Secretary Clinton's Morning Briefing

The Daily Appointment Schedule for today, finally posted and distributed at 12:37 p.m. EST,  shows the following:

Daily Appointments Schedule for December 11, 2009


Washington, DC
December 11, 2009

SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON:

9:20 a.m. Secretary Clinton delivers Remarks at the First Diplomacy Briefing Series Meeting, Focused on the Issues and Challenges of U.S. Relations with Latin America, at the Department of State.

Photos from the event have begun to pop up at Daylife with SOME information. Here are a few.

 

According to  Reuters:

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at the first conference in the State Department's diplomacy briefing series on the "Issues and Challenges of U.S. Relations with Latin America" at the State Department in Washington December 11, 2009.

This topic comes up not a minute too soon for me,  seeing that we have a scant 20 days left in the year 2009, and I have been PRAYING that the SOS would address Hemispheric issues before the year's end.

It is high time that we turn our sights to Latin America, and I am overjoyed to see that the Secretary is doing so.  Thank you,  Hillary!

And just now, at 1:40 p.m. EST, the transcript of the remarks have become available, so here they are.

Remarks at the First Diplomacy Briefing Series Meeting, Focused on the Issues and Challenges of U.S. Relations with Latin America


Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
December 11, 2009

MR. CROWLEY: A woman who truly needs no introduction, the 67th Secretary of State and our global rock star, Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Just don’t ask me to sing, that’s all I ask.

Well, it is a very great pleasure to be here today to welcome you to the first in a series of diplomacy briefings that we will be hosting here at the State Department. I want to thank all of you for being part of this because it is in keeping with our efforts to reach out and to have a dialogue about what we’re doing and how we’re doing it, and to seek your ideas as well.

I want to thank Assistant Secretary P.J. Crowley for his leadership and everyone who works with him in Public Affairs. Later, you will be hearing from our Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, someone who many of you know, Secretary Valenzuela, and you will be hearing from our Under Secretary for what are called the G family, which has to do with human rights, democracy, women’s rights, oceans, environment – I mean, it’s a very large agenda – Maria Otero. And I just walked in with a longtime friend of mine, Ambassador Ed Romero. Thank you for coming, Ed. We have our newly confirmed Ambassador to OAS, Carmen Lomellin. Thank you, Carmen, for being here. (Applause.) And I’d better stop, because I have so many friends and familiar faces in this audience.

I want to share a few words with you this morning about our approach to our neighbors, our friends, our partners in the Western Hemisphere. But the purpose of this event goes far beyond the important relationships that we have here in the Americas, because we want all of our citizens to be part of a broader foreign policy discussion. Here at the State Department, we want to listen, not just talk, and you’ll have a chance to talk to us as the day goes on, but also to hear your views and ideas.

Later this morning, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with some of our State Department leadership on the way forward in Afghanistan and pursuant of the President’s policy. You’ll be able to discuss ways that the United States intends to expand global economic opportunity and ensure citizens’ safety. We also have some community activists and students listening from New York City, San Antonio, Texas, and Miami, Florida. So we are also using technology to bring us together. The Western Hemisphere, we decided, was a fitting place for us to start this effort because of our deep ties, our shared history, so many familial and cultural connections. We are connected by geography and history, by shared challenges, and a common future that we all have the capacity to help shape.

We have, more than ever in today’s world, the chance to cooperate, collaborate, and innovate. It’s why the United States is committed to building what I’ve called a new architecture of cooperation, one where we leverage all the tools at our disposal, our diplomacy, our development efforts, civil society, the private sector, through crosscutting partnerships that are really necessary if we’re going to address and hopefully solve the complex problems we confront.

Now if you look at this hemisphere, particularly Latin America, we see a lot of positive trends – from rising wages to higher school enrollments to better health. But there remains a huge reservoir of potential that needs to be tapped to continue building on this progress over the years and decades to come, and we want to do a better job of partnering with friends and allies in the region.

As you know, here at the State Department, we are elevating diplomacy and development to be on the same level when we talk about our foreign policy and our national security with defense – it’s the three Ds. It’s part of a smart power approach that we are committed to. It begins with engaging in more robust diplomacy, both with and beyond governments. We have also a real commitment to making sure that development is always in our conversation, always in our mind, and always at the head of our priority list.

Now, we’ve been working in a number of areas, and I want briefly just to mention some. Some have tested our partnership and our approach over the last few months. Some are innovative new ways of bringing people together. Let’s start with Honduras. We have worked with a number of other countries on a pragmatic, principled, multilateral approach. We’ve engaged in intensive personal diplomacy. Since the coup, the United States has been committed both to our democratic principles and to providing help to the Hondurans to find a way back to democratic and constitutional order.

We condemned President Zelaya’s expulsion. We’ve taken concrete steps to demonstrate unequivocally our opposition. But we’ve continued to try to reach out and work with diverse sectors in Honduras, and along with others like President Arias of Costa Rica, to help the Hondurans themselves chart a way forward for a peaceful, negotiated end to this crisis.

Now, the culmination of what was a year-long electoral process occurred on November 29th when the Honduran people expressed their feelings and their commitment to a democratic future. They turned out in large numbers and they threw out, in effect, the party of both President Zelaya and the de facto leader, Mr. Micheletti. Since then, President-elect Lobo has launched a national dialogue. He’s called for the formation of a national unity government and a truth commission as set forth among the requirements in the Tegucigalpa-San Jose Accord. That is an agreement that the Hondurans themselves reached. We helped to facilitate it, but the Hondurans decided they wanted a local resolution.

In the days and weeks ahead, we want to be on the side of the Honduran people. We want to work closely with others in the region, particularly Central America, so that what is a real problem can be resolved by everyone coming together. As important as these diplomatic efforts are, though, we know that governments cannot solve these problems alone, and no one nation can. I’ve said from the very beginning of my tenure as Secretary of State that the United States cannot solve all the problems in our hemisphere or anywhere in the world alone, but the problems cannot be solved unless the United States is involved. So part of our challenge is how we get others to step up and work with us.

