RSS Feed for This PostCurrent Article

Secretary Clinton In Mexico

By Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy on March 26, 2009 at 1:19 PM in Current Affairs, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Susan’s Note: Don’t miss our Hillary Supporters live chat tonight at 9 p.m. ET. “This is HILLARY DAY at NoQuarterUSA.net!” wrote Ani whose story is coming up soon too.

Secretary Clinton participated in a press conference yesterday with Secretary Patricia Espinosa. From the State Department website:

At the invitation of Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa, Secretary Clinton is traveling to Mexico City and Monterrey, Mexico from March 25 to 26. While in Mexico, Secretary Clinton will discuss a broad range of bilateral and international issues of mutual interest, including cooperation under the Merida Initiative.

The video from their joint press conference is below:



Check out the very first reporter – he asked Clinton a number of questions. She, being the brilliant, capable woman she is, just laughed, and began to answer them all. No “uh, um, er, ah, well, um, well, LOOK” crapola came out of her mouth.

How lovely that Secretary Espinosa asked Secretary Clinton to return often, and for Secretary Clinton to respond with great affection for Mexico, having spent her honeymoon there!

If you wish to follow her travel schedule, you can click HERE.

While in Mexico, Secretary Clinton stated, as noted in this article, “U.S. Drug Policies Failed, Fueled Mexico Drug Wars“:

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled to Mexico on Wednesday with a blunt mea culpa, saying that decades of U.S. anti-narcotics policies have been a failure and have contributed to the explosion of drug violence south of the border.

“Clearly what we’ve been doing has not worked,” Clinton told reporters on her plane at the start of her two-day trip, saying that U.S. policies on curbing drug use, narcotics shipments and the flow of guns have been ineffective.

“Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade,” she added. “Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police, of soldiers and civilians.”

Wow – that’s huge. Clinton also said:

In comments to U.S. reporters, Clinton called for a new approach to tackling the drug problem, noting that “we have been pursuing these strategies for 30 years.”

“Neither interdiction [of drugs] nor reducing demand have been successful,” she said.

She continued in this vein, stating the issues without mincing words:

“Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade. Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the death of police officers, soldiers and civilians,” Clinton told reporters during her flight to Mexico City.

“I feel very strongly we have a co-responsibility.”…

“We will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you … Our relationship is far greater than any threat,” Clinton said at a news conference in Mexico City.

As well we should.

Secretary Clinton continues her travels today, continuing her good work on behalf of our nation. Damn, she makes me proud. And DAMN, she should be our president. But many of you already know that…She does our country proud.

  • Rah-Rah

    A lot of right wing groups and on-line personalities have been slamming Clinton for showing that much of the responsibility for the drug mess on the US/Mexico border is because of drug use by Americans. She is spot-on and you cannot separate the two…

    What do right wingers who are slamming her think is happening? That the drug cartels think it’s just fun to try to get drugs into America? No. We have a lot of drug users/abusers in this country…you go where your audience is.

    I, for one, hate illegal drugs and drug use; I think they are a blight on our society. And I know what I’m about to write is not popular…but I think drugs should be legalized and taxed, with a system of monitoring/restrictions stronger than current alcohol abuse/use laws and taxes.

    Until we take the tremendous profits out of the illegal drug trade, we are never going to see an end to the violence that is spilling daily into our country.

    As it is currently operating, the “War On Drugs” is a lost cause…

    • Ferd Berfle

      I, for one, hate illegal drugs and drug use; I think they are a blight on our society. And I know what I’m about to write is not popular…but I think drugs should be legalized and taxed, with a system of monitoring/restrictions stronger than current alcohol abuse/use laws and taxes.

      I have said the same things over and over and have been roundly criticized. I don’t care. The drug war is an unwinnable and represents yet another demonstration of the definition of insanity-keep doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result.

      For 38 years this country has tried everything to stem the tide, all to no avail. The anti-legalization folks can bluster until the end of time and still not win this war.

      How much money and how many lives has it cost? To what benefit, exactly?

      Are we any better off than we were when this crap started? No. In fact, it is only getting worse because the drug-lords are making money hand-over-fist and plowing that money right back into their operation. They are better armed than ever before and more dangerous.

      Legalize the crap, tax it to the hilt and thereby take away the profits from the drug lords.

