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Secretary Clinton Meets President Bachelet in Chile

By Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy on March 4, 2010 at 12:45 PM in Americas: North-Central-South, Current Affairs, Environment, Foreign Aid, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

As we know, another massive earthquake hit in February (the 27th), this time in Chile. Not only was this 8.8 magnitude earthquake one of the most powerful on record, but it also spawned a tsunami that also rocked this country. The death toll there is 795. Many of those lost were in the coastal areas hit by the tsunami:

One of the other results of this earthquake, though, was that it knocked the Earth off its axis by about 3 inches, thus increasing the rotation of the earth, and decreasing the length of our days. Not by much, mind you, only 1.26 microseconds, but it is a cumulative thing.

That is all to say, it was a massive earthquake. Secretary of State Clinton had already planned a trip to Chile anyway, and she met with Secretary Bachelet on Tuesday:

Below is the text of Secretary Clinton’s remarks to President Bachelet, and the people of Chile. For the complete session, with comments by President Bachelet, click HERE:

SECRETARY CLINTON: President Bachelet, I first come with the great sympathy and support from President Obama and the people of the United States. This devastating earthquake has wrought so much damage across your country. The ferocity was 800 times greater than the earthquake that hit Haiti, and your leadership and the extraordinary efforts of your government and the people of Chile are responding with resilience and strength. And the United States is ready to respond to the request that the government of Chile has made so that we can provide not only solidarity, but specific supplies that are needed to help you recover from the earthquake.

Amen to that. Chile has a better infrastructure than Haiti, but there was still a tremendous amount of damage done, and loss of life. Clinton continues:

I was planning to be in Chile today anyway for a long-scheduled trip and I was so looking forward to meeting with President Bachelet who is a leader whom I admire greatly and consider a friend. And when I spoke with the president, I said, “I will not come if it will interfere in any way.” And we changed the itinerary so that I could come and I brought with me 25 of these satellite phones. We have identified 62 as the highest priority for the government’s request. I had 25 on my plane loaded on and I’m going to give this one to you, Madam President.

And let me just add after consulting with the president and her ministers, we are sending eight water purification units. They are on their way. We have identified a mobile field hospital unit with surgical capabilities that is ready to go. We are working to fill the need for autonomous dialysis machines. We are ready to purchase and send electricity generators, medical supplies and are working to identify and send portable bridges so that some of the places that are remote that lost their bridges will be able to be reconnected to the country. People are working. That’s a good sound.

And finally, Madam President, after discussing the needs that Chile has, we will look to see if we can provide additional equipments from portable kitchens to helicopters to assist you in this massive rescue recovery effort that you are undertaking. And additionally, we will let the people of America, who are very anxious to help Chileans, know that they can contribute to the Chilean Red Cross; that they can contribute to the Caritas Chile and the ONEMI programs. We will get that information and give our press the specifics.

Like her trip to Haiti, Secretary Clinton, by her presence, and by the tools she brings, represents our country so well, exuding sympathy, comfort, and determination.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Chile. I hope the aid Secretary Clinton brought with her, and promised on our behalf, will be of an immediate help.

mortuus lark

Finaly
mortuus lark

Finally
Cindy

Rev. Amy– Thank you for the post.
I wanted to cry when Hillary said “Madame President”. That’s what we should be calling her!!
What a wonderful and talented woman. Such poise, such intellect, such passion for people.
And she’s doing a superb job at State; but if there’s another opening on Supreme Ct, I want her there so she can get the hell out of Obama’s administration and Democratic Party. They don’t deserve her!
Hank

Sorry OT:
Rumors are spreading that Supreme Court Justice, Roberts to step down.
Cindy

Hank–wow–and I just mentioned wanting Hillary on there!
Hank

Update: RadarOnline.com has obtained new information that Justice Roberts will NOT resign. The justice will be staying on the bench.
Rabble Rouser Rev. Amy

I know, Cindy – breaks my heart, too…She IS doing a great job at State, to be sure – just imagine what she would have been like as PRESIDENT!!

I know she would be great on the Court, too. Much beter than Obama (since people have mentioned that) since she actually CARES abt the Constitution!
Cindy

Shucks!
helenk

Think what she could do at the UN. Her and her husband’s caring and knowledge and way with people could change the world for the better.
Or both work for the Clinton foundation and try to help where needed in the world.
Both have given this country so much and received so little in return.

WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE, MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS

PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
Breeze

OT:

Did anybody watch Greta last night?

It seems that the stimulus money has gone to China for Chinese jobs.
Docelder

Makes sense. We don’t have the mineral resources for manufacturing jobs anyway. None that can be used anyway. Reminds me of the money we sent to Brazil so that they could drill offshore. Might as well… we can’t. Somebody is going to supply the world with the things they want and become wwealthy from it. It won’t be us… not with democrats in charge. We are left with trading worthless pieces of paper back and forth. F’ing idiot democrats.
sowsear

Paper backed by taxpayer dollars.. Hopefully we’ll still have jobs so we can keep on truckin’
sowsear

Reminds me of the money we sent to Brazil so that they could drill offshore. Might as well… we can’t

Someone has to help Soros with his investments.
sowsear

And the Chinese with their oil contracts.
mortuus lark

She IS doing a great job at State

Lets repeated one more time

She IS doing a great job at State
mortuus lark

Wow Docelder, sometimes you are just like Babe Ruth and Hank Aron combined. You are on a legue of your own. Here is a bow ~ to you.
mortuus lark

She IS doing a great job at State

She IS doing a great job at State
My other site

You go Girl!
My other site

Excuse me, but I believe the Republicans had been in charge for six years when the economy came crashing down. Maybe we can’t engage in old fashioned manufacturing but if we had a good president we could be strong in innovative manufacturing.
elaine

Granted she’s doing a bang up job giving away our money, too bad she can’t get much cooperation on sanctions against Iran’s nuke program.
Peggy Sue

I caught this vid earlier, Amy. But thank you for putting it up. It’s good the second time around. One of the things I admire about HRC is that she does not demand the spotlight or spend time and energy in endless self-promotion. She simply does the job. Like a workhorse. Too bad we have the showhorse in the WH.

I’m glad there’s someone competent working in our behalf. On the other hand, I wouldn’t be upset if she bowed out and went on to do other things. Putting distance between herself and this Administration wouldn’t shake me up at all. That being said, her approval numbers remain high and she’s managed to stay clear of domestic agenda fights.

Should make the next year or so interesting.

Thanks again, Amy!
EllenD

Yes, it brought tears to my eyes that Hillary actually BROUGHT something useful and arranged for other emergency supplies to be on the way.

Obama would have brought an ipod loaded with his speeches.
Rabble Rouser Rev. Amy

Hey, Peggy Sue - You are so right. Hillary just rolls up her shirtsleeves, and gets to work. That’s why people around the world love her so much…

Oh, yes – I wouldn’t mind any distance between her and The One, either!

Btw, caught the Yanks v. Phillies Spring Training game today. Your boys came back and won it in the bottom of the 9th with a two run homer!
Rabble Rouser Rev. Amy

Indeed, EllenD – Hillary is actually in tune with what the people need.

And thanks for the laugh – oh, wait – that is probably true abt the iPod…
Peggy Sue

Whoohoo! I’ll have to tell my husband, Amy. That’ll make him feel good. He’s been a diehard Phillies fan since he was a kid. A tough road to travel.

You can take the man out of Philly but you can’t get the Phillies out of the man.
sowsear

Or he would have brought something that wouldn’t play on their electronics
lark who will revive

One thing I don’t understand is that we still have Silsby in jail in Haiti and Hillary traveling all over Guatemala and chances are Silsby will spend another week end in jail because the prosecutor is eating bread and honey.

I just wish Hillary would be more sensitive to what is happening to these two heroic Americans in Haiti.

WOMEN AGAINST ROAMING GANSTERS AND THE HATE DISEASE THEY SPREAD AND DOMINEERING POWER MEN THAT ARE AFRAID OF THEM.

Libertarians, Feminist, Postmoderns will prevail.

Thank you RRRA for this touching story.
Docelder

Maybe Haiti thinks if they emulate North Korea that they too will get a plate of cookies and some warm milk from American apologists. What I propose is a stern statement that bad press here will cause relief efforts from here to immediately halt. Leave it to them how to proceed. They are sovereign after all. But, hold these people and see the help stop. What is being “sovereign” worth to them? I would test that.
Helen in Seattle

I’m so proud of Hillary and how she is representing us – with intelligence and grace. I agree that Madame President is the right title for her. I’m so glad she stayed out of the Senate.