Like Hillary Clinton, I had the immense privilege of seeing the great Dame Helen Mirren in The Audience on Broadway not long ago.
Peter Morgan’s tour de force for Mirren speculates upon conversations between HRM Queen Elizabeth II and eight of 12 Prime Ministers who have served under her reign so far. These regular audiences occurred every Tuesday, were informal, and not minuted. Thus, all dialogue is of Morgan’s invention (with a Mirren ad lib thrown in here and there). Dame Helen’s trepidations upon meeting Her Majesty have, a few times, centered on whether they “got it right.” Once after the film The Queen, also penned by Morgan, and again after the stage portrayal.
At an award ceremony not long ago, Prince William welcomed Dame Helen to the stage asking whether he should call her “Granny.” We can guess that the Crown was not displeased with the opus or the performance.
As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton had regular Tuesday meetings, published on her daily schedules, usually at 7:30 a.m. They were breakfast meetings with VP Joe Biden at his residence. Whenever Hillary was in town and not traveling, these breakfast meetings took place. As far as we know, these breakfasts were also private, informal, and not minuted. If you were around these pages in those days you might remember them. They were the object of fevered speculation before they became commonplace Tuesday occurrences.
Because this is a Hillary blog , and not an Obama or a Biden blog, it has not been noted here that the POTUS and VP have a similar weekly tradition. They have a regular Monday lunch. Today was Monday. They had lunch.
No one but those two people knows what they talked about today or last week or any of the Mondays going back. To pretend to is to take on the speculative robes of the playwright and spin a tale as Peter Morgan has of the Queen and her PMs.
What is newsworthy about two people who work together having lunch, especially when they do so regularly, is unclear at best. That it should whip up a frenzy borders on the ridiculous. But then, the same thing happened when Joe and Hillary had – what??? Had breakfast together – again – a little more than two years ago.
Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden to Reprise Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club – For Tomorrow Anyway
July 29, 2013
Before everyone goes full-throttle into “what-does-it-all-mean” mode, allow me to remind long-time readers here that when Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State, early morning breakfasts at Joe Biden’s residence were a regular feature on her Tuesday schedules from the State Department when she was not traveling.
Well, make of it what you will. Maybe you can construct a Tony Award-winning play of all this. What you really cannot do, unless you have met some fly that was on the wall or picnic table, is say what Joe Biden and Barack Obama talked about today. Oh yes, we all know. Biden met with Elizabeth Warren yesterday (we do not know what that was about either), and the daily presser was largely devoted to the plummeting markets except when Josh Earnest was pressed to speculate. He refused to perpetrate fiction.
Take a deep breath. Take some advice from the Brits.
The Blitz is yet to come, and if you thought Hillary Clinton got into this race thinking it was going to be a cakewalk, you do not know Hillary Clinton. Long before she finally announced, she thought of every possibility and has promised to earn every vote. We will not be seeing Hillary Clinton making any mistakes like this, and it will not be a “coronation.”
It isn’t even the stormy season yet. Keep calm. Keep on. Keep going.
Panic and frenzy are a distraction and a waste of good energy.
Well Done Still4Hill love this article and thank you for always always keeping it real and for never ever jumping off the cliff and getting caught up in all the media madness and speculation I applaud you!!! 🙂
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Thank you, Robyn! 🙂
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Well done. The msm is going nuts with all the noise and distractions. Now, I sincerely hope the Dems have her back and don’t throw Hillary under the bus at the drop of a few faux scandals. I think they underestimate the passion for her candidacy from a silent plurality or majority or whatever at their own peril. I think politics is about power and money and if her own party does not have her back, she should consider the possibility of running as an independent. Can you imagine the earthquake that would set off? She certainly would be leveraging her own power. Would be interesting, that’s for sure. I would vote for her no matter what party she was in. 🙂
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Sometimes our friend Still lets us all stop and think and not get to upset with the current news media today. I for one needs to get a grip here. So thanks Still for your keeping things in prospective. That said, today I wrote on Morning Joe’s face book, that the hatred must stop with Hillary being their number one target. I got 500 reply’s and they where all in favor of Hillary except maybe a few. So I guess I have been caught up in the speculation from news media. However I do get my guard up when it comes to politics.
Thanks Still.
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That’s really cool that you got all of that positive feedback!
Did Joe Biden’s spox just release a statement that said the same thing I did? About the speculation?