      • elise

        I also believe legalization is the only sane approach. Almost twenty years ago, the DEA raided the mansion of Carlos Espinoza, the “King of Cocaine”. They failed to capture him, but in a closet in his house, they found boxes of money, all dollars. They also found a stash of American military weapons greater than anything the DEA had. Right now the cartels are fighting for territory, but if you go into the small villages and even some large cities, the story is identical to Columbia. They build schools, give people money and in return they are protected. The DEA has spent years and millions of dollars spraying crops of marijuana and the Coast Guard has spent most of their time over the last twenty years trying to catch smugglers. They will always find a way because the profits are HUGE, even greater than the GNP of many countries. If even the legalization of marijuana is mentioned, some people get hysterical. During prohibition, drinkers didn’t stop drinking and the bootleg industry grew. Laws regulating human consumption will never be effective and the result is more crime not just on the border with Mexico, but all through the country.

        • Ferd Berfle

          I agree. Time to end the madness.

  • cynic

    Yep. Marijuana at least should be decriminalized, regulated, and taxed. Part of the enormous tax revenues that would result should pay for the regulatory process itself, for drug education and rehabilitiation, and for better control of certain drugs that are obviously too personally and socially destructive to be allowed to go unchecked. (If I wanted a note of irony here I might mention tobacco, which kills an estimated 5.4 million people per year; instead I’ll refer to the more obvious methamphetamine, crack, and heroin.)

    The current level of hipocrisy is enormous. The entire economy of Mendocino County, California, is currently based upon marijuana cultivation, which essentially goes on openly, and accounts for two-thirds of all economic activity. Marijuana actually represents one of the nation’s largest cash crops, exceeding corn, wheat, and soybeans in many agricultural areas. Obviously millions of regular citizens are using this product on a regular basis, because we sure as hell aren’t exporting it. If it were even slightly as socially and personally detrimental as it’s opponents allege it to be, we would have been seeing those terrible effects on a massive scale long ago.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28354324/

    • cynic

      5.4 million is the global estimate, btw. The annual estimate for the United States alone is 440,000.

    • Docelder

      Yes, the cigarette is just a “nicotine delivery system” when the nicotine levels of the tobaccos used in the manufacture are being manipulated. It should be regulated the same as any other drug at that point.

      • elise

        You want more regulation, Docelder? Why don’t we discuss other dangerous behavior like obesity and extreme sports? Unsafe sex? What is the goal anyway? An aging population in nursing homes? Once you decide the government has the right to regulate our behavior, we will give up all our rights. This is the famous “slippery slope”.

  • democrat1

    Read this from Alegre’s corner
    We’re not finished folks – not by a long shot!
    Prospect (UK): “No, He Can’t,” Hillary’s “Clear Path” for 2012
    by: Pacific John
    Thu Mar 26, 2009 at 12:18:47 PM EDT

    We knew it was coming, but so soon? The up-scale, center-left Prospect magazine is running an op-ed titled, “No, he can’t, and suggests that events might cause Hillary to quit her job, and have a “clear path,” in 2012:

    Thus the big question in Democratic circles today: “What does Hillary do about this?” Her supporters still feel that the election was stolen from her. With capital on strike, states rebelling against the president’s dependency agenda, the treasury secretary probably soon to be replaced, many top jobs still unfilled, the liberal press anxious and poll numbers plummeting, Hillary Clinton’s departure could sink an administration that already feels like a listing ship, leaving her a clear path to the Democratic nomination for 2012.

    Her relationship with the president, inherently unstable personally, erodes every day that he takes his swinging axe to the remarkable bipartisan achievements of the Clinton presidency, especially welfare reform and fiscal discipline. While the biggest shocks of this presidency to date have been at home, in the foreign sphere Hillary’s job as secretary of state is made more difficult by a distracted and inexperienced president.

    Serious people do not like being associated with a White House that, eight weeks after the inauguration and four months after the election, in a time of genuine economic distress, did not have one single nominee for the various treasury jobs, much less a single actual appointee sitting behind a single desk. Paul Volcker, the head of Obama’s economic advisory council, recently called the situation at treasury “shameful.” This staffing fiasco is repeated across defence, state and many other departments. Nothing like it has ever been seen in Washington.

    The piece is one long British-conservative rant, but it’s right on two big points, that Obama’s handling of the economy terrifies a lot of serious people, and that it’s well within Obama’s capability to screw up foreign policy, too.

