Hillary's Hearings: Who Knew Power Could Be So Smart?

In her confirmation hearings this morning, Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton put forth the world view of Obama administration, established a diplomatic strategy rooted in a concept of "smart power", and set the stage for a radical departure from the callous cowboy unilateralism that has characterized the last eight years. (Which, speaking authoritatively as a Texan, is an insult to the word "cowboy.")

Clinton's oft-repeated focus on "security, interests, values" tells of a new foreign policy that recognizes interrelation and interdependence in an increasingly nuanced world, that combines pragmatism with a sense of responsibility, and that reintroduces the concept of "cooperative engagement" into the American foreign policy lexicon.

It's quotes like this that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside:

"All the while, we must remember that to promote our interests around the world, America must be an exemplar of our values. Senator Isakson made the point to me the other day that our nation must lead by example rather than edict. Our history has shown that we are most effective when we see the harmony between our interests abroad and our values at home. And I take great comfort in knowing that our first secretary of state, Thomas Jefferson, also subscribed to that view, reminding us across the centuries: ‘The interests of a nation, when well-understood, will be found to coincide with their moral duties.'"

And I'm delighted just by the thought of the look on John Bolton's face when she said this:

"We should also use the United Nations and other international institutions whenever appropriate and possible."

Clinton singled out the egregious abuses committed in Darfur, the DRC, and Zimbabwe as priority areas for the administration, once again signaling a commitment to ending genocide and mass atrocity. She referred to Khartoum as "very cruel" (total burn), spoke out against the mistreatment of the Zimbabwean people at the hands of their government, and condemned the mass killings and rapes in the Congo. Why is this Laundry List of Disaster important, you ask? Because in this speech, with these hearings, Clinton set the priorities of the new administration, established the framework for a new character of American global engagement, and, in doing so, firmly sent a message to the world that the rules of the game are changing.

Check out John Norris's post on the ENOUGH Project blog for insight into Clinton's discussion on Darfur, and the particular importance of her mention of the region's rebel groups. In sum, he writes,

"On balance, a very good performance by Clinton, but the devil truly remains in the details when dealing with Sudan."

Always.