We’re enlisting a lot of different voices and some of the best minds in the public and private sectors to work on regional and global challenges like climate change. The Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas announced by President Obama in Trinidad and Tobago earlier this year will help to harness our collective ability to promote renewable energy and reduce emissions. We’re also trying to reach deep into societies to promote public diplomacy. The Alliance of Youth Movements, launched in Mexico City in October with the backing of the State Department, is helping young leaders drive positive change in their own societies, starting with little more than a cell phone and an idea.

We’re working with our partners in Latin America to find ways of ensuring economic growth that doesn’t just benefit the upper echelons of society. Anyone who spends more than five minutes looking at the challenges in Latin America knows that the income disparity is one of the biggest that we have to overcome. So how do we drive economic growth downward? Many of you are aware of the Pathways to Prosperity initiative, which I helped re-launch in El Salvador in June, along with ministers from more than a dozen other countries.

Our focus of pathways is to empower women as drivers of economic and social progress, and this fall, we hosted a meeting of promising female entrepreneurs from the region here at State, bringing them together with more experienced businesswomen who can serve as models and mentors. There are new ways of doing business founded on mutual respect and common vision, but also on shared responsibility.

Now the United States has, as I have said repeatedly, contributed to some of the problems we see in the region. But we are determined in the Obama Administration to be part of the solution. We are committed to partnerships not just in word, but in deed. And we want to forge stronger avenues of cooperation and collaboration, but we want to do it on many levels simultaneously. Seldom in this region has there been such agreement on the basic principles of freedom and democracy.

Now is the time to go forward with these principles as our foundation and our guide. That means making sure that we not only do hold elections, but that democracy delivers for citizens, so that people can see the results of these elections. And it also means that you don’t just have an election once. You actually have them on a periodic basis, in accordance with constitutional and legal precedent. It means a free press. It means protection of minorities. It means an independent judiciary. It means all of the institutional elements that make democracies sustainable.

We also have to make sure that when it comes to development, we’re not just providing aid, but we are empowering people to aid themselves. And we’ve seen a lot of good examples of that, but we’ve never taken any of them to scale in the way that they need to be. Now, there will continue to be challenges. But we feel like we are entering into a new relationship. It is one that we care deeply about, and that we intend to foster.

So just to end, just three brief examples. We are, as you know, working to support the Mexican Government in their brave fight against the drug traffickers and the criminal cartels. I really commend not only the Mexican Government, but so many Mexican citizens who have withstood the onslaught of horrific violence. But it’s not only that we’re providing more military equipment or training; we’re looking for ways that we can cooperate on bolstering institutional support for peace and justice, for human rights and democracy. And it is a long-term commitment.

When I went to Mexico early in my term, I said – and it was somewhat controversial here in the United States – that we bore part of the responsibility for what was happening to Mexico today, that it was our drug demand. It was a lot of our policies that unfortunately had helped to fuel this assault on the government and the people of Mexico. But we also have this youth alliance. And we sent some of our young entrepreneurial technophiles down to Mexico – you’ll meet some of them later today – to develop with young Mexican activists a network where anonymous reports of criminal activity and official corruption could be reported. And we were able to put this together with the help of the government, with the help of some of the biggest business leaders in Mexico to use technology to leapfrog some of the challenges that people who want to stand up against both crime and corruption face today.

And finally, we had an event at the United Nations General Assembly where we shone a bright spotlight on some of the policies that are homegrown in Latin America that are being adopted in the United States and elsewhere in the world – programs that are real pioneers in Mexico, in Brazil, in Chile to encourage families to keep children in school, to bring children to their health exams. By empowering families with cash payments to be able to afford to do what will be in the long term interest of their children and their children’s future, it not only helps individual children, but it creates a demand for these services from the community level up. So we’re optimistic that with new tools, new techniques, new ideas, we’re going to be able to revolutionize some of what has been the most intractable problems that we’ve faced in Caribbean, in Mexico, Central America, South America.

So with that, let me welcome you to the State Department. I think we’re going to take a couple of questions. And I am very pleased that you will later hear from my friend, Maria Otero, the first Hispanic under secretary in the State Department’s history, which I was shocked to learn – (applause) – and Arturo Valenzuela, who many of you know, a true Latin Americanist who I enticed out of the joys of academia to work 18 hours a day. You’ll hear from Assistant Secretary Lou C.deBaca, who we also recruited to lead our efforts on human trafficking, the modern day form of slavery, and so many others who are part of the leadership team here at the State Department.

So let’s get to your questions.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, the first one we’re going to take is from Luperon High School in New York City.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Hello, New York City. Can they hear us? Well, we have work to do on technology here at the State Department. (Laughter.)

MR. CROWLEY: Why don’t we take a question from in here. Yes, ma'am.

QUESTION: Good morning, Madame Secretary.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes.

QUESTION: My name is (inaudible).

SECRETARY CLINTON: I can hear you.

QUESTION: My question is American investment in China, how help inspires the Chinese miracle? What will happen with China now that it’s cheaper to make products in Mexico and India, greater than China?

SECRETARY CLINTON: I think that we should be positive about the growth in the Chinese economy. The Chinese are lifting millions of people out of poverty, which is a very important goal. We know that there are many problems that the Chinese economy poses not only to the United States, but to Mexico and others.

But I want to start from the point that here we are in the midst of a global economic crisis, and we need all the growth we can get because that will eventually help every country be able to overcome this recession, since we are so interdependent. I think it’s also important to say that I think that the North American market, of which Mexico is such a central part under NAFTA, is going to remain strong. The fact that goods can be manufactured and assembled in Mexico, cutting down on transportation costs, cutting down on the carbon footprint, which will become an even more important consideration in the years ahead, means that we’re going to continue to import and export to and from Mexico.

I think we also can do more, working with our Mexican partners, to increase the capacity of the Mexican economy so that they can export even a greater range of goods, because the best answer for Mexico and the best rebuke of the drug traffickers is to increase the economic prosperity of the people of Mexico. And I am committed to doing that and I think that other countries like China can grow. But Mexico will remain a critical partner to us in trade and economic well-being for many, many years to come.

MR. CROWLEY: The next question we’ll take here from (inaudible.)

QUESTION: Good morning, Madame Secretary. Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Rose Marie Segero. I’m the president of Hope for Tomorrow. I live in Washington, D.C., but I’m originally from Kenya.

