Hillary Clinton's Tenure: Not So Bad

Is Hillary Clinton a great secretary of state? A puff piece in The New York Times Magazine a couple of weeks ago referred to her as a "rock star diplomat," and quoted Google chairman Eric Schmidt calling her "the most significant Secretary of State since Dean Acheson." (Hmm ... has Schmidt ever heard of some guys named Dulles, Kissinger and Baker?) I'm neither a fan nor a foe of Ms. Clinton, but one can't really call her a great secretary at this point, through no fault of her own. First the positives. There's no question that Clinton has been terrifically energetic, as well as a loyal team player. In this sense, President Obama's decision to appoint her has worked out brilliantly, due in no small part to her willingness to serve the man who defeated her for the 2008 nomination, and in a broader sense, to serve her country.