Clinton adopts low-key style at State Dept.

[Beacool]

By Ken Dilanian, USA TODAY
June 11, 2009



SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton won a small diplomatic victory here recently. Few Americans are likely to have heard about it.
The issue was Cuba, and the details were arcane. Clinton and her team, in negotiations on the sidelines of the Organization of American States assembly, persuaded 33 other governments not to allow Cuba back into the OAS without a process that respects the group's charter language on democracy.

It wasn't easy. Most of the assembly, frustrated with the USA's desire to isolate Cuba, wanted to lift the 1962 suspension without conditions. Ted Piccone, a Latin America expert at the Brookings Institution, called it "a great win for the State Department."

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She took the job in challenging times, to say the least: Among her tasks is to stop Iran's nuclear program, curb Pakistan's Islamic insurgency, preserve post-war Iraq as U.S. troops leave there, and help new U.S. forces in Afghanistan with civilian projects. Clinton also has to deal with an unpredictable, nuclear-armed regime in North Korea, which sentenced two U.S. journalists to 12 years hard labor this week and continued saber-rattling in the face of new U.N. sanctions.

How Clinton and the Obama administration will fare in dealing with those thorny problems is unclear. But so far, even Republicans give Clinton high marks for tackling management challenges at the State Department, using her political skills to boost the USA's image abroad and avoiding signs of tension between her circle and the White House. The "team of rivals" story line, much discussed when Clinton was first appointed, hasn't played out.

In Washington, Clinton has been "one of the less visible secretaries of State in recent history," says Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi of the Israel Project, a pro-Israel advocacy group. Obama has been his own foreign policy spokesman, sometimes with Clinton standing quietly behind him. Some days, one of the many special envoys gets more attention than she does. Clinton made her first Sunday morning news show appearance as secretary of State just a week ago.

Don't be fooled by appearances, Vice President Biden says: Clinton is making a difference behind the scenes.

"I think (the president) listens to her as much or more than anybody," Biden tells USA TODAY. "She's the main player ... the one he looks to give the last wind-up pitch about what should be done."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-06-10-hillary-clinton_N.htm

A good article if maybe a tad long for some to read.

:-)

[Captain Hilts]

1. She was pretty low-key in the senate too. nt

[Beacool]

2. Yeah, like she always said:

"I'm a work horse, not a show horse."

;)

[wisteria]

3. Sure LOL! n/t

[wisteria]

4. Decent fluff piece. n/t

[Beacool]

5. Typical..........

:eyes:

[DoBotherMe]

8. What's up with the negative vibes?

Hillary is a decent human being who happens to also be intelligent, highly educated, and charismatic. Oh, and U.S. Secretary of State in the Obama Administration. I would prefer John Kerry in either or both places, but that dream is for another day. But, really, what's to diss? Dana ; )

[Captain Hilts]

10. Dems have a deep bench. It's possible to like them all,isn't it?

I don't know why more folks HERE don't feel that way.

The vast majority of Dems like 'Bam and Hill. And Joe, and John.

It's ALL good.

[DoBotherMe]

11. Yeah, I don't get it

There's a lot to be proud of in each of them ... it's great to hear MY concerns spoken and broadcast around the world. It's a new day and I'm happy. Dana ; )

[polmaven]

12. It's called CDS

Clinton Derangement Syndrome...and it is apparently incurable.

[karynnj]

13. I had the opposite reaction

This piece to me is almost Schizophrenic. I saw it this morning, but didn't want to be the one to post it, because though it had a lot of real content, it also projected some negative or at least not positive images.

The news was of a Clinton victory and that is mentioned in the first paragraph. Then there is defense from Biden - against a charge that hasn't really been made. In addition, crediting her on what in Democratic spheres might be the least popular Obama action and saying Biden lost on this - increasing our forces as we did in Afghanistan. It also was an Obama position during 2007 and 2008. There are then many comments that she is in the background, others are working the key issues and she is low key - now, one key reason she was brought in was that she had the high profile to be a star surrogate internationally for the President.

Later after seeing it here, I looked at the comments - in addition to the negative garbage on both HRC and Obama, there were many who picked up the same messages I had.

[Arkansas Granny]

6. Obama made a wise choice for SOS and I'm glad she accepted.

I think they will make a very strong team.

[Beacool]

7. I think they already ARE a strong team.

:hi:

[grantcart]

9. She adds: "I want to rebuild USAID. I want to see it become again the premier aid agency in the worl

If she can do things like this, she will become the most cherished Secretary of State since Seward.