December 28, 2012

What does the NPR article "Assessing Hillary Clinton's Legacy" say about Benghazi?

Only this:
Clinton also played a key role in the international action in Libya. So far, she has avoided much of the criticism over the attack in Benghazi that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans in September.
That's the second-to-the-last paragraph. The last is:
"She will be leaving this job, in my view, with almost no asterisks* and that, it seems to me, in this day in age, is a real accomplishment," [said Aaron David Miller, vice president of the of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars].
In the higher-up paragraphs, we get Miller saying:
"She has pursued an agenda, which has been highly constrained by both the kind of cruel and unforgiving foreign policy world out there and by the president's own determination to withhold, in my view, the most consequential issues related to national security, war, peace, big-think strategy"...

What was left, he says, is an agenda that Clinton shaped, one Miller describes as "planetary humanism." That includes women's issues, the environment, press and Internet freedom, and social media.
Women's work. And now the lady has a headache. Don't trouble her about Benghazi.

______________________________

*

59 comments:

Bruce Hayden said...

Yeh - she avoids Benghazi with the Immaculate Concussion, and resigns before any of the excrement can hit the revolving blade.

AllenS said...

Bullshit.

Anonymous said...

Obama calls Clinton one of the best secretaries of state in U.S. history, saying she restored America's credibility in the world and reached out to ordinary people in the far reaches of the globe. Her aides pack her travel schedules with town halls and meetings with civil society groups.

LOL,

best? compared to who?
Jefferson
marshall
Madison
Monroe
Adams
Webster
Marshall
Dulles
Kissinger
baker

the list is long...

Shouting Thomas said...

Of course, NPR was one of those media organs that helped Hillary avoid much of that criticism.

Roger J. said...

It is, of course, NPR--the house organ.

In a contest between HRC and Madelaine Albright, I would choose Ms Albright--at least she could do the Macarena and not wear orange pants suits.

Unknown said...

ust as Clarence said I'm amazed that a person can get paid $8073 in four weeks on the internet. have you seen this page http://fly26.com

Unknown said...

ust as Clarence said I'm amazed that a person can get paid $8073 in four weeks on the internet. have you seen this page http://fly26.com

vet66 said...

Where was John Bolton when we needed him? While Hillary gets the vapors and bumps her head, Bolton, like most of us, would have popped an Imodium and Aleve and gone about our business. One would think, incorrectly, that the feminists wouldn't take this slight lying down.

TosaGuy said...

Mahtab ullah has more informative commentary on Hillary Clinton than does NPR

TosaGuy said...

While many historians are just as bad at current events commentary as are most pundits, they will, years from now, place Hillary in the forgotten folks file of Secretaries of State.

Anonymous said...

Free of asterisks? Omigod! I count 4 dead ones.

Anonymous said...

Withering. Remind me to never piss you off... I'd like to keep my cojones thank you very much.

Shouting Thomas said...

What was left, he says, is an agenda that Clinton shaped, one Miller describes as "planetary humanism."

Those Democrats are always so damned... human.

Unlike their Republican opponents who are always so damned... ?

SteveR said...

said Aaron David Miller, vice president of the of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

I suppose I'm just being narrow minded but there are a number of aspects to this that make me give the content of the piece no credibility.

PeterJ said...

"Planetary humanism."
And what does that evaluation say about NPR, and the vacuous state of present-day liberalism (or progressives, as some prefer to call themselves)?

Michael Haz said...

What Allen S. said at 8:03.

gadfly said...

News and entertainment - even when there is none.

To think that our tax dollars are at work here!

The terrible truth is that these "intellectuals" believe every word that they spew.

Anonymous said...

What was left, he says, is an agenda that Clinton shaped, one Miller describes as "planetary humanism." That includes women's issues, the environment, press and Internet freedom, and social media.

Let's unpack this one a bit.

What are global women's issues? Rights to abortions? Rights to absolute equality? Isn't it blatantly hegemonic for the U.S. to be dictating its own gender norms and morality (or lack thereof) to other countries?

How'd her women's rights agenda go over in the Islamic nations or parts of religious India?

And for one of the greatest secretaries of state, internet freedom is a large issue? That's the role of the U.S. Department of State? More porn? Faster downloads of pirated media?

And how'd her regime do on YouTube freedom and videos about Islam? More freedom there?

And what in heaven's name is the global humanism issue called "social media?" Is it some kind of Marshall plan to give each person in each small village a Facebook page?

And for the Secretary of State presiding over the first diplomat killed in over 30 years, how exactly did she not get an asterisk?

Leland said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Known Unknown said...

So far, she has avoided much of the criticism over the attack

I wonder how that happens.

