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[Updates] Status of Hillary’s Confirmation (even Axelrod weighs in!)

By SusanUnPC on January 21, 2009 at 1:25 PM in Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

hill-bill-inaug Updates: Sen. John McCain apparently just gave a “glowing” endorsement speech for Hillary, his good friend (they really do like each other a lot, and traveled many times to Iraq and Afghanistan together, during the flights having vodka shots (!)), and has asked for a unanimous consent vote BEFORE lunch. Sen. McCain wants them to skip the “hours-long debate” and the floor vote scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET. That’s John McCain. Class act. (P.S. I found that photo at a site devoted to Hillary and foreign policy. H/t G.)

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Now, don’t fall off your chairs. David Axelrod, Obama’s campaign manager who’s now a new White House top adviser, really said this to a NY Daily News reporter:

“But all I know is that we believe strongly that she is the secretary of state that this country needs at this time and we hope that there won’t be any significant delay because we have a lot of work to do.”

Here’s the back story:

While watching the pre-luncheon reports yesterday, I heard Fox News report that they saw Hillary Clinton speaking with Sen. John Cornyn, who is the Republican who put a hold on her nomination, forcing a floor vote rather than a unanimous confirmation. Fox News also reported that both were obviously having a very amiable conversation, with lots of smiles and even some chuckling.

I’m listening to my local radio station right now, and ABC News Radio just reported that Sen. Cornyn now says he plans to vote FOR Hillary as Secretary of State. Since I was curious what else is going on, I searched news stories and ran across this amazing report from The New York Daily News‘s D.C. blog:

Axelrod: Confirm Hillary Already

New top White House adviser David Axelrod is not amused with the delay of Hillary Clinton’s confirmation as secretary of state.

More from the story below …

“We strongly believe in Sen. Clinton,” Axelrod said late last night. “We think she will be a great secretary of state. We’re confident she will be confirmed and she should be. She will bring strength and wisdom to the office of the secretary of state and a presence that we need at this time with the difficult problems we face.”

Democrats had hoped to install the former First Lady as the nation’s top diplomat on Tuesday with a simple voice vote, but Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) blocked the confirmation, citing concern about foreign donations to Bill Clinton’s foundation.

Axelrod said he is confident the issue will be “worked out” and praised the disclosure agreement Bill Clinton reached with Obama transition officials last year.

“We believe that the president (Bill Clinton) has made, you know, some really significant concessions from what his policy had been and that people will have a very clear sense of what his foundation is doing. But let’s not lose in all of this the fact that the Clinton Foundation does some really extraordinary work around the world, and, so, we don’t want to throttle his ability to do that. But we do want to make sure that everything that is done is done in a way that people can see.”

Asked if the White House will urge the Clintons to expand disclosure, as Cornyn and others have urged, Axelrod replied, “Well, I am not going to prejudge all of that. I think, as I’ve said, I think they made good faith attempts to meet the highest standards of disclosure, and where it goes from here we’ll see.”

“But all I know is that we believe strongly that she is the secretary of state that this country needs at this time and we hope that there won’t be any significant delay because we have a lot of work to do.”

Read all.

Patrick Henry

Yep..Reality Check..

Patrick Henry

HILLARY JUST GOT CONFIRMED

Ani

Yes — by a vote of 94-2.

Even Cornyn voted Aye.

The only Nays were DeMint of SC and
Vitter of Louisiana — you know, the one who is in trouble with the prostitutes.

We absolutely need Hillary.

Ironic also, Barbara Boxer gave a lovely speech on behalf of Hillary today saying no one else has the knowledge, the relatipnships, or frankly, the star power, necessary to get the job done at this time and that Obama would be too busy domestically to deal with foreign affairs.

This is hilarious because nowhere in this did she mention Joe Biden or how he might be put to work in this regard — I guess Barbara doesn’t think he will be of much use foreign policy wise.
Dawnelle

I”m still NOT AT ALL HAPPY HILLARY is not CIC

but I’m happy she’s still w/in reach of the goal as I was more FOR HER policies and work ethic than any thing else!

she’ll get a LOT accomplished as that is what she does

it will be strange seeing her with Bill wandering around the White House (well Hillary mostly) in their “new” official position or on trips for State did Condi no wait she wasn’t/isn’t married but do they generally take their spouses when they travel? I wonder?

