Former New York Senator and First Lady Hillary Clinton was in Japan last February 16 as part of her four-nation Asian tour. Her trip marks her first overseas since becoming US Secretary of State.

Leading to her visit, there had been cresting Japanese fear that America was poised to swap its alliance with Japan for China. Hillary Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, skipped a visit to Japan in 1998 after a weeklong stay in China.

On her arrival Monday night, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed her reassurance and consoled Japanese sensibilities, even touting the country as a “cornerstone” in diplomatic efforts.

Hillary Clinton used the trip, among others, to personally deliver an invitation from her onetime presidential rival Barack Obama, to Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso. The US President wants his Japanese counterpart to visit Washington D.C. on February 24th.

That would make Aso the first world leader to visit the White House under Obama’s administration.

On the second day of her visit, Hillary Clinton had dinner with the Prime Minister and afterwards, managed to meet with Ichiro Ozawa, the PM’s rival. Head of Japan’s Democratic Party, Ozawa reportedly told Clinton he wanted a more visible role for Tokyo, even if it meant sidestepping American ties.

Her meeting with Ozawa demonstrated a visit marked by “balance” and “harmony,” words she used to describe a Shinto shrine in relation to Barack Obama’s foreign policy. That morning, she came to the shrine for a welcoming and purification ritual.

Some 200 US Embassy workers accompanied her to the shrine, dedicated to Emperor Meiji. Later she distributed gifts and drank tea.

Hillary Clinton had more teatime that afternoon, this time with Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace.

Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone interpreted Hillary Clinton’s state visit as Obama attaching importance to Japan-U.S. relations.

Together, Nakasone and Hillary Clinton signed a Bush-negotiated agreement that would relocate 8,000 of 50,000 US marines in Okinawa, Japan to Guam, a US territory. The move is largely funded by Japan.

For the rest of her visit, the Secretary of State moved under the shadows of the threat of nuclear aggression by North Korea. America’s top diplomat tackled the North Korea problem when she presided over a town hall meeting. Families of Japanese abductees trooped to Tokyo University for the rare engagement.

Since the 1970s, some Japanese citizens have been reported missing and were presumably held against their will by North Korean agents.

For half an hour, Clinton listened to relatives’ plights and vowed to help look for answers regarding the abductees. Beyond that, Hillary Clinton committed to nothing.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton departed for Jakarta, Indonesia on Wednesday. Her next trips are scheduled for Seoul, South Korea and Beijing, China.

Related Sources:

Washington Post report on the State Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Japan visit.

The BBC reported on Hillary Clinton’s first visit abroad as state Secretary.

NBC News interviewed State Secretary Hillary Clinton in Tokyo.

On June 21, 2009, the Senate confirmed Hillary Rodham Clinton as the 67th United States Secretary of State. It was the first day in office for President Barack Obama and while he was busy engaging himself in several affairs, Hillary Clinton’s nomination for the post as Secretary of State was finally confirmed in the full Senate by a vote of 94-2.

The two senators who opposed the confirmation were Republicans David Vitter of Louisiana and Jim DeMint of South Carolina. Prior to the confirmation, hearings before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee commenced on January 13, 2009. By January 15, the said body voted 16-1 to approve Hillary Clinton.

Both Republicans and Democrats in general share the same sentiment that such prompt confirmation was essential for the new president to be able to start with his work in dealing with the current major and critical foreign policy issues such as Iran’s nuclear threats and the increasing violence in the Middle East, particularly the wars in Gaza and Iraq.

As a result of the confirmation from the Senate, Hillary Clinton was sworn in as the 67th U.S. Secretary of State in her office, which is located in the Russell Senate Office Building. Present at the private ceremony was her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and her Senate staff. On the same day, Hillary Clinton resigned from the Senate, submitting her resignation letters to Vice President Joe Biden, president of the Senate; and New York Governor David Paterson.

A few Republicans expressed their concerns over conflicts of interest that may arise considering that the fundraising efforts for Bill Clinton’s foundation included donations overseas. Nevertheless, both parties in Congress greatly supported Hillary Clinton for the post.

Hillary Rodham Clinton was born on October 26, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. She attended Maine East High School and then entered Wellesley College from where she graduated in 1969 with a B.A. degree in political science with departmental honors. Hillary Clinton then obtained her Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School in 1973. Back in Yale, she served on the editorial board of the Yale Law Review and Social Action, worked for the Yale Child Study Center, interned with Marian Wright Edelman, and met Bill Clinton, whom she married in 1975.

Following graduation, Hillary Clinton practiced law, working as a staff attorney for the Children’s Defense Fund in Cambridge, Massachusetts and as Consultant to the Carnegie Council on Children. She also joined in the impeachment inquiry staff advising the House Committee on the Judiciary during the Watergate scandal. In 1975, she taught at the University of Arkansas Law School and then joined the Rose Law Firm in 1976. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the board of the Legal Services Corporation. She held the title “First Lady of Arkansas” for twelve years (1979–1981, 1983–1992) when her husband Bill Clinton became governor of the said state twice. Hillary Clinton was First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001; she then served as a U.S. Senator from 2001 to 2009. Hillary Clinton was a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2008 election but lost to Obama.

• Official State Department biography of Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton.
• Secretrary Hillary Clinton faces a tough job in securing Mideast peace process.
• Hillary Clinton criticizes George W. Bush on North Korea policy.

NY Senator Hillary Clinton’s nomination to US Secretary of State, by President-elect Barack Obama, will soon leave the NY Senate Seat open. Recently, Caroline Kennedy expressed interest in taking on the role of a US Senator for the state of New York. Caroline Kennedy is a part of the influential and historical Kennedy Family dynasty. If she is wins, she will have the same senate seat as the late Robert Kennedy, whom was assasinated in 1968, while he was running for the Democratic Presidential nomination.

