"Mr President"

January 14, 2009

Quite a surprising procedure. I didn't know what entailed a confirmation hearing. I can see why Sen Clinton wanted to see a friendly face across from her. But it was a huge statement having Chelsea sitting behind her in camera range. Probably only women noticed.

Props to Sen Kerry. This was the funniest part - poignant even.

Sen Clinton addressed Mr Chairman, John Kerry as "Mr President".

He smiled. No hesitation: I'll take that.

She laughed: It was a Freudian slip.

He smiled: We're both subject to those.

Clinton: On this subject, especially

Immediate clearing of the air in public, in the Senate, in front of everyone watching and on you tube forever. And it was completely natural and spontaneous.

Think about it: Kerry could have been starting his second term with her (or Biden) as VP or SoS. She could just have likely been President and he (or Biden) the VP or SoS. Instead she's SoS and he took over the committee the now VP used to chair and the President used to be on.

They say politics is a business and that they can get over lost campaigns and move on. Hard to believe but their interaction gave testament to something. They said it would be hard for her to walk back into the senate after the campaign. How hard was it walking in there after they impeached her husband?

They may not all say it out loud but they are proud of her and her preparedness and thanked her for taking the job. Sen Whitehouse (D-RI) said she's "fiercely smart" and "astonishingly funny" and that they would miss her as a colleague and as a person.

Where were they when she was being attacked?