Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Hillary's Day
I spent the day at the Clinton confirmation hearings and came away impressed, as always, with the woman's sheer ability to process information. Not a missed beat, not an "I'll have to get back to you on that..." It was several hours into the hearing that the full force of the new Administration hit me. Clinton was being asked by Senator Benjamin Cardin whether we could exert our influence on mineral-rich countries to share their wealth with their people. The Secretary of State-designate immediately brought up Botswana's "excellent work" in this area, the education and infrastructure programs that had been funded. And I thought: Botswana? Wow. We've got people who are really interested in governing--who really love public service, who understand that foreign policy means more than simply issuing threats--coming back to your nation's capital! Enthusiasm and care don't always result in wise policy-making, but we've seen how fecklessness and carelessness works.
There was a lot Clinton couldn't say--especially on the big issues like Iraq, Iran, Israel, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Those issues, she said, were under review. We only have one President at a time. She wouldn't be lured into a discussion of the President-elect's "new approach" on Iran. But she did break with the Bush Administration in one important, if oft overlooked, area: she said the Obama Administration would aggressively purse nuclear reductions with Russia and non-proliferation in general--ranking Republican Richard Lugar's favorite issue. "There is a real difference of opinion here," with the Bush Administration, she said. "Some people believe that treaties aren't necessary" because good countries will do the right thing and bad countries won't, even if they pledge to adhere to the rules. But she pledged her troth to renewing the START treaty, the global climate treaty to be negotiated in Copenhagen, the Law of the Sea Treaty. All were opposed by Bush.
There was a lot of talk about the "militarization" of foreign policy and the need for the State Department to resume a more active role overseas. This is a hot topic in Washington's Think Tank ghetto; whole forests will fall for the publication of tracts about how to do that. (By the way, I could make a strong argument that things have gone the other way around: that because of the Counterinsurgency Doctrine--which is now the centerpiece of the military's "Full Spectrum" concept--we are witnessing the "diplomatization" of the military, with your average captain downrange as interested in building schools as in knocking down doors...but that's a topic for a slow news day.)
It will be interesting to see how the State and Defense Department emissaries to the various combat zones interract. It will be especially interesting to see how our most talented general and our most talented negotiator--David Petraeus and Richard Holbrooke--share the burden in the Af/Pak theater.
Clinton is close to both men. And it says as much about her that she's willing to bring in powerhouse operators like Holbrooke as it does about Barack Obama that he was willing to bring in her. Clinton's very presence, by itself, will raise the stature of the State Department--especially given the President-Elect's stated prediliction for diplomacy over force of arms.
Clinton will be confirmed, of course. And, I predict, she will be excellent in this role. (I am finding it fairly hard to play the role of cynical journalist these days. It may well be a transitory phenomenon--but it's kinda fun to be hoping for the best rather than fearing the worst, for a change.)
Oh, one other thing: There was some grousing from Republicans about the possibility that contributions to Bill Clinton's foundation and Global Initiative will be seen as attempts to bribe the Secretary of State. Lugar raised some legitimate questions, which will negotiated out. Poor David Vitter of Louisiana, though, got himself all caught up in an accusation that the Clinton Global Initiative--which funds AIDs vaccine distribution in Africa and Asia on a massive scale--hadn't agreed in writing to make its contributors and contributions public. Trouble is, the Global Initiative has always made its contributors public and will, obviously, continue to do so now. Another crisis averted!
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Senior Writer Karen Tumulty has been TIME's National Political Correspondent since 2001, and has also covered the White House and Congress for the magazine. A native of San Antonio, she is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Harvard Business School, where her career choice has significantly lowered the average salary of her graduating class. But she gets lots of free magazines. Read More »
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Joe Klein is TIME's political columnist and author of six books, most recently Politics Lost. His weekly TIME column, "In the Arena," covers national and international affairs. In 2004 he won the National Headliner Award for best magazine column. Read More »
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Amy Sullivan is a senior editor at TIME magazine, and author of the book The Party Faithful: How and Why Democrats are Closing the God Gap (Scribner, 2008). A Michigan native, she holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Harvard Divinity School. She writes about religion and politics for TIME, but no longer answers to the name "Bible Girl." Read More »
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Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 6:35 pm
I am finding it fairly hard to play the role of cynical journalist these days.
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What? No more anonymous roman a clefs?
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 6:47 pm
"And I thought: Wow. We've got people who are really interested in governing--who really love public service, who understand that foreign policy means more than simply issuing threats--coming back to your nation's capital!"
---
I realize that "serious" is a word that is sometimes misused to mean mindless adherence to orthodoxy especially in foreign affairs. But this is really what the definition of a "serious" public servant should be.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Joe, I watched the whole show and was impresssed with her command of the issues.
