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Everyone feeling OK? Flu-watch humor at State presser

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton marked her 100 days as the nation’s top diplomat by speaking to a town hall meeting of former diplomats and Foreign Service officers today. There, she she honored former U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and announced the naming of a diplomatic award in his honor. Later, at the morning ...

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton marked her 100 days as the nation's top diplomat by speaking to a town hall meeting of former diplomats and Foreign Service officers today. There, she she honored former U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and announced the naming of a diplomatic award in his honor. Later, at the morning press briefing, though, reporters delicately asked spokesman Robert Wood why Clinton seemed to have the sniffles:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton marked her 100 days as the nation’s top diplomat by speaking to a town hall meeting of former diplomats and Foreign Service officers today. There, she she honored former U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and announced the naming of a diplomatic award in his honor. Later, at the morning press briefing, though, reporters delicately asked spokesman Robert Wood why Clinton seemed to have the sniffles:

QUESTION: This is slightly odd, but the Secretary, in her two appearances this morning, appeared to be a little ill. Is she suffering from a cold or something? And I ask only because of the whole swine flu thing and the fact that she was in Mexico in March and the fact that a member of the – one member of the President’s delegation did come down with it.

MR. WOOD: Matt, you’ll be happy to know it’s just mild allergies. She suffers from mild allergies. That’s all it is.

QUESTION: All right. Thank you.

MR. WOOD: You’re welcome, sir.

QUESTION: How about yourself, Robert? Are you feeling all right? (Laughter.)

MR. WOOD: I’ll check in with you later. I’ll let you know.

Laura Rozen writes The Cable daily at ForeignPolicy.com.

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