Please allow me one last sigh of regret. (Since this blog is a dictatorship (lol), you really have no choice, so I will continue….) Here is the awesome ‘rock star’ reception Secretary of State Hillary Clinton received when she arrived at her first day of work on Thursday:
(Click here to link to video.)
Like SusanUnPC, one of the writers over at NoQuarter, described it, “Those employees acted like they’d been prisoners in a gulag for the past eight years, and that they’d suddenly been set free!” (Betcha they wouldn’t be NEAR as excited if that was your husband, Jill Biden! Shame on you for making stuff up and Oprah for broadcasting it!) Secretary Clinton’s opening remarks were full of optimism and energy.
Now I’m not bashing Condolezza Rice, but after eight years of the same administration everyone was probably looking forward to a new jazz of energy and maybe some fresh perspectives (that would’ve been true had McCain won, as well). After the weird build-up and let-down that was last Tuesday’s dour inauguration ceremony (botched oath, horrible poem, depressing speech, and bizarre benediction), I felt it would be nice to direct everyone’s attention to the fresh air that has been injected into our critically important U.S. State Department. Here’s a quick overview of some of the things Hillary Clinton said back at her confirmation hearing. Included in her opening remarks:
- We will renew America’s leadership through diplomacy that enhances our security, advances our interests, and reflects our values.
- Foreign policy must be based on a marriage of principles and pragmatism, not rigid ideology. On facts and evidence, not emotion or prejudice.
- America cannot solve the most pressing problems on our own, and the world cannot solve them without America.
- I believe American leadership has been wanting, but is still wanted.
- We must use what has been called “smart power,” the full range of tools at our disposal. With smart power, diplomacy will be the vanguard of foreign policy.
- I don’t get up every morning thinking only about the threats and dangers we face. With every challenge comes an opportunity to find promise and possibility in the face of adversity and complexity.
She consistently displayed a deep and comprehensive knowledge of all the world’s hotspots. Look over the transcripts of the hearing—the proof is there. This is a person who obviously does her homework.
Further information and quotes taken from the NYT live blog transcript:
[When] Senator Boxer displays photographs of women [from other parts of the world] who were burned in acid attacks, punished for divorce or other matters, Senator Clinton responds emphatically.
It is her hope, she promises, to persuade more governments “that we cannot have a free, prosperous, peaceful, progressive world if women are treated in such a discriminatory and violent way.” In addition to the attacks on Pakistani women outlined by Senator Boxer, Mrs. Clinton cites the attacks on young school girls by Taliban sympathizers.
“They want to maintain an attitude,” she charged, “that keeps women unhealthy, unfed, uneducated, and this is something that results all too often in violence against these young women.”
“This is not culture, this is not custom, this is criminal,” she said.
Speaking broadly and promising that she would place an emphasis on areas like the Office on Human Trafficking and the Women’s Office, she said: “I want to pledge to you that as Secretary of State, I view these issues as central to our foreign policy not as adjunct or in any way lesser. …”
Senator Clinton’s extensive resume of work on behalf of women and children makes her a very interesting and unique candidate for Secretary of State. Women make up 51% of the world’s population. She does have an excellent point when she communicates that defending the rights the many “unhealthy, unfed, uneducated” women (and children) of the world should be “central to our foreign policy” as it will help us attain a more “free, prosperous, peaceful, progressive world….” Think about that. It’s refreshing and brilliant.
I ran across the term “Rorschach test” while preparing a post for tomorrow another day (the introductory installment of the Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek series, where we will review and discuss the work chapter by chapter), and it has occurred to me that Hillary Clinton is a Rorschach test herself. People have quite visceral reactions to the mere mention of her name, which really says more about the person her/himself than it does about Hillary, as 99% of the time they cannot name any major accomplishments of hers. Disliking cookie baking, having a cad for a husband, and carpetbagging it to New York State do not count. She is a politician and there are legitimate reasons to disagree with her stances, but most people who dislike her have just jumped the shark on some fabricated personality traits they attribute to her. I even met one woman last spring who proclaimed she would never vote for ANY woman for president because Hillary had demonstrated beyond any doubt how women do not have the temperament to hold the office of president. Say what?! (And that woman has a daughter–pity that poor girl!) I also have a friend whom I thought I knew fairly well go off on an unsubstantiated rant about how Hillary is a cruel and cold person. Wow. Do me a favor–take a peek at some of the great things her actual colleagues said upon her Senate departure. And, let me remind everyone that Ken Starr spend millions of your taxpayer dollars attempting to nail the Clintons with everything from fraud to murder, and not one thing came of it. Call me crazy, but I believe that ship has sailed and sunk, people. Time to get over it. Therefore I have decided to buy and wear a “Don’t blame me, I voted for Hillary” t-shirt and wear it all summer. I don’t want to waste too much time with people who don’t look at reality and that seems like an easy way to filter them out.
In the meantime, I look forward to positive strides in our foreign relations. We’ve got at least ONE highly knowledgable and competent person looking out for us in Washington.
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