Wonder Woman

Hillary Clinton's unfortunate slip about dodging sniper fire on a tarmac in Bosnia threatens to obscure the far greater dangers that she courted and braved during eight years as first lady. Though media critics have been spluttering about the frequent redactions in her recently released White House schedules, they coudn't be more off-base. Those redactions are, in fact, an eloquent testament to her modesty and courage. In those moments, Clinton slipped away to avert crises and to aid the afflicted around the globe, often at great personal peril. Only Clinton's deep humility has prevented her from recounting many of these episodes. If she would only consent to release the full schedule, the world would likely marvel at her intrepidity.

Indeed, a close study conducted over the past week by a team of investigators who drew up time-lines and contrasted the redactions themselves with world events confirms that Clinton was far more active than she has publicly acknowledged--a kind of Wonder Woman. A spider-web chart will soon be released on the internet, but for now a few examples should suffice to convince even the most skeptical of Hillary's virtues.

Take the redacted hours that were supposedly devoted to meeting secretly about healthcare. In fact, they clearly served as a cover for her daring deeds, as she slipped out to serve as peacemaker. In 1993, for example, the Clinton administration faced a moment of great peril as North Korea prepared to attack the South. Hillary moved heaven and earth to ensure that the balky State Department bureaucracy sent Kim Jong-Il a box of his favorite chocolates and a crate of champagne, thereby preventing a greater Asian land war. A secret Pentagon unit that Hillary established in the Pentagon, which consisted of students of the philosopher Richard Rorty and whose existence has gone undisclosed until now, stovepiped intelligence to her about Kim's personal predilections, including the fact that he insisted upon Lindt chocolate made nowhere but in Switzerland. It took even Dwight Eisenhower months to end the Korean war--Clinton stopped one from even starting.

Then there was Hillary's penetration of al Qaeda. Remember the Predator missiles that Clinton was going to fire to take out Osama bin-Laden? All Hillary's doing. She actually slipped into al Qaeda HQ, disguised in a Burqa, playing a kind of Mata Hari to bin-Laden. Hillary had it all set up to take out bin-Laden, but the CIA bungled the job at the last moment, failing to strike quickly enough.

And what about the Monica Lewinsky affair? This, too, was a sign of her forbearance. As the schedules show, she was in the White House when Bill was enjoying Monica's ministrations. Did Hillary know? Of course she knew. But she faithfully refrained from intervening, aware of the terrible pressures that her husband was enduring as he deal with simultaneous crises in Bosnia and Rwanda. In so doing, she demonstrated tremendous diplomacy and tact--two virtues that will be indispensable for her as president.

The record seems clear: Sen. Barack Obama may talk about saving the world, but Hillary has already done it several times over. Given her record, how can anyone wonder about this woman?

Jacob Heilbrunn, a senior editor at the National Interest, is the author of They Knew They Were Right: the Rise of the Neocons

Comments

[RBinFl]

Great article. It is about time someone wrote about this. Get over it Obama cult members. He will never be able to catch up to Hillary in Experience or class.

[dct19]

I think you're missing the point of this article. The author is making fun of Hillary!

[joelaf]

You forgot to mention all the Nascar races she won, disguised as her alter ego Dick Trickle.

[AnninCA]

Just pay attenion to the candidate who understands the issues facing America and the depth of her knowledge. Stop nit-picking her dayplanner and role as First Lady as though that says much.

The reason she's gained credibility regarding her experience is because it is transparent. It shows.

His? His lack of real command over the issues also shows. He's just stumbling on a host of issues. Why? Because he's not thought about those issues as long as she has. It's obvious.

He's a bright guy. But that only takes one so far. Bright folks screw up BIG time when they get in over their heads. And they do get in over their heads.

She's also as bright as he is. But she's not in over her head.

That's the difference.

[nazgul]

"Bright folks screw up BIG time when they get in over their heads. And they do get in over their heads."

Re: the Clintons when they dove into Gays in the Military, Healthcare, etc. and promptly lost the Democratic Congress.

"She's also as bright as he is."

She didn't finish at the top in the nation as a law candidate. Nor did she pass the bar exam. She's ridden Bill's coattails all the way.

"But she's not in over her head."

If she weren't, would she have had this much trouble from a black guy no one knew with a name like Barack Hussein Obama?

She voted for the War to save her electibility. It cost us enough. This campaign, on top of that, is much more than any candidate should ask of her party.

[AnninCA]

Frankly, I'm in this decade.

Where do you live?

[Indepatriot]

"nit-picking"???? She flat -out lied about Bosnia,repeatedly. I'd love to hear your response if Obama made similar claims that were proven to be lies. 4 times in 4 months isn't "mispeaking" it's a bold faced lie. But for you i guess the ends justify the means. Gotta go, incoming sniper fire.....

[AnninCA]

And he's claiming he's a professor of constitutional law and a community organizer.

Come on. The guy taught one class. You know how many of my friends teach one class? They aren't "professors," either.