Leland said...

How is Clinton's agenda working out in Egypt? Women's issues getting better there?

And Internet Freedom, how well is that going over in the UN? Good thing we didn't replace Hillary with Susan Rice.

gerry said...

Her tenure as SoS is a disaster.

I wonder if her severe bunion condition - that prevents appearances in Congress due to podiatric procedures - will interfere with a White House run?

Anonymous said...

Can she get her Reset Button back from Putin?

Dante said...

Maybe she has always had them, and so Bill had to philander.

Anonymous said...

Whoa there Quayle.

A great nation deserves great planetary humans like Hilary Clinton.

Cue Sound byte 45: Frostburg State music ethnologist/anthropologist Andreas Mueller discusses his adjustment to life, and especially cuisine, here in the U.S:

"While I love ze freedom and energy of Americans, especially ze vimmen, I have to confess the food is indeed awful."

edutcher said...

She's back to being the anointed Democrat nominee, so she's sacrosanct again.

Temujin said...

Don't trouble her about Benghazi.

...Or Russia (reset), or Poland, or Myanmar, or Libya, Egypt, Syria, Israel, North Korea, Iran, Columbia, Mexico, China, Pakistan, Turkey.

From her first f** up with Russia the press has always taken the approach with her that, 'hey...she's the next Prez. Whatever she does...just...look...the...other...way."

The facts mean nothing. They are already readying the articles about having her and Bill back in the WH. I sure hope she doesn't bang her head on the floor before any of the debates...I mean...she's going to have to show up for those...isn't she? Or...maybe not. Candy Crowley can just tell us what she meant to say.

Anonymous said...

she has avoided much of the criticism over the attack in Benghazi that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans in September

And that was a feat almost as great as how the University of Utah avoided being destroyed by a cold-fusion explosion.

Larry J said...

That large asterisk reminded me of something I read about 40 years ago in Kurt Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions - his self-portrait of his asshole.

Yep, that suits Hillary just fine.

BTW: Drudge has a link to Republican Senators who vow to hold any confirmation hearings on John Kerry until Hillary testifies on Benghazi.

Cedarford said...

bpm4532 said...
Free of asterisks? Omigod! I count 4 dead ones.
===================
If you are handing out asterisks, don't forget to hand out Dubya's 45,000 in casualties from two lost wars...and most of those casualties not related to defending America but "Occupying lands to help uplift the Noble Purple-Fingered Freedom Lovers
who are killing us any chance they get but will be eternally grateful to America for the invasion and all we did for them...real soon!!".

"Four Dead Heroes!!"....well, not perfect, but a damn big improvement over the pile of dead and maimed "Heroes" on Bush's and Condi's watch.

cubanbob said...

Hillary as hard as she tries isn't going to get away from a congressional hearing. She is going to get grilled and it won't be pretty. So much for her record. Kerry is an idiot if be takes the job. The senate republicans will do to him what the democrats did to John Tower. And he will richly deserve it.

Cedarford said...

Of course, 3 1/2 months later, besides the Benghazi scandal, one other thing the public should know is if we have finally figured out who the principals were that did the attack.

And what we are doing to track them down and kill them, vs. have Americans die trying to take them alive so Eric Holder can bill the taxpayers millions in shyster lawyer bills for their elaborate years long "civilian criminal trials".

narciso said...

Yet another success story;


http://www.niticentral.com/2012/12/taliban-wants-sharia-in-pakistan-war-with-india.html

Known Unknown said...

If you are handing out asterisks, don't forget to hand out Dubya's 45,000 in casualties from two lost wars...and most of those casualties not related to defending America but "Occupying lands to help uplift the Noble Purple-Fingered Freedom Lovers
who are killing us any chance they get but will be eternally grateful to America for the invasion and all we did for them...real soon!!".


We already recognize that Presidents bear the burden of the death of troops in armed conflict. But thanks for reminding us ... again ... and again ... and again.

narciso said...

They are mostly likely members of Ansar Al Sharia, although they likely trained alongside other militias like that of Abu Khattalah's
but they aren't really interested in going after any of these,

Greg Hlatky said...

"No Benghazi tonight, dear, I have a headache."

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Hillary will never testify on Benghazi. She is a democrat and she holds zero responsibility for her actions. The media will make sure she is protected.

William said...

Woodrow Wilson's peace initiatives were a pureed pablum of arrogance, ineptitude, prejudice, and idealism. An argument could be made that he was the worst President of the 20th century. Apparenty his name still has lustre in some circles. At any rate, Hillary continues in his tradition of screwing things up in a high minded way.

Insufficiently Sensitive said...

