Hillary Goes to Foggy Bottom and Channels… Galadriel?

Hillary got an enthusiastic welcome from more than 1000 State department employees at Foggy Bottom this morning and gave short speech.  You can find the entire text of the speech at her new State Department website.  The speech was noticeably short on the hopey-changey shtick, to the relief of many.  Instead, she talked about the three legs of US Foreign Policy: Defense, Diplomacy and Development.  State is in charge of the last two

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. (Applause.)

She also let them know that they were dealing with a completely different management style than they’ve been used to.  She emphasizes collaboration and thinking out of the box.  My French colleagues would call it audacity:

This is going to be a challenging time and it will require 21^st century tools and solutions to meet our problems and seize our opportunities. I’m going to be asking a lot of you. I want you to think outside the proverbial box. I want you to give me the best advice you can. I want you to understand there is nothing that I welcome more than a good debate and the kind of dialogue — (applause) — that will make us better. (Applause.)

We cannot be our best if we don’t demand that from ourselves and each other. I will give you my very best efforts. I will do all that I can, working with our President, to make sure that we deliver on the promises that are at the very core of what this new Administration and this new era represent. So we need to collaborate, and we need to have a sense of openness and candor in this building. And I invite that. Now, not everybody’s ideas — (applause) — will make it into policy, but we will be better because we have heard from you.

…

Among the many conversations that I’ve had with the President and with the Vice President, over years, but certainly much more astutely and in a concentrated way in the last weeks, we want to send a clear and unequivocal message: This is a team, and you are the members of that team. There isn’t anything that I can get done from the seventh floor or the President can get done from the Oval Office, unless we make clear we are all on the American team. We are not any longer going to tolerate the kind of divisiveness that has paralyzed and undermined our ability to get things done for America.

Take *that*, Condoleeza!

Then she finishes up with a Tolkeinish twist.  As many of you may know, Sean Astin was a very effective surrogate for Hillary during primary season.  Sean played Samwise Gamgee, the little hobbitt who could.  But it was Galadriel who I was thinking of as she greeted the fellowship after a series of unfortunate events.  “Do not let your hearts be troubled”, she said.  And here is the way Hillary ended her pep rally:

So this is going to be a great adventure. We’ll have some ups and some downs. We’ll face some obstacles along the way. But be of good cheer — (laughter) — and be of strong heart, and do not grow weary, as we attempt to do good on behalf of our country and the world.

Yeah, team!

Tune in tonight to Conflucians Say on PUMA United Radio at 10PM EST.  Oh, an if you have a couple Lincolns sitting around, consider donating them to PUMAPac.  They’re having a fundraiser and their goal is $50,000.  Hey, maybe you can’t foot the entire bill, but if 10 of you give $5,000, we could end this sucker tonight.  If 100 gave $500, that’s even better.   If 1000 of us gave $50, we’d be done in no time.  And if 2000 of us gave a measly $25 smackaroos, well, then we could put this baby to bed ad start another fundraiser.