Tom Vilsack - Hillary was the face of the Administration on Foreign Affairs

[Debi]

http://commoniowan.blogspot.com/2007/11/vilsack-says-clinton-was-face-of.html

<snip>

But Vilsack -- who dropped out of the race early on and is now rumored by many to be seeking a slot alongside Clinton if she wins the nomination -- took it a questionable step further.

"There is no question she was the face of the administration in foreign affairs," Vilsack said.

Really? Hillary Clinton was the face of the Clinton administration in foreign affairs? More than, say, the secretary of state? Or his vice president? Or his, um, ambassador to the United Nations?

Au contraire, said New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who served in the last of those jobs - -and is now seeking the presidency himself.

"Gov. Vilsack's enthusiasm for his candidate has clouded his judgment," Richardson spokesman Tom Reynolds said on Tuesday night. "Considering that Gov. Bill Richardson served as a Special Envoy and US Ambassador to the United Nations under President Clinton, we take some exception to this opinion. I also think Madeline Albright might disagree too." No word yet from former Pres. Clinton, who was known to conduct some foreign policy himself from time to time.

[Renew Deal]

1. That's a goofy comment by Vilsack.

:think:

[Lucinda]

2. Where is the context for Vilsack's statement?

Without seeing the statement in context, it's hard to really evaluate what he was saying....

[Debi]

5. Here's the WaPo article that generated that post

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/11/20/vilsack_hillary_was_the_face_o.html

[Lucinda]

18. Thanks much!

:hi:

[itsrobert]

3. "face" or "farce"

Maybe he forgot the "r"?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

4. dumb statement n/t

[BeyondGeography]

6. Next stop on the rhetorical fantasy train: Hillary was actually president from 1993-2001

Bill was just along for the ride.

[Debi]

7. 22nd Amendment

She'll never claim that :hi:

[BeyondGeography]

8. Details, details

:hi:

[DURHAM D]

9. I would disagree with Vilsack on one or two words.

Hillary was not the face of this administration in foreign "affairs".

However, she was the face of the Clinton administration all over the world among citizens, in particular among women during the first term. Her controversial trip to China in 1995 as leader of the U.S. delegation for the World Conference on Women was a big deal and a giant international event. Although, here in the U.S. most had little understanding of her significance at the event because of poor news coverage. Madeline Albright would not become Secretary of State for another year and a half after that.

The Secretary of State in 1995 was Warren Christopher and few remember him or his face. Christopher worked full out, as did many other members of the Clinton administration and every Republican in D.C., to keep Hillary from going to China but she insisted. Bill Richardson has/had no international face.

Hillary (w/Chelsea) created much goodwill around the world that helped Bill raise his status.

[Debi]

11. UN Ambassador Bill Richardson? n/t

[DURHAM D]

14. Is that a question?

UN Ambassador - not a big deal in the international community. Can you name the current U.S. Ambassador to the UN without looking it up?

[Debi]

15. After Richardson and John Bolton I'm at a loss

I didn't realize being a UN Ambassador was such small potatoes.

[calteacherguy]

10. The Clinton Camp seems to think if they say something often enough it will make it true.

It does seem rather Orwellian to me.

[ClarkUSA]

21. It is Orwellian. But no matter how much they repeat this, it will remain an Hillaryous joke.

This proves that the Clinton campaign knows that Hillary knows jackshit about foreign policy -- why else
would they make Vilsack utter such a fucking ridiculous statement? Maybe that was a condition of the
Clintons paying off his campaign debt?

lol

[cali]

26. Vilsack's comment is almost as ridiculous as your claim

that Clinton knows "jackshit about foreign policy". Not quite, but close.

Of course she's well versed in FP. Do you honestly think she was baking cookies for 8 years in the White House? It's widely known whe served as an advisor and diplomat for Bill, and she's been in the Senate for 7 years.

[ClarkUSA]

30. If she's so "well-versed in FP," why did she vote for the worst foreign blunder in U.S. history?

Followed up by Kyl-Lieberman?

Laura Bush claims she's been an important advisor to her hubby, too -- and she's played "diplomat" plenty of times
in the past seven years, yet I would say she knows jackshit about foreign policy, too. Nepotism is experience is my
handbook but it obviously is in the Clinton handbook. I can't wait until Chelsea claims her executive experience
in the White House because she went on a few of those "diplomatic" trips with her mom and met/talked with foreign
leaders, too.

Being in the Senate seven years gave her an opportunity to speak out against Bush war adventurism but instead, she
gave speeches supporting the worst foreign policy blunder in history and admitted she didn't read the NIE report
before giving Bush a blank check. That's how low the caliber of her foreign policy "experience" is. So, yeah, I think
Clinton's record shows she knows jackshit about foreign policy.