How freaky. I like Bill though so I think he’ll make it work.
mary

CONGRATS, HILLARY!

Maria3

So how much longer do you think Axelrod’s Mobster mentality will be tolerated by Congress?

BernieO

I think it is a big mistake to have a political operative like Axelrod have such a prominent role in the adminstration. That is just what Bush did with Karl Rove and it turned his administration into a permanent campaign with disastrous results for not only the country but also Bush.

tek

Someone reported yesterday that Obama’s team started his reelection campaign before he was even inaugurated. That’s the Obama I knew.

http://www.hillaryorbust.com Hillary or Bust

Wouldn’t you want to try the job out for a few months to see if you even like it before doing that? Yeesh.

Illinois_gal

They know that heads are going to roll if she isn’t given the spot she is entitled to. Why didn’t anyone speak up against Obama when he was going for POTUS?

Thinker

Amazing isn’t it?? Someone in congress had the gall to try and block Hillary, saying that he is concerned about the donations to Bill Clinton’s private foundation, but no one in congress says anything about Obama’s possible illegal campaign contributions?

Bizarro world indeed.

** begin Twilight Zone music **

Illinois_gal

Exactly!

*Plus they forgot to have him show his REAL birth certificate.

Thinker

true true.

I don’t like to use the word “hater” but it’s extremely fitting. Many have asked question after question, after question about Bill Clinton’s Foundation, he has turned over any & every record that they have asked for. Obama has shady campaign contributions and not one peep from the media or Congress.

It’s truly disgusting.

There is no way that Hillary or Bill Clinton could have questions surrounding their birth certificates, and the media would gloss over it? Yeah right. It would be on every frontpage newspaper in the nation, breaking news on every news station.

wodiej

the media would report it if the Clinton’s had holes in their undergarments.

I thought the same thing….they’re worried about Bill Clinton’s foundation contributions but look at all of BO’s fraudelent contributions! Not only that….what the hell has BO ever done for anyone other than himself? Nothing that I know of.

Lets face it, Obama is not a threat to their ego because he is one of them. When you’re a good person, you’re a threat.

mlr701

Cornyn didn’t block her confirmation. He blocked confirming her by a voice vote and general acclamation. He wanted a full Senate debate and a roll call vote.

http://deleted Buzz Latte LaRue

Hillary should be president but that would be too much to ask for. Instead, they’ll roll out Bobble-head Obama as the messiah and leave Hillary to do the dirty work.

If I thought I despised my former political party after the all their chicanery, I really despise them more now!

As for Cornyn, all I can say is get lost!
Tuppence411

Me personally, I think this has just been a ploy by a few hard-line hawks to give Israel a few more hours in Gaza.
Mercedes

These politicians like to play games, don’t they? Senator Cornyn is not only a Republican, he is a Republican from Texas. To my mind, that says he was bought and paid for by the Bushes and their oil friends. I guess those people are pretty powerful, but so are Hillary’s friends and we do not like ANYONE messing with her confirmation.

AMERICA R.I.P.

With all due respect, this is ridiculous. Why would George Bush want anything to do with this nonsense? And the blaming Bush and oil stuff is all silly. Bush has no reason to stop Hillary from being confirmed. The only person who does is Obama. Did you see the way HE treated her yesterday? Hmmmm….

Thinker

I didn’t see it.

What did he do????

AMERICA R.I.P.

He totally dissed her. It couldn’t have been a whoops. My Hillary friends were pretty upset about it. If someone has a clip, check it out.

Mandelay

I did see that and wondered why it was not picked up on the news. I wondered if it was the camera angle that made it seem that way but he sure seemed to be acting like his usual thuggy self.

Mo from Texas

Have you seen the photo on the front page of the WAPO?

