Clinton Does the Sunday Shows
Posted: January 30, 2011 Filed under: Breaking News, Diplomacy Nightmares, Egypt, Foreign Affairs, Hillary Clinton: Her Campaign for All of Us, Middle East | Tags: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, US Egypt Policy 26 CommentsToday, the Secretary of State clearly became the face of the US response to the Egyptian protests. She appeared on all
State Visit to Egypt, June 2009
five talk shows. Here’s some coverage of what she said and what others think about it.
From the NY Times: Clinton Urges Egyptian Dialogue
She issued a strong endorsement of key groups working to exert their influence on the chaotic Egyptian protests – the military, civil society groups and, perhaps most importantly, the nation’s people – but carefully avoided any specific commitment to Mr. Mubarak.
Her phrasing seemed to imply an eventual end to Mr. Mubarak’s 30 years in power. But when asked whether the United States was backing away from Mr. Mubarak and whether he could survive the protests, the secretary chose her words carefully. His political future, she said, “is going to be up to the Egyptian people.”
Making the rounds of the Sunday television talk shows, Mrs. Clinton urged the government in Cairo to respond in a “clear, unambiguous way” to the people’s demands and to do so “immediately” by initiating a national dialogue. At the same time, she was supportive of the Egyptian military, calling it “a respected institution in Egyptian society, and we know they have delicate line to walk.”
Hillary Clinton On ABC with Christine Amanpour:
From CBS NEWS: ‘Clinton: In Egypt, “Words Alone” Are Not Enough’
“Let me repeat again what President Obama and I have been saying,” Clinton said in an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “That is, to urge the Egyptian security forces to show restraint, to not respond in any way through violence or intimidation that falls upon the peaceful protestors who are demanding that their grievances were heard.”
Faux News: Secretary Clinton: Won’t Label Egypt Foreign Policy Crisis Situation
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shied away Sunday from labeling the escalating political turmoil in Egypt as a “foreign crisis situation” for the Obama administration.
“I don’t label anything like that, this is a very serious time for Egypt and we are going to do all we can to support an orderly transition to support a situation in which the aspirations of the Egyptians are addressed,” Clinton said.
She made the comment while briefing reporters before leaving on a trip to Haiti to assess recovery and political work there after last year’s devastating earthquake.
Clinton said that there are “many complexities” because Egypt has been a partner to the U.S. and worked closely with the country to keep peace in the region. She also lauded the Egyptian-Israeli peace agreement.
“We do not want to see a change or a regime that would actually continue to foment violence or chaos — either because it didn’t exist or because it had a different view in which in which to pose on the Egyptian people,” she said.
Some possible hints at what’s going on behind the scenes from the LATimes and Peter Nicholas.
A tight-lipped White House is taking an even-handed approach to the crisis in Egypt, suggesting that President Mubarak might be able to hold onto power if he allows competitive elections and restores individual freedoms. But inside the Obama administration, there are signs that officials are preparing for a post-Mubarak era after three decades.
One former senior administration advisor said he had spoken to his old colleagues inside the Obama administration in recent days about the unrest in Egypt. As early as last Wednesday, the Obama administration recognized that they would not be able to prop up the Mubarak regime and keep it in power at all costs, the former official said.
“They don’t want to push Mubarak over the cliff, but they understand that the Mubarak era is over and that the only way Mubarak could be saved now is by a ruthless suppression of the population, which would probably set the stage for a much more radical revolution down the road.”
Other behind the scenes hint at the Jerusalem Post: Gates appears to be talking to Israel.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke Saturday evening both with US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, and on Sunday Defense Minister Ehud Barak held a telephone conversation with Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
Obama made a round of phone calls Saturday to Middle East leaders to consult on the situation. In addition to speaking to Prime Minister Netanyahu, Obama also reached out to Prime Minister Recep Tayyi Erdogan of Turkey and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. On Sunday he spoke to British Prime Minister David Cameron.
StateDept StateDept
Missed #SecClinton interviews with ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX and NBC on #Egypt? Find all the transcripts here: http://go.usa.gov/YIw
I have some take away questions from her interviews. Like, did she or didn’t she hedge the aid to Egypt question? We can talk about them below the fold.
