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Jake Tapper is ABC News' Senior National Correspondent based in the network's Washington bureau. He writes about politics and popular culture and covers a range of national stories.
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As The World Turns
November 27, 2007 10:58 AM
A surprising claim yesterday from Democratic presidential frontrunner (except in Iowa) Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, who said that she was "the face" of US foreign policy during her husband's presidential reign.
Clinton didn't just mention the one time she was indisputably the face of US foreign policy -- her Fall 1995 trip to China for the Fourth World Conference on Women.
She took it to a new level, raising some eyebrows among former Clinton administration officials.
"Well, you know, what I did during those eight years -- in partnership with obviously my husband and people like (then-Secretary of State) Madeline Albright -- was to try to be the face of American policy in a lot of different places," Clinton said.
She added that she had been "deeply involved in the Irish peace process."
It is true that if you go back and read up on that process, she was involved. Read about it HERE.
But when Albright, who has endorsed Clinton, was asked for comment, she didn't go as far as her former boss's wife did.
"Hillary Clinton represented American interests and values during her visits to more than 80 countries and her meetings with presidents, prime ministers and leaders of civil society," Albright said. "She has been a dynamic representative even standing up to China by pointing out that women's rights are human rights. Her seven years as a U.S. Senator, including her service on the Armed Services Committee, has further deepened her experience as a dynamic and effective leader for our country. She will be ready from the very first day to lead our nation in a dangerous and complicated world, which is why I am supporting her candidacy."
That statement is notable for what it doesn't say -- which is, that Hillary Clinton was "the face of American policy."
Anyway, it would seem we're approaching something of a decision here. Either one can derided Clinton's achievements, as Obama did after she took credit for economic good times in the 1990s, saying, "My understanding was that she wasn't treasury secretary in the Clinton administration."
Or one can accept her as an equal faux-Cabinet-level official, a la Al Gore.
If one does, then, is it fair for Clinton to claim credit for the successes of her husband's administration but none of the failures?
Should we hold her responsible in any way for inaction in Rwanda? For the failure of the last previous attempt at peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians? What about how long it took for the US to get involved in the former Yugoslavia?
Or does her unique status mean she can claim the good stuff and not the bad stuff?
What say you, vox populi?
- jt
November 27, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (8)
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mockingbird - what i bring up and jake is true and factual.
I noticed Libs ignore facts and the truth to further their agenda. When someone like Jake brings up facts it is not attacking it is bringing up the truth. Get one straight this is a blog.
I give facts about Clinton, no hype, you libs generalize about Pres. Bush with no facts.
You talk about Iraq saying we are involved in a so called civil war, when it is not a civil war, but yet pat the Clintons on the back for getting us involved in a true civil war.
you ignore the at a minimum 800000 dead in Rwanda under Clinton which could of been resolve if he did not back away from supporting the Canadian general there. Who asked for supplies and possible air support, and Clinton went against it at the UN.
The Blood is on her shoulders. And before you libs attack this statement look it up!
Posted by: spock | Nov 27, 2007 9:23:53 PM
I think you're embellishing her claim.
Hillary said, ""What I did during those eight years...was to try to be the face of American policy in a lot of different places."
Albright said, "Hillary Clinton represented American interests and values during her visits to more than 80 countries and her meetings with presidents, prime ministers and leaders of civil society."
The only contradiction I see is a semantic one. This will cause serious concern only for those who already hate her.
Posted by: LESD | Nov 27, 2007 5:04:20 PM
I think Iowans have HC figured out.
Posted by: flyover | Nov 27, 2007 1:46:41 PM
Ah, spock, what's new with rightwinger repub diatribes (read that lies) against Hillary Clinton. Or for any democrat for that matter. Trying to protect your "values and traditions"?
Posted by: mockingbird | Nov 27, 2007 1:17:27 PM
Boy, that's a fair question, Jake: "Or does her unique status mean she can claim the good stuff and not the bad stuff?" Kind of suggests the answer, huh?
Anyway, you've provided the context for Clinton's quote, and then challenged her only after stripping that context.
Clinton said that, while her husband was in office she would "TRY TO BE the face of American policy in a lot of different places."
She did NOT say that she was making policy, nor that she was regularly at the negotiating table (save for Ireland), as your post suggests she was saying. In fact, Madeline Albright seems to have said in about 500 words exactly what Clinton said in about a dozen.
For matters concerning which Clinton deserves criticism, there is plenty of meat on bone. This, however, is a fabricated non-issue.
Posted by: DKNY | Nov 27, 2007 11:41:30 AM
You're so desperately anti-Clinton, day after day....strangely obvious, too.
Posted by: Tom W. | Nov 27, 2007 11:29:24 AM
I think that's a fair criticism, but owning the bad with the good isn't particularly damning. The Clinton Administration DID intervene successfully in Bosnia. No, the Clinton administration wasn't succesful in brokering peace in the mideast, but the administration isn't regarded as a failure in that regard; after all, the Clinton Administration arguably came closer to the goal of peace than its predecessors and successor. Rwanda, maybe, is an albatross. I don't see anyone but pundits (read: YOU) raising this as an issue for Clinton.
Posted by: cordelia525 | Nov 27, 2007 11:10:37 AM
Umm, gets you to think, when she went to China, is that when the Clintons gave them Rocket technology?
There is an old saying you got yo take the Good with the Bad!
And during the Clinton times there was more bad then good, 800000 dead Rwandians, Terrorist attacks against us with no reprisal, over 4500 servicemen killed in a supposed peace time. (thats more then killed in this War)
Yes and do not forget the use of the IRS and FBI against her political enemies. The illegal collection of donations in the White house. Stealing of US property from the White house.
A healthcare plan that was diseastorus, that she is trying to bring back in small doses again.
High Taxes, out of control spending.
yes we want that again, NOT!
Posted by: spock | Nov 27, 2007 11:08:21 AM
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