By all accounts, a great first week

Posted By Carolyn O'Hara Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - 6:28 PM Share

Secretary Clinton has been on the job for a week now, and I think it's fair to say she's doing a fantastic job. Special envoys have been named for South Asia, the Middle East, and climate change, and George Mitchell, the Middle East envoy, is already on a listening tour in the region. She's put in calls to more than three dozen leaders as part of an effort to reassure the world that the U.S. is committed to repairing damaged relations. She's made impressive development announcements, with an initial State Department commitment of $125 million this year to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and a pledge on behalf of the administration to work with other countries to halve global hunger and poverty by 2015. And she's made it clear that she'd like to take the lead on U.S.-China relations, endorsing a "comprehensive" approach to the country (and reassuring the Chinese that she means the relationship should about more than just the value of the yuan).

That's a great start, and it's clear that Hillary Clinton's State Department - in both style and substance - bears little resemblence to the one under Condoleezza Rice.

So, here's my question to you, readers: What would you like to see Secretary Clinton address soon that hasn't made it onto the Week One Agenda? 

EXPLORE:HILLARY, STATE DEPARTMENT
 
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MARY GALLEGOS

6:59 PM ET

January 28, 2009

US Policy Statements

Great Job Hillary. You are making all of us stand up and be proud.

I would like to hear from Hillary (not Obama) what our foreign policy will be in regards to North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan. Do we still have a war on terror? Why call it something else?

I would like to hear how Hillary defines the role of economic policy as it relates to the State Department. What will be her role?

Knowing Hillary, she will articulate it succintly, clearly, and with committment and forethought. Much better than those around her. That is why I want to hear it from her.

 

IKANT

7:33 PM ET

January 28, 2009

Quality

I admire Secretary Clinton in her ideas about women's rights and the way she fought for it.

But i simply cannot agree with her statements about Irsael-Hamas and Iran. They are simply a repetition of normal US foreing policy. I think she should see things straight by going to Middle East herself, spend more time than usual in Palestine and witness the power of destruction of Israel. It is indespensable to have a sense of justice in this matter so vital to whole region.

I would like to hear her talk about Latin America, are the US keep assuming hostile positions towards Venezuela and Bolivia? Are they going to continue the economic embargo on Cuba? And about Africa? The poverty programs, the contributions to NGOs or United Nation's Agencies...

 

SJC2

7:43 PM ET

January 28, 2009

First Week

She has actually accomplished a lot more, just not advertising it. I would like to see more public effort to address the systemic resource issue, in particular the total manpower deficiency as well as the budgetary one. There needs to be a more concerted effort to drive the US strategic messaging program from State and not from the regional military commanders. Resources though are the big nut. The filling of the Deputy slot with Jack Lew is a good first step in this. His knowledge of the budget and the budget process will be invaluable. She has to be in the forefront though with Congress and in meetings on the Obama Administration budget meetings. That is where the rubber meets the road.

 

STERKT

8:57 PM ET

January 28, 2009

Smart Power

Please run for President in 2016!

 

CAROLYN-RODHAM

9:08 PM ET

January 28, 2009

Winning the war of ideas in Muslim countries

I hope Secretary Clinton will actively promote economic aid and development, as well as political openness, in Muslim countries like Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan to counter the decidedly negative view of America and American values promulgated by the Bush administration, and capitalized upon by jihadhists to justify acts of terrorism.

 

MISSALISON

1:51 PM ET

January 29, 2009

Funding

I would like to see her send an open letter to Congress demanding that it fully fund the State Department's existing operations and provide additional money for hiring more diplomats.

 

AFRIPOKE

8:25 PM ET

January 29, 2009

Why Not Start With Reforming State?

Someday, Joe Sixpack is going to wake up and ask why US foreign policy has consistently failed over the last 30 years? At some point, the average American will take a hard look at the fools who are charged with implementing our foreign policy and will realize that DoS needs to reform itself, adopt an apolitical stance with regards to policy, and wrench its training program out of the 19th century and into the 21st. These people work an average of 34 hours a week, get two months of leave (one paid, the other partially paid, to include travel home) and are never held accountable. Most 'staties' bounce from the campus directly to the Departmnet and carry the same BS activist postures in their pigskin Levenger attache cases with them. They don't specialize early and this ensures that important positions that could have positive effects on US foreign policy are filled by incompetents with neither the training or the experience to execute their duties. No matter how competent H. Clinton may be, she will be hamstrung by the idiots who comprise the 'workers' in her own department.

Increase their budget? Jesus, where do you people come from? Why don't you take a look at DoS's plans to raise an Army in Liberia. Ambassador X decides it would be nice to recruit northern Liberians. Over 20 million dollars later, there are less than 70 Northern Liberians in the Liberian military. What happened to Ambassador X? Not a damn thing. Please, look it up.

Never reinforce failure.

Wanna argue? Present me with a list of the last ten 'diplomatic' successes carried out by the Department of State and I will happily show you why you are an oxygen thief and need to self terminate.

 

Madam Secretary is an obsessive blog about all things Hillary Clinton. From her policies to her pantsuits, Madam Secretary delivers up-to-the-minute news, analysis, and gossip about America's top diplomat.