Obama in the Oval Office, seated, (with Rham standing as his stenographer), the expression projected from his face just like that of David Duchovny as Mulder, in the Jim Rose X-File episode, posed, standing next to the double wide, hand on hip, chin in the air, one foot raised, resting on the step, looking for all the world like the perfect male specimen, not a thought in his head other than “my underwear is too tight.”

I just had to laugh.

Tuppence411

Bush’s views regarding Israel have nothing to do with oil ( they don’t have any), but they are wrapped up tightly with his Evangelical right-wing fascination with the Holy Land, the end times, the Second Coming….

For 8 years Bush sat on his hands and took the attitude that ” God will sort it all out”. The return of a Clinton equals a return to the US at least attempting to be an honest broker in the resolving the conflict.

Mercedes

Oil has to do with EVERYTHING!! Is it just a coincidence that this very scrupulous Republican Senator is from Texas? When is the last time there was a Texas Senator who wasn’t bought and paid for by the oil interests? What message was he sending to whom, is what I would like to know. If you have a strong stomach and an open mind, you might want to check out Russ Baker’s, “Family of Secrets. The Bush Dynasty…” Lots of interesting, thouroughly documented stuff in there about the Bushes, the CIA, the Saudis and the oil business.

AMERICA R.I.P.

I wouldn’t believe everything you read about that oil business propaganda. And, again, if you can give me one good reason why Bush would give a damn about Hillary being confirmed. Like I said, my friends were all screaming yesterday that it was Obama who got this Texas Senator to stop Hillary because they never wanted her, and only wanted her to give up her Senate seat to clear the way for Caroline Kennedy. That logic works for me way better than Bush preventing the confirmation over oil. That makes NO sense. But some people will wrongly blame Bush for nonsense he had nothing to do with until the truth is finally exposed about how many Dems really caused a lot of our problems.

Mercedes

If Obama wanted to block Hillary, then it would certainly make sense for him to assign a scapegoat, somebody to divert the blame from himself. If he managed to do that with Senator Cornyn, then what kind of relationship does he have with Senator Cornyn? Are Cornyn supporters, certainly including many oil barons, the same people behind Obama? In any case, unless somebody springs a big surprise, Hillary will be confirmed. It seems more likely to me that somebody is sending a message, either to Hillary or to Obama…something along the lines of, watch out, you will have to answer to us (meaning the oil interests). Also, I believe these high power politicians like to have their fingers in everything. Hillary, as SOS, is a big deal. As for the oil business, I have no doubt, absolutely none, that we don’t know the half of it when it comes to that sector’s political wheeling and dealing. And then, of course, there is always the possibility that Senator Cornyn truly is concerned about Bill Clinton’s donors, etc. To me that is the least likely explanation.

truthorconsequences

Remember Operation Desert Storm? Someone set all those oil wells on fire in Iraq? Who were those “someones”? But one thing you don’t have to wonder about is that as Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney ordered the troops to guard those fires against the oil well firefighters who were there to try and put them out. It was reported by different sources that Dick Cheney’s portfolio increased in value by several millions of dollars due to those well fires. And oh, don’t forget , Cheney was in the oil production business himself and he did have a home in Houston Tex.

truthorconsequences

Not Iraq–but Kuwait–sorry.

athy

Mercedes-
to your point:

There are people out there who would agree with you.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=11680

War and Natural Gas: The Israeli Invasion and Gaza’s Offshore Gas Fields

by Michel Chossudovsky

Jan 8, 2009

EXCERPT

The issue of sovereignty over Gaza’s gas fields is crucial. From a legal standpoint, the gas reserves belong to Palestine.
The death of Yasser Arafat, the election of the Hamas government and the ruin of the Palestinian Authority have enabled Israel to establish de facto control over Gaza’s offshore gas reserves.
British Gas (BG Group) has been dealing with the Tel Aviv government. In turn, the Hamas government has been bypassed in regards to exploration and development rights over the gas fields.

The election of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2001 was a major turning point. Palestine’s sovereignty over the offshore gas fields was challenged in the Israeli Supreme Court. Sharon stated unequivocally that “Israel would never buy gas from Palestine” intimating that Gaza’s offshore gas reserves belong to Israel.

