Clinton: Here She Comes, There She Goes

After 3 Weeks On The Job, Secretary Of State Staying Busy And "Improvising Every Single Day"

(CBS)  Background and analysis by CBS News State Department reporter Charles Wolfson.

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Three weeks into her new role as America’s chief diplomat, Hillary Clinton has burrowed in at the State Department’s Foggy Bottom headquarters. There are reports of her cruising the hallways and dropping in on people to talk about what they’re doing but it has been mostly a mix of briefings, meetings and policy reviews taking place out of the public eye.

Of course there have been a smattering of photo-ops with visiting foreign ministers and other dignitaries, sometimes with a chance for reporters to ask Clinton about the news of the day or the administration’s policy on one subject or another.

Clinton held big, public ceremonies to announce the appointments of special envoy George Mitchell for the Middle East peace process and Todd Stern for Climate Change negotiations as well as Richard Holbrooke as special representative for Afghanistan-Pakistan. Mitchell and Holbrooke have already gone off to conduct listening tours.

In her first few days on the job, Secretary Clinton made over two dozen phone calls to foreign leaders, many of whom she knew already. After that she began to receive a steady stream of visitors from abroad including the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the Czech Republic. The Presidents of Haiti and the Philippines stopped by as did the Prime Minister of Albania, all standard fare for the next four years.

There have also been breakfast or lunch meetings with senior members of Congress not to mention weekly get-togethers with her boss, President Barack Obama, and Vice President Joe Biden. It is all part of what Clinton stresses really is a team effort in national security policy.

Not wanting to neglect the people she’ll be relying on most, Clinton also went to US AID headquarters a few blocks from the State Department to give a pep talk to those in charge of handing out development assistance to those in need around the world.

Back in her own shop the boss held her first Town Hall meeting. A standing room only crowd in the Dean Acheson auditorium paid close attention as Clinton outlined her general views on moving the department ahead in tough budgetary times. They applauded knowingly when she told them she’d already heard more complaints about food in the cafeteria (which is actually ranked quite high among government cafeterias in town) “than any of these crises which fill the headlines.” And she got a big round of laughter and applause when answering one question about using science as a tool for public diplomacy by saying she had spoken about the subject as a senator and in her recent campaign: “You know (pause) I ran for President at some point,” she said, and as the applause faded, added “And so, you know- I sometimes totally forget that. You know it’s like a blur, it went by so fast.” So much for the lighter moments on the job.

With all the major policy areas---Iraq, Afghanistan, Middle East peace process, Iran and North Korea among others--- under an administration wide review process the acting spokesman, Robert Wood, doesn’t have many answers to satisfy the journalists who cover the daily briefings. For now it is a plausible answer but the time will come all too soon when “the policy is being reviewed” will no longer be an acceptable answer.

Finally, that other integral part of the job, traveling abroad to visit leaders and attend conferences, is about to kick in. Clinton leaves this weekend on a week long trip with stops in four major Asian capitals-Tokyo, Jakarta, Seoul and Beijing. On her agenda are taking the next steps in dealing with North Korea’s nuclear program, the global financial crisis, global climate change, human rights and, in general, representing President Barack Obama. Don’t look for any big changes in policy pronouncements, her aides say, but just getting out from behind her desk should be a welcome relief.

How has Hillary Clinton adapted from her recent roles as senator and presidential candidate? As she presided over a ceremony sending a delegation off to India to promote American jazz and commemorate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s historic trip to India, Clinton quipped "as secretary of state, I am improvising every single day."

[kirstinharr]

How Hillary can get up in the morning with so much hatred and painful commentary about her, I''ll never know. She is a politician. She isn''t perfect. She could, however, have made billions had she not decided to serve her country in politics. With all her flaws, she has done great work. Bill did great work as President. His personal mistakes are none of my business but he ran the country well enough to take a deficit and turn it into a surplus and to create millions of jobs while reforming welfare in a way that even Republicans loved. Hillary bashing should not be a sport. Look at her record in the Senate. She did great things for not only the people of New York but for Veteran''s everywhere. Human? Yes. Flawed? Yes. Deserving of this kind of commentary? NO.

[opedanderson]

HRC should be POTUS......not the Made-For-TV Movie that is President Obama......but leave him alone, he is in his On-The-Job Training program.....just as HRC warned us about.....

[sandrany]

NAFTA is is what sent our jobs overseas. It had already passed through congress just before Pres. Clinton took his 1st oath of office. He signed the bill in the early days of his 1st term. Blame your pre-Clinton era congressman and senators. Hillary had NOTHING to do with it. Your ignorance is showing.

