A Brief Note on the Great American Wedding

In case you’ve been hiding in a cave or lost at sea all week, I’ll fill you in. Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former president Bill Clinton and current Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, got married yesterday to her longtime boyfriend, Marc Mezvinsky, in Rhinebeck, NY and the whole country is talking about it. The total cost, which designer’s gown the bride would be wearing, and the guest list were sources of speculation for weeks and nearly everyone from style columnists to world news organizations to blogs devoted to the possibility of a “Hillary 2012” presidential run all had something to say about the event. Rhinebeck took all of the hullabaloo in stride and seemed to throw a party of its own in honor of the bride and groom.

In the end, the ceremony was not as opulent or star-studded as some had claimed. The bride wore a gown by Vera Wang. Her mother’s dress was by Oscar de la Renta. Chelsea’s 92-year-old grandmother, seen in the background of the photo above with her daughter, the Secretary of State, also looked great and earns a mention for no other reason than she is the bride’s grandmother and must have been very happy for her. Actually, aside from a few notables like Ted Danson and Madeleine Albright, the guests were unknown to the general public – family, friends, and co-workers of the bride and groom. No Oprah. No big political donors. No random stars. This was not about the bride’s famous parents. This was, as a wedding ought to be, about the bride and groom and everyone looked thrilled for them except one person at one moment. Walking his only child down the aisle, the former president vaguely resembled a man being lead to a firing squad, but I think that’s par for the course for fathers of brides. In this article from the New York Post, the Secretary of State/Mother of the Bride made some comments on this very thing.

“You should assume that if he makes it down the aisle in one piece it’s a major accomplishment,” Hillary Clinton said of her husband in comments to NBC broadcast Monday from Pakistan.
“He is going to be so emotional, as am I, but we’re both looking forward to it and very happy about it,” she said.

Mission accomplished, Mr. President.

Weddings are always optimistic affairs. They’re full of hope for the future regardless of who’s getting married. I think the national fascination with the Clinton-Mezvinsky wedding is actually good for the Great American Psyche particularly now in the midst of a miserable recession, two long, costly wars, and millions of other more personal problems for those that were paying attention to the news for details of the marriage of two young people in Rhinebeck. The pre-wedding rumors were fairly innocuous considering what has been said about the Clintons over the past twenty years or so. It was mostly about the cost of the event and which rich and famous people would be there. The media coverage was pretty mainstream as opposed to photographers trying to climb fences or repel down from trees – generally a bad idea when the Secret Service is on patrol. Several photos and a statement were released promptly by the family following the ceremony to give the country its fix so those in attendance could party the night away in relative peace. This is that statement which I took from here.

“Today we watched with great pride and overwhelming emotion as Chelsea and Marc wed in a beautiful ceremony at Astor Courts, surrounded by family and their close friends,” the Clintons said in a statement. “We could not have asked for a more perfect day to celebrate the beginning of their life together, and we are so happy to welcome Marc into our family.”

Everyone seemed to respect the views of everyone else. The people of Rhinebeck made a sizable deal out of playing host to what some are calling the wedding of the year but, in the end, they left the family and other guests as alone as they are ever allowed to be. The media didn’t invade Astor Courts , the wedding venue, and the Clintons and Mezvinskys understood and accepted the curiosity of a generally well-intentioned public. The day was beautiful and everything went well and all that’s left to say is congratulations and best wishes to the bride, groom, and their newly-united family.

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Another Gold Star For a Government Official

I saw this video posted here and I felt it was time to give out another gold star.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is not accustomed to things not going her way. That’s not me being insulting or anything like that, it’s fact. Just look at her history. Pretty much everything she’s attempted has worked out for her with the exception of her messy marriage and she and her husband seem to have sorted that out, too. It takes two people to make or break one of those and, from what little she’s said on the subject, she’s content with what she’s got in that department. As of her appointment as President Obama’s Secretary of State, she had amassed enough money and clout to ensure that she will in all likelihood be pleased with most aspects of her life from here on out.
The one big thing that she tried and failed to accomplish was to be elected president in 2008. The fact that she’s in his cabinet is not the issue here. The issue is that wherever she goes, even out of the country (this video was taken in the Republic of Georgia) she is reminded of that failure and instead of trying to avoid the questions about what working for the man who defeated her is like, she takes on the topic with grace and, in the process manages to point out some of the finer elements of democracy and the US system of governing. That’s a lot to pack into a minute. Furthermore, this is a conversation she has had before and will continue to have over and over, probably as long as she is in her current position as Secretary of State. Four years is a long time to be repeatedly reminded about your biggest failure.

