Hill’s Arab Street Blues Show Her Character

Twenty years are a long time to be wrong about someone. From the moment I “met” Hillary Clinton, on 60 Minutes in January, 1992, I disliked and distrusted her. Her “I’m not some Tammy Wynette, stand by your man” remark, while sitting next to her lying, cheating husband, started a history that I could never forgive her for, until now.

In a series of interviews with just about everyone, but me (I don’t blame her for not returning my calls), Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she “takes full responsibility for the security problems” in Libya that led to last month’s September 11th terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate. Four Americans died, including United States Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens.

In the soap opera atmosphere of Washington Politics that Hillary and her former President husband, Bill, fostered (some pun intended) for over eight years, Madame Secretary sought to “avoid some kind of political gotcha” by taking heat off the White House. In last week’s Vice Presidential debate, Republican candidate Paul Ryan, probably repeating something he heard on Rush Limbaugh’s radio comedy show, jabbed at the current Vice President, Joe Biden, that the White House ignored pleas for more security on the ground and around the U.S. Consulate in Libya. Biden responded that the White House didn’t know extra security was needed. Of course, this is violence-ridden Libya. More security is like more toilet paper. It’s always a good idea.

A cynic like me could say Hillary’s being political too by diverting attention off President Obama’s foreign policy missteps in the Middle East, just three weeks before election. But I don’t think so. Hillary Clinton has spent twenty years denying a lot of things. We still don’t know how Vince Foster really died. Those Rose Firm law documents became the first office materials to grow legs and walk off. And not knowing about her husband’s Monica Lewinkying? Come on. Here, in this case with the Libyan terrorist attack, Hillary Clinton is putting the “Hill” in Churchill. She’s being strong, honest, straight-forward, and quite frankly, more of a stand-up guy than Obama, Biden, Mitt Romney, and Ryan combined. United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is showing leadership. The ironic part of this act of selflessness, previously non-existent in her resume, gets the President re-elected, Hillary’s true character is being revealed. Consulate security doesn’t fall directly under her job description. But she’s acting like a football coach after a loss in which her quarterback threw three interceptions. That means something.

The true test between now and whoever’s inaugurated in January, will be what Hillary Clinton and United States foreign policy does to protect Americans in Libya, and other Muslim countries. Also, repairing damaged relationships with so many is vital. The success of President Obama’s tenure has been crippling Al-Quada, especially killing Osama Bin Laden. Now, his administration, led by Secretary Clinton, need to heal wounds, become a beacon of hope in that area of the world, and admit what hasn’t worked. Hillary Clinton has taken the first step. She was right. She isn’t some Tammy Wynette, standing by her man. She standing by herself. It’s time her men stood with her.