Bonnie Erbe

Has Obama Intentionally Relegated Hillary Clinton to Third-Class Status?

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July 14, 2009 RSS Feed Print
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By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street Blog

Hill, we barely knew ye. So funny that Secretary of State Clinton is back in the news again, after what seems like a prolonged absence. I remember being offended when hearing that last month ABC News Sunday talk show host George Stephanopoulos asked her exactly what her portfolio was, or words to that effect, since V.P. Joe Biden and other Obama administration males have succeeded in carving up large, juicy parts of the international issues territory.

Turns out he was right!

Secretary Clinton has been all but invisible since ascending to one of the most visible cabinet posts, and one wonders whether this was done on purpose. She had to resort to carping about the length of time it's taking to get her U.S. AID lieutenant in office in order to make headlines—that after her commander in chief globe-trotted back from Africa, Italy, and other parts of the world these past couple of weeks.

Tina Brown has an interesting take at thedailybeast.com:

It's time for Barack Obama to let Hillary Clinton take off her burqa.

Consider the president's Moscow trip a week ago. In a cozy scene at Vladimir Putin's dacha, the boys enjoyed traditional Russian tea and breakfast on a terrace. Sitting on Putin's right was the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. Where was Lavrov's counterpart? She was back home, left there with a broken elbow to receive a visit from the ousted Honduran president, José Manuel Zelaya.

I don't put it beyond President Obama to have purposely buried Secretary Clinton and denied her visibility. He strikes me as a politician who will say or do anything to get himself elected in the first place and re-elected in the second place. So he cut a deal, quieted down the Clinton contingent, and then went on to consign her to not second- but third-class status in what is normally a high-visibility post. So what else is new?

Tags:
Obama administration,
Hillary Clinton,
State Department

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While you rant about "nuculear arms control" and "hidding in sheeps clothing" how many sheeps outfits? I agree with you, The President's,"certifact" is probably fake especially since it came from that place outside of the U.S. Everett, please tell me the name of that one (an) american native that was President. I was not aware there had been an Indian President of the US. Pardon my ignorance. Is muslium a new dance? THe more time I waste thinking abt you the dumber I get. Get a life. Stop repeating stupid comments from the barber's shop.

Sapfire Wedgeworth of AL 7:40AM August 04, 2009

the people of our great nation has been blinded by this fool we call a president he was told to keep his nose out of korea bussiness and he can,t do it if he leaves korea alone they won,t bother us but, he keeps pushing the nuculear arms control then we will be at war with them and i think he is hidding in sheeps clothing just waiting to jump on his prey the united states i don,t believe for one minute he has a real birth certifact anyone with his power could have one made up real easy he needs to be put out of office before he does anymore damage to the united states who has always had an american native president and not some muslium who is for the foriegn people if he wants to get us out of debt go and collect the money the other countries owe us and quit rebuild what we tear up in a war .

everett of KY 9:11AM July 31, 2009

Obama has been in office less than a year and ppl are already up in arms about what he has and has not done. Geez, look at all the damage Bush did in 8 years and ppl didn't catch on till after his re-election. I understand that times are tough (we all feel it) but all that damage was done over years of selfishness and corruption going un-challenged. The American ppl are like abused children, after 8 years of severe beatings we are quick to lash out at anything that is remotely suspicious to us. Obama has 3 and a half years left, we the ppl need to allow the man to work and judge him at the appropriate time (the next election). Until then he is our President so get use to it and support him and this country while he tries to help this country recover from years of abuse.

Ashley of WA 4:54PM July 29, 2009

Bonnie Erbe

Bonnie Erbe

Bonnie Erbe is a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report and hosts PBS's weekly news analysis program, To the Contrary with Bonnie Erbe. She also writes a weekly syndicated newspaper column for Scripps Howard News Service.

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