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Hillarysworld -> All things Hillary -> "Hillary Clinton: Partisan gridlock at home hurts U.S. abroad" (CourierPostOnline.com 2/24/10)
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TOPIC: "Hillary Clinton: Partisan gridlock at home hurts U.S. abroad" (CourierPostOnline.com 2/24/10)
Sanders


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"Hillary Clinton: Partisan gridlock at home hurts U.S. abroad" (CourierPostOnline.com 2/24/10)
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Hillary says Congressional gridlock challenges U.S. world stature

by David Morgan, Feb 24, 2010 15:01 EST

USA/

Photo credit: REUTERS/Larry Downing (U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, April 30, 2009.)

 

The partisan gridlock that has paralyzed Congress during much of the Obama administration may have far-reaching implications for America’s stature in the world, according to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Clinton said U.S. partners overseas have been confused about the Senate’s inability to approve President Barack Obama’s appointments to top diplomatic jobs, including assistant secretary of state positions and ambassadorships.

“It became harder and harder to explain to countries, particularly countries of significance, why we had nobody in position for them to interact with,” Clinton told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the Obama budget plan for fiscal year 2011.

She said the U.S. Agency for International Development, which administers U.S. civilian foreign aid to countries including quake-stricken Haiti, still lacks a complete team to run its operations.

Clinton also went further, under questioning from Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, a former Republican who jumped to the Democratic Party in 2009.

Specter asked if she could confirm his perception that  congressional gridlock has weakened Obama and the U.S. presidency overseas during the past year.

“There is certainly a perception that I encounter in representing our country around the world that supports your characterization. People just don’t understand the way our system operates, they just don’t get it,” replied Clinton, who is Obama’s top adviser on foreign policy.

“Their view does color whether the United States is in a position — not just this president, but our country — is in a position going forward to demonstrate the kind of unity and strength and effectiveness that I think we have to in this very complex and dangerous world.”

“We have to be attuned to how the rest of the world sees the functioning of our government, because it’s an asset. It may be an intangible asset, but it’s an asset of great importance. And as we sell democracy, and we’re the lead democracy in the world, I want people to know we have checks and balances but we also have the capacity to move, too,” she added.

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Click here for more political news from Reuters.

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Hillary Clinton: Partisan gridlock at home hurts U.S. abroad

By MATTHEW LEE • Associated Press • February 24, 2010


Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton complained Wednesday that domestic political battles are hurting the president's foreign policy goals and damaging America's image abroad.

Testifying before a congressional committee, Clinton said fights between the White House and Congress have led to "gridlock" in appointing officials to critical positions, including those with key foreign policy and international assistance responsibilities. That has created confusion among friends and allies, she said.

"We're now more than a year into a new administration and whether you agree or disagree with a particular policy, a president deserves to have the people that he nominates serving him," Clinton told the Senate Appropriations Committee.

In response to questions from Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., she noted that delays and holds placed on the nominations of several ambassadorial and senior State Department positions had been problematic.

"It became harder and harder to explain to countries, particularly countries of significance, why we had nobody in position for them to interact with," Clinton said.

She did not identify the positions to which she referred nor the lawmakers who delayed the confirmations but in one well-publicized case last year, Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., held up for months the appointments of both the new ambassador to Brazil and the incoming top diplomat for Western Hemisphere affairs over policy toward Honduras.
More . . .

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She is sticking to her role, and still making germane remarks.  Very smart!

-- Edited by Sanders on Wednesday 24th of February 2010 06:18:39 PM

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Hillarysmygirl16


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She's rght ambassodors need to be confirmed.

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Amy Dugan


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thought i read last spring she was rumored to be frazzled over Obama's stringent approval process that is keeping state from getting staffed. REMEMBER?? we complained about Geitner getting in but not HRC's requests



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Amy Dugan
Jen the Michigander


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Yes, Amy, I remember that. I recall that Hillary was particularly frustrated that it took so long to find someone to head USAID.

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Hillarysmygirl16


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no I don't know why Obama and the Senate keep trying to prevent her from building a staff.  Doesn't Oblowme realize that he needs her to be sucessful.  I guess he doesn't really care about the White House as long as he gets his own way.

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