I – mine is not a question. I just want to thank you, Madame Secretary, for the wonderful work you are doing. Our organization focus on violence against women and empowering women. We were in Africa and around the world talking about women issues. Thank you so much. You have taken it as a Secretary of State, a mother, and a parent. So the only thing I want to emphasize on is to put more emphasis on putting (inaudible) for empowering women. When you empower women, you empower the whole world. So thank you for empowering us.

And there is a message here for you for more information. I just wanted to be in your presence and thank you so much today for this wonderful event. And the collaboration is the most important thing of collaborating with civil society, private sector and you know problems affecting the world. Thank you so much.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, thank you so much. (Applause.) And of course, you could not talk about an issue that I was more passionate about than empowering women and providing more economic opportunities for women. I mentioned Pathways to Prosperity, but of course, all kinds of microfinance programs, training programs, skills programs are really at the forefront of our approach because we agreed that when you empower women, you really give the entire family a better economic future, and that’s what we’re committed to doing. Thank you.

MR. CROWLEY: The next question we’ll take from the University of Central Florida.

QUESTION: Good morning. My name is Susana Molina and I’m from the University of Central Florida. My question is: Is democratic progress in danger by social unrest and the rise of the left in Latin America? Whether yes or no, how do these developments affect U.S. interest?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Great question, and I think the University of Central Florida may be in Orlando, not Miami. Is that right? (Applause.) Yes.

QUESTION: Yes.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes, I’ve – we have to coordinate our facts here. But that’s a really important question. I feel so strongly that we have to support the rights of all people to voice their opinions, and we want to further economic equality, not just prosperity, because for too many years, prosperity has increased in Latin America without being equally distributed. We want to build a strong base of democratic support for fundamental freedoms of all people, and governments need to be effective, accountable, and responsive to the needs of their citizens.

And I said earlier in my remarks that you really have to be supporting the entire institutional foundation for democracy. And we do worry about leaders who get elected and get elected fairly and freely and legitimately, but then, upon being elected, begin to undermine the constitutional and democratic order, the private sector, the rights of people to be free from harassment, depression, to be able to participate fully in their societies.

So I worry about how we get back on the track where we recognize that democracy is not about individual leaders. It is about strong institutions. Good leaders come and go. Obviously, we’ve had our own experience in this country with that. And so we need to make it absolutely an article of faith that any leader elected must not just further his own position and his power base, but respect the rights of the people who elected him and build up the democracy so that democratic development and economic development can go hand in hand.

I mean, obviously, we have expressed our concerns about Venezuela, about Nicaragua. We will continue to express our concerns, because it’s important that we sound a strong call to people and to leaders to really stay on the path of democracy. So I thank you for your question, and obviously, we all hope in the not-too-distant future to be able to see a democratic Cuba, something that would be extraordinarily positive for our hemisphere. (Applause.)

MR. CROWLEY: We’ll take the next question over here.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Yes, sir.

QUESTION: I have a concern because in the trafficking of passports from – especially from China, buying basically different – I don’t know if the State Department is doing any investigation or not – from different nations. And that seems to be like, once they buy a passport from, let’s say, a nation down in Venezuela, Bolivia, and they sell a business which seems to be a front for a – behind giant economic enterprise on there. So is the State Department doing some investigation on – another question also is the – in term – the penetration, basically, of China and other nations like Iran from Latin America. Of course, you mentioned Bolivia – I don’t think you mentioned Bolivia. You should also mention Venezuela, Bolivia, well – as well as other nations that are basically (inaudible) international, basically, security issue that I’m very concerned.

SECRETARY CLINTON: I thank you for raising this. We’re concerned too. In speaking to a number of the Central American countries, they have reported to us large numbers of people being trafficked into their countries, particularly Chinese, but not exclusively Chinese. And we do need to redouble our efforts to try to help our friends in Central America deal with this. I was told in one of the countries that there is a large detention area – detention center which has hundreds and hundreds of people who are there illegally from China.

So this is a problem that is affecting a number of our friends, and we are working with them to try to provide more resources and support to help them deal with it. And as you point out, we have no problem with any country such as China engaging in economic activities – business, commerce – with any country anywhere. But we do want governments to drive hard bargains. We don’t want to see corruption that benefits the fortunes of a few leaders and undermines the sustainability of the economy and the environment and the natural resources of any country.

We also are well aware of Iran’s interests in promoting itself with a number of other countries – Venezuela and Bolivia, as you mentioned – and we can only say that that is a really bad idea for the countries involved. And we hope that there will be a recognition that this is the major supporter, promoter, and exporter of terrorism in the world today. The Revolutionary Guard of Iran, which is increasing its control over the country because of the elections, which were a stark example of the abuse of human rights in action, is deeply involved in the economy as well as the security issues of Iran. And I think that if people want to flirt with Iran, they should take a look at what the consequences might well be for them, and we hope that they will think twice, and we’re going to support them if they do. (Applause.)

MR. CROWLEY: Unfortunately, the Secretary is running short of time. Our last question for her will come from Trinity there in San Antonio. Go ahead.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Hi, Trinity. I’ve been there. I love your campus.

QUESTION: Thank you. Good morning. Secretary of State Clinton, I along with millions of others who call this country home am the child of immigrant parents. Many of us have, if not experienced a migratory event, have lived the experience through our parents or family members. For us, this experience is very real. What are your efforts, if any, to humanize the relationship between Washington and Mexico and to steer the rhetoric that is used to discuss the difficult issues facing undocumented immigrants in a more positive direction? (Applause.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, as I’m sure you know, both President Obama and I are very committed to comprehensive immigration reform, and the President has said that we will be able to deal with this very important issue next year. And I think it’s absolutely imperative that we do. I’ve had a number of comprehensive, in-depth meetings and discussions with my Mexican counterparts, and it is, of course, a great concern to Mexico, to Central America, and even parts of South America.

We have to have a rational, compassionate, pragmatic, humane immigration policy. And we have a lot of good ideas about how to do that. We just have to make the case that our relationship with Mexico in particular, but with other countries as well, has to operate on multiple levels at once. And we just cause a lot of difficulties, it costs a lot of money, it is often very damaging to hardworking people here in this country to have the kind of immigration laws and their enforcement that we currently have.

