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Friedman: Not a Great Time to Be Secretary of State

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    The New York Times’ Tom Friedman on the transition inside the Obama Administration.

  • Duration 8:23
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Tom Friedman has won three Pulitzer prizes.

And they are and his written a number of -- wonderful Bork's.

Number one New York Times -- solution to rise from the New York Times and a joint stock morning mr.

-- -- -- You're one and Indies Pulitzer prizes.

For abortion of their all of them for the newspaper columns all further newspaper although it from -- recruiters from did when the national book work.

-- -- -- Either -- for some reason I have fought.

Not tell -- on the books of blonde but.

And saddened to hear -- -- -- record from.

Through bitter I'm part of -- Torres saw the Altman and India resentment on immediately tournament and -- -- should not industrial air.

I think it is just heal faster then gold could have happened since the fifteenth century done which I guess -- didn't realize until skin in the headlines this morning it's well its importance as people maybe it's the first time in.

400 years that you'll have a vote of former Pope alive you know looking down are watching his successor.

I'm sure he's not gonna comment and he's he's retiring.

Obviously because them because you've been physically exhausted by the job but -- it just an interest in.

Idea the hope that that like ex presidents were gonna have a next full now.

Will be like Jimmy Carter.

Bill Clinton and yet I think in Connecticut I'm sure he'll be much more -- but it just sort of meteoric encouraged him to -- full story.

All of those are administration -- The American administration doesn't have much of a relationship of the agenda there.

You know I think it's pretty formal stuff.

I think that -- mostly you know intersects around some made issues and some.

You know disaster stuff mostly but.

Embarrassing we have we have but I ambassador to the Vatican but represented of their but I I don't think it is much data day that I know of.

-- I'll -- and out sort of which Golan and administration and specifically.

-- appears now that chart could go nomination may have been troubles ultra -- general.

You know -- but I was watching -- that is over the weekend Don and also this morning -- -- has staked out this very high profile position that.

He's not going to vote to -- -- until unless he gets more information about been Ghazi.

But I I just -- and I don't know what you -- know that from Republicans like.

I'm sure they really wanna go all the way where it says so the Democrats have clearly signaled they're gonna back the president's -- -- And so is our currency Lindsay probably be a player in the some little bit you used up for reelection.

-- fourteen but.

I think it's still feels to me like he's gonna get through Diego that is because the Democrats are gonna support him and then they've got a majority so.

-- -- -- -- -- -- additional financial settlement came to senator Gordon.

I mean they you know -- when -- consider the views of former colleague but you know these guys are are really set daggers drawn him for a couple reasons one was obviously you know because of legal position on the Iraq War.

But more importantly.

I think that was the first of what will be a lot of budget -- start over the Pentagon budget.

End you know McCain was turned down the gauntlet there and -- made very clear if you -- -- the budget is bloated and one of his priorities will be trim it down.

Parker Tom -- New York Times six -- -- A guy like a lot senators gonna -- -- God I have a lot of high hopes for him done because I think he's gonna bring a lot of energy of the job he knows the -- really well.

But I think here's the challenge for income fell.

This -- really kind of an awful time to be secretary of state suffer for a couple of reasons.

You know it's it's not the Cold -- -- you could kind of go to Moscow may have a big dramatic history making treaty.

On arms control or you can get the Soviets still you know the -- -- there -- clients in the Middle East to deliver what you want.

We think the secretary of state Dana are you know you get to start traditional I given -- -- and you know was born on third base and -- -- triple -- he's got all the oil and gas sort got to tell you to go shove it -- Then you get to call the Chinese you know we ought to be -- zillion dollars and -- -- -- not gonna really do much forest.

I know he's done with -- -- -- people actually can answer the phone then you get to deal with states like -- and Afghanistan and Syria but the miserably failed and failing states and so -- it's not an accident done that we haven't really had eight.

Consequential secretary of state and so we consider you're really history making since into the Cold War.

No -- distant.

Yeah you know I would give hurt you know -- basically I think that.

She.

Her -- -- real I think.

Biggest breakthrough or -- -- -- -- contribution was.

You know after the kind of breakdown between America and the world in the bush years all the sour relations.

Chief certainly you know restore -- -- -- you -- -- more positive feelings toward America itself -- But in terms of taking chances.

Doing anything big.

You know it's really hard to point to anything today that she left as a legacy.

But again I I have a lot of sympathy because I'm not sure those big you know those big treaties those big peace agreements.

I'm not sure there are you could bring Henry Kissinger back today you know me in the -- -- secretary of state.

I think -- be awful frustrated that job.

Lets people outraged over specifically.

All of the world wondering what the present an uptrend have been -- Saddam and more -- -- -- Broad Defense Secretary turned -- -- -- said he only had one conversation.

For the present.

-- on -- no followup.

All don't want to have their -- of their older -- -- mother and a broader question a boost to central horrified relatives I plan.

-- -- the second one I doubt it done you know my my own feelings did you see the movie Fargo bank camps all by -- because it's a great movie but it begins with -- scene of uranium taken over the US embassy in big -- And so you know if you from everything I've -- clearly we did not have enough security in place there.

I think they only had three you know full time DO security people around the ambassador.

I'm but no one -- learn from living overseas and in this kind of environment is that.

If you don't have a state you know with the real army in a real police force.

So let's say we let's say we tripled the number of security we have that are -- got to conflict from three to nine.

That they took all the threats seriously to -- -- -- must go crazy let's triple that number of people there from three to nine.

You 500 people in the street you're ready to come over the -- We've we do just -- triple the number of people killed.

So if you don't have a government in place that really has reopened so police it's own security which we clearly did not in the case of Libyan -- -- I'm just not sure what you can really do in that case you shouldn't be there in the first place.

The final and -- I have those tried to present some African -- -- essentially leverage and told -- citizens.

-- these drone strikes.

Over can't warm water board people.

You clearly have so much contradictions you know operating there.

I think there is legitimate criticism of Obama that.

Those videos you know George Bush sure.

But -- apology of sorts for the fact that -- the president has.

Continued.

The kind of -- the armed autonomous authority that bush used.

To take up you know these do these bad guys around the world and I think that.

You know on the one hand America's oil field docket if we have -- technology that can pick up bad guys you know from the year without putting americans' lives at risk -- for that at the same time we're a country of laws.

It does seem to -- this thing cries out for complete the blue he should run by appellate judges you know I mean just step in -- -- policy of every six months.

We look at what we did.

-- have by the independent source did we get the people we want it is it having an effect except for this is just too much when you read the affording these guys have carved out for themselves.

It's sort of anyone can kind of do any -- -- at any time there's usually gets in trouble in the hands.

Our garage talkative types from current operation -- my proof -- on the agreement from the New York Times try to wonderful surprise for.

While the books over the next goal it's eleven to lay --