Sorry State of Affairs

Hillary Clinton is a lot of things, "diplomatic" is not one of them

By SCOTT ROSS
Updated 8:27 AM EST, Mon, Dec 1, 2008

TWITTER FACEBOOK

)

The world was a safer place when these Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama hated each other.
Getty Images

He once begrudgingly called her "likable enough," she dismissed his foreign policy views as "irresponsible and frankly naïve." So why is it that Barack Obama's is nominating Hillary Clinton to be his secretary of state?

 
They spent nearly two years locked in a bitter contest for the Democratic nomination, and now she's supposed to be the chief diplomat of the Obama administration? Foreign leaders are expected to believe that when they speak to her, they're speaking to the president of the United States?
 
It's possible they didn't follow the campaign, though not likely.
 
In March Clinton introduced what would become an oft-repeated refrain, that the entirety of Obama's candidacy was based on a single speech.
 
"I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience that he will bring to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002."
 
And that 2002 speech isn’t even the one that made him famous. It's the speech he gave in opposition to waging war in Iraq.
 
Christopher Hitchens, a seasoned Clinton hater, has observed that her chief foreign policy experience consists of "making a fool of herself in fabricating a story about Bosnia."
 
That story, of course, was her recollection – on more than one occasion – of her plane being forced to land due to sniper fire. She later explained away the gaffe by saying she was tired. Did she tell that story at 3 a.m.?
 
And now she's going to travel the world, meeting with heads of state on Obama's behalf.
 
One can barely wait for the first time Clinton makes a demand of a foreign leader and is told that her views are "irresponsible and frankly naive."

First Published: Dec 1, 2008 8:08 AM EST

TWITTER FACEBOOK

  • 0% furious 0
  • 0% sad 0
  • 0% bored 0
  • 0% thrilled 0
  • 0% intrigued 0
  • 0% laughing 0
processing
          No comments have been posted yet.

          You have 2000 characters left

          processing
          So My City

          You are posting in (change)

          550/550 characters

          (jpg, pngs, or gifs allowed)

          (jpg, pngs, or gifs allowed)
          *Tip: You can also post moments via email or Twitter.

          processing

          View Your Moment in

          Posted by | 1 second ago

          Don't Miss

          local_beat

          2 hours ago

          New Yorkers React to Health Care Bill With Hope, Caution

          New Yorkers are watching the outcome of the health care debate in Washington closely, as a new federal health care bill could extend coverage to 700,000 city residents who are currently living without...

          Read It

          local_beat

          Nov 7, 2009

          Navy Commissions USS New York

          The USS New York, built with steel from the rubble of the World Trade Center, was put into service Saturday both as a symbol of healing and strength.

          Read It

          politics

          2 hours ago

          Obama's Littlest Constituents

          Being president isn't child's play, but Barack Obama has made time for kids throughout his political career.

          Loading...
          Birthdate:
          You must be at least 13 to sign up.
          Gender:
          invalid

          By clicking the button below, I accept the terms of use and privacy policy

          Already Signed Up? Login Below.

          processing
          Here's what we're posting:

          *Only used for verification. We do not store your password.
          processing