Now, you have to enforce the laws and you have to protect your borders, and we just heard it’s not just hardworking people from Mexico or Guatemala who want to come for a better life. People are being smuggled into those countries to be smuggled into the United States for all kinds of purposes. So we do have to have laws, but we need to have the kind of comprehensive immigration reform that President Obama championed, that I’ve advocated, that we think could help us not only resolve the problem going forward, but send a very clear message to the millions of people here that if they meet certain conditions, they will be able to be on a path to citizenship.

So there’s a lot to do, but it remains one of our highest priorities, and it is an issue that I hope we will turn to in 2010. Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

There well may be a video of this event at a later time. If so, I will post it.

Portrait Unveiling for Former Secretary of State Powell

Remarks at Unveiling of the Colin Powell Portrait


Former Secretary of State Colin Powell
Benjamin Franklin Room
Washington, DC
December 7, 2009

SECRETARY CLINTON: Welcome to the Benjamin Franklin Room here at the State Department for such a happy occasion, totally in keeping with the spirit of the times where we are about to have the unveiling of the official portrait of Colin Powell as Secretary of State.

Four years ago, hundreds of employees from across the State Department gathered in the lobby downstairs to cheer for their boss as he said goodbye. Today, I am delighted to join staff, family, and friends in saying to my predecessor welcome back, it is good to see you here again. (Applause.)

Colin Powell served as Secretary of State during a time of swift and far-reaching change, both for our nation and the world. His tenure began just a few weeks into the new millennium. Nine months later, the September 11th attacks occurred. In the days and weeks that followed, Secretary Powell provided a calm, steady, and hopeful voice as Americans sought to understand the threats we faced and the uncertain future that lay ahead.

In fact, on the day of the attacks, Secretary Powell was in Lima, Peru, attending a special session of the Organization of American States to adopt the Inter-American Democratic Charter, a critical instrument for strengthening public institutions and helping democracy deliver real improvements to people’s lives. When he heard that the planes had hit the Towers, he told his staff that they’d be returning to the United States immediately – and then he returned to the session to cast our nation’s vote in favor of the charter.

He did this not only because it was the initial purpose for his visit, but because in the face of that attack on our nation’s mainland, it was more important than ever to stand up for democracy and freedom and show the world that our belief in our principles will not waver.

Colin Powell has been guided by these values throughout his life. He has been a voice for these values. Indeed, the experiences and perspectives that he brought with him to the State Department made him particularly well suited to serve as Secretary of State. He knew from growing up in an immigrant community the promise and possibilities that America represents to the world.

He knew from his years as a soldier the extraordinary power and reach of the American military and the impact that America can have on the world not only in shaping the course of history, but also in transforming the lives of ordinary people – a profound responsibility that he carried with him. He knew from his experience in war the wisdom of that fundamental principle of American foreign policy: that military action should be used as a last resort, after diplomacy has been pursued with the highest possible rigor and skill. And he knew that in few other countries could a child of immigrants rise to be a general and chief diplomat, and that an essential element of America’s promise is our success in helping all people get the chance to achieve their dreams.

At the State Department, he worked to expand opportunity to marginalized people worldwide. And outside government, the mentoring program he created for young people, America’s Promise, continues to do the same and will surely be one of his lasting legacies.

There are few Americans who are as admired and celebrated as General Powell. He’s received just about every civilian national award there is, including the Congressional Gold Medal and two Presidential Medals of Freedom. He is one of only three people in history to achieve that honor. But people around the country and the world have also voiced their gratitude for him in other, quieter ways.

There’s an elementary school named after him in Virginia, there’s a couple more named after him in Texas. A middle school in Illinois. A street in Gelnhausen, Germany, where Second Lieutenant Colin Powell reported for duty 50 years ago. (Laughter.) And an artist has just completed a mural titled “Homage to Colin Powell,” which depicts the night sky over Jamaica on the evening he was born hundreds of miles north, in New York. (Applause.) It will be hung at the U.S. Embassy in Kingston to remind all visitors of the contributions that one of Jamaica’s most famous sons has made to global progress, prosperity, and peace.

It’s also a great pleasure to welcome back Mrs. Powell and the family to be part of this unveiling. I assume you’ve seen it, Colin, or we would not be here. You haven’t seen it. (Laughter.) Well, did I mention how gutsy Colin Powell is? (Laughter.) Able to accept the unknown and go forward. (Laughter.)

So today, we unveil another work of art dedicated to this public servant and this great American. And I join all members of the Foreign and Civil Service and the employees of the State Department in thanking you for the time that you spent here. It is a great privilege to serve in this position and to look at the portraits of my predecessors as I walk around the seventh floor and now, I will be able to look at your portrait as well and it will give me great pleasure.

Thank you so much for everything, Colin. (Applause.)

SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you so very much, ladies and gentlemen. And Secretary Clinton, Hillary, I thank you for your kind remarks and for hosting this ceremony. I especially want to thank your wonderful protocol staff. Kim Townsend, working closely with Leslie Lautenslager and Peggy Cifrino of my staff, pulled this all together, and I am deeply appreciative of all of this.

This is the second official portrait that I have. I have an official portrait at the Pentagon in the Hall of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. That portrait was done during the Clinton Administration, and that was during the period where Al Gore was doing the Reinventing Government program. And so it is an 8-by-10 glossy that has been blown up. (Laughter.) So help me, it’s an 8-by-10 glossy that I do like, and it was blown up to full size, put in a frame, and hung on a wall. (Laughter.) You’re even today, Hillary. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, that’s how we balanced the budget. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY POWELL: The members of the Diplomatic Corps, members of Congress, former and current cabinet officers, family members, friends, and dear colleagues: I am honored and thankful for your presence today. So many people have come – friends and family from the Bronx, friends from my life as a soldier, my life here in the Department, my life and so many other aspects of life.

I can’t acknowledge everyone here or we’d be here all afternoon, but there are a few people I have to say a word about. First, I want to thank the artist, Steven Polson, for doing a marvelous job, and thank Ann Fader for her work in this. As I hope you will see, Steven is a wonderful artist, and I thank him for the magic that he has applied to this portrait, I hope. (Laughter.)