    Mind you, our girl is the ultimate team player, and will only run against a sitting Democratic President if there is no other choice, but as the piece implies, she might be “bullied” into it, something that was unthinkable a few weeks ago.

    • slobodaneee

      She is doing a good job as SOS. I doubt she will attempt to run against Obama. Most democrats are happy with Obama.

      • Lyn

        Really? not the ones I talk to that voted for him and the ones that didn’t vote for him , know with out a doubt they made the right choice.

    • warehouse553

      I would love for her to run in 2012 but the reality is that 95% of blacks will do everything possible to keep Obama as the nominee no matter what his poll numbers look like. They will never support her over Obama!

    • mary

      democrat1

      Could this then be the reason behind the Republicano deviants launching their Campaign Ad entitled “Hillary the Movie”? They’re shit-scared of the possibility of a really strong, competent leader like Hillary taking over from TOTUS….RIGHT ON! They better be afraid. The Affirmative Action Prezie’s had it…His anorexic resume and innate clulelessness are legendary…

  • pm317

    Secretary of State Hillary Clinton headed to Mexico even as Obama framed that country’s drug violence as a top concern of the U.S. and hearings on the subject were a highlight on Capitol Hill. Personally I am worried about Secretary Clinton and it’s not all that Mexican violence that I feel puts her at risk. Rather, if history is any indicator, the real danger she faces is associated with the fact that she currently has a higher approval rating than the President. (If she doubts me on this, she should call Colin Powell and see how that worked out for him.)

    Writes Rothkopf at
    http://rothkopf.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/03/25/nano_nano_is_no_longer_just_a_greeting_on_ork

    I dare 0bama on this one. She is indispensable to his admin right now.

  • candymarl

    Obama used a Jumbotron instead of a teleprompter for his last American Idol appearance.

    His supporters said – see he’s now using a Jumbotron instead of a teleprompter to read from. Therefore, his critics are wrong.

    Hillary uses neither. But Obama is the smartest bestest President ever.

    • Docelder

      Word. He only hides his college transcripts and thesis out of modesty. :)

    • Ferd Berfle

      His supporters said – see he’s now using a Jumbotron instead of a teleprompter to read from. Therefore, his critics are wrong.

      LMAO. *Really*?

      Christ, that’s akin to me doing my taxes and then filing them in my file cabinet. Then, when the taxman came along to audit me, I could, with a straight face, tell him I DID file them-they’re in this cabinet–see?

      These people are too stupid to vote or even have an opinion.

  • Murray

    HaHA! That’s it!
    -modesty-

    Candy, Doce – that’s beautiful. You both made my day (bowing).

  • beebop

    Is anyone else tired of watching intelligent, dedicated, hard-working women play second fiddle? Isn’t it amazing that HRC can read from a speech on a podium without benefit of TOTUS or a big screen TV? I wish I understood the Secretary’s speech from Mexico. God. I wish I understood why women sabotage women …

  • Alice Paul

    I can’t believe how people are making newz out of her comments where there is none at all. She didn’t say it’s all our fault, she didn’t say a thing that wasn’t true. And you MUST take responsibility on our side to form the bonds necessary to try and address the problem. It was a NON comment. And the comments on it are NON issues and distractions. Silliness.

    You can count me among those who think they just need to go ahead and LEGALIZE pot. It’s not worse than booze and it’s causing death and destruction in many over the top ways because of it being illegal. Tax the hell out of it and use that money for specific measures but, legalize it and move on to more dangerous and important issues.

    This has been dragging on for years and years and is only kept this way due to people’s irrational fears. There are problems with having it legal but, they pale in comparison to what we are dealing with now.

    What do these people think would happen if booze were illegal suddenly again? It’s the same thing.

    Hillary IS doing a fantastic job. We ARE improving our “image” with other countries but, more importantly we are improving vital relationships to solve problems.

    • Ani

      I agree with you about Hillary’s comments that we needs to be honest about the fact that we bear some responsbility here. Her frank talk and approach is winning her points with leaders and diplomats around the world. They find it refreshing – and honest.

      I think it is a good way to build bridges and repair our credibility. She is doing a great job.

      • mary

        Agree 100% with you Ani.

