Placing Israeli regional concerns in the context, perhaps even right between the covers of her soon-to-be-released memoir, Hard Choices (which she touted as "a summer read that will be great on the beach"), she lent the event the flavor of a dress rehearsal for one of her upcoming book tour speeches. Before some oh-so-much-more-experienced-and-wiser-than-I personage comes along and patiently explains to me how the book tour is designed to mutate into a presidential campaign, you can go here and likely find the video available later today. If I find that I can embed it, I will. You should hear and interpret for yourself.
Walking us all back to 2009 when the Obama administration offered Iran the choice between a clenched fist or an open hand, she reviewed the hard work that went into extracting sanctions from the international community via the U.N. Security Council and went on to explain how those sanctions coupled with others imposed by the United States Congress influenced the 2013 Iranian election. Fast-forwarding to today, she told the audience that "no deal is better than a bad deal" with Iran.
Some may, with clenched teeth and forced smile, call that a campaign slogan and patiently explain to me that she is defending her part in laying the groundwork for her successor's possible success in getting a deal with Iran. My experience from watching her over the years tells me that this is pretty much excerpted from her book which was always intended as a lens through which to view her tenure at the State Department.
She exhorted the audience to be prepared for all possible outcomes with Iran including their potential rejection of a deal. "Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst" were her words. I am sure than is another slogan we shall see go viral in media headers over the next few days.
She concluded her address with some words regarding the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian negotiations, predicting further hard choices ahead, and telling the audience that she would like to see our own democracy work a little more smoothly.
So make of her words what you will, the interpretation above is my personal take on the event, but one thing was on full display at the Grand Hyatt this morning, and that was Hillary Clinton's clarity and depth of thought. For everyone's information, no matter how you choose to interpret or label this address, her brain is in perfect working order. She also looked fabulous in lace-trimmed light Spring tweed as the photos below attest.
The event was a trifecta for Chappaqua, New York as David Harris introduced Harriet Schleifer who welcomed Hillary.