I think Lugar brought up the issue of Bill and she and he dealt with with the topic like adults. Can't say the same for Pantyboy Vitter: why did I cringe at this sanctimonious asshat?
We are in for a tough haul; and all in all Madame Secretary-designate acquitted herself well. Kudos to Pres elect Obama: his great strength is that he can cope with strong members of his Cabinet.
I await Christopher Hitchens' drunken envy.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 7:12 pm
"I am finding it fairly hard to play the role of cynical journalist these days."
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Conversely, I'm finding it quite easy to remain cynical OF journalists these days:
"There are those on the left who simply believe that Israel does not have the right to defend itself against a terrorist enemy"
-Joe Klein
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Does anyone have a link to a vid of Vitter the Sh!tter's questioning?
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Cinci: Unfortunately, Vitter's from my state! How embarrassing! I wish he would've resigned. When that madame hung herself, I know he was doing the happy dance.
Hillary knows her stuff, backwards and forwards. She always does her homework and comes prepared. Very impressive.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Maybe this Cinn
http://www.taylormarsh.com/archives_view.php?id=28969
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Enthusiasm and care don't always result in wise policy-making..
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But it's a start! I share your conviction that Clinton will be an excellent SOS. It's lucky for all of us that she lost the primary - this is going to be her metier. I don't think the presidency was the right fit for her - at State she may go down as one of the greats.
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Good for her and freaking AWESOME for the rest of us (and the world) as well. As for Vitter, DOAN WANT. Seriously, what an *sshat.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 7:20 pm
And I thought: Wow. We've got people who are really interested in governing--who really love public service, who understand that foreign policy means more than simply issuing threats--coming back to your nation's capital!
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I was at my state capitol yesterday, at a citizen lobbying event for Planned Parenthood's NYC chapter. (If you're in NYC, and want something to do the night before the inaugural, they have a kick-a$$ party planned.
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Before we went to visit our senators and assemblymen, we heard from various senior NY political figures, the speaker of the assembly, the new president of the now democratic senate, among others. The governor sent his health commissioner as his representative. The guy rattled off a dozen well thought out policy initiatives. It was like being transported to another universe, with the Mayberry Machivelllis back in front of their teevee screens..
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So, while it was moving, and good, and reassuring, it ultimately bothered me. I get that for the republicans it's tribal and not about policy. But we NEED reasoned discourse about policy. We NEED people who can say "WTF? That doesn't make any sense." when it doesn't make any sense. Our system is broken if one party is incompetent and out of touch. And, by all evidence, that's the state of affairs we are in at the moment.
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I mean, they may pick an incompetent toady to run the party because his black, because, one candidate belonged to a country club that wouldn't admit the president of the united states as a member, and another thinks "Barack the Magic Negro" is funny and worth sending out to all his potential supporters.
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[crossing fingers, without my friend preview, on that link.]
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 7:27 pm
It's not that huge a thing knowing that Botswana has dealt with both diamonds and AIDS in a very effective way. It stands out because it has done so. But it is really good that Clinton cited the effectiveness of reality-based policy, and referred to an African country that is doing it on its own.
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Been there. Saw lions eating hippo. The touring company was under serious government pressure to provide opportunities for Botswanans in management, and not just guiding, cooking and cleaning. (The guides were fantastic. Just by the way. In contrast to South Africa, on foot, no guns.)
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again crossing fingers
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 7:29 pm
It would have been funny if Clinton had stressed to Vitter that Foundation donations were done out of affection, and weren't just a transaction, but she knew he had a blind spot where that was concerned.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Thanx PNNTO. The first time I saw the vid I just heard Charlie Brown's teachers voice w/ the 'wah wah wah waaah' and the thought bubble over my head was 'I wonder if Vitter is wearing diapers' cuz I've heard things along those lines...disgusting things. On second viewing though, the look on Hillary's face when he's blathering about the bombing in Lebanon and Hezbollah is total genius, even though it looked for a second that she'd lose it.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 7:37 pm
We only have one President at a time.
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The current one has checked out early; Obama might as well start governing now.
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That said, it is encouraging to have people in government who give a rat's a$$. I can't believe that's the "high" bar now, but there you go.
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Also, the opposite of cynicism is not blind optimism. (Not that I'm accusing you of that, JK.) The thing about people who take their jobs seriously is, they can stand up to questioning. Team Obama will get some things right and some things wrong, and I hope the press calls them on the latter.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 7:45 pm
"We've got people who are really interested in governing--who really love public service, who understand that foreign policy means more than simply issuing threats--coming back to your nation's capital!"
