Clinton: Obama Has 'Absolutely' Passed the 3 A.M. Test
By Susie Madrak Sunday Jun 07, 2009 10:00am
George Stephanopoulos with Hillary Clinton this morning:
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said President Barack Obama has "absolutely" answered questions she posed during the Democratic campaign about his lack of experience and ability to handle an international crisis.
In her first Sunday show interview since her presidential bid ended a year ago, I asked Clinton if Obama answered the questions she raised in her campaign's "3a.m." ad.
"Absolutely," Clinton told me in an exclusive "This Week" Sunday show interview-- her first as secretary of state.
"And, you know, the president in his public actions and demeanor, and certainly in private with me and with the national security team, has been strong, thoughtful, decisive, I think he is doing a terrific job," she said, "And it's an honor to serve with him."
Obama told Richard Wolffe that he had decided to offer State to Clinton during their primary battle. That came as a surprise to her.
"I never had any -- any dream, let alone inkling that I would end up in President Obama's cabinet," she told me.
"I was looking forward to going back to the Senate and, frankly, going back to my life and representing New York, which I love. And I had no idea that he had a different plan in mind."
Clinton also deflected Obama's first pass.
"When he called and asked me to come see him, and we had our first conversation I said, 'you know, I really don't think I'm the person to do this, I want to go back to my life. I really feel like I owe it to the people of New York,'" Clinton said.
"And I gave him a bunch of other names of people who I thought would be great secretaries of state. But he was quite persistent and very persuasive. And, you know, ultimately it came down to my feeling that, number one, when your president asks you to do something for your country, you really need a good reason not to do it."
"Number two, if I had won and I had asked him to please help me serve our country, I would have hoped he would say yes," Clinton said, "And finally, I looked around our world and I thought, you know, we are in just so many deep holes that everybody had better grab a shovel and start digging out."
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It's the domestic ones, the economic ones, the security ones where he has come down resolutely on the side of the status quo ante...
I was never worried about the 3 am phone call.
It was the broad-daylight visit of the telecom, or the credit card, or the derivatives' lobbyists that terrified me, and still do...
I looked around our world and I thought, you know, we are in just so many deep holes that everybody had better grab a shovel and start digging out."
How true, sister.
?
swinging shovels in a hole is gonna make matters worse, the ole deeper.
it might be the Chinese president who gets the 3 A.M. phone call.
All kidding aside, I like Hillary. Her job cannot be easy.
You can do it by digging sideways to produce a tunnel with set of stairs or an incline. Tricky, but not impossible. You could also take dirt from the sides of the hole to sequentially build a higher and higher platform to stand on in the hole.
Not elegant solutions, but they would work.
by digging an upward ramp and back fill behind you. When you're done you're standing beside a back filled hole. Just saying.
"...we are in just so many deep holes that everybody had better grab a shovel and start digging out"
Only a politician would think that the way OUT of a hole is to DIG...
In C&L during the primary season, I was one of those rabid Obamanites, and rarely found a good thing to say about Hillary at the time. Today, she proved she is a pro and that she has the best interests of America at heart. I admire her.
Condoleeza Rice?
My favorite part was when Stephanopoulos, her former employee, hit her with the North Korean questions. Yes, North Korea is scary and has been marketing all the weapons they can make to other nations...but... well, what is America's greatest export? Weapons!
NAFTA and weapons go together like Billy and beer.
Not Bill and interns?
I was a bit different. Started out grudgingly supporting Clinton, but because I thought she was that great just because I thought she had the best chance to win. I was converted to Obama and then as Clinton started pulling out all the cheap shots got more and more disgusted with her. When Obama announced that she would be SOS I was shocked and thought he must be out of his mind. I never thought she could be a team player. Now I see how wrong I was and am once again impressed by Obama's ability to reach out to people and build coalitions.
During the primary season. I admire her, too.
than prez
admit it...she sucks as a candidate
I noticed a lot of anti hillary posts here on these forums...thanks for your comment.
Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, is doing a terrific job in her position. Her statement "serve with him" indicates that she is a team player and will do whatever is needed when representing the interests of the United States.
