Still Another Award for Hillary Clinton!

The International Medical Corps, an organization that describes itself as having "For nearly 30 years ...  worked to relieve the suffering of those impacted by war, natural disaster and disease by delivering vital health care services that focus on training, helping devastated populations return to self-reliance, " will, on November 8, present an award to Hillary Clinton at a high-priced fundraiser in Santa Monica,  California.

Citing Hillary's longtime advocacy on issues such as women's health, women and child refugees, and her longstanding support for the organization's efforts which she has witnessed first-hand,  the group expects the gala to attract large donations to support its humanitarian aid in critical regions.

The event will be held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

More about this event below.

Clinton to rub shoulders with Katzenberg, Spielberg

By Alexandra Jaffe - 08/30/13 11:01 AM ET

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be honored for her work for women and children in California in November.

Clinton is scheduled to attend a Nov. 8 gala for the International Medical Corps, where she'll also have the opportunity to chat with DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and movie producer Stephen Spielberg.

Read more >>>>

Weighing White House bid, Hillary Clinton to return to California

By Seema Mehta

August 30, 2013, 6:11 a.m.

Hillary Clinton will return to California in November to accept an award from a Santa Monica-based nonprofit — and spend some quality time with Hollywood moguls who would be crucial if she decides to mount a White House bid in 2016.

The Nov. 8 gala for the International Medical Corps is expected to be attended by several hundred people who are donating as much as $100,000 each to the nonprofit. Hollywood titans and major Democratic fundraisers Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg and their wives are among the hosts of the benefit.  Katzenberg is expected to be a key donor for an independent effort that hopes to boost Clinton’s bid for the White House if she decides to run. That entity, Priorities USA, was crucial to President Obama’s campaign.

The group that will benefit from the Beverly Wilshire Hotel event was founded in 1984 to provide humanitarian aid during global crises. It also trains local residents in 30 countries to help their communities. An International Medical Corps official said it is honoring the former secretary of State because of her work on behalf of women and children.

Read more  >>>>

Bill & Hillary Clinton: In Memory of Seamus Heaney

Clinton hails poet Seamus Heaney

Former US president Bill Clinton has praised Seamus Heaney as "our finest poet of the rhythms of ordinary lives" and a "powerful voice for peace".
The farmer's son who went on to become a world renowned Nobel laureate died in hospital in Dublin aged 74.
Mr Clinton and his wife Hillary said they were saddened to learn of the death of their "friend".
"Both his stunning work and his life were a gift to the world. His mind, heart, and his uniquely Irish gift for language made him our finest poet of the rhythms of ordinary lives and a powerful voice for peace. And he was a good and true friend," the Clintons said.
"We loved him and we will miss him. More than a brilliant artist, Seamus was, from the first day we met him, a joy to be with and a warm and caring friend - in short, a true son of Northern Ireland. His wonderful work, like that of his fellow Irish Nobel Prize winners Shaw, Yeats, and Beckett, will be a lasting gift for all the world."
Read more >>>>

Hillary Clinton's Gifts

Hillary Clinton is gifted above and beyond the rest of us.  Those of us who hang out here know that.  It is why we are here!  So when stories crop up about gifts she has received, we are all eyes and ears.  As Secretary of State, she brought gifts with her to present to personages she was visiting.  This documentary from National Geographic has a segment about that.

If you have never seen this video, I hope you can see it here.  Inside the State Department from National Geographic. 


We see that, prior to trips, the Secretary of State chose and brought gifts along for those she was about to visit.

In turn, she received gifts.  These were not personal gifts, however.  They belonged, from the start, to us.  Hillary did not keep them.  She could not.  They were property of the U.S. government from the moment they were given. 

Nonetheless, when I see stories like these, I think  - well, yes.  If I were a Saudi Sheikh, I would give her jewels too!  I would want to bedeck her in gems.  Hillary is so beautiful inside and out.  Yes, I would shower her with precious crystals, metals, and stones - carefully.

If I were a Chinese official, though, I would give her a panda cub.  I think she would love that!  This little ball of fur is one on the Atlanta Twins.  So far so good with them, thank God and the great vets there!  I think Hillary would have been thrilled for us actually to have one not owned by China (alas that was not to happen), and I am sure she would have let us rotate as babysitters.  (Well, it's still vacation time.  Daydreams are permitted.)





I have to say that I love the picture the New York Daily News chose for this story.

