Clinton: vetting for top officials "is a nightmare"

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton voiced frustration on Monday at how long it has taken to name a head of the U.S. foreign aid agency and said the process of vetting candidates has become "a nightmare."

At a town hall meeting with employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Clinton lamented the fact that nearly six months into her tenure she has not been able to name an AID administrator.

"Let me say, it's not for lack of trying," she said, prompting laughter among workers at the agency, which helps poor nations develop their economies, health and education systems and infrastructure.

"We have worked very hard with the White House on looking for a candidate who, number one, wants the job," she added, again drawing laughs. "It's been offered."

Last week a U.S. official and a source close to the Obama administration said they expected Paul Farmer, a physician and medical anthropologist who is a professor at the Harvard Medical School, to be nominated for the job shortly.

However, the announcement -- which both said could come on Monday, when Clinton visited AID to lay out her plans for a four-year review of diplomatic and development strategy -- has yet to occur.

Farmer did not immediately return a call to his office or reply to an e-mailed request for comment.

"The clearance and vetting process is a nightmare," Clinton added. "It takes far longer than any of us would want to see. It is frustrating beyond words."

The White House has grown more cautious about checking out potential nominees after tax problems tripped up former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, who withdrew from consideration as Health and Human Services secretary on February 3.

Tax, ethical or other lapses can derail the president's choices for high office, which they cannot assume without "the advice and consent" of the U.S. Senate.

As a result, administrations expend vast energy vetting candidates to try to ensure that there are no hidden bombshells that would blow up a candidate's chances.

Among the myriad responses candidates must provide are lists of every place they have lived since the age of 18 and of every foreigner they know.

"Beyond a certain age, you can't even remember where you were when you were 18," Clinton joked.