by Mark Silva
Former President Bill Clinton says his wife first learned of her possible future as Secretary of State the same way that most Americans first heard of Sen. Hillary Clinton's new role.
In the papers.
"She was shocked,'' Bill Clinton said in an interview with CNN. "She first read about it in the newspaper, the speculation.''
The globe-trotting former president - he was interviewed for the first time since President-elect Barack Obama's announcement of the former First Lady as candidate for Secretary of State at the end of another Clinton Global Initiative venture in Asia - discussed his own role with his wife in the new Obama administration.
"I think my involvement will be what our involvement with each other's work has always been,'' Clinton said. "All the years I was a governor and president, I talked to her about everything, and I, you know, found her advice invaluable, and I'm sure we'll talk about all of this. I really care about a lot of these profound challenges that our country and the world are facing.
"But the decisions willl have to be ultimately President-elect Obama's decisions,'' he said. "I'll just try to be a helpful sounding board to her, but I don't think I will do any more... unless he asks me to do something specific, which I am neither looking for or opposed to.''
As part of the New York senator's assignment to the State Department, the 42nd president has agreed to curtail his ventures, disclose all contributions to his foundation and check with State and the White House on the ethics of future trips.
It speaks volumes that the first words from Bill Clinton about his wife's nomination for the nation's highest diplomatic post that he voiced them in Hong Kong, at the close of another one of his foundation's Clinton Global Initiative meetings showcasing some $185 million worth of commitments from donors to do good.
The Clinton foundation reports this today:
"Examples of the impact CGI Asia commitments will have once fully implemented include:
An estimated 715,000 children will benefit from better education opportunities.
Over 260,000 adults will learn new job skills.
Of these, nearly 26,000 are teachers and 8,000 are health care workers who will benefit from new training.
Over 250,000 girls and women will be empowered with better opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.
Nearly 24,000 hectares of forest land will be protected by empowering local residents to manage their own natural resources.
The equivalent of more than 40,000 tons of CO2 emissions will be cut.
Over 700,000 people will better learn to cope with environmental stress and natural disasters.
More than 3.5 million people will gain greater access to health services.
Half a million people will now have safe drinking water, and 400,000 children will benefit from better nutrition.
Following the successful conclusion of the first day of the CGI Asia meeting, President Clinton was joined at a Gala Dinner by the Honorable Donald Tsang, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, internationally acclaimed actor Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li, founder of the ONE Foundation, and other CGI Asia members for a special evening of music and conversation to celebrate giving and inspire Commitments to Action.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd addressed the CGI Asia meeting by video.
"We need new ideas to confront and solve the myriad of challenges which lie ahead of us this century," said Prime Minister Rudd. "I look forward to working with all those gathered at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting to move our world forward towards a new chapter in human history."
CGI participants focused on the three main CGI Asia topics: education, energy & climate change and public health. The program also acknowledged the current economic climate with a plenary session on coping with the financial crisis.
Established in 2005 as a project of the non-partisan William J. Clinton Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges. The CGI community includes: CGI University, a forum to engage college students in global citizenship; CGI Asia, the first in a series of regional CGI meetings; and, MyCommitment.org, an online portal where anyone can commit to helping improve lives.''
Comments
While I'm sure there will be many on the right who will find fault with a Secretary of State using their spouse (Ex-President) as a sounding board, it is no different than Bushs' desire to recieve help from his spouse on the issues he feels where she can actually help...............like what color lights to use on the Christmas Tree, whats for dinner, does this tie match my cowboy hat? Things like that!
Posted by: bill r. | December 3, 2008 10:35 AM
The woman who openly and on television wished out loud for somebody to literally do away with Barack Obama so she could become the nominee should have been shocked.
It was just in March -- long after her third place showing in the Iowa caucuses determined she'd lost -- that Hillary Clinton stated "Bobby Kennedy wasn't killed until June, so why should I drop out now?"
The Clintons are both narcissistic and sociopathic, they will say and do anything to further their own ambitions.
Posted by: dmjakers | December 3, 2008 12:51 PM
And Obama is different? In what way? He wants the same thing she does - to be President. He is a male and black, she is a female and white. Otherwise, they are both politicians whose only real concern is getting elected so they can continue to milk the American working class. Oh, wait, I shouldn't say such things! That isn't the image they or the media want to portray. I need to start packing for my trip to the gulag.
Posted by: Paul | December 3, 2008 1:22 PM
You're kidding, right??
- advise
- unlitmately
- President--elect
There may be more gaffes, but I got disgusted and quit reading.
Posted by: MR | December 3, 2008 1:39 PM
Whoever typed this article should be fired immediately... I've never seen anyone spell "ultimately" so poorly in my life ("unlitmately"? Not to mention the hyphen mistake in the very next word).
Posted by: DLA | December 3, 2008 1:40 PM
Even though Hillary is well qualified for the job, this appointment will probably come back to bite Obama on the butt.
Posted by: Juan Motime | December 3, 2008 3:43 PM
Does Hillary Clinton have a position on the Clinton Foundation board of directors? Nowhere in an extensive internet search of the foundation, including its annual report, can I find a list of its officers. If she does, then she has an immediate conflict of interest due to the contributions from other governments that she now would be dealing with as SecState. The Clinton Foundation has organizational relationships with 40 foreign governments, further complicating her claim to any impartiality on issues involving those governments. Obama has opened a major can of snakes.
Posted by: Danberry | December 3, 2008 4:50 PM
If Obama wanted to pick a more divisive and distracting person to fill the SecofState position, he couldn't have found anyone more divisive and distracting then Hillary Clinton. The Clintons, and that is what you get (two for one,remember?), are in it for, The Clintons! Surprise! Obama can't fire her, heck Hillary can probably fire Obama. The Clintons are not exactly what you would call Team-Players. They'll do things based on how it benefits them, not the US.
Posted by: Lar Lotts | December 3, 2008 5:44 PM
Obama's foreign policy experience - none. Hillary's foreign policy experience - none.
And the liberals are cheering over this pick?
Posted by: Menace | December 3, 2008 5:47 PM
Change!
Hah!
I told you so!
Posted by: John Q. Public | December 3, 2008 6:02 PM
Amazing - the guy is not even in office and we all find the time to rip into him. But then you all probably talk negatively about your family members, spouses and co-workers with no purpose in mind too. Sorry but I(and the rest of the world based upon global reaction to the election) find the glass half full - not half empty and I am certainly willing to accept Obama's choices because he explains and supports his decisions in a common sense demeanor(which is a welcome change from our current regime). I am not saying we always have to agree with our newly elected President but at least disagree with a constructive purpose. I am willing to bet the guy is going to turn out to be one of the best-most productive leaders of our time. Judging from his performance in running a campaign he gives me no reason not to think so.
Posted by: Truetb | December 4, 2008 1:52 PM