State Department reveals Hillary Clinton received $500K worth of jewelry from Saudi king

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden received expensive gifts from Saudi Arabia, Russia and China, among others.

By Bill Hutchinson / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton received expensive jewelry from Saudi Arabia and Brunei.

Foreign diplomacy doesn’t always resolve world-class problems, but it sure does rake in the swag.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was given a half-million bucks worth of diamond and ruby jewelry by Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and received $58,000 worth of bling from Brunei.
The lavish gifts were among a treasure trove of keepsakes bestowed upon U.S. leaders in 2012, the State Department disclosed Thursday.

Read more >>>>

Here is another take on the same story.

$500K diamond-encrusted jewels, Cognac and a 41-inch saber: The lavish gifts given to President Obama, Hillary Clinton and others from foreign leaders

• Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz gave Hillary Clinton diamond-and-ruby-encrusted jewels worth half a million dollars last year

• The gift was disclosed by the State Department, which has released a complete list of items given to U.S. officials in 2012

By Hayley Peterson
Foreign leaders gave lavish gifts to a number of U.S. officials last year, including the Saudi Arabian king, who gave Hillary Clinton diamond-and-ruby-encrusted jewels worth half a million dollars.

Clinton's gifts from King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz - which included a necklace, bracelet, earrings and a ring - were by far the most expensive items among the hundreds of gifts given to U.S. officials in 2012.

A complete list of the gifts received last year, as well as a couple dozen from previous years, were disclosed by the State Department on Thursday.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, right, meets with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Read more >>>>

So, as summer wraps up and vacations end, it's fun to speculate about the gifts she got for us by being so awesome and what we might have had if China would only let us actually keep just one little panda.  Nonetheless, we watch and hold our collective breath hoping these two little babies make it to day 100 and finally receive names - in the Chinese tradition. 

Hillary Clinton's Badass Quotes and Some Flashbacks to Days at State

While we Still4Hillers are the first to applaud a vacation for our hard-working Hillary, we are also the ones who miss her so much when she does take one that we occasionally need a Hillary-fix.   I do not usually post articles like this although I did bookmark it as soon as I saw it.  It has occurred to me that folks here might like to have it as well.  It is a pretty good reference in case we ever need these quotes for some reason.  So here is a compendium of great Hillary quotes  thanks to Nico Lang at ThoughtCatalog.com.

This photo is from the swearing-in of Mike Hammer as Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs (<- the video is at this post).   You may remember that Mike appeared at the State Department not long after the resignation of P.J. Crowley as State Spokesperson and was expected to replace P.J.  Ultimately, Victoria Nuland, who had acted as spox after P.J.'s resignation, was named to that post now occupied by Jen Psaki.  Victoria, in turn, has moved up to become Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs. 

Mike was a model of patience through it all, so we applauded his good humor at his installation.  If he would like the role of Robin to Hillary's Batman,  it is his for the asking.  He gave us one of the funniest official moments of 2012,  and we hope he is enjoying his job.  Do go back and see that video if you never have.




Meanwhile, here are the badass Hillary quotes.  You never know when or why you might need them!

33 Badass Hillary Clinton Quotes That Prove Why She Should Be Our First Female President

Aug. 29, 2013

By Nico Lang

During an interview in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, a moderator once asked Hillary Clinton who her favorite designers were. Instead of playing along, she shot the question down entirely: “Would you ask a man that question?” Hillary Clinton is a total BAMF, and these quotes prove why. Whether she’s texting her BFF Michelle Obama or hanging out in an airplane hanger with her sunglasses on, Clinton has out badassed all of us. She shouldn’t just be the next president. Hillary Clinton should be the next Batman.

Read the quotes!  >>>>

A Tweet from Bill Clinton on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington

While two new honors for Hillary were announced today, (big ones see the two previous posts), President Clinton was in Washington helping to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream" speech. The picture is of Presidents Carter, Clinton, Obama, and First Lady Michelle Obama at the entrance to the Lincoln Memorial. It was quite a day!

Bill Clinton Verified account

@billclinton

Founder, Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States. Follow @ClintonFdn for more about my work around the world.

