TM NOTE: George Stephanopoulos will have Sect. Clinton on Sunday as his *exclusive* guest, in her very first Sunday show interview since joining Obama’s Cabinet.
Nothing but superlatives for Pres. Obama from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“…as the President pointed out in his speech… Women’s rights have to be elevated and respected. … What was so important about the President’s speech is that it was a speech he could give anywhere. .. It was, as he said, the truth as he saw it. … I think the fact that he came here and talked about everything. Of course there was going to be some greater reaction to parts of it, because it was familiar terrain. But he planted seeds. He encouraged people to have to have conversation and to think hard about their perspectives and points of view. I think he also challenged Americans. … This was a speech that I believe will be viewed historically as a very significant turning point. One of the most important points that he made was how if the Palestinians had pursued a different path of non-violence, of following an example of a Ghandi or a Dr. Martin Luther King who knows where we’d be right now. That violence is not the answer. That it doesn’t change hearts and minds. [...] …but without saying it, without offering the challenge in such an elegant and reasoned way, one thing I know for sure is that nobody will have that conversation, and I think it will happen now. [...]” – Secretary Hillary Clinton
The entire interview was Clinton giving Obama complete support and praise for his speech, as well as what it meant in policy. The one word that stood out throughout was “we.” No daylight anywhere.
Whether the efforts of Pres. Obama and his team will work is another matter, but no one will ever be able to say he didn’t lead from the start, stake out new ground in the equilibrium debate, forging ahead to try to get something concrete accomplished that would benefit not only the Israelis and Palestinians, but the entire region, as well as nations and people well beyond.
If expectations were high before Cairo, they’re stratospheric now.
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