This weekend, in addition to being Halloween, when ghosts and goblins roam the land, especially the warmer climes, is also when the collegiate football titans, the Georgia Bull Dogs and the Florida 'Gators, take to the field in Jacksonville. Since there's a bit of official controversy afoot and a little diplomacy might be in order, it wouldn't be hard for a Secretary of State, for example, who's a secret football maniac, to hie himself to the sunshine state. Fortunately, that doesn't seem to be up Hillary Rodham Clinton's alley.
Instead of playing spectator in Florida, HRC is busy at work in the Middle East.
As the French press reports:
Clinton to hold talks in Mideast at weekend: official
(AFP) – 20 hours ago
ISLAMABAD — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will hold weekend talks with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders in the Middle East to work through "challenges" in the quest for peace, an official said Thursday.
Clinton will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas separately as the United States seeks to unblock stagnant peace efforts, before she meets Arab leaders in Morocco on Monday.
/.../
"The most important point on the agenda is halting Israeli settlement activity in the Palestinian territories and especially in Jerusalem, including natural growth," Erakat told AFP by telephone from Morocco.
"President Abbas will emphasise during the the meeting with Clinton the importance of there being clear guidelines for any future negotiations and a definite timetable for arriving at an agreement," he said.
Time is important to the people in the Middle East. Who knew? Certainly not George W. Bush. Which is actually a bit strange, since he had a reputation of always being on time. Perhaps that's because, given his erratic behavior, sticking to a strict schedule was his handlers' way of exercising control.
Anyway, the Secretary of State's working weekend is not the end of her visit to the Middle East.
Clinton is due in Morocco on Monday and Tuesday for talks with Middle East and Group of Eight countries about promoting economic and political progress.
All of which is in stark contrast to the likes of Congressman Cliff Stearns of Florida, for example. A true football maniac, Stearns even thought the schedule of the House of Representatives should be re-arranged so he could attend the Florida/Oklahoma BCS title game.
In part, his letter to Speaker Pelosi read:
"As you may be aware, on Thursday January 8, the University of Florida and the University of Oklahoma will play for the national football championship. Members of the Florida and Oklahoma delegations have expressed interest in attending the game as the congressional schedule allows. However, votes are currently scheduled to continue into Thursday night and Friday afternoon. We ask that you move these votes to either Wednesday and/or Thursday morning to allow Members to attend this historic game."
And what was it the House of Representatives was voting on just a few days in the new term?
Oh, only some minor issues... including the certification of the Electoral College vote that will make Barack Obama the next President of the United States.
Perhaps that was the first hint that the primary Republican strategy going forward would be "delay of game," for which, unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a penalty in Congress.
It's perhaps worth noting that Rep. Cliff Stearns in CD-06 sits right next to Rep. Alan Grayson in CD-08 and is probably rife for being replaced by someone who's not just more progressive, but whose work ethic is more like our Secretary of State in her tireless quest for peace. Then Stearns will be able to attend as many football games as he likes and come frolic with his fat cat friends in the Georgia Golden Isles.