Rage:

Your visceral dislike of Hillary is clouding your facts.  Here is a short list of some of her accomplishments as First Lady and U.S. Senator from NY.  Admittedly only some of it is “foreign policy” related, but it’s there:

As First Lady of the U.S.

-Along with Senator Ted Kennedy, was a major force behind the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which provides state support for children whose parents are unable to provide them with health coverage.

-Promoted nationwide immunization against childhood illnesses.

-Successfully sought to increase research funding for prostate cancer and childhood asthma at the NIH.

-Was among the first to advocate strongly and vocally for investigations into what became known as Gulf War Syndrome.

-With Attorney General Janet Reno, created the Office on Violence Against Women at the Department of Justice.

-Initiated the (successfully passed) Adoption and Safe Families Act.

-Traveled to 79 countries (breaking Pat Nixon’s record).

-Gave a speech at the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995), arguing forcefully against practices that abused women around the world, including in China itself, and resisting Chinese pressure to soften her remarks.

-Spoke out forcefully against the Taliban’s treatment of women in Afghanistan.

-Helped create Vital Voices, an international initiative promoting the participation of women in political processes throughout the world.

As U.S. Senator from New York

-Serves on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (2001-Present).

-Took an early and leading role in investigation of health issues facing 9/11 first responders, as well as pushing for additional funding for health and medical care for them.

-When The Patriot Act came up for renewal in 2005, she worked to address some of the civil liberties concerns with it before voting in favor of the compromise bill in March 2006 that had large majority support.

-Supported retaining and improving health benefits for veterans.  Has been a consistently vocal and active advocate for veterans’ issues.

-Voted against the Bush tax cuts.

-Voted against the confirmation of John Roberts and Samuel Alito for Supreme Court.

-Voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment that sought to prohibit same-sex marriage.

-Opposed the Iraq War troop surge of 2007 and supported a February 2007 non-binding Senate resolution against it.

-Voted in favor of the war spending bill that required President Bush to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq within a certain deadline; it passed almost completely along party lines, but was subsequently vetoed by President Bush.

-Voted against the compromise war funding bill that removed withdrawal deadlines but tied funding to progress benchmarks for the Iraqi government.

-Responded to General David Petraeus’s September 2007 Report to Congress on the Situation in Iraq by saying, “I think that the reports that you provide to us really require a willing suspension of disbelief.”  Voted against the “Sense of the Senate” supporting Gen. Petraeus and criticizing the MoveOn.org advertisement.

-Early and vocal proponent of the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales; launched an Internet campaign to gain petition signatures towards this end.

rage:

“We need someone with more day-1 diplomatic experience and arbitration readiness than eight years as First Lady and a committee membership for the Armed Forces in the Senate for seven years…”

And your answer to this is…Bill Richardson?!?!  What are you smoking?!  Sorry, buddy, but Hillary’s actual-world experiences and being U.S. Senator from one of the largest states trump Richardson’s being Ambassador to the U.N. and the governor of one of the smallest states.  By a mile.

Nice try, though.  LOL.

Peace.

rage:

Actually, I HAVE met Hillary, twice.  And though I will not debate her credentials with you (I disagree with your assessment), I believe that she has FAR more gravitas than Bill Richardson.

As for Hillary vis-a-vis Obama, once again I ask: who are you to second-guess him?  Are you suggesting that you know better than he does who Hillary is, what she represents, and what her politics are?

If he believes she would be a good SoS - despite the things that happen during a presidential campaign (as ugly as they may be) - then who are YOU to say otherwise?  Indeed, this is EXACTLY the kind of move that makes Obama so different (in a good way) than his predecessors: his willingness to forgive, and to move ahead to solve the problems we face - with the best people he can find to carry out his policies and programs.

Peace.

Senator Kennedy does not need to “craft” anything, the bill HR676 is already written up, and is gaining more support in the house for universal single payer not for profit healthcare. Anything less is an insult.

Purple Girl:

I am surprisng at you.  After your wonderful and on-target rant in another thread re those who are second-guessing Obama’s appointments, you come up with this?

Again, presidential appointees are tasked with carrying out the agenda of the president - not the other way around.  Nowhere is this more critical than in foreign policy re the Sec’y of State position.  In this regard, with VERY few exceptions, Obama and Hillary were on the same page even during the primaries.  Thus, she ALREADY supports the overwhelming majority of his foreign policy agenda. And because she already has SOME foreign policy experience - including long-standing relationships with many world leaders - she may be UNIQUELY positioned to be Sec’y of State.

I fail to see how everyone is missing this.

Peace.

Maybe she’s getting cold feet ? Obamas vetting process is quite meticulous according to his inner circle.
  First her postelection economic disarray, on top of that Bills activities as a fundraiser for various organisations- Clinton Global Initiative , UNITAID..u.a.  where Norway alone has donated close to $1 bn.  His work for these NGO’s would create a conflict of interests with hers as a Secretary of State.
  My guess is that the mere Idea of Congressional hearing provokes a pavlovian respons of fear in HRC.  On the other hand, the environment for a universal healt care legislation has never been better in Washington. And if her name is linked to this..her chances of becoming the first female president will be greatly enhanced

Man for all his personal tainted history, Teddy pulls another Winner out of his hat!
Why should the woman who handed the McCain campaign every BS propaganda tactic, who wants to ‘Obliterate Iran’ and Can’t Tell the truth about anything unless it serves her opportunistic agenda, be considered for Sec of State. It’d be nice to have someone with Integrity this time around representing US in foreign negotiations.
Did he tell her that her signature or her brains would be on the agreement? Hope So!
Long Live Teddy- he may not be a Saint, but he’s a hellova Public Servant! Thank You,Thank You, Thank You for distracting Medusa from the Sec of State position!God knows we don’t need the Drama or the BS of the Clintons ANYMORE!!! and I voted for that SOB Twice-Big thanks to Both for fucking US up too!Seems his admin was just the bridge between Reaganism and Bushism….the Real ‘Bridge to Nowhere’....Did you catch the re witing of History with Hillary’s Oxymoronic term ‘Reagan Democrat’? VERY Telltale as to WHO she actually still works for- never gave up her Neo Con membership card- just grabbed on to whatever raising star would take her where she wanted to go.

Or, in other words, how they wiggled out of the mess by making her an offer she couldn’t refuse.