New York, NY · clintonfoundation.org

Bill ClintonVerified account ‏@billclinton

Honored to lend my voice to today's celebration of one of our greatest leaders

and most historic days. #mlkdream50 pic.twitter.com/sjL4A4axQc

Though she did not attend today, I have always loved this picture of Hillary with Dr. King's sister Christine King Farris who spoke today.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, left, poses for pictures with the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s sister Dr. Christine King Farris during a fund-raising dinner honoring Clinton with a "Salute to Greatness" award by the King Center Saturday Jan. 17, 2009, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Hillary Clinton Named Winner of Chatham House Prize

Congratulations, Mme. Secretary!!!

Hillary Clinton voted Chatham House Prize winner

28 August 2013

Hillary Rodham Clinton, US Secretary of State (2009-13), has been voted the winner of the Chatham House Prize 2013.

Members of The Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House have selected Hillary Rodham Clinton in recognition of her personal leadership in driving a new era of US diplomatic engagement and for her particular focus on promoting education and rights for women and girls.

The Prize is presented annually to the statesperson deemed by members of The Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House to have made the most significant contribution to the improvement of international relations in the previous year.

Secretary Clinton will be presented with a crystal award and a scroll, signed by Her Majesty The Queen, patron of the institute, at a ceremony in London in autumn 2013. Previous winners of the award include Burmese democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi and President Lula of Brazil.

Read more >>>>

Hillary Clinton to be Honored by University of St. Andrews in Scotland

The event will be held on September 13 and will be livestreamed by the university website.

Hillary Clinton to receive honorary degree from St Andrews University

Wednesday 28 August 2013

Former American first lady Hillary Clinton is to be honoured for her work when she visits Scotland next month.

Mrs Clinton, who has served as a senator and was US secretary of state until last year, is to be given an honorary degree by St Andrews University in recognition of her achievements as a politician and diplomat.

The award will also mark her efforts to champion the causes of education, human rights, democracy, civil society and promoting opportunities for females around the world, the university said.

SNIP

Mrs Clinton, who lost to Barack Obama in the contest to be the Democrat candidate for president in 2008, is due to speak at St Andrews University on Friday September 13, and will be conferred with a degree of doctor of laws in a ceremony the following day.

The university has strong ties with the United States, with three of the signatories to the Declaration of Independence - Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson and John Witherspoon - having studied at or held degrees from St Andrews.

Read more >>>>

John Witherspoon is indeed an ancestor of Reese Witherspoon.

Hillary Clinton to give talk as part of university's 600th anniversary

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is to receive an honorary degree as part of the University of St Andrews’ 600th anniversary.

She will address an audience of global academic leaders and students next month as part of the celebrations before receiving a degree of Doctor of Laws.

The university says they are honouring her roles as politician, diplomat and champion of education, human rights, democracy, civil society, and opportunities for women around the world.

St Andrews was founded in 1413 and are celebrating their 600th anniversary with a series of events.

As well as Secretary Clinton’s visit, a debate will be held on the future of universities as academics from around the world gather.

SNIP

The graduation ceremony and speech will take place on September 13 and will be streamed live on the university's website.

Read more >>>>

Congratulations once again, Mme. Secretary! Every honor you have earned is well-deserved. We love you and are so proud of you!

Hillary Clinton to Visit Minnesota

Hillary Rodham Clinton has Minn. stop in plans

by: Associated Press

ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to address a Minnesota audience in late October.

Beth El Synagogue announced Tuesday that Clinton would appear in St. Louis Park as part of its national speaker series. The event is set for Oct. 27.

Read more >>>>

**UPDATED** Additional information from the Beth El Synagogue website.

CLICK HERE FOR INFO

An Evening with Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

7:00 p.m. · Sunday, October 27, 2013 · Beth El Synagogue
5225 Barry Street West · Saint Louis Park, MN 55416

Hillary Clinton Flashback on Women's Equality Day

Probably not a visitor here does not remember precisely where she/he was and what she/he was doing when Hillary Clinton delivered this speech in Denver on this day in 2008. Happy 19th Amendment Day to all, especially to Hillary for her wise words that evening and every time she addresses us. When Hillary speaks, there is always a lesson to be learned. She glowed that night, and we all glowed with her.

