Statement from President Bill Clinton on the Nomination of Senator Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State

As an American, I am thankful that President-elect Barack Obama has asked Hillary to be Secretary of State and that she has accepted. As her husband, I am deeply proud.

She is the right person for the job of helping to restore America's image abroad, end the war in Iraq, advance peace and increase our security, by building a future for our children with more partners and fewer adversaries, one of shared responsibilities and opportunities.

She has already earned the respect of foreign leaders and diplomats through her work to promote human rights and the empowerment of women through access to education, healthcare and economic opportunity. And Americans know, from her leadership in the Senate on national security, that she will always put the security, values and the interests of our people first.

In her service to the people of New York and our nation, Hillary has demonstrated the knowledge, passion, resilience, and capacity to learn that our country needs at this critical time. She loves being a Senator from New York, but as she has in all the thirty-seven years I've known her, she answered the call to serve. I commend President-Elect Obama for asking her to be a part of a great national security team. America will be well-served.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Mantl: "Hillary Clinton's Outstanding Personality is a Good Prospect for a New American Foreign Policy"

"Hillary Clinton is an outstanding personality in the political landscape. As Secretary of State in the Cabinet of President Barack Obama, she can achieve her ambitious international goals: to restore the reputation of the United States in the world, to fight climate change and global warming, and to withdraw the troops from Iraq," said Josef Mantl, spokesperson of the international initiative "The World for Hillary - Platform of the international community in support of Hillary Clinton."

The Austrian communications-entrepreneur Josef Mantl spent two years at Emerson College of Communications in Boston as a Fulbright scholar, where he supported Hillary in her primaries, especially in New Hampshire und Massachusetts, and started the international initiative "The World for Hillary - Platform of the international community in support of Hillary Clinton" (http://www.theworldforhillary.com) as a "grassroots platform" in 2007.

"Countless times throughout the campaign, I heard her say: "No more cowboy-diplomacy". This is now her chance to put this pledge into action immediately. In our interconnected and globalized world, no country operates in autonomy. The values and vision of United States' elected officials have great impact on the rest of the world. Far across the borders of America, countless people yearn to support her goals."

"The nomination of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State endorses the guideline of our initiative: "It's not only a choice for America, it's a choice for the world," Mantl closes.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

STATEMENTS BY GEORGE SHULTZ AND RICHARD ALLEN SUPPORTING JOHN MCCAIN FOR PRESIDENT

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the following statements by former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz and former National Security Advisor Richard Allen on John McCain's courage, judgment and experience that uniquely qualify him for the presidency.

George P. Shultz, who served as the 60th U.S. Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan from 1982 to 1989, today issued the following statement:

"The next President of the United States must be prepared from day one of assuming the office to address the many complex national security issues that confront the United States and our allies. I can think of no candidate who is more prepared for this extraordinary challenge than John McCain. Back during the days of the Reagan Administration, John was a strong ally in our efforts to strengthen America's defenses, promote freedom and undermine communist dictatorships across the globe. He emerged as a leader on national security issues who displayed a profound and first-hand understanding of the world. Today, we are engaged in a struggle with Islamist extremism and we must have a Commander in Chief who needs no on-the-job training. It is my honor to support John McCain, a man of unwavering convictions who will lead America with integrity, strength and courage."

Richard V. Allen, who served as President Ronald Reagan's first National Security Advisor from 1981 to 1982, today issued the following statement:

"We live in dangerous times and face unprecedented and unconventional national security challenges. How shall we deal with conflicts in The Middle East, an increasingly hostile Russia, a rising China, Islamic extremism and terrorism? To meet challenges of this magnitude, we need a seasoned leader with extensive first-hand experience. John McCain is that leader.

"I had the honor to work closely with Ronald Reagan for more than three years prior to his election, and the honor to serve him when he was President. I have been in the Oval Office in times of crisis and when tough policy choices had to be made. I have witnessed real presidential leadership in action, and know that John McCain is the candidate who has the essential leadership qualities to secure America's future. He knows what it is like to be in the cockpit, and will be on the job from Day One to deal with these unprecedented dangers.

"For twenty-two years John McCain has served his country honorably and faithfully, displaying his courage while in uniform, suffering the very real hardships of a prisoner of war and providing staunch support for President Reagan's foreign policy and national security objectives, never wavering in his support for the President's determination to end and win the Cold War. The decades of John McCain's first-hand experience and leadership cannot be acquired with on-the-job training and briefings by advisors; it can only be learned by determined study and perseverance.

"It is my honor to support John McCain in 2008 as the person with the courage, conviction and experience to lead this country from the first day of his presidency."

Romney: "JUST SIMPLY LUDICROUS"

Secretary Of State Rice Comments On Gov. Huckabee's Attacks

No Laughing Matter: A serious look at Gov. Mike Huckabee's record and policy beyond the one-liners.

Gov. Mike Huckabee: "And the ultimate thing is, I may not be the expert that some people are on foreign policy, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night." (WABC Radio's "Imus In The Morning," 12/4/07)

National Review: "The Holiday Inn Express Candidate." "In sum, conservatives should have worries about the depth and soundness of Mike Huckabee’s foreign-policy views. And staying at a Holiday Inn Express is not going to be enough to allay them." (Editorial, "The Holiday Inn Express Candidate," National Review, 12/10/07)

"The idea that this is a go-it-alone policy is just simply ludicrous. And one would only have to be not observing the facts, let me say that, to say that this is now a go-it-alone foreign policy." – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

To watch Secretary Rice's comments, click here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJDjm1Ch9EY
ABC News"Rice: Huckabee Foreign Policy Criticism 'Ludicrous'"Jonathan Karl December 21, 2007

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Friday said criticism of Bush administration foreign policy by Republican presidential candidate former Gov. Mike Huckabee was "simply ludicrous."
…
After first saying "I don't have time to comment on other people's comments", Rice took on Huckabee, head-on during an end-of-year State Department press briefing.
"The idea that this is a go-it-alone policy is just simply ludicrous. And one would only have to be not observing the facts, let me say that, to say that this is now a go-it-alone foreign policy," Rice said.
…
To read the full article, please see: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/12/rice-huckabee-f.html