You know how many people volunteer? They aren't community organizers, either.

So let's vet him. Then compare.

I can guarantee you he's as guilty of fluffing up his resume as she is.

So then we can get back to basics.

Listen.

Who is more informed?

Listen.

[krisellyn]

Let's take a look at your resume. Let me guess. You drive a 15 year old car, live at home with your mother, and look forward to your monthly Victoria Secrets catelog to get some alone time in the only bathroom in the house.

[ourwinter]

Not a very well written article.

[Veeve]

'Sen. Barack Obama may talk about saving the world, but Hillary has already done it several times over. '

Wow. The 'author' must really believe that.

I guess that we're not really running out of fossil fuels, conducting wars for access to fresh water, destroying the earth's atmosphere, pushing species after species towards extinction, killing brown people that don't talk like us so that we can steal their oil, engaging in human trafficing, etc.

I guess the 'author' feels that a vote for Hillary will save the world. If this is typical of her supporters, I begin to understand their vehemence and sense of entitlement. All this time, I figured she was a cynical politician that triangulated her votes and efforts to further her own ambitions for national office. I expect as much from any prominent politician, but what I've always been most interested in is where they are willing to draw the line and stand up for principle. I guess I've been looking at it all wrong for most of my adult life. Stupid me.

[elbowguts]

Ahem. You are aware that this article is completely tongue-in-cheek, aren't you?

[kuulray]

I think the commenter missed that.

[Jey]

Please Hillary concede and help the democrats elect Barack. Your hurting the party and IF you would win the nomination it would seem as though you stole the election. If you sink to Tonya Harding methods I will not vote for you in the general election if you are the nominee. I would either stay home or vote for Nader. So sad when this should have been the year of the democrats. I did not think the Clintons were as power hungry as they now seem. I don't think this country needs four more year of this kind of drunkenness in DC.

[Ahyoka]

har har har
yuk yuk yuk
Laugh at all your unfunny dumb jokes all the way to the day McCain (the WAR HERO) beats the ultra liberal (rated the most liberal senator in Washington) ...yes it's all so hilarious. Will you silly dreamers and hopey campers be laughing then? What will you 'change' then? Not so much.
So what if she embellished a story,they ALL do that,Obama has done that too...and fact is she DID go to a dangerous area and represented our country in a positive way,as well as many other times also. Maybe she remembered it as being pretty dangerous and the SMALL film clip of her being greeted didnt show that scary part of the trip
Nevertheless,IMO
she was a wonderful first lady and I was very proud of both her and Bill. Still am.

[Opus007]

I used to like the Clintons but they are not the same.

She has just been raking in the money from special interests so you can just forget about her doing anything about health care. We are paying now for the centerpiece of the Clinton administraion NAFTA. It was Bill Clinton that started the ball rolling for consolidation of the media.

Now their staying in the race to soothe their own egos even if they take the Democratic Party down with them. The are in up to their eyeballs with the DLC anyway- you know "the Democrats should be kinder to Corporations group" or the Democrats should be more "Repulblican. The Clinton now are about as Democratic as their DLC pal Joe Lieberman. WE DON'T WANT HILLARY- we want a Democrat!

[AnninCA]

Nah*......­...you're an internet BSer.

What do you guys get out of logging on and BSing?

Log off and think you've fooled someone?

NOT.

LOL*......­..you're just silly.

[valleygent]

Oh I wonder about this woman all right...I wonder when she will do what we all want her to do...when she will stop delaying the obvious will of the party... and just quietly bow out. Her comments today; another ugly low in her campaign of desperation. HRC has nothing positive to offer. I don't even want to see her face for as long as live. What an embarassment for New Yorkers, oh I forgot... she's not a New Yorker?!!

[Ishmael1]

The thing that got me about Wonder Woman was the invisible plane thing.

First, how did she see the controls?

Second, what did it look like from the ground?

"There goes Wonder Woman, sitting on her ass in the sky."

Yeah, kinda does sound like Hillary.

[gdaerin]

ok, my bad, this was a joke.

Allright, what you need to understand at this point is that any sarcasm or snark related clinton jokes have to be Completely unbelievable because that post really did sound just like the pro-clilnton lunacy I see all over the internet these days.

[jorge999]

I am still trying to get my mind around the multiple examples of outrageous behavior by Hillary Clinton in this campaign. How could she do what she's done? How could she be so different from what i thought she was? How could I have been so fooled? How could I have admired such a vicious and unprincipled person? I am still in a state of SHOCK.

[tester]

Guess it's WONDER BOY vs WONDER WOMAN
or THE MESSIAH vs WONDER WOMAN

[XYZ]

Minnesota Mike are you back in black??? Love this post....

[HeadScratcher]

I heard she saved Timmy from the well, put Lex Luthor in prison to stay, and saved Christmas when Santa was sick. Of course, these events are listed as simple receptions and teas at the White House, as far as I know.

[kuulray]

And solved the Cuban Missile Crisis when she was 13. Also, killed her a b'ar when she was only 3.