Read the rest of the article. It is well-sourced.

athy

Mercedes-
Here is another take on the oil market and certain peoples’ interest in it…

Aug 13, 2008,

Soros’ double-dealing in the Caucasus oil market by Wayne Madsen

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_3614.shtml

KintheNorthwest

Sorry but I will again ask

WHY IS OBAMA THE ONLY ONE WHO DOES NOT HAVE TO ANSWER AND SHOW DOCUMENTATION OF HIS PASS?

AMERICA R.I.P.

KintheNorthwest…

I ask myself that question every day. I have only one answer left….SCOTUS has been bought and paid for by Soros just like everything else in America. There is NO other answer at this point other than they are on the take and in on the fix. I couldn’t stand the thought of Justice Roberts, who knows DAMNED WELL Obama has NO BUSINESS being POTUS, sitting there swearing the Fraud in. That’s WHY, IMO, they bungled it. It’s FRAUD and they both knew while they were doing it that it’s a hoax. Very sad days. But it’s like the Saturday Night Live skit that got scrubbed by Soros, where “Soros” claimed to own the Democratic Party, and I guess America. It’s sadly true.

Newly Independent

I think that Obama’s Wall Street & government puppet masters may be using his corrupt background as a bargaining chip just in case he decides to step out of line in the future.

As long as Obama’s committed to doing their bidding for them, nobody’s going to spill the beans on him.

pat

Newly Independent

Yes! I read Webster Tarpley’s “obama’s unauthorized biography” and it agrees with your statements.
America needed a “face lift” and got it with Obama so Africa will be pacified. The next venture will involve “human rights” in Sudan and Afganistan and Pakistan to secure oil passages and mineral resources from Obama’s mother continent.

truthorconsequences

If he had any documentation he would have shown it. Who in the world would go to so much trouble to conceal their past when it would be so much easier to just present the documentation–IF THEY HAD or HAVE DOCUMENTATION (COLB)TO PROVE HE IS LEGIT TO BEGIN WITH. Obviously he doesn’t have it.

Mandelay

Regarding Hillary’s confirmation, John McCain showed again today why he’ll always be a hero.

AMERICA R.I.P.

About John McCain…in the days to come I will cry even more than I did about the big con job of Obama, thinking of how different our lives would be if McCain won. The difference in the two Americas will be amazing. One loves America, the other can’t wait to tear it down, destroy it, and create some insane sick dictatorship. McCain will ALWAYS be MY hero too.

Mandelay

Well said! He has repeatedly shown how to act from that love of his country. I love the guy!

I’m a Linda too

Thank you John McCain.
http://sonicninjakitty.wordpress.com Sonic Ninja Kitty

Axelrod: “Yeah, and Jill Biden already got her little dig in, so we’re all set!”
Mo from Texas

But all I know is that we believe strongly that she is the secretary of state that this country needs at this time and we hope that there won’t be any significant delay because we have a lot of work to do.”

Honestly, it’s not like the world is falling apart, on fire, necessary for state to hit the ground running.

Cornyn is just a batshit pouter, everything wrong with the neocons is summed up in his little head, the lil princess and her flounces.

Why does that Texas senator hate America?

AMERICA R.I.P.

Why does that Texas senator hate America?

I don’t know. I guess it’s bad for the GOP to hate America, but the liberals have made a party and their livings out of that hate. Starting with Pelosi and Obama.

Mo from Texas

Having been rather independent these last years, taught to think that way, really, I’d say the same is true for the republicans.

Did you agree?

Mo from Texas

Do you agree, sorry, we are certainly present tense.

AMERICA R.I.P.

No I don’t agree. When I talk to my Republican friends, it’s always about loving America. When I talk to the insane left it’s ALL about what a piece of crap America is. Everything is wrong, everything needs to be changed, everyone but the insane left is WRONG. Bush did everything, not taking credit for the fact that the Dems caused Freddie and Fannie because it was nothing but another disasterous free ride and handout program. The insane left like Pelosi line their pockets with big corporate dollars, but pretend they are for the people. What a joke. My feeling is that the insane left should have started their own country. Clearly America is just unacceptable and always will be.

