Clinton Confirmation Hearing Talking Points: "Smart Power"

The Obama transition talking points for Sen. Hillary Clinton's Tuesday confirmation hearing as secretary of state say she will stress "a renewal of American leadership" and a "revitalization of diplomacy to promote our security interests and advance our values." She will be introduced tomorrow by New York's senior senator, Chuck Schumer.

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Comments

[rockyb26]

So proud of Hillary!

[hortonhearsawho2]

Smart Power...in stark contrast to what we have had the last few years...

[AliLiz]

Hillary will be confirmed without any 'nays'...she'll win this one. Good for her.

She and Bill will help make peace in the Middle East and this will be their legacy.

[hortonhearsawho2]

What, the world history in five minutes edition ?

[AnnfromCA]

It's a shoo-in, and this is her theme.

Moving on here......

[PoliticalAmazon]

All right.

I won't be watching the Obama inauguration because I refuse to partake in or support b i g o t r y in any way.

But I will be watching the Clinton confirmation hearing tomorrow because I want to see who it is who will show up there:

1) The Hillary Clinton who I devoutly admired from the early 1980s until she became Senator?

2) The Hillary Clinton who is so desperate to gain the Oval Office that she would send American jobs to other countries, participating in the crippling of our company, for those multi-mill­ion-dollar campaign contributions from the companies who profit from getting, for the price of a contribution to Hillary Clinton, American jobs...and the Hillary Clinton who was so desperate to gain the Oval Office that she actually stooped to pandering to r a c i s t b i g o t s in the last Dem primary?

I have no hope for the former, and fear seeing the confirmation of the latter, but I want to, one last time, see if she will return to what she was when this quest for power all started.

[duze]

Honey, she's still questing for power. She refused to leave it alone. Why would she want to be SOS? Wasn't she the one who laughed at Obama during the early stages of the process, when he spoke of his foreign policy experience? I wouldn't touch her with a ten foot pole. She simply cannot believe that she lost. It's not in the Clinton nature, they do anything to save face.This is a total joke. If anyone else had any kind of relationship what so ever with the countries that Bill Clinton has received money from, there would be no way, they would have even gotten past Obama's vetting process. Bill promises to be up-front about his dealings with foreign countries. Bull. Has Bill ever done anything for Hillary? Least we forget that the Cinton's are on trial for fraud in a L.A. Superior Court. Paul v. Clinton Case # BC304174. Charges include fraud, dfeceit, negligent misrepresentation, unfair business practices, unjust enrichment (probably contributions) and civil conspirarcy. This had to have been overlooked. Yup, sounds like a Secretary of State to me. If Hillary gets this post, there should be no complaints about Caroline Kennedy getting one. She has a lot of nerve anyway. Why did she quit her post. She had not been confirmed, until and unless, she was still a junior senator from NY. Believe it or not the Democratic Party is not Bill and Hillary Clinton. They simply refuse to leave the building.

[HC4BO]

Hillary, Hillary, Hillary ...

[XME]

Goodness, I'm not sure most Republicans present at the confirmation hearing will be able to understand the concept of "smart power" since it contradicts with the "bring 'em on" mentality they prefer.

[PoliticalAmazon]

If you look closely at "smart power" it translates to "do anything you need to do to get elected."

[XME]

Smart power simply means using the power of words before you resort to the power of weapons. Sure beats the stupid power of the past 8 years...

[QueenOfViolets]

I have a questions for her:

Do we have to win the War on Drugs before we leave Afghanistan?

[McChimp]

I was a very staunch Hillary critic, opposed her candidacy for President, and wasn't too excited over her appointment as Secretary of State. But since the nation and world is in chaos, I have to say she is a good pick being known around the world, and she'll be carrying out Obama's policies, Good luck to her, she's going to need it.

[PoliticalAmazon]

I would like to agree with you, but the fact is that the Clintons are obsessed on Hillary gaining the Oval Office. They will use Hillary's position as SOS for Obama to do what it takes to position her for 2012, including undermining Obama.

Obama seems to believe he can control the Clintons. Having followed the Clintons for decades, I can only say: Arrogance has been the downfall of even the mightiest.