And Rahm is calling the shots again.
Clinton said, "And finally, I looked around our world and I thought, you know, we are in just so many deep holes that everybody had better grab a shovel and start digging out."
OOPS! I think it was Will Rogers who said, "When you find yourself in a hole stop digging."
I agree that's kind of funny and it was one of those things where the metaphor gets a little garbled between brain and mouth. But on the other hand, imagine you're at the bottom of a ten-foot hole and all you have is a shovel. How would *you* get out?
She showed a lot of class in this interview. I really hope to see a lot success during her tenure. She is especially lucky that Condi Rice preceded her (because Rice was so incredibly horrible. Never accomplished anything) but I think history will show, in the end, that Clinton will have been a very good SOS. We will see.
Oh yes Hillary is soooooo classy. Lied through her teeth in the primaries. Dodging sniper fire? Ready at 3AM? Team player? It's her damn team!! Most of the Obama administration is Clinton leftovers and hand-me-downs. Ol' Hillary should feel right at home. She's about as big an expert on global politics, as Dickhead Cheney's much publicized daughter. One an expert cuz her daddy apparently gave her classified info, and the other because her philandering hubby gave her classified info. One must never forget, Hillary's support of Bush in the Iraqi fiasco, right down to voting for special money to continue it. Hey Hillary, wanna make a real difference? Start yelling for prosecutions of the previous government's illegal acts of torture. Ya, I know, when pigs fly.
give the sniper fire shit a rest. Your CD is skipping. It was an election not a confessional. As to her qualifications I wish I had as good a resume. What did you think she was, a stay at home housewife? Finally, this news just in, she's the Secretary of State and not the Attorney General.
I completely forgot that being married to the President qualified you for umpteen jobs. All those library readings and fundraisers fully qualified her. Couldn't be her senate voting record, because it was inseparable from the Republican one. Next you democratic loyalist 23%ers will be saying that Michelle Obama is fully qualified for umpteen government jobs because she fed the poor in her $600 running shoes, and dazzling armless dresses.
And Peter, your CD is skipping. All things are great as long as they are Dem is getting old fast when the latest greatest speachified one hit wonder, talks out of one side of his teleprompter, while giving the finger from behind his back.
Are Ivy League-trained attorneys. Hillary was one of the top attorneys in the Rose Law Firm before she became a reasonably good Senator (except for that vote for the Iraq War). Michelle was a hospital administrator. So don't try to say they are not qualified "for umpteen jobs" because they were or are married to presidents. It's more the Republican First Ladies, who were librarians or actresses before they married presidents-to-be. They are educated and intelligent to perform in many professional positions.
As for "loyalist 23 percenters," I think right-wing Republicans fit that description better than Democrats.
see Anais's comment.
You seem to be implying with your sarky asides that being married to the POTUS negates -- nay, totally obliterates all the hirer learning and accomplishments of these women.
Grow up, and quit trying so hard to be a contrary asshat. My godfather was a top atty and a hospital admin. Wanna bust his chops for it?
And FUCK OFF with the teleprompter bullshit. Since its inception in the 50's, many presidents have used it. Do you begrudge Lincoln the envelope he read the Gettysburg Address off of? That wasn't extemporaneous. He wrote it down, then read what he wrote. I'm sure had they been available, Lincoln would have had one too.
One thing about Obama and the fucking teleprompter you people trot out every time you run out of real criticism:
He knows whats on the teleprompter beforehand, and he can read and understand the meaning of every word on it. Where were you 'Teleprompter Concerned' aholes when Bush was winging it, not getting what he was saying? Huh? Well, where the fuck were you?
FUCK OFF
If he takes only this part of your post to heart, we'll all be happier.
Peter G et al: Do what I did, and put ConcernedCanuck on your 'ignore' list. Life's too short for reflexive negativity.
back to /ignore with you
, CC
Republican of you. Perhaps you are right. Maybe Hillary learned all kinds of new tricks hanging out with the Bush and Bushlite with her hubby.
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