's ugliest primary moment. To paraphrase several pundits: Would Obama need a taster?

But Obama's choice of Hillary would not merely make him look frightened, easily manipulated and needy. It would threaten doom in other ways.

The Clinton closets are jam-packed. There are the contributions to Bill's library and foundation that both Clintons are mum about. Remember the shock for candidate Walter Mondale when the dubious business transactions of running mate Geraldine Ferraro became public?

Karl Rove and Ken Starr together could not have concocted a way to hurt Bill more than he's hurt himself during his wife's campaign. And the mutual muddle of both Clintons' recent judgment would make a Supreme Court nomination for Hillary (another media option) an extremely messy undertaking.

It's been said that the recent hush-hush meeting at the home of Sen. Diane Feinstein between Clinton and Obama addressed at least three topics: Hillary's future political options, Hillary and Bill's roles at the convention and a future position of respect and public rehabilitation for Bill.

Making him U.N. ambassador could use the very best of Bill's talents, as well as keep him safely out of D.C. - maybe even the country - for long periods.

HILLARY, whose mantra is that her prime motivation is to help the helpless and offer all of our children a better America, now has the opportunity to prove it by staying in the Senate. She has much to learn from the ailing Ted Kennedy, who took a hard look at himself after his failed presidential quest and came into his own as the conscience of the Senate.

In her concession/endorsement speech, Hillary urged her supporters not to look back. But if only she could, perhaps she could finally see that it wasn't the insurance companies that defeated her quest for health-care reform. And it wasn't sexism and a press out to get her that stole her dream of the presidency. Both attempts were hers to lose, and she did because of her and Bill's misguided narcissism, their refusal to listen to sound advice - and their ruthless quest for power.

Seriously concentrating on her role in the Senate and freeing Bill to serve humanity and live his own semi-autonomous life would save us from yet another brutal, exhausting Page 1 examination of the Clintons' ethical and moral choices and priorities.

If the Clintons love America as much as they say, they'll let go of the idea of a "dream team" and spare us a new nightmare.

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SaraKay Smullens (sarakaysmullens.com), a social worker and family therapist, writes about social and political issues.

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