However, Hillary knows everything about political opportunism and poll-driven positioning. That's where her experience
really lies. Let's see if it's enough to get her into the Oval Office as Clinton II.

[cali]

32. for the same reasons I assume that Biden, Kerry, Dodd, Edwards

did: Presidential ambitions- and that's just as bad.

But face it, she's no Laura bush- who I have NOT seen claim that she's an important advisor to her husband. Ths is hardly something new- she got shit all throughout her 8 years for her non-traditional role. Next you're going to claim that all Eleanor Roosevelt did was lounge around and eat bon bons. Sorry, her experience in the WH certainly wasn't executive experience, but it just looks foolish when people try to equate her with laura bush.

Funny to see you frothing at the mouth though.

Have a happy turkey day.

[ClarkUSA]

35. Comparing Clinton to Eleanor Roosevelt is a real stretch.

Talk about frothing at the mouth. Eleanor's comprehensive role was defined and necessitated by FDR's physical limitations/incapacitation.
No such impetus was there under Clinton I. There was only Hillary's overweening ambition, as evidenced by her disastrous "President For
A Day" attempt at healthcare reform. No wonder Al Gore refuses to endorse her; you'd think he would've done so by now if he thought she
was the best person for the job. After all, Gore would know.

And Laura Bush did recently say that. Google it. It was laughable. Is she preparing for a Texas Senate run? Maybe she has presidential ambitions,
too? lol

[cali]

37. Yike, sweetie.

you really need to read some history. Badly. I actually didn't compare them, but any historian will tell you that Clinton IS far more comparable to Roosevelt than to laura bush.

As I said, you're frothing. Can't wait to see your histrionics if she does get the nomination, when Al Gore does endorse her- it's not quite worth having her as the nominee, but it will be very amusing. And if Gore had endorsed someone else, something he may or may not do, you might have a glimmer of a rational argument, but that Al Gore does or does not like her, is hardly evidence of anything regarding her foreign policy experience.

I do find the irrational "dislike" of any of the candidates rather funny, but carry on frothing.

[ClarkUSA]

38. I'm well-versed in herstory, thanks.

That's okay, you can push Hillary's FP experience meme all you want but for most people, nepotism is not a legitimate resumé
builder. Al Gore will endorse whoever is the nominee but it's telling that he has pointedly refused to endorse the woman he
was in close contact with for over eight years. You'd think if she was such a great candidate for president, he'd support her
NOW.

I do find irrational defense of the indefensible rather funny, but do carry on drooling at the prospect of the second coming of
Eleanor Roosevelt. How Hillaryous!

[cali]

39. herstory?? Ayeyaiyai.

It's clear that you don't have a clue as to the etymology of the word history, and not only that you don't even know what the definition of nepotism is. You do however seem to know how to twist words rather dishonestly. I never said Clinton was the second coming of Roosevelt, now did I? I said her tenure in the WH as regards activism on policy is more comparable to Roosevelt's than to bush's.

And of course, I never said she was a great candidate for president; I said, in fact, she's not someone I support. I did say that her WH years provided her with some foreign policy experience. You seem unwilling to recognize the obvious. Must be all that froth.

Really, the only people who use "herstory" are people who don't have a clue about history.

[ClarkUSA]

49. You seem rather humorless. Lighten up. "Herstory" is a figurative term.

I understand the denotation of nepotism quite well, as does Maureen Dowd. I thought her recent column was spot-on.

<<< "And of course, I never said she was a great candidate for president; I said, in fact, she's not someone I support. I did say that her WH
years provided her with some foreign policy experience.>>>

Well, since you put it that way... I suppose any first lady can claim that "her WH years provided her with some foreign policy experience"
but it would be similar to saying Bono had foreign policy and diplomatic experience after all his worldwide travels and contacts with foreign
heads of state to further his AIDS work or Laura Bush travelling through the Middle East on pseudo-diplomatic junkets. I agree with you
on the rest.

Oh, and since I doubt you know all the people who use the word "herstory" in the world, including the ones in my Woman's History courses
at a top Ivy League university, I would hold the broad brush presumption if I were you.

[journalist3072]

12. Well, you cannot deny that she was a force to be reckoned with on the international stage

as First Lady.

She went right to Beijing, stared down the Chinese government in their own backyard, and said "Human rights are women's rights, once and for all." It is still one of her most famous quotes today.

Not only that, look at how she helped shine the spotlight on the African continent, during her tenure as First Lady. She helped champion issues such as microcredit, for women on the African continent who were trying to start their own businesses.

She helped command a great amount of respect for the United States, within the international community.

[Debi]

13. I'm not arguing anything one way or the other

All I did was post Governor Vilsack's comments about Hillary Clinton being the face of foreign affairs for the Clinton Administration.

