Hilary Clinton: Election Won't Change Foreign Policy

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says a shift in congressional power won't greatly affect U.S. foreign policy goals because "politics stops" at the nation's borders.

Clinton, who represented New York in the Senate for eight years, reminded reporters Wednesday that she was in the Senate minority for six of those years.

The morning after elections that gave the GOP control of the House, Clinton said Republicans and Democrats can "build coalitions" and "find allies on issues that are in America's interests."

Clinton, who is in the middle of a two-week tour of Asian-Pacific nations, said she will be "working very hard" to get to know the new members of Congress and vowed to "work with them."

Comments

[ponderingmuch]

04:02 AM on 11/04/2010

Bill Moyer on Howard Zinn (I swear it is related to this story):

http://www.truth-out.org/bill-moyers-money-fights-hard-and-it-fights-dirty64766

[Blackorpheus]

02:24 PM on 11/03/2010

Why should it? O's foreign policy, such as it is, is a virtual duplicate of Bush's foreign policy.

[GCurry]

11:36 AM on 11/03/2010

That's the problem with this government. Yeah, I can get on board with a 'break-even" budget. Who can't? Where the rubber really meets the road is relative priority of various initiatives.

Adventurism in the Mideast (euphemistically called "defense") should be lower priority than jobs and full employment. Jobs with exportable product (not arms sales and mercenary rentals) should take priority over service jobs with no multiplier.

The Democrats need to fight for Main Street. If they don't ... if they preserve the "foreign policy" of unaffordable wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan, Syria, Iran, then what must go will be social security, medicare, etc.

That is the Republican legacy. American feudalism.

[zambiedude]

11:19 AM on 11/03/2010

It didn't change it two years ago why would it change now?!?!? Unless we have more countries to invade....

[omega777]

11:12 AM on 11/03/2010

United States President Barack Obama, who is due to visit India in early November, has virtually adhered to almost all the security policies of his predecessor. In fact, he has enhanced some of the most reprehensible policies of the George W. Bush administration, including the targeting of civilians by unmanned drones. Rendition (kidnapping) and indefinite detention of terror suspects have increased under his watch.

President Obama has substantially increased defence spending and has expanded the war in Afghanistan.

[omega777]

11:11 AM on 11/03/2010

The Obama administration is preparing to escalate its intervention in Yemen, placing US military units under CIA control to facilitate intensified drone attacks and death squad killings.

Citing unnamed government officials, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the administration has responded to the alleged airplane mail bomb plot by stepping up its consideration of “military options” inside Yemen.

According to the report, these plans would include placing “elite US hunter-killer teams that operate secretly in the country under Central Intelligence Agency authority.” The Journal added, “The White House is already considering adding armed CIA drones to the arsenal against militants in Yemen, mirroring the agency’s Pakistan campaign.”

[BobJacobson]

11:11 AM on 11/03/2010

Does that mean that Hillary will continue with her determined effort to privatize public diplomacy by outsourcing every possible function to private firms, the better to horse trade favors?

See my article, "US Pavilion a Stalking Horse for Privatization?" Huffington Post, May 18, 2010.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-jacobson/a-stalking-horse-for-priv_b_580086.html

[BobJacobson]

11:14 AM on 11/03/2010

(Not that any Members of Congress complained before, but now it should be much easier...unless the new House majority wants her out of the way as a potential presidential contender..)

[commonsense2]

11:06 AM on 11/03/2010

Hey Hillary - how about starting foreign policy at home and FIXING OUR BROKEN BORDERS???

[jmcfan2]

11:28 AM on 11/03/2010

Sorry that homeland security's job she wasn't appointed to that. All she can do is continue to warn people of dangers when they cross into other countries boarders. If they would listen they might stay out of harms way.

[RobM1981]

10:59 AM on 11/03/2010

Uhhh... what "Foreign Policy?" No, seriously - we have a "foreign policy?" What is it?

Bow and humby beg forgiveness?

Apologize for spreading democracy through the world, opposing totalitarianism, and for still being a beacon to people like the oppressed Iranians?

Cede Arizona to a Mexico, as a safe haven for their drug lords?

Seriously, what IS our foreign policy these days?

[zambiedude]

11:20 AM on 11/03/2010

Funding terrorism!!

[mollypot]

10:53 AM on 11/03/2010

Foreign policy isn't the only thing that will not change. Nothing is going to change at all. So if things were headed up they will continue to go up. If things were headed down, they are going over the cliff; this encompasses everything, not just foreign policy.

[WildBill]

10:42 AM on 11/03/2010

That's correct, Ms. Clinton: war, and bullying other nations, are still our only options on America's foreign policy table.

[FalseConsciousness]

10:31 AM on 11/03/2010

Both parties are committed to the imperialist agenda in the Middle East and Central Asia.

[Hirnlego]

10:30 AM on 11/03/2010

Midterm Elections a Big Win for Hawks
Pro-Intervention Republicans to See Major Gains in Influence

http://news.antiwar.com/2010/11/02/midterm-elections-a-big-win-for-hawks/

[fred53]

10:29 AM on 11/03/2010

Clinton actually told a partial truth, I'm shocked. I wonder if she
realizes it? The politics of empire does not stop at this nations
border, thats why we are in such a mess around the world..
American foreign policy will not be influenced by elections in
the US congress, however elections in the Knesset are an
entirely different matter.

[kmichal2000]

10:27 AM on 11/03/2010

Clinton: WAR IS STILL STATUS QUO.