I also want to express my appreciation for people who have come from afar from other lands, and beginning with the Honorable Peter MacKay, minister of defense of Canada, a young man that I have gotten to know in recent years. And Peter, I thank you for making the effort to be with us today. There are other men here who I served with when I was foreign secretary, or Secretary of State, as we call it. And two of them are here, by the name Joschka Fischer, who was the vice chancellor and minister of foreign affairs of the Federation of Germany, of the German Republic, and Igor Ivanov, who was my counterpart in the Russian Federation. Joschka and I really intersected some 25 years ago when I commanded a corps in Germany, and it was the responsibility of my corps stationed in Frankfurt to guard the Fulda Gap. At that time, Joschka was the very radical head of the Greens Party in Frankfurt and in the state of Hesse.

Now, I didn’t really know him them, but we intersected from time to time. There was the day my commanders came in and said, “The Greens have just gone on to our tank-driving range and they have planted trees all over the place so we can’t drive our tanks anymore.” (Laughter.) I said, “What are you going to do?” “We’re going to run over the trees.” “No, no, no, you’re not. You do not run over the trees in Germany. This is not a time for overwhelming force.” (Laughter.) “This is a time for smart power, decisive power.” So we dug up all the trees, brought them to our housing area, replanted them, and then invited the Greens to come to our ceremony of dedication. (Laughter.) I don’t recall if Joschka was there that day or not – (laughter) – but we appreciated the effort on the part of the Greens to beautify the area. (Laughter.)

Joschka and I have been through many challenges as fellow foreign ministers. We worked on the expansion of NATO, supported him in the expansion of the European Union. We have worked on so many different issues that it’s hard to list them all without it taking an hour. But he was always a dear friend, a dear associate. This doesn’t mean we had no disagreements. We had severe disagreements, and many of you will remember the disagreement that we had with Germany over the Iraq situation in 2003, to the point where our leaders were somewhat estranged from each other.

But Joschka and I and our fellow diplomats on both sides were never estranged from each other, because we understood that even among allies, disagreements arise. And what’s important is to come back together, the ties that bind us together. And what I remember most vividly from those trying days is that Joschka would say to me, “Colin, we have to keep working together. We in Germany will never forget what the United States has done for us over these years, and so we have to make sure that these ties are never broken.” And Joschka especially wanted to do this in the period after the Cold War, when we were bringing hundreds of thousands of our soldiers home from Europe. And he was concerned that a smaller number of soldiers in Europe might break the link that we’ve always had with the German people concerning our commitment to the Atlantic alliance and our commitment to Germany.

And so of all the ministers that I’ve worked with, of all the people that I have had to deal with in the years, Joschka Fischer is one of the most prominent pro-American, pro-Atlanticist individuals I’ve ever worked with. And Joschka, I thank you for that from the bottom of my heart. (Applause.)

Igor Ivanov, former foreign minister of the Russian Federation, he and I became exceptionally close friends over the years. We worked on a treaty to reduce nuclear weapons and we got that treaty, the Treaty of Moscow, which took us down significantly with respect to nuclear weapons. We worked very closely together during the trying times when we watched Georgia and Ukraine emerge from their post-Communist period. Many a long night Igor and I spent on the telephone as we chatted through the Rose Revolution and the Orange Revolution to make sure that these transitions took place without violence. We worked on so many issues that were difficult. But similarly, just as with Joschka, I could always count on his friendship. I could always count on his support. I could always count on his understanding, because we knew that we had to make sure that the ties that bind remained strong.

That’s what diplomacy is all about. That’s why we have a State Department – to make sure that the people of the United States and the President of the United States are representing the values of the United States to other nations. And we take into account their values and their sovereign interests. It’s a partnership with every nation in the world in one way or another. We must always advocate our belief in democracy, our belief in human rights, our belief in the will of the people. We should always be committed to extending the hand of American generosity to people in need around the world.

We should always be working to solve problems short of conflict and prepare to explain our reasoning when conflict becomes necessary – always respecting the right of other nations to disagree with us, and often, dealing with regimes that do not share our values.

In all of this, the President of the United States and the Secretary of State are blessed to have men and women throughout the Department of State who do a magnificent job every single day. While we are here in this beautiful Ben Franklin Room, there are thousands of diplomats, Foreign Service officers, Foreign Service nationals, Civil Servants around the world who are serving us so well. I’m often annoyed when I use to hear, “Well, they’re striped-pants diplomats.” They’re not wearing striped pants if they’re on a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan or Iraq. They’re not wearing striped pants if they’re in an embassy that’s under siege or under threat. They’re not wearing striped pants when they’re in the middle of a coup. They’re not wearing striped pants if they’re dealing with the challenges of the world, if they are out there providing antiretroviral drugs to people in need or solving the problem of hunger and clean water. They’re wonderful Americans who have dedicated themselves and their careers to the service of the American people.

I consider it one of the greatest honors and privileges I have ever had in my life to have been given the opportunity to be the Secretary of State and to lead the wonderful men and women of the State Department as they go about their work. And I thank each and every one of them from the bottom of my heart, and I thank President Bush for having given me that opportunity.

The portrait you’re about to see, I haven’t seen. (Laughter.) I’ve seen pictures of it. Steven took photos of it as we went along and he sent them down. But I don’t know what the last version looked like. But last night, as I was thinking about today, I took a look at the last photo that Steven sent. And I think it’s a pretty nice photo. But what grabbed my attention was the background. There’s nothing in the background. There are no bookcases, no flags, no window that I’m gazing out at. (Laughter.) It is a very dark background, as you will see, with highlights. You can’t tell if you’re in a building or outside of a building. You can’t tell if that’s sunlight you see coming in or just a spotlight. You can’t exactly tell what the color scheme means because, as you go lower in the portrait – you’ll see in a moment – the color of my suit blends in to the color in the background, and the only think really visible is my right hand.

Now, Steven and I haven’t sat down to psychoanalyze all this – (laughter) – but as I looked at it last night, thinking about why did Steven actually do it this way and why is there nothing in the background, it occurred to me that there was a lot in the background. I’m not alone in this portrait. There are images that kept coming across my mind as I looked at it, images of people that I have served with and worked with over the years.