SJ

It’s a pity that McCain does not have the same kind respect for the woman he selected to be his running mate in the last election.

Sure Hillary is his friend we all know that, but he has not shown Palin much kindness anyway that is how McCain is he rather suck up to the democrats than stand up for one on his own team, guess people admire that kind of nonsense, but I sure as hell cant.

Dawnelle

He’s no hero of mine

Palin deserved better

Palin deserves better

she saved his ancient pride in the end as his numbers would have been embarrassingly small w/out Palin in the race

there is NO doubt about that

http://noquarter.usa.net marip

Yeah, they need Hil now, so hurry up and get her confirmed so we can use her. Never mind that we took the nomination from her, we just need her now. Bastards.

Thanks John McCain-class act.

KintheNorthwest

Hey the sooner they get Hillary approved the sooner they can throw her under the bus for making a mess of America.

mary

KimtheNorthwest

I hope the Obamacrap Presidency is not going to sabotage Hillary’s SOS agenda. Susan RICE now has a “cabinet’ level UN representative’s post. Why? She’s an asskisser for Obamadrama and he is grooming her….don’t trust the new Dr. Rice….fried stuff upsets my digestive system.

Kal

More men showing they can push women around, disrespect them. I’m not surprised. Really, its ok because Axeljerk says so? That is so upside down inside out and misogynistic I can’t stand it.
wodiej

excellent points.
KintheNorthwest

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/7737

A friend said to ck this out —
Chris Martin

Wasn’t it Obama’s buddy Dick Lugar who spent most of the first day of committee hearings harping over and over again on these contributions? It just doesn’t sit right that one of Obama’s big Senate chums started this.

Mo from Texas

Lugar didn’t, Cornyn did.

But you may be right.

I suppose Hillary is used to it, stupid kooks to the right, kooks to the left, what was it “Sam Copeland” wrote here, about America’s political divisions?

It’s almost as if, within our government, Clinton is America, politically reprsenting what is best about America, the rest, oh, who knows…

Ideology before country, certainly no talent, at all, Cornyn among the worst, IMO, the DUMBEST I have seen, so gassed up on his sense of self importance he cannot even discern reality anymore.

Kind of over fed, I suppose.

Chris Martin

Look at the transcripts. Lugar harped on this over and over again on day one. Today it’s someone else: Cornyn. That doesn’t mean the genesis

Mo from Texas

I agree, people have made some valid points about Clinton, and attempts to discredit her.

I’m not in denial about it.

http://! stodgie

look this dufus senator wants some face time. that is it pure and simple. the word blowhard comes to mind. oh yeah and worthless! i am from texas so i know of what i speak.
obsp

Did she resign from the Senate yet?
tek

What this tells me is Obama and his advisors know they NEED Hillary.

Today, I realized for the first time that we will now have to see the Obamas in the news everyday. I wish I could be all excited and giddy but I’m so sad it isn’t Hillary. I’m afraid she’ll never be president now.

On another issue, Michelle Obama has no taste in clothes at all.
http://sonicninjakitty.wordpress.com Sonic Ninja Kitty

Axelrod says about Bill Clinton:

…we do want to make sure that everything that is done is done in a way that people can see.

I think they made good faith attempts to meet the highest standards of disclosure, and where it goes from here we’ll see.

This is SO IRONIC I want to scream!!! Axelrod is the one who astroturfed us in the fraudulent primary caucuses and with regards to Obama’s campaign finance illegalities.

This man is very, very bad!

http://sonicninjakitty.wordpress.com Sonic Ninja Kitty

http://sonicninjakitty.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/dear-fellow-kool-aid-abstainers/

Astroturfing is point #2!!!

