What do you remember about the run up to the 2008 Presidential Election? I remember a day when I felt so elated and proud: Hillary Clinton announced that she was running for the Democratic Party nomination for President.
A woman running for President, something we Democrats can be proud of.
I also remember Barack Obama asking her, his closest rival, to come aboard as the Secretary of State! Another act to make Democrats Proud. As the mid terms approach now is a good time to remember our successes.
CSM has a very interesting analysis on HRC as Secretary of State, a 'report card,' if you will. Some peeks available down under the orange click...
Remember all the slams Hillary Clinton got in the media before and during the campaign? These days it seems that there is much more straight reporting of the job she is doing as Secretary of State.
Her statements on internet freedom are surely meaningful to people all over the world, the many seeking a voice and influence over their governments and their own lives.
2010 Hillary Clinton Speaks about Shared Values and Visions for Our Humanity and our Collective Freedom at Nuseum Single Internet Freedom Cyber-Freedom Secretary Clinton announces bold initiatives to promote cyber-freedom; Says technology doesnt take sides for freedom and progress but the U.S. does and calls for a single internet
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered remarks on internet freedom.
Demonized for years, Hillary Clinton is increasingly shown to be a hard worker and a dignified diplomat, an Obama Administration team player, one who brings a 'real people' quality to her office in her visits to other countries. One innovation she has brought as SecDef is the
...the "townterview" – a mix of a town-hall meeting and an interview with a big-name local TV journalist to reach mass audiences with issues average people care about – that she has used when visiting countries like Indonesia, China, and Pakistan.
I have seen her picture and headlines of her travels on our behalf so many times it makes my head spin. (See also CSM : In Pictures: Travels with Hillary Clinton )
How is HRC doing in her position with the Obama Administration?
Howard LaFranchi, staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor reports:
Hillary Clinton: A quiet brand of statecraft
/ September 25, 2010
Hillary Clinton has been loyal to President Obama, her one-time rival. Now she's seeking to redefine U.S. foreign policy for a new century, even as the latest mideast peace talks test her skills as a negotiator.
LaFranchi does a great job describing her epic efforts:
...the hundreds of talks she has given, the thousands of miles traveled, and dozens of fraught issues addressed as secretary of State – from crafting a "reset" with Russia to addressing China's military rise with East Asian allies. But there she was, expounding on the role she sees development playing in US foreign policy, with special emphasis on a favorite theme – women.
snip
It is Hillary Clinton the politician who returns to villages in Africa she last visited as first lady and addresses people by their first names. It is Hillary Clinton the woman and mother who takes alleged mass rapes in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a personal affront. And it is Hillary Clinton, the once-assumed and later vanquished future president, who opened the formal return to Middle East peace talks in Washington this month by urging the Israeli and Palestinian people to rise above "the disappointments of the past" to become "champions" for peace.
Repairing and Replacing
Hillary is out there repairing damage from eight long years of Bush. Gotta love that!
Seventeen months into a job she resisted accepting, Hillary Rodham Clinton is seen by many longtime analysts as making a quiet mark on US statecraft through hard work and by reaching down into the well of personal experience.
They see her patiently rebuilding America's image in the world and expanding US diplomatic reach by securing more resources for the State Department from former colleagues in the US Congress. While some still question her creative vision and negotiating skills – a hallmark of successful secretaries of State – others laud her for embarking on a redefinition of American foreign policy that gives new weight to diplomacy and development alongside defense.
The article goes on to discuss how she is taking a bottom to top look at the State Department and our policies and looking for areas that need change, includes quotes from Albright that are quite positive, and quotes from others showing another view. All in all, I found it to be quite an interesting read, and hope you do, as well.
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Stop The Demonizer Party
I don't know about you, but the perpetual Republican demonizing of Hillary Clinton was sickening to me, even though she was not my first choice for President. I went to Photbucket to get a photo for this diary and the pics still up there of her are nauseating.
Look, I do not agree with all of the policies of the Obama Administration. And I certainly believe we can criticize BO and HRC here at DailyKos, and still do good work for the Party and for change.
As a Democrat I really detested the lies and slurs on HRC over the years. Sad to say, now they are demonizing Nancy Pelosi. I detest those lies as well. These women deserve our support. Many Dems running for election this cycle deserve our support. Our party, even with all its warts, deserves our support.
Goes without saying, we can show our support of the good things about our party by GOTV. Organizing for Americais a place to start.
There was a great diary here yesterday on canvassing. For those of you who have never tried it, please check out
Canvassing 102: School of Hard Knocks by LaughingPlanet Fri Sep 24, 2010 at 10:35:48 AM PDT
Something else to consider:
Want blue states?
Donate to your favorite candidates here:
ActBlue
Namaste.
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Update: For those who want more on HRC and the challenges she has faced, and still faces, check out teh slightly wonkish: The battle between interpretation and advocacy of 'smart power' continues to rage between the Pentagon and state. Steve Clemons