Comments on: Our Hillary Watch: Secretary Clinton Talks About Foreign Policy and Diplomacy January 27, 2009

By: ChooChooMagoo

ChooChooMagoo — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:18:18 +0000

Thanks Susan. Enjoyed the read.

By: Ldyoung

Ldyoung — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:51:40 +0000

Thank you for the Hillary Watch. It’s greatly appreciated…

By: Mary

Mary — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:42:22 +0000

Go Hillary Go. It is just marvelous to see a Secretary of State who knows the issues, and can articulate our position with such insight. Thank You Hillary. I am So glad you are there!

By: Sassy

Sassy — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:05:42 +0000

Secretary Clinton looked invigorated and ready to go in the pictures from the bill signing!
But make no mistake, she has tremendously difficult work to do.
More so than Secretary Rice or Secretary Albright, and there is very little margin for error in this “speed of light” world!

By: scorbs

scorbs — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:56:28 +0000

Judicial Watch is a farce. They constantly file ridiculous suits that go nowhere and should go nowhere, and this is one of them.

By: BARB

BARB — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:57:30 +0000

Found some info about the lawsuit:

http://www.earthtimes.org/
articles/show/judicial-watch-files-lawsuit-challenging,697736.shtml

According to Judicial Watch’s lawsuit, the “emoluments” of the office of U.S. Secretary of State increased three times during Mrs. Clinton’s most recent U.S. Senate term. That term, which began on January 4, 2007, does not expire until January 2013, regardless of Mrs. Clinton’s recent resignation. The lawsuit notes that Congress attempted to evade this clear constitutional prohibition with a so-called “Saxbe fix” last month, reducing the Secretary of State’s salary to the level in effect on January 1, 2007. This maneuver, first used in the Taft Administration, has been more frequently used in recent years by both parties, allowing notably Republican Senator William Saxbe to become U.S. Attorney General in 1973 and Democratic Senator Lloyd Bentsen to become Treasury Secretary in 1993. A similar “fix” has been enacted for Senator Ken Salazar to join the Obama Cabinet as Secretary of the Interior.

Judicial Watch’s lawsuit, however, points out that the legislation “does not and cannot change the historical fact that the ‘compensation and other emoluments’ of the office of the U.S. Secretary of State increased during Defendant Clinton’s tenure in the U.S. Senate…” The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is required to give expedited consideration to the lawsuit.

“This historic legal challenge should remind politicians of both parties that the U.S. Constitution is not to be trifled with,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Mrs. Clinton is constitutionally ineligible to serve as the U.S. Secretary of State until at least 2013, when her second term in the U.S. Senate expires. We hope the courts will put a stop to these end runs around the Constitution and affirm the rule of law.”

By: BARB

BARB — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:45:00 +0000

Does anyone have the info about the State Dept employee who has filed suit against Clinton? Something about her appointment and confirmation being illegal??? I keep missing it.

By: truthtelling007

truthtelling007 — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:48:55 +0000

It is nice to get the briefings from the State Dept. It shows that Clinton is a leader and follows through on her commitment to both service and transparency.
Now, yes, the White House finally put up their briefings, but only after we griped and groaned.

Thank you for this post Susan.