One particular individual who couldn’t be with us today, my beloved deputy and friend Rich Armitage, who is in Asia, and as you all know, pulling the few hairs he has remaining out because he couldn’t be with us today. (Laughter.) There are other images of all the people who I have worked with in this Department, all the soldiers that I have served with. There are many images that I can see in my mind’s eye, the image of my wife Alma and our children and the 47 years that we have traveled this path together. Many images.

But always there is an image way in the back of two little people who came to this country almost 90 years ago with a belief in this country. They wanted to be a part of this society. They never forgot the land they left. Until the day they died, they called it home, but now they had a new home in America. And all they wanted to do was to create a new family and a new home and children, and they had two children. One went on to be a great teacher, the other one a soldier. And they passed onto their children and all the members of the extended family, so many of whom are here today, a belief in our nation and giving us all a desire to serve this nation, which we’ve tried to do.

This is the strength of our country. The fact that we can take in people from all over the world, that we are a nation of nations. We touch every nation and every nation on earth touches us. We have great soldiers to go forward and fight for us. We have intelligence people. We have all kinds of strength and assets. But the greatest strength we have, the greatest asset we have to deal with the problems of our world and the challenges that we face is the nature of our society, our openness, this wonderful diverse society that we have, a diversity that is the source of our strength. It is the glue that holds us together. It’s the lubricant that keeps us moving forward. And we must never forget that.

I remind myself of this every day as I think about my parents and I think about the great diversity that is America. What a wonderful country God has given to us and what we have done with it is remarkable, and the best is yet ahead as long as we remain open, as long as we touch the rest of the world, and as long as we believe in our values system and reach out to the rest of the world.

Anytime I have the slightest doubt about any of this, I use two little memory tricks, two little stories to remind me of what this country is all about. The first one has to do with a Japanese business man, very successful, a billionaire, he has conglomerates all over the world. And he was being interviewed on Japanese television one afternoon, and the interviewer said to him, “Of all the cities in the world that you visit, which is your favorite?” And he immediately said, “New York.” And the guy was surprised. Why not Rome, London, Paris? Why New York? He says, "Because New York is the only city in the world where, when I walk down the street, people come up to me and ask for directions.” (Laughter.) New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles – that is who we are. That is what we are. That is our destiny, and let’s never forget it.

The final story is also a New York story. I’m a New York guy. (Laughter.) Whenever I go back to New York, I love walking up one of the great avenues, usually Park, and admiring the buildings and see all of humanity going by. And I always stop at one of the numbered cross streets to buy a hot dog from the hot dog peddler, one of those New York dirty water dogs that so many of you are familiar with. (Laughter.) But it has to have the mustard, the Sabrett mustard and the red onion relish; that’s what makes a New York hot dog. And I do it all the time.

And not too long ago I was walking up Park Avenue and I was going to follow my traditional pattern of going over to the hot dog peddler. And I did. And I walked up to him and I ordered my hotdog – mustard, red onion, and relish. And as he was handing it to me, he said, “I know you. I see you on television a lot. You’re General Powell, yes? Oh.” And he handed me the hotdog and I handed him the money. And he said, “No, General. You don’t have to pay me. You can’t pay me. I’ve already been paid. America has paid me. I’m here. I’ll never forget where I came from, but now I’m an American. My children are American. So, General, I have been paid. Thank you. Please take the hotdog.”

And I walked up the street with a warm glow, remembering this is the same country that greeted my parents and all of your parents or grandparents over the years. And as long as we never forget that is our greatest strength, that is what makes us who we are, we will deal with the challenges that we face and we will create wonderful new opportunities for a better, brighter world. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Now the unveiling. Here it comes. They’re going to do it. You stand here.

(The portrait was unveiled.)

(Applause.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I invite all of you to greet the Powells. I’m sorry we couldn’t recognize and acknowledge all of the people who are here, members of Congress, former members of Congress and the Senate, sitting senators, former members of Cabinets, so many wonderful people. I apologize, I have to go over to the White House for our meeting with Prime Minister Erdogan and the Turkish delegation, so I won’t get a chance to meet each of you individually and thank you for being here, but I know that the Powells would love to. So thank you again for joining us on this very happy occasion. (Applause.)

Playing Catch-up With The Peripatetic Mme. Secretary

Having been negligent about posting here, I now find myself having to catch up with a whole long trip the intrepid, indomitable and inexhaustible Secretary of State has been on Since March 31. Barely had her feet hit the ground in D.C. after her Mexican excursion, when she once again mounted the "Big Blue Plane" and took off for Europe. Here's her journey.

She touched down in Amsterdam for a Conference of Afghanistan at The Hague. Here we see her with Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen.



Of course she spoke.

Remarks at The International Conference on Afghanistan

Speech

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

The Hague, Netherlands

March 31, 2009

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Thank you very much, Minister Verhagen, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Special Representative Kai Eide, President Karzai, Minister Spanta, friends and colleagues, I want to thank all of you, and especially the United Nations and the Government of the Netherlands for hosting us. I also want to acknowledge the extraordinary contribution of the government and people of the Netherlands to the mission in Afghanistan.
And I want to also acknowledge President Karzai, who fills a critical leadership role in his nation, and whose government helped to shape the shared comprehensive and workable strategy that we are discussing today.
We are here to help the people of Afghanistan prevail against a ruthless enemy who poses a common threat to us all. Afghanistan has always been a crossroads of civilization, and today we find our fate converging in those plains and mountains that are so far and yet so near in this interconnected world to all of us.

Thanks to the efforts of the international community, the perpetrators of the horrific terrorist attacks of 9/11 – attacks which killed citizens from more than 90 countries – were driven from Afghanistan, and the Afghan people made a promising start toward a more secure future. But since those first hopeful moments, our collective inability to implement a clear and sustained strategy has allowed violent extremists to regain a foothold in Afghanistan and in Pakistan, and to make the area a nerve center for efforts to spread violence from London to Mumbai.

The range of countries and institutions represented here is a universal recognition that what happens in Afghanistan matters to us all. Our failure to bring peace and progress would be a setback not only to the people of Afghanistan, but to the entire enterprise of collective action in the interest of collective security. Our success, on the other hand, will not only benefit Afghanistan, Pakistan and the region, but also the blueprint for a new diplomacy powered by partnership and premised on shared interests.

