Daily Brief: In robust speech, Clinton declares U.S. ‘can, must, and will lead’

Reactions to Secretary Clinton’s pep-talk speech Sept. 8 emphasized her theme that no matter the so-called "rise of the rest," the United States will continue to be the world’s leader.

•"Behold the Hillary Doctrine," wrote Tunku Varadarajan of the Daily Beast, in a post titled, "Hillary’s Home Run of a Speech." He opened by proclaiming, "The secretary of State delivered the best speech of the Obama administration."

•Clinton’s speech was "almost a throwback — an unalloyed statement of American might," wrote the New York Times Mark Landler. He also stated that Clinton "came close to channeling" her predecessor, Madeleine Albright of "indispensable nation" fame, in announcing a "new American moment."

Other coverage of Clinton’s speech includes:

•"The speech in many ways marks Clinton’s emergence as a foreign policy leader at a time when President Obama is consumed with the lagging domestic economy and November’s midterm elections," states a Washington Post article. It also remarks, "after more than 18 months on the job, she appears to have gained a renewed appreciation for the role the United States plays in the world."

•Clinton’s speech was "the best window yet into her mindset," wrote Heather Hurlburt, a former Hillary Clinton staffer and speechwriter for Bill Clinton, in a Daily Beast post titled "Hillary Explains Herself."

•Laura Rozen reviews Clinton’s speech over at Politico.

•Clinton compared Mexico’s drug violence to what took place in Colombia 20 years ago.

•Clinton also said that Mexico’s drug violence is in some cases "morphing into … what we would consider an insurgency."

A roundup of other Clinton-related news:

•Clinton, along with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, welcomes the new sanctions that South Korea has enacted against Iran.

•Clinton congratulated Macedonia on the 19th annivesary of its independence on Sept. 8, 1991.

•Clinton congratulates Tajikistan on the 19th anniversary of its independence on Sept. 9, 1991.