Lower Profile for Clinton, but Her Influence Rises

[Beacool]

President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner
at a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao in London.

By MARK LANDLER
Published: April 1, 2009

LONDON — For Hillary Rodham Clinton, arriving here on Tuesday night from The Hague was a lesson in the difference between being a supremely important person and just a very important one.

Mrs. Clinton’s government plane was put into a holding pattern in the skies over Stansted Airport because air traffic had been backed up by Air Force One and other planes carrying world leaders to the economic summit meeting here. Once on the ground, her blue-and-white Boeing 757 taxied past President Obama’s much larger 747, parking at a respectful distance.

After jetting around the world for the last two months as the chief emissary of the United States — conferring with presidents, announcing diplomatic overtures and getting rapturous receptions from Indonesia to Turkey — Mrs. Clinton has abruptly become a foot soldier again, in a squad led by her boss.

---------------

Mrs. Clinton will be at Mr. Obama’s side for the next few days, as he travels to a NATO summit meeting in France and Germany, and a European Union gathering in Prague. Aides say it is entirely possible she will not utter a word in public during any of Mr. Obama’s appearances. She has sent her own plane home, kept only a handful of staff members and now views herself as the No. 1 member of the president’s staff, the aides said.

White House officials said Mrs. Clinton’s collegial, pragmatic approach has enhanced her influence with Mr. Obama. On her trip to China, for example, she played down human rights concerns, saying she did not want them to interfere with priorities like climate change and the economy.

That cost her with human-rights groups: Amnesty International said it was shocked by what it viewed as her backsliding. But it helped her with the White House. She laid the groundwork for Mr. Obama’s meeting with Mr. Hu on Wednesday, these officials said.

At home, Mrs. Clinton has no shortage of access to Mr. Obama. In addition to their regular weekly meeting on Thursday afternoons, aides say, she sees him several times a week at the White House.

When Mrs. Clinton travels, there are always reminders that she is no ordinary secretary of state. On her flight here from The Hague, a large bouquet of Dutch tulips occupied a seat in the press section, which was empty because most members of the traveling press corps had opted to fly home.

A gift of the Dutch foreign minister, they were Hillary Clinton tulips, a variety that was especially cultivated and named for her in 1994, when she was first lady. (Barbara Bush also has her own.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/world/europe/02diplo.html?ref=world

[juajen]

1. It's a lot of fun watching her. What a competent woman and what

a blessing she is to this country and to the world. I know, I know, my bias shows. Thanks so much for posting this.

[Beacool]

4. Yes, she is.

It appears that they have a close working relationship. Then again, Hillary is a team player and won over some of her harshest critics in the Senate. Why wouldn't she and Obama get along?

;)

[biopowertoday]

10. well said . Yes it is a joy watching her...........

I am rather biased myself. Nice 'seeing' you again.

[izquierdista]

2. Barbara Bush tulips??

I wasn't aware that there was a poisonous variety as black as her heart.

[juajen]

3. Damn, you're making me cry! You can leave any time you want, you know. NT

[Beacool]

5. They were named after her before her insensitive comments

about the Katrina victims. Barbara is the tough one in that family and the one to fear.

:(

[burning rain]

6. Well, someone has to be, with Poppy Milquetoast.

^

[avaistheone1]

8. No wonder the press stories were always about Millie the dog,

and never about Barbara Bush. I think the press really feared Barbara Bush. She is one hell of a battle axe.

[Beacool]

12. Barbara is definitely the one who wears the pants in the family.

They know better than to cross her.

x(

[avaistheone1]

13. She seems very nasty and mean.

:scared:

[napoleon_in_rags]

7. You give somebody qualified for the presidency the SOS position, she's going to rock it.

I've got to say though, its a hell of a good time to have somebody really competent, even overqualified, as SOS.

[Beacool]

11. Well, here's hoping that the next time around

this more than qualified woman does become president. When I saw Cristina Kirchner on the first row of the official G20 pic, the only thing I thought was that Hillary should have been sitting on one of those chairs too. Same background, different outcome.

:-(

[biopowertoday]

9. This is THE pic of the day...........

someone posted it with a subject line.........."listen up men"

[empyreanisles]

14. This is a stellar partnership so far. She makes Obama look good. She makes the country look good.

Go Hillary!!!

[vaberella]

15. SOS C rocks her job better than anyone. Wickedness!! n/t

[brianna69]

16. Hillary is doing great

She looks like she is loving every minute of being SOS. Go Hillary!

[Jennicut]

17. Hillary is a total team player. I guess all the ridiculous concerns about her

"taking over" and "interfering" and being a "drama queen" just did not happen. I am glad the past is in the past. I voted for Obama in the primaries but always liked and respected her. Glad to see she is enjoying her job.

[Beacool]

18. That's because some people didn't get to know her.

She was a team player in the senate, why wouldn't she be a team player in the cabinet?

Furthermore, she is one of Obama's best picks. Far better than the guy sitting to his left in the pic of the meeting with the Chinese.

;-)