Clinton Thanks Husband ‘For a Lifetime of All Kinds of Experiences’
EmailABC News’ Martha Raddatz and Jennifer Duck report: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stood alongside former President Bill Clinton, mother Dorothy Rodham and daughter Chelsea Clinton for the formal swearing in of the 67th Secretary of State.
But the ceremony wasn’t as formal as one might expect.
Before the event began, actor and comedian Chevy Chase distracted the crowd by standing in front of a line full of cameras blocking their shots. He joked, "Am I in the way?" as the cameras snapped away at guest who seemed just a bit unlike the others in the room.
Just weeks after taking a jab at Chief Justice Roberts for his missteps when administering the oath for President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden stumbled on a few words himself as he did the honors administering the oath for Clinton. Roberts twist of words caused the precautionary White House to swear in President Obama for a second time, but Clinton’s ceremony today was already her second — a special ceremony for friends and cameras to see, unfortunately for the VP.
Before his stumble Biden said he was a "Hillary Clinton fan."
"Never did I think, by the way, Madame Secretary, I’d get to swear you in as secretary of State. Never did I think about being vice president," Biden said to a room full of laughter.
After the oath, Clinton joked, "As Joe laughingly referenced, neither one of us thought that we would be standing here together, doing what we are now doing together. Life has a funny way of unfolding. And politics is even stranger."
But the crowd roared even louder with laughter after the new Secretary thanked her husband and cracked a joke that made the former president turn beet red.
"I am so grateful to him for a lifetime of all kinds of experiences," Secretary Clinton said as the crowd erupted with laughter and applause, "which have given me an extraordinary richness that I am absolutely beholden to and grateful for."
The decorated room on the eighth floor of the State Department was full of Washington insiders. Four previous secretaries of State attended the ceremony. Obama Transition co-Chairman and Former Clinton White House Chief of Staff John Podesta was seen chatting with former Secretary of State James Baker. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Harry Reid were also in attendance.
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It would have been a different economy, and a different, a real economic stimulus today, had she been on the right job.
She has been right all along. The economy, and your retirement accounts, would have not fallen to an endless O – hole – had her solution to save the housing and banking 1.5 years ago not been ridiculed at that time.
Posted by: two cats | February 2, 2009, 6:23 pm 6:23 pm
I think Madame Secretary Clinton will do a very fine job.
I thought her foolish when she stuck with Bill during those embarrassing relations that the then President claimed he did not have with Monica whatshername….
She stayed with him, she stuck it out and stuck with him when many a woman would have easily kicked him to the curb.
He’s been in the hot seat in more ways than one and is probably a wealth of wisdom to her.
I have to admire the two of them…
Because, She did the wifely duty as she supported him through his political career and it is a pleasure to see him be in support her political career now, even if at times he stumbled a bit.
Posted by: braith morgan | February 2, 2009, 6:27 pm 6:27 pm
what a warm, funny, gracious lady she is! she continues to inspire me wherever her path leads her.
Posted by: gypsy queen | February 2, 2009, 6:36 pm 6:36 pm
Love her, adore her, will follow her wherever her career path takes her. You go girl!
Posted by: Suenue | February 2, 2009, 7:52 pm 7:52 pm
She’s the REAL DEAL. Much of the rest is a charade, like the rest of the ‘reality’ shows to which Americans are addicted.
Posted by: Abby | February 2, 2009, 8:27 pm 8:27 pm
heyyo…don’t talk about Obama like that.
Posted by: RL in Illinois | February 3, 2009, 12:19 am 12:19 am
Things would have been a 100% different with Al Gore the first time and John Kerry the second time> It seems that the only people that care for the people of this country are the Democrats maybe because most of them know what it is to be just getting by. One republican doesn’t think we need any kind of stimulus, wonder what planet he is living on. I think Hillary will do a wonderful job, she always has and will continue to do a fine job as long as the republicans will let her do it.
Posted by: Rose Szymanski | February 3, 2009, 10:43 am 10:43 am
Hillary Clinton’s comment on “I am so grateful to him (Bill) for a lifetime of all kinds of experiences,” was classless, but what do you expect – it’s Hillary.