That type of grace is lacking in politics everywhere. It’s not just Republicans. It’s not just Democrats. It’s not just the tea party people. It isn’t just the US either – ever seen some of the crazy shit that goes on in the parliamentary sessions of other countries? No, well, here you go.

*BEWARE – F-bombs dropped at the end.*

And, because everything is funnier when you add the Benny Hill theme, there’s this.

Yes, CSPAN would be a hell of a lot more entertaining if our House and Senate were like this, but I think graciousness is a quality that trumps my amusement when it comes to sorting out the country in which I reside and its relationship with the rest of the world. So, for combining lessons on democracy, fair elections, duty, and not being a sore loser, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton gets a gold star

“Great” Moments in Modern Politics – Hillary Meets Haibao

Usually I have to find awkward pictures for these posts. This week the photo gods smiled at me.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has a very important job which takes her all over the world to meet with world leaders… and, apparently, chubby, blue mascots. While visiting The World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, Secretary Clinton met the mascots, called Haiboa, and posed for some pictures.

The fellow with her is Shanghai mayor Han Zheng.

While collecting photos, I found this one and had to share it as well because I love it. It’s like Where’s Waldo – Foreign Policy Edition.

The lighter side of international diplomacy.

“Great” Moments in Modern Politics – The Secretary of State – Flirting for World Peace

There are plenty of words that come to mind when I think of our current Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton – intelligent, successful, tough, wealthy, …headbands, …pantsuit, …Bubba, ect… Anyway, one that I never thought of was “flirt” – until she became Secretary of State. Now she’s cuddlier with her colleagues than she is with her husband. Sorry, Bill!

A look at all the Secretary’s men.

Joe Biden, the current Vice President, is the person within this administration who I most enjoy hearing about on the news. Why? Because when you hear “Vice President Joe Biden” come out of a news anchor’s mouth, there’s a 93% chance that what will follow it will be amusing to one degree or another and with so much unhappy news out there I like it when a story makes me smile. He meets regularly with the Secretary of State and, apparently, they get alone quite well. I read someplace that they’re actually close friends. Whether or not she’s flirting or being flirted with is up for debate, but every time there’s a photo of the two of them, they look like they’re having a good time.

David Miliband is the British foreign minister and much has been made of the “crush” between he and the Secretary of State ever since she gushed over him in the US edition of Vogue. The Secretary of State is obviously very committed to maintaining the “special relationship” between the UK and the US.

The other special relationship, between the US and Israel, has also received some extra attention, though once again I’m not sure if Secretary Clinton wasn’t simply the recipient of the flirtation in this instance. Shimon Peres, Israel’s president, gave her flowers and a few kisses when she visited Israel in March 2009.

She seems to have a good time with many of her male colleagues. I’m not sure if it’s her celebrity status or if the reports we’ve been hearing for years of her being aloof and frigid are all wrong, but they seem to really enjoy her company.

Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister

Javier Solana, Secretary General of the Council of the European Union and High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy

Wouldn’t you love to know what was so funny?

Most recently, and most overtly, Secretary Clinton and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi shared a laugh and a near-snuggle after a bilateral meeting at the State Department.

Makes one wonder what was in her glass. Also, when you think about it…

…after a few vodka tonics… he might sort of looks like…

Put the glass down, Madame Secretary! We don’t need a nuclear-armed sex scandal! Finish up your work and go home where – depending on the day of the week, state of the world, and appearance schedules – someone just might be waiting… maybe.

**** I like the last picture because, while is isn’t the best shot of either of them, it seems more genuine than many other shots taken of them. I also think it’s interesting that one of their more “candid” pictures was taken in a huge crowd of people. For those of you who disagree with my original picture choice, and since I was trying to be complimentary, here’s a better picture.****

And I just found these.