Christopher Hitchens Calls Hillary Clinton As Secretary Of State A "Ludicrous Embarrassment"

Christopher Hitchens appeared on "Hardball" Monday night and voiced his strong opposition to Hillary Clinton being named Secretary of State.

Appearing with Peter Beinart of Time, who is for Clinton's appointment, Hitchens said, "This is the woman who played the race card on Obama... This is the woman whose foreign policy experience consists of making a fool of herself and fabricating a story about Bosnia."

He also brought up the Clintons' overseas fundraising connections and called the idea of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State a "ludicrous embarrassment."

A longtime critic of the Clintons, Hitchens wrote the 2000 book "No One Left To Lie To: The Values of the Worst Family."

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Comments

[octo]

Interesting how most of the people who disagree with Hitchens' remarks do so by attacking his personal qualities as much as or more than the substance of what he says.

Google "fundamental attribution error" to see what an irrational approach that is.

Having said that, didn't Hitchens know Bill Clinton at Oxford? Were they room mates? One can't help suspecting some degree of personal motivation in the vehemence of his rhetoric towards them.

[kutkreata]

Christopher Hitchens hilarious.

[Stagehnd1]

Enought with the Hitchens bashing!!!­!!!!!!!!!!

He's right! Her and Bill carry a lot of baggage..A­nd she's associated with the same old politics, not real change.

[kutkreata]

I respect him. He always tells what on his mind & alot of times what others are thinking. I don't think he's right on the war, but I enjoy watching him tell his perspective on the news shows.

[susumar]

I have to leave the room whenever this windbag is on tv. The fact that he became a U.S. citizen is an embarrassment.

[SilentShout]

Chris Hitchens always looks like he's about a minute away from vomiting.

[shengirl]

that makes two of us...

[nycwerewolf]

Why HRC is a bad choice for Sec. Of State:

Hillary voted in favor of the Kyl-Lieberman ammendment, her vote in favor of the '01 bankruptcy bill, her vote in favor of No Child Left Behind in 2001, her appointing Sandy Berger as one of her National Security advisors. Berger plead guilty to stealing and destroying classified intelligence documents (they were related to 9/11), the Clinton's support of NAFTA and their connection to the Columbian trade deals, Hillary voted against the cluster bomb ban and she voted for the authorization of the Iraq war without first reading the NIE report.

[dmkaplan]

I generally feel revolted by Christopher Hitchens since he took such a venal hate toward Bill Clinton during Clinton's presidency. But I must say I agree with him on the odd selection of Hillary Clinton for Sec of State. She WILL stick to HER agenda, promote HERSELF, and even possibly be at odds with Obama's stated foreign policy views. During the primaries, foreign affairs was THE one place they clearly disagreed-from her backing the Iran resolution, to her over the top response to his saying he'd meet with any leader without preconditions, to her slow move to oppose the Iraq involvement and other matters. If he can't keep her on a leash, she shouldn't get the offer. And she won't agree to or stick to being on a leash. BAD CHOICE< So Kudos to Christopher Hitchens for clearly stating so.

[Knowitall]

Clinton will work for Obama. You don't freelance when you're in the cabinet, or you're out. She knows that. She is smart, and in the end will be a team player. GOOD CHOICE.

[Skepticaleye]

Mr. Hitchens is a very smart guy and we are not dealing with Saints here.
We must question everything and he raises Great Points.

Bill Clinton is a Sketchy guy at best. He did a good job as president, but is not perfect.

By the way Mr. Hitchens was for Obama!
http://www.slate.com/id/2202163/

[EuroHuffPoFan]

It is not only Bosnia and bringing peace to Northern Ireland .. (wich was not well received in Europe) .

She has also said that Poutin has no soul .. that you tube video has been seen by the world.
It was a big item in Russian media .. and Poutin answered official press questions about this issue.

Not really a good starting point it would seem.

And there are still more examples.
The idea that there is much respect for the Clintons worldwide .. is highly over-estimated
.

[DC]

The source is a pompous clown, but his message is RIGHT!

Don't dis what he says just because you do not like him.

[JBL55]

Agreed. Broken clock, twice a day, etc.

[z78pb45]

The Clinton people must have forced Obama into a deal so that the convention would go smoothly. This is just absurd to bring back another Clinton administration and head it up with Obama. I'm not usually a fan of ole' Hitch but as the Brits might say: "spot on". He's 100% correct on this one. Other than Ireland, Bill Clinton failed miseably on foreign affairs (Rwanda, Somalia, Bosnia, Iraq sanctions, Al Queda, China). Bill Clinton is considered a hero in China because he gave them everything they wanted and they didn't have to give in to human rights issues the world expected in return.

