Venezuelan president calls on Secretary Clinton to resign

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, in praising WikiLeaks, said, "Clinton should resign; it’s the least she can do with all of this spying and delinquency in the State Department."

He made the remarks on state television yesterday following the disclosure of State Department cables by WikiLeaks, including a Dec. 31, 2009, cable signed "CLINTON" that inquires into the mental health of Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. The disclosure comes at a particularly sensitive time because just last month Kirchner lost her husband, Néstor Kirchner, the former Argentine president. Excerpts with a big ouch! factor include:

• "How is Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner managing her nerves and anxiety?"
• "Is she taking any medications?" 
• "How does stress affect her behavior toward advisors and/or her decision making?"

It might all be part of normal analysis of a leader’s personality, but it just sounds so bad when worded so bluntly and taken out of context.

Of course, Chávez continued with nasty remarks accusing Clinton of racism, saying, "Someone should study Mrs. Clinton’s mental health.… She feels superior to Obama.… Because she is white, she feels superior to the black president."

As for whether Clinton will resign, that possibility seems so far-fetched at this point, but even a writer over at FP‘s sister publication Slate suggests that Clinton could be out by the end of the year, stating, "The time for her departure may come next week or next month, but sooner or later, the weakened and humiliated secretary of state will have to pay."

Maybe we should hold our horses, though, and let the dust settle. Who knows what’ll happen during Clinton’s week of damage control in Central Asia.