With HBO famously making a movie called "A Special Relationship" about the bilateral friendship between President Bill Clinton and then British PM, Tony Blair, the relationship between Hillary and Miliband appeared from the outset to reaffirm the special alliance between the U.S. and the U.K. despite a rather bumpy start when the Obama team decided to redecorate the White House by returning a bust of Winston Churchill to the Brits. Things got bumpier still when current PM, Gordon Brown, et famille visited the new First Family. But Hillary came through to save the day forming a firm and, by all indications cordial friendship with Miliband...cordial, that is until this happened:
David Miliband calls Hillary Clinton to voice anger over Guantánamo inmates' transfer to Bermuda By Toby Harnden in Washington Published: 6:34PM BST 12 Jun 2009.
Ooohhhh, noes! Hillary! How could you! Actually, Hillary and David have met since then, and we have not seen frost on the friendship. We have to remember that this was not a decision made within the State Department and although Hillary was certainly consulted, the decision was not hers to make.
Now the choice of Bermuda as a vacation spot is interesting! The Clintons only had a few days there making a quick getaway in advance of Hurricane Bill (I know! You can't make this stuff up!) closing the airport (and we haven't heard a whisper since of where they might be). But Bill did play some golf on the course where the Uighurs are groundskeepers, and Hillary has a penchant for making statements just by her presence. Maybe they DIDN'T go there to celebrate the 30th anniversary of ...um... the beginning of Chelsea (or maybe they DID!), but if there was a second good reason for Bermuda, I can see a reflection of Hillary's decision to stay at the Taj Mahal in Mumbai in this choice. "It's fine! You can still vacation here. See?" She probably promised David she would gladly make this gesture despite:
Release of Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Washington, DC, August 20, 2009
When that statement was released, she was already in Bermuda.
Over the weekend, and in total Hillary-blackout, the rage over Al-Megrahi grew legs:
FBI boss Robert Mueller rips Scots who released Lockerbie bomber: "Comfort to terrorists" by Christina Boyle, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER, Sunday, August 23rd 2009, 2:18 AM
So what is the take-away from all this? I think it's like when Scott Beckett hits Derek Jeter so next inning Andy Pettitte hits Big Papi - no harm meant just a little payback...and a compulsory warning.
One thing, though: You appoint and confirm Secretaries of State and Foreign Ministers to maintain diplomatic relations. Before any further moves of this kind are considered, the administrations would do well to consult and heed the advice of their top diplomats who seem to have a special enough relationship to get us past this bumpy patch.
Meanwhile, Quadaffi, the guy who gave Al-Megrahi the hero's welcome in Libya, is planning to pitch a tent here in New Jersey - not far from me! I told you, you can't make this stuff up! Stay tuned.