There's also a tradition in American presidential politics called "go away". George Washington started it. What is the fascination with these Clintons as if Hillary is owed something? It's utterly bizarre. This woman is a nobody. She's never accomplished and significant policy in her entire life. Just go away. We'll be just fine without you. People accuse Sarah Palin fans of being clueless and irrational but at least she made her own way to the governorship and VP for McCain. This fascination with Hillary Clinton is bizarre if the fascination with Sarah Pallin is bizarre.

[Knowitall]

Bill Clinton was a towering success on foreign policy when compared to the current administration. Hillary Clinton has been a public servant for 40 years. She is far from a nobody. She is respected around the world and will be an excellent Secy of State. She most likely would have been a good president. Very few people are as qualified as she is.

On the other hand, NOBODY, not even John McCain had ever heard of Sarah Palin before late August, and neither had you. We still don't know who she is since she can't put together a coherent sentence. From what I can tell, she's not qualified for the position she now holds in Alaska. What was bizarre was that so many people were willing to risk the security of the nation by making this woman our vice president. Bizarre! (But, I must commend the more than 35 million Republicans who stayed home rather than vote for her.)

[rickczar]

Christopher Hitchens has an alcoholic's irrational, destructive obsession with the Clintons.

[RODERICK098]

Why does this gas bag get air time He is always wrong or not factual on anything.

[AgeofReason]

Christopher Hitchens as a human is an embarrassment.

[cjgnew]

Your post is a little bit over the top! It's OK to attack someone's viewpoint, but it's a different story to attack someone's character, especially when you bring absolutely no supporting fact to support your proclamation.

Carlos Jean-Gilles
Saint Louis, MO

[b0tterman]

once again, obama defies the expecations and predictability of pundits which proves he's a disciplined, original thinkier. He's keepin it real. By the way, Hitchens, it'll be okay. I mean you'll still be pretentious and arrogant but otherwise we'll all be fine with Clinton in the cabinet.

[gladys46]

" ... we'll all be fine with Clinton in the cabinet." You didn't ask "we" ! But, there is change.gov where "we" were asked to offer any suggestion, which I did !

I have yet to hear P.E.Obama say that he was considering Hillary for SOS ... I did hear him say that she was a person whose advice & counsel he needed during the campaign! That's all 'HE" said !

The media is passing, sharing CATNIP AGAIN !!!

[Driver125]

Is this the same Hitchens who still maintains, against all reason, that George Bush was correct in his attack upon Iraq? The Hitchens who who is so vain that he would rather go on looking like a fool than admit he was ever wrong?

[the addick]

To those who scoff at Europeans having the gall to comment on American politics, and tell us to keep to our side of "The Pond". You forget, you guys have a huge influence on the lives of people there, and everwhere else on the planet. I think that entitles us to an opinion, especially the Brits, who have had a huge influence on the U.S., with our support and friendship.
I, like Mr. Hitchens, live and work in The United States, we contribute to the system here (I like to think for my part, in a positive way), we pay into the tax system here (well, I do at least), which is more than can be said for "Joe the Plumber".
Having said all that, I would like to humbly apologise for Christopher Hitchens, he's not someone I would wish to inflict on my worst enemy. Please don't make the mistake of judging all Brits by his standards, or lack thereof.

[Enid]

Since the war of 1812 the US has been wrestling with Britain ,
and will never end.
The Brits still think there colonies are theirs and hold them dear
like children even when they rebel.
What does a Brit even with US citizenship know about the US
of ours.

[the addick]

Apparently, in most instances, more than it's "born and bred " citizens. Do your own poll, it'll scare you.
I can't speak for every Brit over here, but I know I took the trouble to follow politics, world politics. I also stayed awake during history, English History, World History, American History. I live here, not with intentions of recolonisation, but because I love the place and its people (even the strangely bitter ones). Don't get me wrong, I love England too, but I choose to live here. What makes your statement even more remarkable is the fact that I listen, daily, to unhappy people carping on about how unhappy they are to be where they are. Why? This place is great! You have the chance to choose your leaders, sometimes you get it wrong, but that's okay, you're not stuck with them until they expire. Be grateful for that and quit looking at us as a threat. Wrestling? When you look to the world for support or gratitude, when the likes of France, Italy, Germany et al blank you and demonise you, just remember who has your back, through thick and thin. But maybe that means nothing to you.