Hillary Clinton a Driving Force? Not So Much, but She's in Great Company.

At the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans today to keynote the closing session of the NADA Convention, Hillary Clinton told the auto dealers that she has not driven a car since 1996.  It does not mean she is not "connected."  It only means she is protected.  Others as well (for those who know). 

She reminded me of another brilliant, beautiful, astonishing, and accomplished blonde who avoids driving if she can help it.   As Queen Elizabeth,  Helen Mirren appeared quite competent behind the wheel and reminded the groundskeeper at Balmoral that she was a mechanic during World War II.  As Helen,  she negotiated her lap elegantly and earned a top score, but she looked miserable behind the wheel on the British version of  Top Gear in 2008.  She admitted that she does not really like cars much and that her first car exploded.





Well, when you have the pedigrees these two ladies possess, other people are happy to chauffeur you around (I would).  While they are separated by one degree several times over,  my favorite is that Helen became Dame of the British Empire in 2003, the same year as Jane Goodall.   Hillary and Dr. Goodall both received honorary degrees from Scotland's St. Andrews University at the same ceremony last September.



On a somber note, Hillary spoke about Benghazi.  If I am not mistaken, this is her first public statement about it since leaving the State Department last February.



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Hillary Clinton to Keynote 2014 NADA Convention in January

The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton to Keynote NADA Convention in New Orleans

Online registration and housing opens July 22 with discounted rates

McLEAN, Va. (July 10, 2013) – Adding to the list of distinguished keynote speakers over the past several years, Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will address the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Expo in New Orleans next January.

Clinton served as the 67th U.S. Secretary of State from 2009-2013 after nearly four decades in public service as an advocate, attorney, First Lady and U.S. Senator. She will deliver keynote remarks on the closing day of the 2014 NADA Convention & Expo on Monday, Jan. 27.

"NADA has a long history of inviting high profile speakers who have provided diverse perspectives on a wide range of issues," said Desmond Roberts, chairman of NADA's convention committee and a Chevrolet dealer in Hodgkins, Ill. "We've hosted U.S. presidents from both parties as well as prime ministers and other dignitaries who have offered interesting insights and opinions."

SNIP

Considered the “Automotive Industry Event of the Year,” this will be the 97th annual NADA Convention & Expo, which runs Jan. 24-27 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. It includes 26 dealer franchise meetings, hundreds of industry exhibitors and more than 160 educational workshop sessions.

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Update:  In related news from the New York Times.

Wheelies: The Holy Roller Edition

By BENJAMIN PRESTON

Associated Press The Mercedes-Benz E200 convertible belonging to the Rev. Hernando Fayid, a Catholic priest, was parked in Santa Marta, Colombia, Wednesday, bearing a for-sale sign. Father Fayid said he was selling the car after Pope Francis’s recent statement that it wounded his heart to see a priest in a luxury car.

In which we bring you motoring news from around the Web:
• Pope Francis has made his position on clerical wheels quite clear: Drive if you must, but keep a low profile. The new pope, who was elected in March, told his clergy that their personal consumption choices should be more austere. “A car is necessary to do a lot of work, but please, choose a more humble one. If you like the fancy one, just think about how many children are dying of hunger in the world,” he said last week, according to Reuters. (Reuters)
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• In other papal news, Pope Francis met with Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz. The pontiff was presented with the newest Mercedes-Benz M Class popemobile. But the pope, who has been an outspoken proponent of more environmentally friendly motor vehicles, also received a Smart electric-assist bicycle. (E.V. World)
• Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at the annual National Automobile Dealers Association convention in New Orleans at the end of January. Ms. Clinton was serving as secretary of state when the Obama administration bailed out General Motors and Chrysler in 2009. Other convention speakers include Steve Forbes, editor in chief of Forbes Media, and David Westcott, chairman of N.A.D.A. (Automotive News)
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For the pope's information, I drive a very humble 2001 Camry with Hillary stickers from various years all over the bumper.