Hillary Clinton, Top U.S. Diplomat with a Politician's Touch

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Hillary Rodham Clinton was sworn in as the 67th Secretary of State of the United States on Jan.21 with her husband at her side, the former President Clinton holding the Bible.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wasted no time as she arrived to the U.S. Department of State Building the following day to start her new job.  She was warmly welcomed by the hundreds of State Department staff members upon her arrival. 

Secretary Clinton spoke briefly inside the lobby of the Department of State Building to greet her staff and to outline her plans to renovate the U.S. foreign policy and approaches.

The speech was heard around the world in 260 U.S. foreign stations as Mrs. Clinton took the helm to oversee 20,000 members of the foreign and civil services, not to mention the thousands of foreign nationals working with American foreign stations around the world. 

Secretary Clinton urged her staff to use "Smart Power" in their diplomatic works.   Right on cue, the Department of State has launched a new look on its website with a blog called DipNote with the title, "First Week of New Smart Power" page.

Secretary Clinton spoke on her first day at work:

"I am absolutely honored and thrilled beyond words to be here with you as our nation's 67th Secretary of State. And I believe, with all of my heart, that this is a new era for America.

President Obama set the tone with his inaugural address. And the work of the Obama-Biden Administration is committed to advancing America's national security, furthering America's interests, and respecting and exemplifying America's values around the world.

There are three legs to the stool of American foreign policy: defense, diplomacy, and development. And we are responsible for two of the three legs. And we will make clear, as we go forward, that diplomacy and development are essential tools in achieving the long-term objectives of the United States. And I will do all that I can, working with you, to make it abundantly clear that robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long-term tools for securing America's future."

Secretary Clinton arrived to the U.S. Department of State with a set of skills of a former politician. After all, she is a former presidential candidate, U.S. Senator, and a former First Lady.  Although she has traded two-party politics for multi-party talks to become the top U.S. diplomat, but her life and political skills still apply to her new position, which required patience, negotiation, sharp elbows, and the ability to close a deal. 

Mrs. Clinton's years of political campaign experience, including her grueling 17-month Democratic primary battle with President Obama had given her the instinct to understand domestic and international political pressures in contentious areas like the Middle East, and the ability to handle a nuanced U.S. relationship with China. 

Mrs. Clinton will need her political skills developed in the Senate where she has reached across the aisle to make policies work or to persuade her colleagues to join her efforts. A politician knows and understands when to stand her ground and when to compromise in order to reach a working solution. 

Mrs. Clinton's rare background as the former First Lady gives her a unique position to be recognized around the world and in the global diplomatic community.

Secretary Clinton has a headstart, given her considerable background, without needing to prove herself capable to the international community.  At the very least, doors will be opened and the international community will listen, and in turn, she also, will have known and met many of the players as she tackles a daunting array of foreign policy challenges.