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Did you see the interview with David Gregory? I’m not sure that I had much respect for him before. It’s less now. The entire round-table discussion was ‘Do you agree with Clinton this..’ and ‘Did Sec. Clinton say the right thing, that’ You could see him deftly trying to pass the blame onto her. None of the talking heads could impeach her comments and none of the wanted to. Her recognition of the role Egypt has played FOR the U.S. had to give govt. in the middle east confidence that there are some grownups at the big table over here.
Hillary 2012
I saw Gregory and she told him, STOP putting words in my mouth! He just went on ignoring her.
I just read Aljareera had the plug pulled on their credentials in reporting on Egypt…………guess that means that they will not be offered a safety net from the Egyptian Government.
Yup, if you do REAL JOURNALISM, you get kicked out like Al Jazeera! I have a lot of respect for Al Jazeera, especially for releasing photos and footage because they knew their hours or minutes in Egypt were numbered…goones knocking at their door with guns.
I didn’t stick around, turned it off after Hillary’s segment. But now I’d like to see it. Does anybody know offhand when it’s replayed? I think it’s something like 2am east coast.
They replay it on MSNBC some time in the evening.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41317645/ns/meet_the_press-transcripts
There’s the transcript and the video for the program … you can view it all there
You’re too good to me! Thanks!
David Gregory should have asked the REAL important question; how was Obama’s backetball game while the protesters were at the White House? OK, I am being cheeky but it seems only Hillary is held to a supper high bar. Biden mean while is in full support of Mubarak, refuting the protesters chants that Hosni Mubarak is a dictator.
Hillary’s always held to a super high bar.
That’s one reason she’d have been a great President.
Don’t get me started.
Apparently the media says he’s being forced to sit this one out.
I don’t know how to properly post tweets but Robert Reich tweeted (twittered?):
(showed up on his FB feed)
Yeah, I’ve been saying that for awhile. It’s also going to hit here too.
I know, you’ve been saying it for a long time; I kind of posted that for you!
ahhh, thank you … you’re my buddy!!!
US is leaderless, know what I mean?
spokesmodels do not do leadership, do they? At least there are some grown ups in the cabinet and in the various agencies.
I retweeted his previous one:
RBReich Robert Reich
3.5% ec growth pitiful. We’re in so deep a hole that we need twice that to get jobs back. Don’t believe the Wall St cheerleaders.
(aside: i just cut and past them)
This is also what I’ve been saying … we’re normalizing this unemployment rate which is just going to toss more people on to the street.
It is frightening. (the normalizing of unemployment rate) Reminds me of the scene in Boys in the Hood, where they see the dead body and they have become desensitized to the violence. Murder and killing becomes a natural state, something that will not change. The attitude of unemployed people, that sense of giving up and the pointlessness of trying to find a job is just a beginning.
We have talked about that for about 2 + years and even about growing gardens and discussions about how to store food when the rice disappeared from the shelfs. Yup, that isn’t something the press isn’t covering.
I can’t see the video. Maybe it was copyrighted.
The one on the post, makes you go see it directly on their youtube channel. Click about three times or so to get it to open.
Egypt unrest – El Baradei says he’s ready to lead a transition
Well, since the Americans are being evacuated, it appears more likely that Hosni Mubarak is not going peacefully and it will get ugly. I guess he really has been in power so long that he can’t seem to let go of the power, and insisting on passing the dictatorship to his son.
Dak, you are so right about the VP who was in charge of torturing people. 😯
I can see why the people continue to protest, the message, is ‘He tortured prisoners, NOW he will torture all of Egypt!’ EAAAK, running to protest too.
[…] Hillary Clinton understands better than most that not all CHANGE is for the best: “We do not want to see a change or a regime that would actually continue to foment violence or chaos — either because it didn’t exist or because it had a different view in which in which to pose on the Egyptian people,” she said. […]
‘No to Suleiman, no to Shafik’ | Al Jazeera Blogs
This video is spot on, with the conditions that have led to the current political revolt in the Arab World. They have found their oppressors and want freedom and true Democracy.
Now You Know: Rebellion in the Arab World