Do you agree or disagree with Vilsack's statement?

[illinoisprogressive]

16. Vilsack is a fool for taking this to the realm of fantasy.

[Midwestern Democrat]

22. This isn't the first time Vilsack has thrown all personal diginity to the wind

while campaigning for Hillary. I about busted a gut laughing over his hysterical "cease and desist" order to Obama (to stop him from criticizing Hillary) this past summer.

[Debi]

23. Hi MWD

:hi:

Were you around for the Gubernatorial primary? Vilsack (behind the scenes) informed Iowans of our choice....we disagreed! Chet Culver has been a wonderful Governor...so glad I didn't follow Tom Vilsack!

[Midwestern Democrat]

36. Hello, Debi! I live right across the river in Nebraska.

I did follow the Iowa Gubernatorial primary and was really glad Culver won. I've heard great things about Culver since he's assumed the governorship. I envy you Iowans - the political scene in Nebraska is ... well ... very, very depressing.

[jackbourassa]

17. Tom Vilsak is on crack!

nt

[saltpoint]

28. Ya know, it might do Vilsack some good if he were.

His own candidacy didn't catch much fire in his own state and his endorsement hasn't exactly sealed the deal for Senator Clinton in the upcoming caucuses.

[dkf]

19. Bwahahahaha. OMG that is the funniest statement ever!

Poor Vilsack. He's such a stooge.

[Debi]

24. I believe his behavior comes with his endorsment

(How else does he earn the payoff of his campaign debt?)

[ClarkUSA]

20. I'm sure Madeleine Albright is surprised to hear that.

:rofl:

[Debi]

25. Like she could have ever been President

:eyes:

[ClarkUSA]

29. That wasn't my point.

How'd you get that from my comment??

[Debi]

40. I'm sorry,

I should have put this in there :sarcasm:

I think Albright had a little bit more experience in the Clinton Administration's foreign policy than the First Lady.

[ClarkUSA]

50. Oh, right then.

Excellent point. :thumbsup:

[saltpoint]

27. "...the face of the administration in foreign affairs" seems a bit overstated to me.

Madeleine Albright might deserve some consideration on that one.

This has the feel of the "Yoo hoo -- don't forget me for the shortlist veep list" gesture.

[Debi]

42. Yeah, cuz Clinton needs Iowa's seven electoral votes to win the White House

:eyes: He's a fool.

Now some undersecretary position or a promise to help his wife become Congresswoman..that I'll believe.

[saltpoint]

46. A convincing placing in the Iowa caucus, more than the electoral votes

I think is key.

Vilsack must have had his reasons but the assertion was vacuous.

[Carrieyazel]

31. Did Hillary negotiate with Barak and Arafat in 2000?? Maybe in Vilsack's world.

[Debi]

43. No, Silly

That was the year she had her husband choose between getting someone elected Senator from New York over getting someone elected President of the United States. :rofl:

[saltpoint]

33. Iowa Democrats, beginning to focus strongly on the upcoming election Jan. 3rd,

are likely generally attuned to Vilsack's hyperbole.

If they already have decided for Sen. Clinton, they'll just keep their plan to vote for her but if they're among the undecided, this kind of comment rings hollow and they may look elsewhere for a candidate.

Even for election-year talk, Vilsack's remark is questionable.

[Debi]

44. If Iowans were so adoring of Tom Vilsack

then would still be alive and well!

[saltpoint]

47. There's something about the man's name that suggests animal genitalia.

Which could be why the campaign didn't exactly catch fire.

[Debi]

48. Thank you for making me laugh out loud today

:rofl:

[Armstead]

34. I hear she turned water into wine in Irael and invented the Internet

Just a rumor though....

[Debi]

45. That is such a lie

We all know the internet is a series of tubes!

[Debi]

41. Clinton camp keeps it going....

http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2007/11/22/news/politics/9524a37172cdf5738625739a007e5b3e.txt

WITH A STRAIGHT FACE --- Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack is drawing some flak for claiming Tuesday that Hillary Clinton was the "face" of the Clinton administration on foreign affairs.

Vilsack was defending Clinton's experience on MSNBC when he said, "there's no question she was the face of the administration on foreign affairs."

<snip>

A handful of reporters have poked at it, too.

"Really?" questioned the Washington Post.

MSNBC's First Read blog says it did a "double take."

Asked to explain the remark Wednesday, Mark Daley, a Clinton spokesman said: "On over 80 occasions Sen. Clinton represented the White House in meetings with foreign leaders, including her famous speech in Beijing where she declared women?s rights are human rights."

[Gloria]

51. What a stupid thing to say...is he related to Dan Quayle?