Leslie Gelb spends an exhausting day with Clinton

Fri, 10/23/2009 - 1:47pm

Hillary Clinton, Sept. 16, 2009 | JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

Leslie Gelb, former president of the Council on Foreign Relations, spent an exhausting 24 hours with Secretary Clinton last month for a piece in the Oct. 25 issue of Parade magazine. He was a "fly on the wall," with her almost every waking minute, a time that he writes was "both grueling and inspirational, full of diplomatic pageantry, big meetings with policy brainiacs, small sessions with trusted aides, a stream of time-consuming formal duties, and, of course, phone calls and more phone calls."

If you read Gelb's article and click your way through the accompanying photo essay, you'll truly appreciate what a tough job it is to be secretary of state, and wear a smile every day.

Photo: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

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If Hillary's schedule is this

by Lois Whitfield on Sun, 10/25/2009 - 8:04am

If Hillary's schedule is this full every day I don't see how she can keep this up. I am curious regarding the comments that Leslie Gelb made at the end of the piece that Hillary was tired and frustrated.

Lois, you have a point

by moderatewinger on Sun, 10/25/2009 - 8:32pm

A very valid point. Although Hillary is a what I like to call a get up and go woman, she's in her sixties now. That's why I can't see her lasting into an Obama second term, if he has one.

Uh, a little sexist guys?

by Carolyn-Rodham on Tue, 10/27/2009 - 7:58am

The following Presidents were over sixty when they were inaugurated:

Ford - 61
Reagan - 69
Bush I - 65
Eisenhower - 62
Truman - 61
Adams - 61
Jackson - 61
Taylor - 64
etc.

55 US Senators are at least 60.
26 are over 70, including: Arlen Spector, Diane Feinstein, Cuck Grassley, Carl Levin, Orrin Hatch, John McCain, Barabra Milkulski, Jay Rockefeller, and Tom Harkin.

Nancy Pelosi is 69.

The following Secretaries of State were older than 60 while they served:

Colin Powell ages 64-68
Madeleine Albright ages 60-64
Warren Christopher ages 68-73
James Baker ages 59-63
George Shiltz ages 62-69
....among others....

As far as I know, Hillary is in perfect health, and seems to have the energy of someone much younger, not to mention that she hasn't lost a single little grey cell, as best as I can determine.

So, your point?

4 years

by ernestine on Thu, 10/29/2009 - 5:00pm

Well I dont see her in Obama's 2nd term cabinet(if he gets 2nd term) like what's posted on here Most Secretaries of State only serve 4 years. That's one crazy schedule she keeps don't know how she does it.

Carolyn,Let be clear. I

by Lois Whitfield on Tue, 10/27/2009 - 6:43pm

Carolyn,

Let me be clear. I think you misunderstood what I was saying. There is no way I would be able to keep up a schedule like that and most people couldn't. And I don't see how she can, but knowing Hillary she will. I think she is amazing.

And my other point about being tired and frustrated - who or what is she frustrated with?

credit to her staff

by 6ogurez on Wed, 10/28/2009 - 11:31pm

respect and admiration for her staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes...

I wish there would be more

by Roseann on Thu, 10/29/2009 - 8:26am

I wish there would be more reporting like this Gelb piece. The media loves the "Clinton marginalized/and/or underming
Obama" meme, when in fact she is a dedicated team player and
and patriot. Gelb may be projecting about the tired and
frustrated feelings, although Clinton has been very public about her frustration with the slow progress in vetting from the White House for key foreign policy positions at State, such as head of USAID. Also the tight message control by the boys" at the White House must be an occasional obstacle

According to Gallup's most recent poll, Hillary is more popular than anyone in the Cabinet and exceeds even Obama in approval, For what it is worth, the American people, not just Democrats, think Clinton is doing a good job representing the country.

Hillary's work ethic is legend

by Hillary Unleashed on Thu, 10/29/2009 - 9:50pm

most likely the reason she finds the importance of her job offering foreign leaders advise, a gratifying experience, after the media waged a marathon dissemination campaign against her during the Primary.

If only her boss exhibited half of her energy and resolve.

http://hillaryunleashed.wordpress.com