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Some of us have been wondering why you and most of your fellows have for so long been treating the alternative as some sort of reasonable, well, alternative. I know that cynicism is all cool and fun but, seriously, "I think this organization is the problem," is a pretty lousy interview strategy and has been a deal-breaker in my book since Saint Ronnie unveiled it. Anyway, welcome to the clued.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 7:48 pm
The silly stuff over the Clinton Foundation is nothing compared to the far more serious questions regarding if Hillary will be able to mes her policy ideas with that of Obama and present a unified front to the world on crucial global issues.
That won't be deciphered in some silly Senate hearing, but rather will be discovered in the immediate reaction from both sides to the first hot crisis to blow up after the inauguration.
http://www.political-buzz.com/
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Other than seeking and receiving clemency for 16 convicted, imprisoned and unrepentant FALN terrorists from her impeached, disgraced "husband", what precisely is Clinton's foreign policy "expertise"?
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 8:17 pm
textee:
Palin is a Republican slut.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 8:50 pm
It seems that Republican wingnuttia is no longer paying for its trollery by the word. Thus we have yet another pallid and risible 3-liner in which it resorts to half-hearted quotation use as the noodle-sized bludgeon, reduced to reaching al the way back to the Clinton era as it desperately flails around for a point to make. The insult-disguised-as-a-question technique is looking shopworn. Whither the four- and five-paragraph screeds? We haven't seen the genre since the Democrats' sweeping victory last November. D +
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Nothing like a liberal mutual admiration society, is there? Everyone's so praising of Hillary now that she's learned her place and sits at the foot stool of your obamamessiah. I hear she likes to be scratched behind the ears, too.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 9:40 pm
"Nothing like a liberal mutual admiration society, is there?"
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Well sure. It's kind of like a conservative mutual admiration society, except we're not insane.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 9:40 pm
James LA - QH is back, posting pages and pages of his customary drivel, if that makes you feel any better.
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onlystandstoreason1: You gonna stick around for a little and tell us how you really feel, or are you gonna disappear back to your own right-wing circle jerk?
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 9:47 pm
This quote on Sen Vitter will live on FOREVER.
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"He'd rather pay a prostitute than pay auto workers."
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 9:51 pm
pointing and laughing is the only sensible response.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 10:02 pm
'I hear she likes to be scratched behind the ears, too.'
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onlystandstoreason1's been listening to his imaginary friend.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 10:14 pm
The Clinton Fd. helps distribute AIDS drugs not AIDS vaccines (which don't yet exist).
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Good catch, quebella21.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 11:08 pm
"We only have one President at a time."
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Really? I thought Bush had already given the keys to Obama. At least it looked like that when he hopped to it an dasked for the release of more TARP money at Obama's request less than twenty minutes after saying he wouldn't ask for the release of the TARP money until Obama said so.
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Don't get me wrong. It's better that Obama pulls Bush's strings than Ehud Olmert.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 11:24 pm
She said the Obama Administration would aggressively purse nuclear reductions with Russia and non-proliferation in general
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This is a huge issue, and I would really, really like Joe to follow up on this. Reductions in US nuclear forces--the renunciation of the football is my dream*--would make an enormous step in reducing nuclear arsenals worldwide, and in giving the US moral high ground in asking other countries to not go nuclear.
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Oh, it would also mean the US is abiding by non-proliferation treaties that it proposed.
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*maybe trade it for his blackberry. (I'm actually serious here. I think the blackberry is more important than the football.)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 12:00 am
While it may be somewhat warranted at this point in time, Mr. Klein, you never cease to amaze me with your ginormous, fawning bias towards Hillary Clinton.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 12:15 am
The Bush Administration did support the Law of the Sea convention, unless there is some nuance I'm missing. See this op-ed by Negroponte and England:
http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2007/June/20070613113224eaifas0.4741785.html
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 10:45 am
Yes, the Clown Princess of Rwanda & Waco did an excellent job of obfuscating everything Khobar Towers and African embassies and Somalia and Yugoslobian air raid story should could get away with, before the worst gaggle of alleged Senators in modern American history.
Never mind North Korea built & exported their nuke labs and SCUD parts under Blozo's regime change. [Poor Syria will miss those kilowatts, eh Joe?]
And Pakistan.
And Iran.
And Indonesia.
= LEGACY OF DEATH ACCOMPLISHED =
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 10:49 am
"...you never cease to amaze me with your ginormous, fawning bias towards Hillary Clinton..."
Say Joe wouldn't know objective news coverage if it arrived by anonymous e-mail copy taped to Katie Couric's crotch.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 10:51 am
"Trouble is, the Global Initiative has always made its contributors public and will, obviously, continue to do so now."
How about the legacy Lieberry Foundation itself, Joe?
GOTCHA.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 6:39 pm
[...] this from Joe Klein (I know, I know): It was several hours into the hearing that the full force of the new [...]
Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 9:07 am
[...] Hillary's Day - Swampland - TIME.com [...]