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Thanks so much for helping us all to keep a clear head on all this, still4hill.
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“What is newsworthy about two people who work together having lunch”
This was a special lunch after his special vacation which was all about his potential campaign. It was the lunch where they discussed, according to several major media who quote “sources” but not so coincidentally all had leaks given to them. They had “the expected talk” and now it is being said all over by those same probable leakers Obama gave his blessing.
I didn’t make up anything. It was all widely reported news stories and an actual press conference. The Warren meeting was clearly not about nothing – it too was leaked.
And I sure as hell saw this movie once and do not want to sit through it again.
God, you have no idea how much I hope I am dead wrong. I want to eat crow.
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Thank you so much for this post and for running this blog! I am a diehard Hillary supporter, a young voter, an African-American, and a male and I am fully behind Hillary in 2016. I am disgusted by the sexist and sensationalist coverage of Hillary in the media, and I am equally disturbed by the “speculative” nature of the media covering a potential Biden candidacy.
I love Hillary’s energy. She has tremendous fight in her and her story resonates so much with me. I know she is strong enough to withstand the same old stale attacks that she and President Clinton have had to endure for years.
As disappointed in the media as I am, I am more disappointed in some fellow Democrats who have bought the media’s latest attempt to deface and belittle Clinton’s impressive record over a non-controversy. I am disappointed in some fellow Democrats who have bought the “coronation” argument perpetuated in the media. And I am eager to see how Hillary responds once her much-needed rest is over.
Us supporters need to continue to voice our opinions and let Hillary know that we do not for a minute buy what the media and Republicans are selling. We need to show Hillary that our support for her will not waiver under a bogus and partisan effort to undermine a positive and historic campaign. Nor shall our support for her waiver with the entry of any other Democrat, for we know Hillary is the most experienced and qualified candidate for President in U.S. history. I am confident that with posts like yours, we can continue to do so.
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Welcome, Anthony. Thank you. So beautifully said.
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“Panic and frenzy are a distraction and a waste of good energy.” Well said, Still!
I am trying to accept the fact that there are going to be things in the course of this campaign that I cannot control. What Joe Biden, President Obama, or others do or don’t do is one of those things. I can only support and defend Hillary with all my heart and soul. So that’s what I’m going to continue to do, and no matter what happens in the end, I will stand with Hillary. If we all vow to do this, I think Hillary and all of us will be just fine.
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Beautifully said! BTW, lest anyone think the GOP is scared to death of Hillary, see this article about the RNC having a full-time person going through Clinton Library records to find dirt on Hillary.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/24/how-the-gop-is-digging-up-dirt-on-hillary.html
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The Presidential Library apparently follows LOC protocols, so good luck to him. He could probably do with some help from Bruce Willis.
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pcfs1: Glad you let Morning Joke have it, and people responded to your call to stop the Hillary hate!
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Tomasky says what I said but of course he said it without the emotion of a person who has personally worked on 6 campaigns with the name Clinton on it.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/25/hillary-vs-biden-would-get-ugly-fast.html
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Tomasky thinks it would be a disaster for the party. I agree. I can’t see Obama who is so legacy obsessed allowing any such scenario to play out, much less aiding and abetting it. Right now, the WH is stoking Biden’ s massive ego before he finally has to admit he’s not running. After all, it wasn’t so long ago that Obama announced a new Defense Secretary. The next morning pictures of the Vice President manhandling the new nominee’s wife were all over the internet. The whole idea that Biden doesn’t have his own baggage is preposterous. And the reason the media loves him is because he talks too much and ends up saying stupid things.
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BR, I am sorry but I totally disagree with most of all your comments on all three threads. And I do not mind if people disagree with me, I want to be wrong but I cannot see it your way at all. I have been waiting for this and now can’t help but see it has arrived. It is the elephant in the room.
I said it would be a disaster for the party – my DEC (dem exec committee) all said so —- after my initial posts on it here I went to my county meeting and then I posted it two threads back. Everyone knows Joe’s problems but he is also the sitting VP of the democratic party and with OFA behind him he could, if he chooses to make this a horse race, drag it on till the bloody convention again – if he wins SC at least and has the unions in Nevada.
Joe is best for the legacy. He is part of the legacy. The WH thinks that. Hillary was running around the world while Joe was creating policy with Obama. AND The trust I have for Obama in regards to Hillary is zero.