So as we recommit ourselves to meet our common challenge with a new strategy, new energy, and new resources, let us be guided by an ancient Afghan proverb, “patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”

The plan I outline today is the product of intensive consultations with nations that have donated troops and support; Afghanistan’s neighbors and international institutions that play a vital role in Afghanistan’s future. The results of these consultations are clear: Our strategy must address the challenge in Afghanistan and Pakistan; it must integrate military and civilian activities and support them with vigorous international diplomacy; and it must rest on the simple premise that while we can and will help, Afghanistan’s future ultimately rests with the Afghan people and their elected government. Security is the essential first step; without it, all else fails. Afghanistan’s army and police will have to take the lead, supported by the International Security Assistance Force.

President Obama has announced that the United States will deploy 17,000 more soldiers and 4,000 additional military trainers to help build up Afghan security forces. The international community will also have to help. We should provide every army and police unit in Afghanistan with an international partner that can provide training and help build capacity. Our collective goal should be standing up an army of at least 134,000 soldiers and a police force of at least 82,000 officers by 2011. These steps will provide the people of Afghanistan with an opportunity to fight and win their own battle for their nation’s future.

We must also help Afghans strengthen their economy and institutions. They know how to rebuild their country, but they need the raw material of progress – roads, public institutions, schools, hospitals, irrigation, and agriculture. The United States is supporting the Government of Afghanistan’s National Development Strategy, the National Solidarity Program, and other initiatives that help Afghans improve their lives and strengthen their own communities.

In consultation with the Afghan Government, we have also identified agriculture – which comprises 70 percent of Afghanistan’s economy – as the key for development. In the 1970s, Afghans exported food to their neighbors. They were often called the garden of Central Asia. Today, this sector lags far behind, and its problems feed the deadly malignancy of the narcotics trade. The United States is focusing its efforts on rural development in provinces near the Afghan-Pakistan border, and we hope that others gathered here will heed the United Nations’ and Afghan Government’s call for help throughout the country with job creation, technical expertise, vocational training, and investments in roads, electrical transmission lines, education, healthcare, and so much else.

As we work with the Afghan people to supply these building blocks of development, we must demand accountability from ourselves and from the Afghan Government. Corruption is a cancer as dangerous to long-term success as the Taliban or al-Qaida. A government that cannot deliver accountable services for its people is a terrorist’s best recruiting tool.

So we must work with bodies such as Afghanistan’s Independent Directorate of Local Governance to ensure that the government at all levels is responsible and transparent. The international community, gathered here, can help by providing auditors and governance experts and training a new generation of civil servants and administrators.

To earn the trust of the Afghan people, the Afghan Government must be legitimate and respected. This requires a successful election in August – one that is open, free, and fair. That can only happen with strong support from the international community. I am, therefore, pleased to announce today that to advance that goal, the United States is committing $40 million to help fund Afghanistan’s upcoming elections.

We must also support efforts by the Government of Afghanistan to separate the extremists of al-Qaida and the Taliban from those who joined their ranks not out of conviction, but out of desperation. This is, in fact, the case for a majority of those fighting with the Taliban. They should be offered an honorable form of reconciliation and reintegration into a peaceful society if they are willing to abandon violence, break with al-Qaida, and support the constitution.

Just as these problems cannot be solved without the Afghan people, they cannot be solved without the help of Afghanistan’s neighbors. Trafficking in narcotics, the spread of violent extremism, economic stagnation, water management, electrification, and irrigation are regional challenges that require regional solutions.

The United Nations has a central role in this effort to coordinate with the Government of Afghanistan and neighbors in the region to make sure that programs are properly prioritized and well focused. We are committed to working with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UN Special Representative Kai Eide to achieve that goal. The United States Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, will lead American efforts as we move forward, and we welcome the appointment of special representatives by other countries.

If we are to succeed, we will need the help of all the nations present here. As President Obama has pointed out, “the world cannot afford the price that will come due if Afghanistan slides back into chaos.” While there is great temptation to retreat inward in these difficult economic times, it is precisely at such moments that we must redouble our effort. And as we make commitments and contributions, we must ensure they are flexible enough to respond to immediate needs and evolving opportunities. And we all must be willing to coordinate those efforts together.
The challenge we face is difficult, but the opportunity is clear if we move away from the past. All too often in the past seven years, our efforts have been undermanned, under-resourced and underfunded. This goal is achievable. We know we have made progress where we have made adequate investment and worked together.

The status of Afghanistan’s army, the lives of women and girls, the country’s education and health systems are far better today than they were in 2001. So if all of us represented here work with the government and people of Afghanistan, we will help not only to secure their future, but ours as well.
Now the principal focus of our discussions today is on Afghanistan, but we cannot hope to succeed if those who seek to reestablish a haven for violence and extremism operate from sanctuaries just across the border. For this reason, our partnership with Pakistan is critical. Together, we all must give Pakistan the tools it needs to fight extremists within its borders.
The Obama Administration has made a strong commitment through our support for legislation called the Kerry-Lugar assistance program. And in a few weeks, we will have a chance to join together in Tokyo for a meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan to provide the support that the Pakistani Government and people need. I urge the nations here today in support of Afghanistan to join us in Tokyo on April 17^th to help the people of Pakistan.

This effort has already required great sacrifice and it will require more. But in Afghanistan and Pakistan, we face a common threat, a common enemy, and a common task. So let us use today, this conference, to renew and reinvigorate our commitment and our involvement, and to lay a firm foundation for a safer region and a safer world. It is in the interests of all of the people who we represent as we sit around this conference table here in The Hague, and for the kind of world that we wish to help create.
Thank you very much.

That's Maxime Verhagen behind her in these, too.