[dumdnc]

hsinco-I do believe this article is about the clinton''s, fool.

[dumdnc]

Hillary did a great job here in Western New York while playing senator. Why, she promised thousands, upon thousands of jobs to our area if elected. Well, she sure did, she got a customer service company in here that employed 10 real,live Western New Yorkers and thousands of jobs to India. Of course she pulled the usual ploy of blaming Bush.
Her hubby is doing well. There''s a great article in Townhall Magazine that pin points where all his money is coming from. Most comes from Saudi Arabia, Dubai, India, etc, etc. With all that known and public knowledge just how did hill get her position??
Oh yea, payback. Just the way acorn will get billions for helping the chosen one get elected. And the leemings don''t care.

[beach671]

Great, our former Director of Walmart will be outsourcing even more jobs for their own profit.

She''s not going to be doing things for our countries citizens. The Clintons work for themselves.

[shimano35]

BETTER CLINTON THAN COURIC!!!!

[dink217]

That is all you are about, calling people fascists who differ in opinion, isn''''t that what fascism is all about ?? for once in your life respect a disenting opinion, you might learn something

Posted by Minuteman-9 at 07:41 PM : Feb 12, 2009

I wouldn''t get too upset this is a Black guy in Chicago trying to make himself feel good.

[dink217]

LOL YOU poor fascist! LOL You have become NOTHING but children acting like school yard bullies! YOU are truly a pathetic bunch... VERY PATHETIC INDEED! Sieg Heil Y''''all.

Posted by irmcvet971 at 07:30 PM : Feb 12, 2009

I had rather be called a Fascist than a Chicago Politician.

[shanev137]

Hillary is sleeping with Obama!

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You need to up your dose of lithium.

[timothyone-2009]

Hillary is not doing things right! Hillary is making a mess of everything! Hillary should not be Sec. of State!
Hillary is sleeping with Obama! Hillary and Bill have a deal with Satan that will allow them to take over the world. Hillary is the Anti-Christ!
Other than that she''s doing a great job!

[miamiderick]

As chairperson for the India Caucus, Hillary was intrumental in outsourcing millions of US jobs to India. Lets hope she is not going to be selling us out, outsourcing our jobs while she is in South East Asia. If she does, those secret Turks and Caicos bank accounts will come in handy.

[libsdusuck]

This is news! who cares what the wicked witch says or does. SHe is being kept busy to keep her big mounth shut and out of the lime light that she thinks she deserves. Who cares about anything that has to do with Cliton! LOL!

[hsinco-2009]

I will never, ever, trust either of the Clintons.

Posted by allmymarbles at 01:03 PM : Feb 13, 2009

No doubt that you trust the Bu$h''s.

[allmymarbles]

I will never, ever, trust either of the Clintons.

[wardoglrs]

The Clinton''s administration had nothing to do with any kind of brilliance on there pathetic part.

Again you people get it wrong over and over you think Clinton brought prosperity what F-ing Joke

The reason you got lucky was because the DOTCOM boom not Clinton

Plus the Federal Reserve printed all the debt you suffer from now because your hero Billy Bob signed laws for the poor that were not qualified to own a house was now possible to own, Devaluing your dollar
But we know where that ended up now dont you?

[briannorwood]

I did not support Hillary Clinton in her run for President. But, I think she is an excellent choice for Secretary of State. Tough, smart and experienced.

A refreshing change from the sycophantic Condi Rice.

[bobbyduck1]

Thank God Bill Clinton was in power as President. if he wasnt we would never have known what a Great President was in our lifetime. He may have gotten a job in the oval office but More americans had jobs when he was in office than when any Repig was in office!

Posted by didserve at 07:13 AM : Feb 13, 2009

Well said and so true! The whole world was a better place during the Clinton years. Here''s hoping Barack Obama can do even close to as good a job! He certainly inherited the worst mess of our lifetimes - courtesy of the shrub and the rest of the new-wacks!

[abbe91]

"Hillary''''s gone!!! Bill is going to have a field day. The scum bag is on the loose. Keep your mothers, wives, and daughters off the street. That''''s a marriage made in heaven. GO GET THEM BILL!!!!!
Posted by dongo1955 at 06:28 AM : Feb 13, 2009"

You think he''s going to Alaska to say Hi to Palin''s daughter ? LOL

[andor3]

I''m glad Hillary is on board and getting settled. Look forward to great improvement with the Obama/Clinton team.