Like New Year's Eve/Day

I have to admit, in a geeky sort of way, I am excited about being in the Department right now. Neither my partner nor I have really been here through a transition. Yes, there have been comings and goings, and no, Secretary Rice was not Secretary when either of us joined. Those were transitions of a sort.

But this is different.

So many of the offices are empty. I ran into Secretary-designate Clinton yesterday afternoon in the garage, and tonight I went by Secretary Rice's office. She is gone, of course. Her goodbye was on tv today (at least the State Department's network). I ran into her personal assistant, a career member of the Service. We spent many hours together while the Secretary was in meetings with the Palestinian President, and I found her to be a genuinely nice person. I took it as a personal mission each visit to find her a smoke-free place to be in the Muqata, the Palestinian President's office compound. She told me today this is it for her. She is heading for a well-earned retirement.

It all has me feeling a bit like I do each New Year's. Of course it is true that the New Year may be no better (and maybe even worse) than the last. But just for that moment, the coming year is filled with promise and wonder. Will life be better under team Obama/Clinton than Bush/Rice? How drastically will our foreign policy change? I can't imagine it would stay the same. And if Iraq is no longer our top priority, will the Embassy there be reduced in size?

I wonder too if Secretary Clinton will be more interested in managing the Department than Secretary Rice seemed to be? Will we get more resources? More people? Will Secretary Clinton make the changes she can make with the stroke of a pen to improve the lives of gay and lesbian Foreign Service officers and specialists and their families?

Like I said, things could get worse. But I hope not. Like at the dawn of the New Year, I am cautiously optimistic.

And crossing my fingers.

President Bush Visits Department of State

President Bush visited the State Department yesterday and had some really nice things to say about the Department and those of us who serve, particularly those who have served in Iraq. The entire speech is copied below.

Disappointing, though, was a local news channels selective use of quotes from the speech as part of their coverage of the 4,000th person killed in Iraq, to make it seem like the speech was addressing only the sacrifices of the military. I find it frustrating that Americans still clearly do not recognize the contributions of the State Department both in the war and throughout the world, no doubt in large part because of the media's selective coverage of the issues.

President Bush Visits Department of State

THE PRESIDENT: Madam Secretary, thank you very much for your hospitality. I just had a very interesting dialogue on how to strengthen the State Department's capacity to bring freedom and peace around the world, and how to make sure the State Department works collaboratively with the Defense Department, as we deal with some of the more difficult areas, and really take advantage of some of the great opportunities that we're faced with.

And so I really want to thank you, Madam Secretary, and I thank the folks who work in this building. Our citizens have really no idea how competent, courageous and successful the people here who work at the State Department are -- I do. After my -- now my eighth year as President, I've gotten to know the people in the State Department well, and I'm impressed, and so should our citizens.

Obviously we want to expand the reach of the State Department by increasing the size and its efficiencies, and to make sure that there's interoperability. And along these lines, of course, I'm fully aware that folks who have worked in the State Department lost their lives and -- in Iraq, along with our military folks. And on this day of reflection, I offer our deepest sympathies to their families. I hope their families know that the citizens pray for their comfort and strength, whether they were the first one who lost their life in Iraq or recently lost their lives in Iraq -- that every life is precious in our sight.

And I guess my one thought I wanted to leave with those who still hurt is that one day people will look back at this moment in history and say, thank God there were courageous people willing to serve, because they laid the foundations for peace for generations to come; that I have vowed in the past, and I will vow so long as I'm President, to make sure that those lives were not lost in vain, that, in fact, there is a outcome that will merit the sacrifice that civilian and military alike have made; that our strategy going forward will be aimed at making sure that we achieve victory and, therefore, America becomes more secure and these young democracies survive, and peace more likely as we head into the 21st century.

So, Madam Secretary, I'm honored to be here, and I thank you very much for your hard work and your dedication.

Thank you all.