Remarks With Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen

Remarks

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

The Hague, Netherlands

March 31, 2009

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FOREIGN MINISTER VERHAGEN: Madame Secretary, ladies and gentlemen, I want to extend a warm welcome to Secretary Clinton for her visit to the Netherlands, especially because we want to celebrate this year, 400 years of friendship between our two countries. Maybe not in a big tent we are today, but in a place big enough to host all the delegations, all the people who are involved in the future of Afghanistan, and who know that we have a stake in the future of Afghanistan.
The United States and the Netherlands and over 80 other countries and organizations are today meeting in The Hague. We have serious choices to make today. In recent years, NATO and its partners have reduced the threat of terrorists who once found a free haven in Afghanistan and planned attacks on peaceful citizens all over the world. But our work in Afghanistan is still far from done. And Secretary Clinton and I discussed our analyses of the situation and the possible ways forward. And the Netherlands welcomes the outcome of the policy review conducted by the United States.
As the review makes clear, Afghanistan and the region cannot be made safe by military force alone. Diplomacy and development are equally important. Afghan citizens as well as our own citizens need to know what our strategy will be. And I hope today in The Hague, we will start working on a new deal for Afghanistan, a common contract, a new Afghan bond. Achieving respect for human rights, good governance, and social and economic progress are equally important. And I’m sure that the United States and the Netherlands agree that such an Afghan bond must reflect a comprehensive and integrated approach.
In the province of Uruzgan in the south of the country, Dutch diplomats, development workers and military, together with our allies, are learning to do just that. And although the situation is far from irreversible, the number of security incidents is stable and development is picking up. So the Netherlands very much welcomes the American commitment to the training of the Afghan army and police, because this will enable the international community to proceed from implementing to assisting.
In the end, the Afghan people themselves have to be able to provide security and to lead the development of their country. And this conference proves the international community as a whole stays and is wanting to stay committed to the Afghan people.
Madame Secretary, thank you very much and I hope that we will have a very fruitful conference today.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, thank you so much, Minister, and I am confident that this conference will make a great difference. And I am very grateful to you personally and to the Dutch Government for making this conference possible in such a short period of time. It was less than a month ago that we first discussed this together in Brussels. And once again, the Dutch Government is at the forefront of the work done on behalf of the global community, and I appreciate that.
You know, as the minister said, Dutch troops are leading the effort in Afghanistan. In Uruzgan Province, as the minister referenced, the success of the policies implemented by the Dutch forces is remarkable. At the center of our efforts is a courageous military commitment by the Dutch people and their government, and it has proven results. It is not a surprise that the three Ds that the Dutch have pursued in their mission in Afghanistan – defense, diplomacy and development – are ones that I personally believe is exactly the right framework.
More than 80 nations and organizations have been brought together here in The Hague. And this conference is critical to our way forward. The Dutch people have played a vital role in advancing security and spreading opportunity far beyond your borders. And this time in particular, our commitment going forward in Afghanistan has great consequences for all of our people, all free people, all people who share the values that the Dutch and the Americans share. I will be speaking later at the conference about the Obama Administration’s strategy for Afghanistan. It is based on collaboration and consultation with our friends and partners.
I looked to the Netherlands not only because of the work that has been done in Afghanistan, but the unsurpassed commitment to fighting poverty and promoting development worldwide. The Netherlands has been a key ally for many decades. The fact that this country is the sixth most generous contributor to international development assistance says volumes about the values of the Dutch people. We will continue to seek your advice and your ideas, your guidance as we work together.
Now the ties between our two countries have a long history. This year, we celebrate the 400^th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s legendary voyage which took him from Amsterdam to New Amsterdam. And it marked the beginning of a great chapter in American history and American and Dutch cooperation. I know that the people of New Amsterdam, Minister, a city that is very dear to my heart, have already begun to celebrate this anniversary. I look forward to welcoming you to the United States in a few weeks, where I hope that we can bring even greater attention to the ties that join us and to the values that extend beyond time. And I look forward to many centuries of friendship and partnership between the American and Dutch people.
Thank you very much.
FOREIGN MINISTER VERHAGEN: Thank you.
QUESTION: Madame Secretary (inaudible) after 2010, what do you think can be the role for the Netherlands after that period?
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, that is, of course, up to the Dutch Government and the Dutch people. But I think the people of the Netherlands should know, certainly from my perspective, the extraordinary contribution and leadership that your mission in Afghanistan has provided. We understand very well the sacrifices, the individual sacrifices as well as the collective ones that such a mission demonstrates. But it has been extraordinarily successful. And in fact, our strategic review is building on many of the ideas and the principles that were brought to bear by the Dutch in Afghanistan. But of course, any decision in the future is up to the people of the Netherlands and their government.
Thank you.

 When the conference ended, she hopped the Channel and met up with British Foreign Minister Davis Milibrand with whom we've seen her form a fast friendship. Her Daily Schedule as issued by the State Department stated simply that she was on foreign travel with the President who was in London for an Economic Summit.

Here Hillary and David are in front of 10 Downing Street where the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown resides. Looks like they were happy to catch a few rays. (Just enough for your daily dose of vitamin D, Hilly! Don't damage your pretty skin, please).



Along with other Foreign dignitaries, Hillary attended a reception by the Queen. She wore a lovely black pantsuit (looks like silk) with a beautiful ruffled blouse beneath. Very pretty, as you can see. She is being greeted by a Lady-in-waiting to the Queen, Mrs. Jennifer Gordon-Lennox.


Of course in these pictures you will recognize Queen Elizabeth II and Nicholas Sarkozy, President of France who is gripping Hillary in the second picture. (Be careful, Nick. Don't break her). We have seen the men drawn to Hillary like bees to honey. Apart from what we see in pictures, her beautiful, cheerful smile, her pretty figure in beautiful colors, her pretty hair, we know she has a great sense of humor, is a wonderful listener (men love that), and has very soft hands and always smells great!



Here she is with Charles and Camilla and with President Obama and Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner in a meeting.



From London, it was on to Baden Baden, Germany, and Strasbourg, France for a NATO Summit. Upon arrival at Baden Baden, she was warmly greeted By German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.



She wore this elegant out fit to a working dinner that night. We see her here with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos.



Laughing with NATO Secretary General, General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. As I said, she has a great sense of humor. I wonder what she said!



Her European journey ended in Prague. Here she is in a group picture with all the NATO Foreign Ministers. Pretty in pink. Magnetic and adorable. (Whom are you flirting with, Hills?)



She flew back yesterday (Sunday) as did Michelle Obama. Hillary hosted the Joint Session of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and the Arctic Council, 50th Anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty this morning. It was HUGE!



Whew! I am worn out just getting this all down. And look at Hillary! Fresh and pretty as a spring blossom, and she smells as good, too - we know!