Peggy Sue

It’s 4:30 pm where I live and I just heard HRC has been confirmed. Hillary Clinton is SOS and I wish her the very best. She’ll do a great job.
allimom99

Although Cornyn now says he will vote for her; and as for Lugar, despite the questioning, HE said he would vote for her bvefore she was even chosen. BTW Susan, that Hillary blog at FP is cool! You should put up a link to it on the blogroll if possible!
truthorconsequences

It really makes no difference who is who or who is what because the mouth will do what he wants to , just like GW Bush did. Clinton’s SOS will be viewed as shit on a shingle as far as Obama is concerned. He has already shown his dislike and lack of respect for the woman.
Katmoon

Hillary Clinton Confirmed as Secretary of State on a 94-2 Vote

“As a country and as a world, we need Hillary Clinton as secretary of state,” Clinton’s New York colleague, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, said on the floor before the vote.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. said the country needs an advocate on the world stage, and, “There’s no better advocate than Hillary Clinton.”

Thank you Senators Schumer and Graham

Source:foxnews.com/photoessay/0,4644,6343,00.html#6_0

Ferd Berfle

I haven’t always agreed with Senator Graham but I have found him to be a man of solid character. That was a nice recommendation he gave to HRC and I’m sure she appreciates it.

susan h

The laugh is he is talking about TRANSPARENCY when he has yet to show he is eligible under our constitution to be president. And ethics reform. Ha-ha-ha. All after the fact of his being the most corrupt candidate ever to run for president. And the people buy his brand of baloney. P.S. The Plans for the Chicago Olympics in 2016 (Chicago has not yet been chosen but rumor has it having the president from our home town will help to move it along) already includes the Obama library!!!! I guess all he has to do is copy, cut and paste works and words of Abraham Lincoln, and voila! We have a library!

mary

Yes, a fully Xeroxed Library of Obadrama (all under heading of: Fiction!)

Katmoon

“no” votes were Sens. David Vitter (R-La.) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).

Peggy Sue

Vitter, the gentleman from Louisiana who had prostitute problems, was the one pushing the Clinton Foundation questions during the confirmation hearings. He got pretty testy. Hillary held her own. DeMint also raised questions about foreign donations. But his concerns were:

” . . . about Clinton’s pro-abortion beliefs and warned against using foreign assistance dollars to fund abortion.”

I love the ‘pro-abortion’ schtick as opposed to ‘pro-choice.’ The far right really “is” transparent.

The word is choice; it always has been. Unless, of course, you consider contraception or any sort of family planning, abortion-lite.

But she’s in now. And she’ll be very good.
mary

Sen. DAVID VITTER’s name was in the MADAM OF D.C. PROSTITUTION phone books! Then his name was linked with yet another brothel in Lousiana but the Madam died before he could be prosecuted.

Vitter’s a real pervert and it’s a wonder they tolerated him in the Senate. Made a deal I hear….

mary

Susan

Thanks! The “Foreign Post” has new blog called “MADAM SECRETARY” —devoted to Hillary! One of the pics there today was with Michele lookinhg angry enough to kill, Barry-O looking cluelessly empty as always, and the Bidens and Hill and Bill looking radiant, smiling and Happy! Great post…
Publius

You people are hateful, spiteful, deranged, and way, way out of step. You are nuts. Conspiracy theorist nutsos.

http://tojo toni

ahhhhhh……thanks?

warehouse553

Hillary should be President. This is merely a consolation prize. It is beneath what she deserves, what she won. This makes me so angry that I can’t even accurately express it with words.
beachnan

Congratulations to Hillary. I feel so much safer, knowing that you are now our Secretary of State!!! It is good to have something to celebrate, since yesterday was a “day of mourning”.
http://360.yahoo.com/ommotherlifeforce fred heidrick

all i know is at first she will be going all over the world talking to world leaders representing the usa. and if she gets more press than con-d-rice it will be a good thing, for how the world will see us.
candy

Sorry. I aint feeling no love for this Clinton as SOS offer. Consolation prize. Big freekin deal. It’s not even ground breaking. We’ve had at least 2 women and 2 minorities in that post already.

I don’t doubt that she’ll go a fabulous job, but that’s not the point. Axelrod is an ass and so are all the Obot enablers who are in a hurry to pay Hillary false respect when all they want to do is shuff her somewhere, deal her the scraps and to prop their guy on top. And I’d go even further to say that not even her is “entitled” to any post or anything. That was why I strongly supported her, because I know she was never “entitled”, unlike that one. It’s what she deserved, and frankly she deserved better than this.
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