Look at all the credit he gave her for Iran, Cuba, TPP, or anything? *crickets*
Reality:
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I agree it would be disastrous for the party if he runs.
And yes, Biden just might run – he has wanted to be POTUS for a very long time. And he can really chalk it up to Beau said so, and therefore… Well, he is a politician. The whole private meeting with EW totally smacks of run.
And, yes, it could go all the way to the convention.
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I’ve always liked Biden, but I’m getting tired of him dithering. Either run or don’t run. We’ve been hearing about this nonstop for weeks now.
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I am going out to buy a quart of chocolate chip ice cream to eat while I phone bank tonight. I am not saying we are tossing in the towel – we will win in the long run – Hillary is a fighter and so are we – but it sure as hell is time to stock up on comfort food and canvassing.
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🙂 agreed! Going for my vanilla ice cream on fruits. 🙂
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We agree on the chocolate chip ice cream, Karen! And that Hillary will win in the end if we work hard enough. As for Biden, I’ll believe he’s running when I see confirmed reports that he’s staffing up–especially in early states.
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Meanwhile, Hillary keeps chalking up endorsements and building her campaign.
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When people who work for you express an interest in applying for a position, of course you encourage them. You know you are going to be writing letters of recommendation. You know how to embed hidden messages in those letters, and you know that the people who read these letters are very adept at decoding those messages.
Domestic gaffes aside, let’s not forget how Biden stepped in doo-doo last fall with Erdogan. When did Hillary ever make such a serious allegation against a head of state? (Unless she meant it – and when she means it she really means it and does not walk it back.)
What, exactly, does anyone expect Obama to do? Biden has served faithfully for almost 7 years. Does anybody think he is going to intimate that Biden should not try if he wants to? Perhaps Obama has told Joe to go for it, it’s what you do in his situation, but that far from implies that he would put his imprimatur on that campaign.
As for giving credit, that comes if/when Obama decides whether/whom to endorse. If he endorses, and it is Hillary, of course he will mention those and many other accomplishments. Even if he does not endorse her or anyone, he well may give her plenty of props. Why wouldn’t he?
Hillary’s reality is what she always expected it to be. When did she ever, in this campaign, show any sign that she expected to run unchallenged? How would Biden in the race be such a huge surprise? We always knew he might run. Hillary knew it. Where’s the fire?
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Great points, Still. Also, I saw today that Tom Vilsack, Obama’s Ag secretary, endorsed Hillary. People aren’t waiting around for Biden to decide – even Obama’s own Cabinet secretaries.
On a lighter note, here’s a nice interview where Chelsea talks about being a mom.
https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/chelsea-clinton-how-life-changed-the-moment-127483154557.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw
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Is that unusual? I don’t remember cabinet secretaries making endorsements this early. I guess I was paying more attention to elected officials. Vilsack traveled with her to Africa. I remember that – maybe more trips. Seems to me this is somewhat unusual.
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Vilsack is a former governor of Iowa, correct?
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Yep. And his top aide left the Ag Dept. to run her campaign in Iowa. She’s still looking good in Iowa. Saw a Suffolk poll of Iowa Dems yesterday that had her up by 34 points over Sanders. Biden was at 11%. Sorry no link.
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Part of the reason this surprises me it that I have seen so many very certain people talking about Julian Castro and as far as I know there has been no endorsement there.
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The talk of the year, for sure for short list, even back in January. Cisneros said he heard it from the campaign:
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/229355-castro-fuels-hillary-vp-speculation
second link to follow —————>>>>
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Odd how not a single thing from the campaign has his name on it.
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http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/06/08/why-hillary-needs-julian-castro-as-veep.html
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The candidate townhall in Iowa – from my union AFSCME (BIGGIE) – for members only but members around the country can register for on-line.
Interestingly the booked O’Malley for Saturday the 5th at 1pm and Hillary for Sunday the 6th at 1pm but under Sanders it just said (TBD).
I still say they will endorse her in September. On 08 they did at the end of Oct. but Lee Saunders is anxious to get boots on the ground.
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OOOH feel the burn from AFSCME to Bern.
“We are excited to meet with Secretary Hillary Clinton and Gov. Martin O’Malley that weekend.
We are continuing to work with Sen. Bernie Sanders to join us this weekend as well. “
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