GOP rolls out welcome mat for Hillary Clinton

A warm reception is expected in the Senate this week for her secretary of State confirmation hearing.

By Paul Richter
January 12, 2009



Reporting from Washington -- Long considered one of the nation's most polarizing figures, Hillary Rodham Clinton steps into her new role as America's chief diplomat this week with a Senate confirmation hearing that is likely to look more like a tribute than an examination of a controversial politician.

Clinton has fanned political passions as first lady, as New York's junior senator and as a presidential candidate. Yet she is collecting rhetorical bouquets from Republicans as she prepares for the Tuesday committee appearance that will open the way for her fourth public incarnation -- as secretary of State.

"Very knowledgeable," Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) said after a private meeting with her Thursday. "Her appointment is a net plus for the administration and the country."

"She's been tested in a lot of ways," said Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who called Clinton a "known commodity."

The warm reception reflects in part the courtesy the Senate extends to its own and to a popular new president. But it also shows how attitudes from across the political divide have eased over the course of Clinton's long public life.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-clinton12-2009jan12,0,2282416.story

Hillary while she and Obama were battling during the Primaries and Caucuses. It didn't happen right away. It started in March. No one would have believed it at the end of the Clinton Presidency. It is one of those - you never know what is going to happen things. :)

During the primaries I listened to talk radio and many who had despised her, didn't feel that way anymore. They still wouldn't vote for her in the GE if she had gotten the nomination, but they stopped hating her like they had in the past. From the radio hosts to their callers the adjectives from March onward ranged from spunky, feisty, tenacious, tough, gutsy, etc. They came to respect her even though they would never agree with her politics.

BTW, I'm not referring to Limbaugh and his "Operation Chaos" nonsense.

;)

Only a few in the Senate hang onto their rapid partisanship after enting "that august body." Hating Hillary was always just a way to sell pulp and fundraiser tickets. Once you get to know them as human beings, there are very few people really worth hating. For me, that's always been the big disconnect on Clinton bashing. If she's not my favorite person, I still can't see anything dislikeable about the lady. She's a very smart lawyer and gifted public servant. Nineteen out of twenty people who say they detest the Clintons are suckers and the rest are jerks.

The way the Republicans feel about Hillary hasn't changed, but from March onward she was wounding the near-certain Democratic nominee, so they liked her fine. Now they've simply got other, more urgent people to demonize, like Obama and Franken.

She won their respect! :rofl: Their respect??? And I have a high respect for them! :rofl:

Otherwise it's going to shoot through her nose.

...based on the complete absurdity these republican assholes are capable of.

willing to tell him what he needs to hear not what he wants to hear."

Maybe she doesn't have the luxury of forgiving what she went through during Bill's admin, but I remember and I don't have to forgive anything.

flung at her.

no -- i'm sure she has a mental list.

....and I believe she pretty much knows what she is doing all the time.

Fat chance of that!

:popcorn:

would be me falling in a dead faint........

:eyes:


:7

Is this surprising?

they wanted: approval for their illegal war and have never apologized for it; declaring the Iraqi Revolutionary Army a terrorist organization; approval of Kyl-LIEberman; rejection of Levin-Reed; refusal to read the National Intelligence Estimate; approval of the Patriot Act, flag burning amendment...

Of course they love her! :shrug:

As yes, they are a terrorist organization.

The IRG represents a kind of hybrid of a large special operations force with foreign intelligence and domestic security aspects. The most recognizible equivalent would be the Waffen-SS: an elite combat force chosen based on particular loyalty and ideological purity, and operating apart from the country's regular army. (Also one being used to make the higher-ups rich, but that's beside the point.)

Oh, and if anyone wants to call them terrorists, they'd better be prepared to define "terrorists."

Thanks so much for this...

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

:-(

Instead, she became very well-liked. Red state Republican senators were afraid to say publicly that they liked Hillary, lest they anger their Freeper constituents.

They already knew that she was very smart, but they were pleasantly surprised that she was such a hard worker, didn't steal the limelight from them whenever possible and that she had such a great sense of humor. Even Brownback apologized to her for the nasty things he had said about her when she was First Lady.

:D

other.

It's a CLUB. There are a hundred of them. It's not quite as exclusive as the "President's Club" but it's a fairly exclusive club.

Editorialize much, Paul?

Regurgitated during the primaries by them and the blogs. Heck, I read it here often enough.

:eyes:

GOP propaganda worked on more than just freepers

I saw posts here lifted entirely from RW sites during the primaries and there are still plenty of people who crap on any Clinton related thread.

:-(

There was no polarization at DU or anywhere else.

(Do I really need to add the sarcasm tag?)

or that the freeper types and the idiots in the House don't still feel the same way. Now, they are just pushing her to the side on their hate list in favor of Obama.

Let Hillary become President and see if they don't find her less acceptable.

ain't it?


They still hate Hillary. Its just that now Obama is the boss, so they are focusing their hate on him. The only reason they gave Hillary "respect" during the primaries was because they wanted to primaries to end up in a Dem on Dem blood fest.

They now have a legitimate (in their eyes) reason to drag up whitewater/travel office/ impeachment..etc..and with Bill never far away, they have their resurrected nemisis back on the stage.. the fundraisers are busily working on their campaign strategy for '10.

No Drama has morphed into ALL-drama all the time.

I know she is more qualified than Condi, and at least as qualified as Albright and Powell, but her actions as SoS will be under extreme scrutiny by every R who wants to be elected or re-elected..

on constitutional grounds. One would think that "strict constructionists" (and what Republican doesn't claim to be one) would care more about the text of the Constitution. (Btw, I know it's been done before and I know that her appointment is consistent with the spirit of the relevant constitutional clause. But for strict constructionists (or for textualists like Scalia), the spirit shouldn't override the text.)

The rest gave her hell for years. I hope Hillz rubs it in their faces that she is going to be SOS. Okay, maybe not but f*ck them for years of torturing her. Hillary has gained my respect for real, after I voted for Obama in the primaries. She is one tough lady.

it ain't nothin' but a bad dig.

.
.

I wonder who or what they were gesturing at.......


:7

:P

Time to get tough and make republicans start towing the line

The only fly in the ointment was Vitter who behaved like a jerk and was downright rude when he interrupted her.

He and his diapered ass shouldn't even be in the senate. Of all the nerve........

:puke: