With foreign-policy speech, Clinton plans to raise her profile

[Beacool]

Wed, 07/08/2009

After missing two overseas trips due to surgery to repair a broken elbow, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plans to deliver a major foreign-policy speech at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington next week before departing for India and the ASEAN conference in Thailand on Friday, July 17, aides say.

Guiding the speech are Anne-Marie Slaughter, the director of the State Department's policy planning office, and Derek Chollet, her deputy, among others. In a "smart power" oriented address, Clinton plans to discuss ways the United States can promote nuclear nonproliferation, combat violent extremism, and improve food security, along with other themes. "She will highlight the ... goals of U.S. policy (not her goals -- the country's)," one official familiar with the preparations stressed on condition of anonymity.

But Clinton's planned speech is clearly meant to raise her own profile as well. In her first six months as Barack Obama's top diplomat, the secretary has faced something of an underappreciated challenge: proving that she is a loyal lieutenant to her former presidential primary rival while projecting that she owns the Obama administration's diplomatic portfolio.

At a press conference Tuesday after meeting with ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, Clinton jokingly showed off the State Department seal on her black arm sling (her hard cast was removed last week), and mentioned the intensive physical therapy regime she is subject to -- six times a week, for the next six to eight weeks.

Although Clinton displayed typical understated good humor, the elbow that kept her from going with Obama to Moscow is just the latest in a set of circumstances and dynamics that have caused some to observe that the secretary hasn't yet fully come to dominate her foreign policy turf. But it's a perception that Clinton seems set to challenge.

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/07/08/with_foreign_policy_speech_clinton_plans_to_raise_her_profile

[alcibiades_mystery]

1. Clinton will be the VP candidate in 2012

Bank that.

[Beacool]

3. Who knows....................

I don't think that Obama would just dump Biden. Something major would have to happen or Joe may simply wish to retire (which I doubt, he appears to be having too much fun).

:eyes:

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. Bank it

Biden will step down after 40 years in public life, blah blah, and etc. There's no way he can run independently for Prez in 2016 anyway, so there has to be a mechanism to assure incumbency. This appears to have been the deal struck last summer. Biden goes in first, while Clinton amasses an unassailable foreign policy expertise as SoS. Clinton's currently getting her foreign policy bona fides in order for 2012 and 2016. Then, Biden begs off, and Clinton fills the gap through election rather than appointment.

[Beacool]

7. I hope that your crystal ball is accurate.

Only time will tell..........

:D

[blue_onyx]

9. I don't see it happening

but it's not completely impossible. I don't think she'll run in 2016 so there's really no need for her to be VP.

[alcibiades_mystery]

11. Oh, she'll run

[blue_onyx]

12. She said after the election

that the chances of her running again were "Probably close to zero." I think she has come to terms with the loss and is happy with her current position. Of course, she is free to change her mind but I don't think she'll run again.

[Beacool]

14. Wellllllllll..............

I would take what politicians say with a grain of salt. Didn't Obama say that he would finish his first term as senator? And there you have him.

Besides, how the heck does anybody know what will happen in 8 years and how they will feel about anything by then?

:shrug:

[Life Long Dem]

2. Someone tell her to keep in touch!!

She'll be on the other side of the globe! Keep in touch Hillary!! They have internet cafe's in Thailand if you don't have internet service!!!

[Beacool]

4. Was that some kind of coherent comment?

:crazy:

[Life Long Dem]

5. Just coherent enough

[wisteria]

8. I will be waiting to see how she does.

As for the person suggesting VP Clinton-why? She wasn't interested in this position to begin with and Biden seems happy in his position.

[alcibiades_mystery]

10. She'll get real interested come 2012

because it sets her up for 2016.

Biden can't run for prez in 2016, first because he will be damn near 75, and second because he'd lose. So you set up Hillary for it. It's not that complicated.

[MoonRiver]

16. I hope this is all going to happen.

But I really don't see Biden stepping down. On MTP he would NOT rule out a run for the presidency in '16. I thought that was telling.

[Beacool]

20. Then he's delusional.

He got about 3 votes when he ran in 2008. What makes him think that he would get many more in 2016?

:eyes:

[Arkana]

19. She'll be like 70 in 2016.

We mocked McCain for his age--what makes you think the Republicans will shy away from making her age an issue?

Also the idea that Biden will not be the VP candidate in 2012 is ridiculous. He'll be there, short of him dying or Obama physically throwing him off the ticket.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

17. Hillary will be the VP in 2012 if Barack thinks it will help him win.

She's dedicated to her country... and she will do whatever it takes to keep Dems in power.



Either in 2012 or 2016 (and for the rest of her life... although 2016 is her last chance to run for Pres in my opinion).

[alcibiades_mystery]

18. No shit

You think he'd only put her on if it helped him? Wow. What an insight.

[damntexdem]

13. I've been thinking: for her first appointment opportunity after 2016,

President Clinton should appoint Barack Obama to the Supreme Court. ;-)

[Beacool]

15. If he were to want it, why not?

It would be a good fit.

;-)