As I mentioned yesterday, the past week was less than happy for so many people. The gusher in the gulf is always on our minds and in our hearts. The McChrystal dust-up was a rather glum affair. And now we end the week with a heartbreaker of a soccer match.
One thing we love (among so many) about our girl Hillary Clinton is the way she can sunny up the gloomiest moments. Rather than crying in her milk, she always finds something to be up about. I remember a reporter who was traveling in Hawaii with her when she learned of the earthquake in Haiti mentioning that as badly as if affected her, she had turned her mood around by the next day. So look, I know we all feel pretty down in the dumps after this match, and this is not going to be a ha-ha funny post, just a review of the week via Hillary Clinton who always comes smiling through. You can't really feel too terribly bad when you are watching her shine.
Our first peek at her this week was on Tuesday when, looking absolutely smashing in her white jacket, she spoke at a State Department/USAID event in celebration of Gay Pride Month.
From there, she went on to speak at the U.S. - India CEO Forum with Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. I realize now that this photo, too, should have been included in the Photo-Oops post yesterday. What is he looking at? I was so distracted by how cute she looked, I never noticed his focus. Heavens-to-Betsy! Have these men never seen ... well ... whatever it is they are all always looking at!
She attended a rather austere cabinet meeting at the the White House where she managed to remain appropriately solemn throughout, and Daylife had photos of her looking very grave, but someone managed to steal a shot of that beautiful smile!
Wednesday, with the McChrystal scandal in full bloom and the White House unanimously stern-faced, the SOS welcomed back her old friend Israeli Defense minister, Ehud Barak. She could light up the dark side of the moon, I think.
She spent the rest of the day in meetings at the White House where, surely, this sunny attitude must have lifted some spirits.
Thursday was Russia Day. President Medvedev and FM Lavrov were in town with a delegation. She hosted a lunch for Lavrov and the delegation at the State Department while the two presidents went to some Hamburger Hell place for lunch.
(Just my little editorial comment: Mr. President, is it possible to be any more dismissive of your wife's campaign? Recently, speaking on the topic of hamburgers and fries, Secretary Clinton said, "That's the way we ate." She used the past tense. Michelle's garden veggies are not good enough for you? *rant over*)
After the very diverse luncheons, she joined the presidents at the White House. (Another editorial comment: The "smart power" never quits.)
She was off-camera both Monday and Friday, but she packed a lot of sunshine into the mid-week. So, you see, even when things are bleak, the Secretary of Sunshine can bring a smile into the touchiest of cabinet meetings.
OK *one big collective sigh* for Team USA. Guess I'll follow Argentina now. But if Uruguay, Paraguay, or Mexico come through, I'll be happy for any of them. Smile!