Hillary has avoided accountability for the Benghazi disaster, despite her State department being warned in advance by responsible parties including the Ambassador.

And now she escapes Congressional scrutiny by having the vapors. What a fine traditional 'woman'. Presumably she's resigning to return home and bake cookies.

chickelit said...

*Cedarford: How about asterisks for LBJ's (Vietnam) and Truman's (Korean stalemate) heroes?

How about an asterisk for any "hero" you knew and served with who died in the Gulf War? How about gold ones for all the mothers who lost a son or daughter you insensitive fuck?

Anonymous said...

Where are the Benghazi survivors and what do they have to say?

ricpic said...

Amazing the speed with which the bitch's milk of human kindnesss planetary humanism curdles when it comes to Israelis.

pm317 said...

I would love for Hillary to testify and expose WH and CIA games in Benghazi and clear her own name.But she may not want to get Breitbarted on the way to the hearings.

ricpic said...

Planetary Humanism. Isn't that sweet? When in point of fact it's the best way to strangle liberty to death in the mortal grip of "we only want to help you."

Anonymous said...

Def: Planetary Humanism: the world view that if the wrong-thinking humans could be gotten rid of, the rest of the superior right-thinking humans would have a peaceful and joyous planet with no poverty, hunger, sickness, or death.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

A great nation deserves great planetary humans like Hilary Clinton.

Absolutely. Her ass has its own planetary field of gravity.

Chip S. said...

Wow, tough crowd.

C'mon people, give the lady her due. She's knocked herself out tryin' to be the best gosh darn SoS ever.

Lydia said...

To be fair to Aaron David Miller, he's got an article on ForeignPolicy.com (which probably got him the NPR interview) that looks at Hillary, if not exactly skeptically, at least with more balance than is apparent in that NPR piece: "Untouchable: Why Hillary Clinton is the Teflon secretary"

This part is interesting:

"The last secretary of state to ascend directly to the presidency was James Buchanan. And there's a reasonable chance that within a few short years, we may witness another such political passage. Indeed, the president-in-waiting trope may well provide a partial clue as to why nobody really wants to cross her.

Everyone in Washington knows Hillary's run may not be over. So what's the point in taking her on? Key Republicans seem to like her. Listen to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who is no fan of the president's foreign policy: 'She is extremely well respected throughout the world, handles herself in a very classy way and has a work ethic second to none.' "

Kirk Parker said...

Is it time, finally, to bid Cedarford a hearty FOAD?

Yes, I think it is.

Oh, for a twit filter on blogger...

dbp said...

"What was left, he says, is an agenda that Clinton shaped, one Miller describes as "planetary humanism." That includes women's issues, the environment, press and Internet freedom, and social media."

So, it sounds like she is doing a decent job--of being a first lady.

Kansas City said...

Why don't we accept the reality that most secretaries of state do virtually nothing of consequence most of the time. I suppose Powell to the extent he was a player in the Iraq War decision and Clinton to the extent she was a player in the Libya decision, they did something of consequence (argubly good or bad). It is a position whose importance is typically grossly exaggerated, either in recognition of historical importance or the glory of flying around the world.

juandos said...

"she avoids Benghazi with the Immaculate Concussion"...

Oh damn!

LMAO!

bruce! bruce!

Now that's hilarious!

SGT Ted said...

What a puff piece.

Hillary! has been one of the worst SecStates we've had. She has no qualifications for the job, other than the political pedigree of being the cookie baking, party hostess wife of Bill Clinton.

Women should be embarrassed she gto as far as she did.

Known Unknown said...

What was left, he says, is an agenda that Clinton shaped, one Miller describes as "planetary humanism." That includes women's issues, the environment, press and Internet freedom, and social media.

"Many of the members of Congress of both parties who have gone to Syria in recent months have said they believe he’s a reformer."

- Hillary Clinton


Smilin' Jack said...

Clinton also played a key role in the international action in Libya. So far, she has avoided much of the criticism over the attack in Benghazi that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans in September.

"Evaded" != "avoided." Just ask the IRS.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

"She will be leaving this job, in my view, with almost no asterisks and that, it seems to me, in this day and age, is a real accomplishment," Miller says.

Not fucking up is an accomplishment these days?

What does that say about the people who actually accomplish something?

bob said...

no asterisks. just 4 caskets.

Sunslut7 said...

Ann,
Asterixes!!! Has she joined
WAL MART?

Welcome to the Dark Side Hills. Diplomatic cock-ups are in aisle seven. Cash only and no credit. But we have offer a lay-a-way plan for leaders like BHO.

Skippy said...

NPR, trained fecal throwing pet monkeys.