This post is dedicated to the memory of two moms: mine and Hillary's - both of whom were born before women could vote, both of whom grew to be excellent moms without the benefit of a good example in their own lives, and both of whom are remembered with great love.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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I am honored to be here tonight. A proud mother. A proud Democrat. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Barack Obama.
My friends, it is time to take back the country we love.
Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team, and none of us can sit on the sidelines.
This is a fight for the future. And it's a fight we must win.
I haven't spent the past 35 years in the trenches advocating for children, campaigning for universal health care, helping parents balance work and family, and fighting for women's rights at home and around the world . . . to see another Republican in the White House squander the promise of our country and the hopes of our people.
And you haven't worked so hard over the last 18 months, or endured the last eight years, to suffer through more failed leadership.
No way. No how. No McCain.
Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our President.
Tonight we need to remember what a Presidential election is really about. When the polls have closed, and the ads are finally off the air, it comes down to you -- the American people, your lives, and your children's futures.
For me, it's been a privilege to meet you in your homes, your workplaces, and your communities. Your stories reminded me everyday that America's greatness is bound up in the lives of the American people -- your hard work, your devotion to duty, your love for your children, and your determination to keep going, often in the face of enormous obstacles.
You taught me so much, you made me laugh, and . . . you even made me cry. You allowed me to become part of your lives. And you became part of mine.
I will always remember the single mom who had adopted two kids with autism, didn't have health insurance and discovered she had cancer. But she greeted me with her bald head painted with my name on it and asked me to fight for health care.
I will always remember the young man in a Marine Corps t-shirt who waited months for medical care and said to me: "Take care of my buddies; a lot of them are still over there....and then will you please help take care of me?"
I will always remember the boy who told me his mom worked for the minimum wage and that her employer had cut her hours. He said he just didn't know what his family was going to do.
I will always be grateful to everyone from all fifty states, Puerto Rico and the territories, who joined our campaign on behalf of all those people left out and left behind by the Bush Administrtation.
To my supporters, my champions -- my sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits - from the bottom of my heart: Thank you.
You never gave in. You never gave up. And together we made history.
Along the way, America lost two great Democratic champions who would have been here with us tonight. One of our finest young leaders, Arkansas Democratic Party Chair, Bill Gwatney, who believed with all his heart that America and the South could be and should be Democratic from top to bottom.
And Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a dear friend to many of us, a loving mother and courageous leader who never gave up her quest to make America fairer and smarter, stronger and better. Steadfast in her beliefs, a fighter of uncommon grace, she was an inspiration to me and to us all.
Our heart goes out to Stephanie's son, Mervyn, Jr, and Bill's wife, Rebecca, who traveled to Denver to join us at our convention.
Bill and Stephanie knew that after eight years of George Bush, people are hurting at home, and our standing has eroded around the world. We have a lot of work ahead.
Jobs lost, houses gone, falling wages, rising prices. The Supreme Court in a right-wing headlock and our government in partisan gridlock. The biggest deficit in our nation's history. Money borrowed from the Chinese to buy oil from the Saudis.
Putin and Georgia, Iraq and Iran.
I ran for President to renew the promise of America. To rebuild the middle class and sustain the American Dream, to provide the opportunity to work hard and have that work rewarded, to save for college, a home and retirement, to afford the gas and groceries and still have a little left over each month.
To promote a clean energy economy that will create millions of green collar jobs.
To create a health care system that is universal, high quality, and affordable so that parents no longer have to choose between care for themselves or their children or be stuck in dead end jobs simply to keep their insurance.
To create a world class education system and make college affordable again.
To fight for an America defined by deep and meaningful equality - from civil rights to labor rights, from women's rights to gay rights, from ending discrimination to promoting unionization to providing help for the most important job there is: caring for our families. To help every child live up to his or her God-given potential.
To make America once again a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.
To bring fiscal sanity back to Washington and make our government an instrument of the public good, not of private plunder.
To restore America's standing in the world, to end the war in Iraq, bring our troops home and honor their service by caring for our veterans.
And to join with our allies to confront our shared challenges, from poverty and genocide to terrorism and global warming.
Most of all, I ran to stand up for all those who have been invisible to their government for eight long years.
Those are the reasons I ran for President. Those are the reasons I support Barack Obama. And those are the reasons you should too.
I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?
We need leaders once again who can tap into that special blend of American confidence and optimism that has enabled generations before us to meet our toughest challenges. Leaders who can help us show ourselves and the world that with our ingenuity, creativity, and innovative spirit, there are no limits to what is possible in America.