Posted by: Lisa Padilla | February 3, 2009, 11:14 am 11:14 am
Go Hill dog. Love that woman. For those who have a problem with her thanking Bill for all kinds of experinces get over it lol. People like to act like she committed ther adultry likeit was her fault, let her remind Bill as many times as she wants.
Posted by: rachel | February 3, 2009, 1:10 pm 1:10 pm
Everyone commenting about how wonderful Hillary Clinton is must not live in NY, the state where she was elected to serve its people. Has she actually done a single thing during her term here? Not a darn thing, especially since she only used her position as a stepping stone to the presidency. She has spent much of her term as SENATOR in this state on the campaign trails both for herself and then for Obama. She has done absolutely nothing for the state of NY so I certainly don’t expect anything from her as Secretary of State.
Posted by: NewYorkGirl | February 3, 2009, 1:45 pm 1:45 pm
This woman is such a hero to so many of us. It’s sad to see the Clinton Haters continue with the nastiness.
Congratulations to Madame Hillary Rodham Clinton! I know she will prove to be a GREAT Secretary of State. We need to get America back to peace and prosperity, and she knows how to help get that done.
Posted by: Jan | February 3, 2009, 3:32 pm 3:32 pm
She is a winner.
Posted by: BikernAz | February 3, 2009, 5:43 pm 5:43 pm
How many of you Hillary Haters would have stuck by your man when being humiliated world wide grow up and stop acting like a child throwing a hissy fit.
Posted by: Rose Szymanski | February 3, 2009, 6:00 pm 6:00 pm
They destroyed California and IL next our country. They will give it all away and us tax payers will have to foot the bill for all the slackers… We are in BIG trouble…..
Posted by: Susan | February 4, 2009, 8:27 pm 8:27 pm
If he kept his pants on, she wouldn’t have a career. I’m gonna have my daughter marry a philanderer and see if SHE gets a cabinet position in twenty years TOO!!!
Posted by: hmn... | February 4, 2009, 10:19 pm 10:19 pm
Hillary Clinton is an idiot.
Joe Biden is an idiot.
the office of Secretary of State is a serious position, one of honour and dignity in this new era rife with strife.
the office of Vice President is a serious position, one of honour and dignity in this new era rife with strife.
get my point?
Posted by: hrrmmmm | February 5, 2009, 8:42 pm 8:42 pm
Hillary should have been president, Obama vice prez, and the cerimony should have been Obama swearing in John Kerry as secretary of state.
Posted by: infoseeking | February 6, 2009, 2:31 am 2:31 am
About Hillary’s joke: you go girl. It takes chutzpah to be so humiliated and make humor out of it in your moment of triumph. Brava.
About these other comments: people, the election is over. If Barack and Hillary have buried the hatchet, why can’t you? What’s more important: moving us forward at a hard time, or nursing your righteous indignation?
Obama and Clinton published together in NEJM on medical liability reform.
They know how to work together. She took quite a bit of hide off him in the primaries, and toughened him up. Maybe she did him a favor. If she’d beat him, he’d have her back today. But she didn’t.
When the game is over and a winner is chosen, one way or another, the real job of government begins. I’m just glad that at last the President and Secretary of State are both grown-ups again.
We’re in a heap of trouble people. We’re not yet even in the eye of this storm, I think. We have a lot of work to do as Americans. It will be easier for us to work together if we can all get over the smirking and sulking.
Geez, Democrats and their freaking circular firing squads…
Posted by: Mark Johnson | February 8, 2009, 11:35 pm 11:35 pm
You just got a taste of 45. :)… patience my dear friends.
Posted by: randy | February 9, 2009, 3:42 pm 3:42 pm
I admire Hillary Clinton and wish her well.
It is amazing how right she was a year ago when she suggested that we must set up a “bad bank” to assign the toxic assets of troubled banks, a foreclosure moratorium for 6 months–etc. -all now being touted as solutions by the Obama administration. At that time, she was ridiculed for the ideas.
Hillary- May God bless you and Bill
Posted by: American Voter | February 12, 2009, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm