Clinton Pledges To Pursue Vigorous Diplomacy As Secretary Of State

Chicago, IL (AHN) - Joining President-elect Barack Obama on Monday during a press conference announcing her appointment as secretary of State, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) said she would pursue a "vigorous" foreign policy that will renew America's standing in the world.

Republicans have responded to her appointment by bringing up her foreign policy disagreements with Obama during the primary.

Speaking immediately after Obama announced members of his national security team, Clinton thanked New Yorkers for giving her "the joy of the job I love." The former first lady said that her work representing a unique state had prepared her well for her new role.

Saying the fate of the national and the future of young Americans will be forged in how the economic crisis, "relentless" terror threats worldwide and global warming are handled, Clinton said the United States faces a "daunting" task and that the crises cannot be solved without joint efforts with the international community.

"The American people have demanded not just a new direction, but a new effort to renew American's standing in the world as a force for positive change... we must pursue a vigorous diplomacy with all the tools we can muster to build a future with more partners and fewer adversaries," she added. "While we are determined to defend our freedoms and liberties at all costs, we also reach out to the world again, seeking common and higher ground."

Clinton said the best way for her to continue serving the country is to join Obama's Cabinet. Quoting John F. Kennedy's 1962 State of the Union address that set out an ambitious foreign policy agenda and admitted, "We will not reach that goal today, tomorrow. We may not reach it in our own lifetime. But the quest is the greatest adventure in our century," she told the president-elect she was proud to join him "on what will be a difficult and exciting adventure in this new century."

Obama lavished praise and repeatedly called Clinton a "friend" in his press conference. "Hillary's appointment is a sign to friend and foe of the seriousness of my commitment to renew American diplomacy and restore our alliances," he also said.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) responded to the announcement by citing a memo from the Obama campaign earlier this year that said Clinton had not played a role in national security issues when she was first lady.

On its website and party blog, the RNC quoted former Obama campaign foreign policy adviser Greg Craig saying of Clinton in a memo issued in March, "There is no reason to believe, however, that she was a key player in foreign policy at any time during the Clinton Administration. She did not sit in on National Security Council meetings. She did not have a security clearance. She did not attend meetings in the Situation Room. She did not manage any part of the national security bureaucracy, nor did she have her own national security staff. She did not do any heavy- lifting with foreign governments, whether they were friendly or not."

"She never managed a foreign policy crisis, and there is no evidence to suggest that she participated in the decision-making that occurred in connection with any such crisis. As far as the record shows, Senator Clinton never answered the phone either to make a decision on any pressing national security issue - not at 3 AM or at any other time of day," the memo also said.

During the primary season, Clinton had run TV ads warning voters about choosing a candidate who lacked the experience needed to make effective decisions during times of national crisis. The "red phone" ads, and Clinton's "3 am phone call" argument, as they came to be known, was condemned by Obama as part of Clinton's "fear-mongering" tactics. Obama had also said Clinton had "given the wrong answer" when the nation had its red phone moment and decided to invade Iraq.

Clinton had also repeatedly called Obama "naive" on foreign policy, citing his willingness to meet with leaders of hostile nations without pre-conditions.