[jinxed]

I don't believe Obama has an arrogant bone in his body. I do believe that he thinks he can depend on the Golden Rule but will be prepared for disappointment. And I believe the Clintons are honorable people and will put America first ahead of ambition.

I also believe that a lot of the things about the Clintons that persist today is the unreasonable hatred manifested from the Republican far right wing nuts and their campaign of hatred. I have never heard a Republican say one nice thing about them.

[heal57]

...and that's why the Clinton's will never get the white house back.

[AnnfromCA]

*blink*

[duze]

She'll carry out Obama's policies because Dr. Susan Rice is the special envoy to the United Nations and she can recommend Hillary be fired. I don't think Hillary has any intention of following Obama's policies, she just knows she has too!

[JISantiago]

Good luck to Hillary. If she keeps herself at arms length away from the Jewish lobbyists and follow the footsteps of her husband and, undoubtedly, one of the great presidents of the US, by maintaining an even keel in her dealings with Israelis and Palestinians, she will make a great Secretary of State.

Who knows, she will succeed where others have failed, in bringing about the realisation of two-state (Israel and Palestine) solution to the Middle East crisis.

[BabsfromKansas]

You go, Hillary!

[Culturemaven]

It's about time we got Agent 86 involved!

[redsongia]

This has got to be the toughest time in recent history to be the US Sec. of State.

I think we should all send HRC a thank you note for excepting, instead of just going on vacation for 10 years with her wealthy ex-president husband.

[GeoLee]

Accepting. Only the rigid Hillary haters among O's fans would like the term "excepting" as that would mean she was not interested in SoS. And she would not have left the senate for a vacation 10 years long.

[vjoseph]

Actually, 90 % of "O"s supporters are tremendously happy with Hillary. Its actually the liberals who don't like O and Hillary who hate Hillary. Get your facts straight buddy

[larry278]

Smart anything would be a dramatic change for the denizens of Foggy Bottom. State has had the dregs of the very worst of right wing ideologues for 8 years. The carrer diplomats would welcome the competent, concerned Hillary Clinton & her ilk to State's appointive slots. Positive change will be swiftly implemented by career diplomats when her Hillaryship becomes Secretary of State.
Bolton's moustache will be dripping with saliva & great nasal discharges as he sees the changes.

[PoliticalAmazon]

Except that "smart power" is just another worthless jingoism to put lipstick on the p i g of no ethics in governemnt, doing what you have to do get what you want.

If Hillary is going to redeem herself from the Dem primary, she will need to look her questioners right in the eye and, without jingoism and cutesy phrases which mean nothing, be pristinely honest in her answers.

If she can't answer honestly, then she should not be SOS becaus she will be found out within minutes, and people will interpret it as how she will be SOS.

[Melissa]

Why in the world does Hillary have to redeem herself. She fought a great fight and lost. She has picked herself up, as she always does, and will go on to be a great SOS. If she goes on to be President someday, so be it.

[duze]

Dr. Susan Rice has all the credential for SOS. She's a Rhoads Scholar, ex military, very well respected, no shady background, no fraud charges, and was Obama foreign policy advisor during the campaign and she comes with NO DRAMA! Talk about name recognition for Caroline Kennedy, Kennedy doesn't have the garbage reputation that Hillary does. Hillary and Bill played this one real slick. She left her Senate Seat, put it out there, knowing either Kennedy or Cuomo (who by the way should have it) would build the media for it. In the mean time she campaigned for SOS. She jumped the gun on this one is she's not confirmed, THEN WHAT? The fact that she's treating this as a done deal is once again, the old
Clinton Strong Arm Tactic At Work.

[SharonToji]

I cannot believe that so many immature Hillary haters are still spreading their vicious comments on HuffPost.

[Shadow08]

I can.

[BethA]

I hear you. Hillary is a target because she is a strong, capable, educated and ultimately compassionate woman.
That just scares some people so bad....they just hate for people like Hillary to have any power.
The sad part for me is often women are the first to bash strong women like her.....that's just sad.

[hardybear]

Very sad. I don't know exactly what they think they're gaining from
it.

She's going to be an amazing SoS.