Hillary Clinton is ‘shrinking by the day’?

Hillary Clinton, March 27, 2009   Here’s a ridiculous piece by Dick Morris, former advisor to U.S. Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Bill Clinton: “The Incredible Shrinking Clintons.” Morris — who clearly has something personal against the Clintons — argues that President Obama brought Hillary and Bill Clinton into his “inner circle” in order to marginalize them. ...

585333_090603_Clinton0903272.jpg
585333_090603_Clinton0903272.jpg

 

Hillary Clinton, March 27, 2009

Hillary Clinton, March 27, 2009
 

Here’s a ridiculous piece by Dick Morris, former advisor to U.S. Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Bill Clinton: “The Incredible Shrinking Clintons.”

Morris — who clearly has something personal against the Clintons — argues that President Obama brought Hillary and Bill Clinton into his “inner circle” in order to marginalize them. He explains the logic by quoting former President Lyndon Johnson: “I’d rather have [my rivals] inside the tent pissing out than outside pissing in.”

Granted, there might be some truth to this logic, and Secretary Clinton might appear less “marginalized” if she spoke on some of the Sunday morning talk shows. However, Morris’s piece is filled with hyperbole.

For example, it states, “Hillary is reduced to announcing foreign aid packages for Pakistan while [Richard] Holbrooke does the heavy lifting.” Yes, Clinton (the e-diplomat) has asked people to text “swat” to help Pakistanis, but she’s also the bold woman who laid the smack down and declared that the Pakistani government was “abdicating” to the Taliban.

Morris also says about Secretary Clinton:

She doesn’t look like a president in waiting; she’s more like a senior staff member hoping to rise in the bureaucracy. No longer at the head of a movement or the symbol of rising women all over the world, she has faded into the State Department woodwork.

If Clinton is no longer the “symbol of rising women,” then why did Vital Voices honor Clinton with its Global Trailblazer award this March?

Bizzarely, the piece says, “Bill Clinton has been asked to be a special envoy to Haiti. Yes, Haiti. … Obama gives him Haiti.” From what I can tell, Bill Clinton is the United Nations special envoy to Haiti. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon — not Obama — named him for the position. Plus, anyone who has advised Bill Clinton ought to know that the Clintons have a special place in their hearts for Haiti.

Strangely, Morris also writes, “Bill can’t even make money” (due to restrictions on his activities because Hillary is secretary of state). The New York Times Magazine just reported, however, that the former president is jetting around the world, picking up six-figure fees for his speeches.

“Shrinking Clintons”? Whatever. They’re a 21st-century power couple.

Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Preeti Aroon was copy chief at Foreign Policy from 2009 to 2016 and was an FP assistant editor from 2007 to 2009. Twitter: @pjaroonFP

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