Her family has long been considered by many to have been America’s version of a Royal family.The American public has been following her trials and tribulations her entire life. Does Caroline Bouvier Kennedy, daughter to the late John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, have what it takes to be the next US Senator for New York?

Caroline Bouvier Kennedy is the eldest surviving daughter of the late President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.  She was just a child when her father was assinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas, in 1963.  She spent some of her childhood in the white house and has immediate relatives, whom also had served in public office. Her family and historical connection in US politics are invaluable, though in much respects, Caroline Kennedy has built a family career of her own over the years.

The Radcliffe graduate, worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  She is also a graduate of Columbia University law school.  She is a member of the bar in New York and Washington D.C.  She is also a member of the Commission of Presidential Debates and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. She has a great deal of experience in law, education and politics. She has also contributed a great deal to charitable works, as well. She went on to publish many works in civil liberties.

Caroline Kennedy’s political views include a pro-choice stance, legalization of gay marriages, advocate for gun control and is in favor of restoring the ban on assault weapons.

Caroline Kennedy co-authored the following civil liberties books with Ellen Alderman:

• In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights In Action (1991)
• The Right to Privacy (1995)

Caroline Kennedy edited these New York Times best-selling volumes:

• The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (2001)
• Profiles in Courage for Our Time (2002)
• A Patriot’s Handbook (2003)
• A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children (2005)

Caroline Kennedy wrote a collection of poems and prose called A Family Christmas.

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Hillary Rodham Clinton’s nomination to US Secretary of State finalized, as announced in the Huffington Post.

The Washington Post published an editorial by Jamie Gorelick, discussing “A New Agenda For Justice.” Ms. Gorelick provides valuable insight for the new Department of Justice.

The Washington Post published an editorial debating the Caroline Kennedy’s potential seat on the NY Senate.

The Los Angeles Times’ Top of the Ticket for Nov. 21, 2008 reports that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has finally decided to accept President-elect Barack Obama’s offer as the United States Secretary of State.

Reports revealed that the senator is giving up her Senate seat in order to prepare for her new role as the country’s top diplomat. Talks between the former first lady and the president-elect have been progressing steadily since Hillary Clinton was first asked to fill in the position in mid-November.

When the Obama administration takes over the White House, Hillary Clinton will become only the 3rd woman in U.S. history to serve as Secretary of State, after Madeleine Albright and Condoleeza Rice.

View the article about Hillary Clinton added to Obama’s Cabinet at Secretary of State.

About Hillary Clinton

The former first lady was born Hillary Diane Rodham on October 26, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. She was an active student at Maine East High School where she was selected for the National Honor Society. She finished her senior year in high school at Maine South High School as a National Merit Finalist. Hillary completed her Bachelor of Arts in 1969 at Wellesley College with departmental honors in political science. She received her law degree from Yale Law School in 1973.

Before marrying William “Bill” Clinton in 1975, Hillary Clinton worked as staff attorney for the Children’s Defense Fund in Cambridge, Massachusetts; as consultant to the Carnegie Council on Children; as an advisor to the House Committee on the Judiciary during the Watergate scandal; and taught at University of Arkansas’ School of Law where Clinton was also a faculty member.

Prior to becoming first lady of Arkansas, Hillary joined the Rose Law Firm and specialized in patent infringement, intellectual property law, and pro bono in child advocacy.

When Bill Clinton won as Governor of Arkansas in 1978, Hillary became Arkansas’ First Lady. She actively supported her husband via various committees and projects. She took on the same role when Clinton was re-elected in 1982.

Hillary Clinton was the 1st First Lady to have a post-graduate degree when Clinton took on the presidency in 1993. She has been a senator of the United States since 2001. Hillary Clinton ran for the office of United States President in 2008.

In the Nov. 24, 2008 issue of FoxNews.com, a transcript from the show America’s News HQ revealed several vital facts about what Geraldine Ferraro, 1984 Democratic vice presidential nominee, has to say about President-elect Barack Obama’s choice for Secretary of State: Hillary Clinton.

In the interview, Geraldine Ferraro expressed confidence that the former first lady will do well as the country’s top diplomat. Geraldine Ferraro believes that Hillary’s international credibility will help improve the country’s image. She also stressed that the Clintons are well-respected and so therefore, Hillary’s new assignment will do the country a lot of good.

Having worked with Hillary in her 2008 bid for presidency, Geraldine Ferraro is confident that Hillary will function well in the international community.

It is also important, she pointed out, that the new president and Hillary are able to agree on practically every issue.

The former vice presidential nominee also stressed that the main reason for choosing several key Clinton administration people for the Obama team is vast experience and nothing else. She likewise revealed that there are also a number of people with no Clinton ties who were chosen based on their performance and experience.

View the interview with Geraldine Ferraro from Fox News.

Geraldine Ferraro:

Born in Newburg, New York, Geraldine Ferraro went to Marymount Manhattan College on a scholarship and worked 2 or 3 jobs while studying. She took home her Bachelor of Arts in English in 1956 and became a licensed teacher. After working as an elementary school teacher, Ferraro studied law and eventually earned her Juris Doctor degree in 1960 from Fordham University.

Geraldine Ferraro got her big break when she became Queen County’s Assistant District Attorney and was tasked to head the Special Victims Bureau in 1977.

Prior to being nominated as Walter Mondale’s vice president for the 1984 Presidential Elections, Geraldine Ferraro was a member of the House of Representatives and represented New York’s 9th District.

During President Bill Clinton’s term, Geraldine Ferraro served as the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Commission on Human Rights. She held this position from 1994 to 1996.

Geraldine Ferraro was inducted in the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1994. She helped found the National Organization of Italian American Women in 1980.