Negotiating The Release, Stay Away, Gibbs

It was nice to see Former President Bill Clinton at work with North Korea securing a special pardon for our two captive Americans.

Of course, the first thought that popped in my mind when I heard that he was traveling across the globe was about how Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had botched her communications with Pyongyang a couple of weeks ago in what ended up as an argument conducted through the media.

In my opinion, the exchange between the Secretary and North Korea bordered on the childish.

And the State Department is supposed to conduct foreign affairs, generally through statesman-like conduct.

That aside, it was a great effort by President Bill and it was nice to hear a few minutes ago that he, Laura Lynn and Euna Lee are heading back to the United States. I could not imagine 12 years of hard labor in North Korea.

One thing that I certainly did not understand was when, while the negotiations were still on-going, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs announced to the media (which was immediately reported and, I am sure, read by people in North Korea) that Clinton did not take a message from President Obama to Kim Jong II.

Even if it was not true, I doubt that the former President would have made it a very long comment and would absolutely have been something that Obama would have said.

Thus, for Gibbs to shoot off that comment while Clinton and Jong were still in the midst of their talks, was ill-advised, to say the least.

To coin a phrase, Gibbs "acted stupidly."

Why?

Because that comment could have cast a deep shadow on Clinton's trip and his overall credibility as someone negotiating "in good faith." Fortunately, it did not affect the pardon. But, it certainly could have knocked the train off the tracks.

Take a lesson, here, Mr. Gibbs, watch what you say in the future.

Over For Now,

Main Street One