This won't be easy. Progress never is. But it will be impossible if we don't fight to put a Democrat in the White House.
We need to elect Barack Obama because we need a President who understands that America can't compete in a global economy by padding the pockets of energy speculators, while ignoring the workers whose jobs have been shipped overseas. We need a President who understands that we can't solve the problems of global warming by giving windfall profits to the oil companies while ignoring opportunities to invest in new technologies that will build a green economy.
We need a President who understands that the genius of America has always depended on the strength and vitality of the middle class.
Barack Obama began his career fighting for workers displaced by the global economy. He built his campaign on a fundamental belief that change in this country must start from the ground up, not the top down. He knows government must be about "We the people" not "We the favored few."
And when Barack Obama is in the White House, he'll revitalize our economy, defend the working people of America, and meet the global challenges of our time. Democrats know how to do this. As I recall, President Clinton and the Democrats did it before. And President Obama and the Democrats will do it again.
He'll transform our energy agenda by creating millions of green jobs and building a new, clean energy future. He'll make sure that middle class families get the tax relief they deserve. And I can't wait to watch Barack Obama sign a health care plan into law that covers every single American.
Barack Obama will end the war in Iraq responsibly and bring our troops home - a first step to repairing our alliances around the world.
And he will have with him a terrific partner in Michelle Obama. Anyone who saw Michelle's speech last night knows she will be a great First Lady for America.
Americans are also fortunate that Joe Biden will be at Barack Obama's side. He is a strong leader and a good man. He understands both the economic stresses here at home and the strategic challenges abroad. He is pragmatic, tough, and wise. And, of course, Joe will be supported by his wonderful wife, Jill.
They will be a great team for our country.
Now, John McCain is my colleague and my friend.
He has served our country with honor and courage.
But we don't need four more years . . . of the last eight years.
More economic stagnation ...and less affordable health care.
More high gas prices ...and less alternative energy.
More jobs getting shipped overseas ...and fewer jobs created here.
More skyrocketing debt ...home foreclosures ...and mounting bills that are crushing our middle class families.
More war . . . less diplomacy.
More of a government where the privileged come first ...and everyone else comes last.
John McCain says the economy is fundamentally sound. John McCain doesn't think that 47 million people without health insurance is a crisis. John McCain wants to privatize Social Security. And in 2008, he still thinks it's okay when women don't earn equal pay for equal work.
With an agenda like that, it makes sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities. Because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart.
America is still around after 232 years because we have risen to the challenge of every new time, changing to be faithful to our values of equal opportunity for all and the common good.
And I know what that can mean for every man, woman, and child in America. I'm a United States Senator because in 1848 a group of courageous women and a few brave men gathered in Seneca Falls, New York, many traveling for days and nights, to participate in the first convention on women's rights in our history.
And so dawned a struggle for the right to vote that would last 72 years, handed down by mother to daughter to granddaughter - and a few sons and grandsons along the way.
These women and men looked into their daughters' eyes, imagined a fairer and freer world, and found the strength to fight. To rally and picket. To endure ridicule and harassment. To brave violence and jail.
And after so many decades - 88 years ago on this very day - the 19th amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote would be forever enshrined in our Constitution.
My mother was born before women could vote. But in this election my daughter got to vote for her mother for President.
This is the story of America. Of women and men who defy the odds and never give up.
How do we give this country back to them?
By following the example of a brave New Yorker , a woman who risked her life to shepherd slaves along the Underground Railroad.
And on that path to freedom, Harriett Tubman had one piece of advice.
If you hear the dogs, keep going.
If you see the torches in the woods, keep going.
If they're shouting after you, keep going.
Don't ever stop. Keep going.
If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.
Even in the darkest of moments, ordinary Americans have found the faith to keep going.
I've seen it in you. I've seen it in our teachers and firefighters, nurses and police officers, small business owners and union workers, the men and women of our military - you always keep going.
We are Americans. We're not big on quitting.
But remember, before we can keep going, we have to get going by electing Barack Obama president.
We don't have a moment to lose or a vote to spare.
Nothing less than the fate of our nation and the future of our children hang in the balance.
I want you to think about your children and grandchildren come election day. And think about the choices your parents and grandparents made that had such a big impact on your life and on the life of our nation.
We've got to ensure that the choice we make in this election honors the sacrifices of all who came before us, and will fill the lives of our children with possibility and hope.
That is our duty, to build that bright future, and to teach our children that in America there is no chasm too deep, no barrier too great - and no ceiling too high - for all who work hard, never back down, always keep going, have faith in God, in our country, and in each other.
Thank you so much. God bless America and Godspeed to you all.

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