Showing posts with label foggybottom watch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label foggybottom watch. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Foggybottom Watch, Hillary Edition: Clinton Confirmation Hearing Set
The Hill is reporting that Hillary Clinton's Senate confirmation hearing to be installed as incoming Secretary of State has been set for Tuesday, January 13th. John Kerry is now the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, and will preside over the confirmation. Kerry has already heaped praise on Clinton as America's top diplomat, indicating that her confirmation should be a cake walk. Constitutional barriers to her appointment were already removed by Congress in December, and most Senate leaders have indicated optimism towards the appointment.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Foggybottom Watch: Hillary Edition
Fox News has confirmed that Sen. Clinton will accept the position of Secretary of State.
Today the LA Times is asking, "Can Obama & Clinton Solve the Middle East Riddle?" Today as well, The Slate is positing that Clinton will be a balanced Obama loyalist. And Salon praises Obama's sage judgment in picking so many Clinton "re-treads" saying,
News sources are saying the official announcement will be made after Thanksgiving, likely because the actual details of Bill's role are still being negotiated. Reports are reflecting a spirit of cooperation on all fronts, including the desire not to overly compromise the charity work of the Clinton Global Initiative. Reuters also published an article today speculating how a Secretary Clinton would handle foreign relations, based on her campaign positions. Their estimation of her likely modus operandi are equally glowing. The Vetting of Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State is going as smoothly as her vetting for President went antagonistically. It seems the entire Clinton legacy was on trial, and even though Hillary should be judged on her merits, she also fully embodies the Clinton legacy, and could not distance herself from it. Otherwise, she was just a junior senator from New York with a short and spotty record. Now, however, her "gravity" and "stature" are in the limelight again, it is being said she will be well-received internationally, and even her hawkishness is being praised. It has got to feel good after two years of being attacked for her strengths.
Today the LA Times is asking, "Can Obama & Clinton Solve the Middle East Riddle?" Today as well, The Slate is positing that Clinton will be a balanced Obama loyalist. And Salon praises Obama's sage judgment in picking so many Clinton "re-treads" saying,
"Meanwhile, the president-elect in his wisdom has repudiated the Clinton-bashing mythology of the '90s. Perhaps that is what he meant when he promised to say goodbye to all the partisan poison of the past." (-Joe Conason, Salon.com)Even the Washington Post, publishing an article called, "A Complex Knot of Conflicts," describing the potential conflicts of interest from former President Clinton, gives a glowing review of the situation and its satisfactory resolution.
News sources are saying the official announcement will be made after Thanksgiving, likely because the actual details of Bill's role are still being negotiated. Reports are reflecting a spirit of cooperation on all fronts, including the desire not to overly compromise the charity work of the Clinton Global Initiative. Reuters also published an article today speculating how a Secretary Clinton would handle foreign relations, based on her campaign positions. Their estimation of her likely modus operandi are equally glowing. The Vetting of Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State is going as smoothly as her vetting for President went antagonistically. It seems the entire Clinton legacy was on trial, and even though Hillary should be judged on her merits, she also fully embodies the Clinton legacy, and could not distance herself from it. Otherwise, she was just a junior senator from New York with a short and spotty record. Now, however, her "gravity" and "stature" are in the limelight again, it is being said she will be well-received internationally, and even her hawkishness is being praised. It has got to feel good after two years of being attacked for her strengths.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Foggybottom Watch: Hillary Edition
Today, the Wall Street Journal reports that Hillary Clinton's SecState nomination is "lon track." Like it was ever off track.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Foggybottom Watch: Hillary Edition
November 20th, 2008
I'm going to call my Hillary-Secretary-of-State-Watch, Foggybottom Watch: Hillary Edition from here on out. For anyone who doesn't get the reference, the State Dept. is a few blocks from the White House in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Anyway, here's some more evidence that Sen. Clinton was offered SecState last Thursday by President-elect Obama (or, as I believe, he called her to a meeting to honor the June Deal,) and she does want it and is actively cooperating with the vetting process:
Hillary Clinton's campaign debt, still hovering at over $7 million (down from $21 million in May) would be best settled before she entered the State Department as its top officer. She has several venues wherein this could be accomplished, and it would not preclude her from the office, but the potential conflicts are too risky. Yesterday, several pundits were saying if she is serious about SecState, watch for a last minute pitch for donations. And, here it is: Last Minute Pitch From Clinton
Coupled with a glowing review of how well Health Care Reform is already going from the Wall Street Journal today, I'd say the narrative is headed back to pro-Hillary. I personally don't believe it was ever going away from her, it's just that a little reality set in after everyone fell in love with the idea at first. Every day since the Hillary rumors broke, I've seen proactive steps from Camp Clinton. The family consult, Bill agreeing to be vetted, lawyers hired, and now, the campaign debt paid down. I would imagine Obama will offer some of his leftover war chest. He'd better, considering he promised he would, and I'm sure that was part of the June Deal, too.
At any rate, today Sen. Clinton made the first pitch for last minute donations to pay off her campaign debt, which is a very clear sign she is cooperating readily with the vetting process, and the transition team.
I'm going to call my Hillary-Secretary-of-State-Watch, Foggybottom Watch: Hillary Edition from here on out. For anyone who doesn't get the reference, the State Dept. is a few blocks from the White House in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Anyway, here's some more evidence that Sen. Clinton was offered SecState last Thursday by President-elect Obama (or, as I believe, he called her to a meeting to honor the June Deal,) and she does want it and is actively cooperating with the vetting process:
Hillary Clinton's campaign debt, still hovering at over $7 million (down from $21 million in May) would be best settled before she entered the State Department as its top officer. She has several venues wherein this could be accomplished, and it would not preclude her from the office, but the potential conflicts are too risky. Yesterday, several pundits were saying if she is serious about SecState, watch for a last minute pitch for donations. And, here it is: Last Minute Pitch From Clinton
Coupled with a glowing review of how well Health Care Reform is already going from the Wall Street Journal today, I'd say the narrative is headed back to pro-Hillary. I personally don't believe it was ever going away from her, it's just that a little reality set in after everyone fell in love with the idea at first. Every day since the Hillary rumors broke, I've seen proactive steps from Camp Clinton. The family consult, Bill agreeing to be vetted, lawyers hired, and now, the campaign debt paid down. I would imagine Obama will offer some of his leftover war chest. He'd better, considering he promised he would, and I'm sure that was part of the June Deal, too.
At any rate, today Sen. Clinton made the first pitch for last minute donations to pay off her campaign debt, which is a very clear sign she is cooperating readily with the vetting process, and the transition team.
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