        I just read David Rothkopf’s Foreign Policy blurb on Hillary in Mexico and I find that he’s one of the few who really gets Hillary…
        Let’s hope he’s wrong about Hillary’s approval being higher than Obama’s (he’s right on this!) and this being the cause for her bowing out early as Colin Powel once did….
        That’s why the repugnant insidious republicanos produced their premature Campaign Ad: “Hillary the Movie”–they’re shit-scared of Hillary!!!And of course, they’ll attempt to vilify her, together with the “leg-thrillers” of the misogynist media….

  • CG

    RRRAmy, DAMN right she should be our president. The DNC greedily gambled and lost, and have given us an ill-prepared cool punk of a jackass in Obama.

    Compare and contrast her capacity to handle a press conference in a very honest, intelligent way. Clearly more capable, more brilliant, and more genuine than Obama. In one of your previous posts RRRAmy, I linked an LA Times article on Clinton’s upcoming trip to Mexico which described Mexico as a porcupine and that Clinton challenge was to unmix the US message. With this news conference, it seems Clinton demonstrated her polished diplomatic expertise considering the prickly quills, which I hope will prove positive.

    Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is about to receive PPFA’s highest honor, the Margaret Sanger award, for her advocacy of “women’s health and rights throughout her public service career,” at gala on Friday in Houston, Texas

    • Ani

      Thanks for mentioning the PPFA — in our next post — we talk about this and another accolade Hillary just received — as a “Global Trailblazer” celebrating women in leadership roles around the world — check it out! :)

    • mary

      Ill-prepared cool punk of a jack ass….

      Loved your artwork on Barackass Totus

  • http://noquarter foxyladi14

    watch bo do something to upstage her..he always does..

  • http://rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

    Hey, friends – I am travelling, and reading your comments on my partner’s blackberry.

    beebop, hell yeah I am sick of the great women getting short shrift!

    Reading the Prospect piece abt Obama and his lack of experience made me cuss a blue streak ending with, “We TOLD you that it mattered!!!!” Sheesh.

    Ani, I look forward to reading your post!

  • Linda C.

    We do need to take responsibility and look at the consequences of our actions. Every time you use or buy illegal drugs you are an accessory to murder. It is about time the selfish look at their actions in real consequences. Marijuana is not harmless because of the far reaching consequences beyond the actual drug. Legalizing it might help some. However, it is about time people put on their “big boy pants”. It is illegal now and thus using pot or anything else has vast lasting consequences beyond the short-time feel good.

    • Ferd Berfle

      That is incorrect. Marijuana has never been proven to lead to “harder” drugs or be detrimental in the long-run. That is the ancient and refuted J. Edgar Hoover line. This isn’t the Reefer Madness movie we’re talking about here–marijuana is a plant and regulating it is beyond silly. Hell, it grows wild in the ditches of northeastern Nebraska (rope-dope). We have a lot of more important issues to deal with. And your logic has only resulted in a waste of billions with no objectively verifiable results–at all. Throwing good money after bad is folly.

      In my opinion, there are far too many people busy trying to run other people’s lives while forgetting to attend to their own. If someone chooses to light up a doobie in the privacy of their own home, who am I (or you) to say no?

    • cynic

      You only assume that marijuana users as a group don’t take responsibility for their actions. This makes no more sense than generalizing that people who drink beer don’t take responsibility for their actions. If it were logical to go from the specific to the general, there would be a far stronger case for the second assumption.

      How many people die each year as a direct consequence of alcohol comsumption? The number is about 85,000. Compare that enormous toll with the number of annual deaths directly or indirectly related to marijuana consumption. According to the CDC, in 2001 there were only 3 deaths in the USA that could be directly contributed to marijuana consumption. The number of indirectly related deaths totalled only 138.

      7,600 people die in the USA each year as a direct consequence of the misuse of NSAID drugs–primarily aspirin.

      http://www.briancbennett.com/charts/death/01pot-related.htm

      I don’t give any credence whatsoever to the “accessory to murder” argument. There isn’t much violent behavior involved in the chain from domestic grower to domestic consumer. The violence primarily relates to illegality and the Mexican drug cartels, which illegality have actually created.

  • Linda Anselmi

    Thank you RRRA – Its always a brighter day after listening to Hillary.

  • Pingback: Fox News: Will Hillary Get The Last Laugh? : NO QUARTER