New Clinton emails reveal she has fawning Republican fans, calls Harriet Tubman 'my home girl'
The fifth batch of emails Hillary Clinton exchanged from a private server while secretary of state were released by the State Department Wednesday, and the more interesting ones show that she had issues with White House phone operators and warned of a "Fox-generated media storm" led by Sarah Palin.
On Feb. 10, 2010, Clinton wrote to aide Huma Abedin that she wanted to call California Rep. Diane Watson upon her retirement, but "right now I'm fighting w the WH operator who doesn't believe I am who I say and wants my direct office line even tho I'm not there and I just have him my home # and the State Dept # and told him I had no idea what my direct office # was since I didn't call myself and I just hung up and am calling thru Ops like a proper and properly dependent Secretary of State — no independent dialing allowed." During a Jan. 24, 2010, exchange with Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski (who told Clinton the Supreme Court "just screwed us"), Clinton said that she missed her and would try to call soon, then gave her a pep talk: "Keep going, as your and my 'home girl' Harriet Tubman would say!"
In an early 2011 email, Clinton said she could not defend to Congress the "decision that State will not use the terms 'mother and father' and instead substitute 'parent one and two.'" She said she could "live with letting people in nontraditional families choose another descriptor so long as we retained the presumption of mother and father. We need to address this today or we will be facing a huge Fox-generated media storm led by Palin et al." Clinton was forwarded a praise-filled email on March 20, 2011, from Laura Bush's chief of staff, Anita McBride, who wrote that "longtime Reaganites" told her they "feel safe with Hillary," and "I can't tell you how grateful I am as an American for Hillary's leadership and hard work. Really — it kind of makes me weepy — and it does make me proud." On Oct. 13, 2011, Clinton also shared "the weirdest exchange ever" that her husband, Bill Clinton, had in the receiving line after a speech. Clinton told friend Betsy Ebeling "a woman loudly announced that her father 'circumcised Bin Laden!' What a claim to fame."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Last hopes for justice for UK's nuclear test veterans
Under the Radar Thousands of ex-service personnel say their lives have been blighted by aggressive cancers and genetic mutations
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
'It may not be surprising that creative work is used without permission'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
5 simple items to help make your airplane seat more comfortable
The Week Recommends Gel cushions and inflatable travel pillows make a world of difference
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Wyoming judge strikes down abortion, pill bans
Speed Read The judge said the laws — one of which was a first-in-the-nation prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy — violated the state's constitution
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sanctions Israeli West Bank settler group
Speed Read The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Amana, Israel's largest settlement development organization
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz ethics report in limbo as sex allegations emerge
Speed Read A lawyer representing two women alleges that Matt Gaetz paid them for sex, and one witnessed him having sex with minor
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden allows Ukraine to hit deep in Russia
Speed Read The U.S. gave Ukraine the green light to use ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington, a decision influenced by Russia's escalation of the war with North Korean troops
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sri Lanka's new Marxist leader wins huge majority
Speed Read The left-leaning coalition of newly elected Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake won 159 of the legislature's 225 seats
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden arrives in Peru for final summits
Speed Read President Joe Biden will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, visit the Amazon rainforest and attend two major international summits
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Senate GOP selects Thune, House GOP keeps Johnson
Speed Read John Thune will replace Mitch McConnell as Senate majority leader, and Mike Johnson will remain House speaker in Congress
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump tests GOP loyalty with Gaetz, Gabbard picks
Speed Read He named Matt Gaetz as his pick for attorney general and Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. Both have little experience in their proposed jurisdictions.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published