List Hillary Clinton’s successes? State Dept. spokeswoman flubs answer

A spokeswoman for the State Department has been subjected to mocking national headlines after she stumbled over a question about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s accomplishments — and then made matters worse with a second-day do-over that was little more than a bureaucratic jumble.

Jen Psaki tried her best to answer a question from Associated Press reporter Matt Lee who asked earlier this week for a sampling of Mrs. Clinton’s accomplishments as they related to a Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. That review system was created by Mrs. Clinton in 2010 to “provide a sweeping assessment of how the Department of State … can become more efficient, accountable and effective,” the Washington Examiner reported.

Ms. Psaki said Tuesday that the latest QDDR is now underway — and that’s when Mr. Lee asked for “one tangible achievement” that’s come from the review at all.

Her response, the Washington Examiner reported: “Well, Matt, obviously isn’t an extensive, expansive process. … I am certain that those who were here at the time, who worked hard on that effort, could point out one. So I’m sure there are a range of things that were put into place that I’m not even aware of [that] were a result.”

On Wednesday, Ms. Psaki tried again.

At the next State Department press conference, she raised the issue herself and said that “after the 2010 QDDR economic statecraft, which … is what Secretary Clinton did when she was traveling overseas, became a — stronger emphasis was placed on trade promotion, investment, and leveling the economic playing field,” the Washington Examiner reported. Ms. Psaki also added that due to the review, “we also now have a fuller integration of women and girls into our policy framework” and that the QDDR has “reorganized and created bureaus to address the needs of the 21st century.”

Adding even more fuel to the fire of those who say the former secretary of state is unfit for the presidency — even as they admit she’s the likely Democratic Party candidate in 2016 — is that Mrs. Clinton herself had a difficult time articulating her own successes in a recent interview.

Earlier in April, Mrs. Clinton seemed puzzled when the Women of the World Summit moderator asked her: “When you look at your time as secretary of state, what are you most proud of?”

Mrs. Clinton’s reply was a bit garbled, the Daily Mail reported.

“Well I really see — that was good — that’s why he wins prizes,” she began, seeming to refer to the male moderator, the newspaper reported. “Look, I really see my role as secretary, in fact leadership in general in a democracy, as a relay race. When you run the best race you can run, you hand off the baton. Some of what hasn’t been finished may go on to be finished, so when President Obama asked me to be secretary of state, I agreed.”