IT'S CANADA, SHE REASONED, SO IT'S SAFE – AT 7:14 P.M. ET:  Hillary Clinton continues to disappoint as secretary of state.  I think she's taken on a bit of Obama's royal aura.  While in Canada, whose conservative leader is aloof to abortion, Mr. Clinton apparently felt it was safe to deliver a lecture:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out in favor of health care coverage for abortions during a trip to Canada this week, taking a position at odds with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on a maternal health issue scheduled for discussion at the upcoming G-8 summit in Ontario.

“I’m not going to speak for what Canada decides, but I will say that I’ve worked in this area for many years,” Clinton told reporters. “And if we’re talking about maternal health, you cannot have maternal health without reproductive health. And reproductive health includes contraception and family planning and access to legal, safe abortion.”

Well, I'm relieved that she's not going to speak for Canada.  That was a close one. 

Harper has said that abortion would not be a focus of the June summit’s conversation on maternal health. But in an interview with the CBC, Clinton argued: “We should be beyond arguing about family planning. Rich women in every culture have access to family planning. It’s poor women who don’t. And I’ve always believed if it’s good enough for a woman of education and affluence, then why isn’t it good enough for a woman who is struggling to raise the children she already has? So family planning, to me, should be just obvious and available.”

Take that, you snow-dwelling, English-speaking figure skaters!

Hillary, like her boss, is very gutsy with allies.  But notice her silence on women's rights when she's hangin' with the Muslim leaders.  Oppressed women?  What oppressed women?  Did you see any?

A number of stories we've read point out that Western leaders are increasingly disgusted with the Obama administration for the disrespect it shows allies, and its groveling toward enemies.  If Hillary were smart, she'd exit right now.  But I think she likes the state dinners a bit too much.

April 1, 2010