Clinton Could Be Back in Office Next Week; Hillary Clinton's 2016 Chances
BLITZER: We're just learning from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's office that she's dialed into a meeting today from her home. Could be back to work as soon as next week. She was discharged yesterday from a New York City hospital where she was being treated for a potentially dangerous blood clot in her head. It all makes for a surprising and dramatic twist in the ending of her tenure as the country's top diplomat. Let's bring back Kate. She's got more details on what is going on. Goes without saying, we're thrilled that she's out of the hospital, she's home, she's beginning to get back into action a little bit.</s>KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But, of course, everyone is looking ahead, Wolf. The end of 2012 was set to be mark by Hillary Clinton's farewell tour as the country's top diplomat. Things have clearly changed leaving many to wonder with what lasting impact.</s>BOLDUAN (voice-over): After logging more than 950,000 miles, visiting 112 countries, Hillary Clinton is known for keeping a grueling schedule and enjoys something rarely seen anymore in politics, a huge approval rating. Close to 70 percent in early December.</s>BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: She is tireless and extraordinary.</s>BOLDUAN: It seemed certain the secretary would end her tenure on a high note, but the closing chapter of her post has turned into anything but a fond farewell. Illness, a concussion, and most recently a blood clot has sidelined Clinton for more than three weeks.</s>VICTORIA NULAND, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN: She is talking to staff. She is taking paper at home. She sounds terrific. She's looking forward to coming back to work next week.</s>BOLDUAN: And she still faces tough questions about the September 11th attack on the mission in Benghazi, which threatens to leave a lasting stain on her three-decades long career. Clinton told CNN back in October it's a disaster she takes responsibility for.</s>HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: I'm in charge of the State Department, 60,000 plus people all over the world, 275 posts all over the world. The president and vice president certainly would not be knowledgeable about specific decisions that are made by security professionals.</s>BOLDUAN: Beyond leaving a mark on her legacy, that attack and continuing violence in the Middle East, especially Syria, now become unfinished business the secretary may leave behind.</s>AARON DAVID MILLER, V.P. WOODROW WILSON INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR SCHOLARS: It can't be ending on a high, but I think it's part of a broad are piece. This isn't a slam-dunk world. There were only, as I've described elsewhere, migraines or root canals.</s>BOLDUAN: As she moves into the next chapter of her life and possibly a 2016 presidential bid, a real question is whether unfinished business might become political baggage.</s>MILLER: Her challenge is not going to be that Americans are looking back saying, how come you didn't fix Syria or how come the mullahs haven't given up their quest for a weapon, the quest is going to be can you have another 4 to 8 years of Democratic rule after the last eight.</s>BOLDUAN: And still she is hugely popular, both here and abroad. When asked today about the number of goodwill, get well messages, Secretary Clinton has received since her illness, the State Department spokesman, Wolf, said, she called the list of messages a tsunami of get well messages.</s>BLITZER: I'm not surprised. She's been very popular. I've traveled with her on one trip to Paris, Cairo, Tunisia and you could see how she never stops.</s>BOLDUAN: Look at the miles she's logged.</s>BLITZER: All right, well, let's hope she comes out of this in perfect shape. Thank you very much. Let's get back to Paul Begala and Ari Fleischer. Paul, you worked with the secretary of state when she was first lady of the United States. This has not necessarily the best way she wanted to end those four years as secretary of state.</s>BEGALA: No, but I think particularly in Kate's piece, it's impressive how she has taken responsibility for what went wrong in Benghazi. She hasn't passed the buck. She commissioned an independent -- didn't wait for Congress which should and will look into this as part of Congress' constitutional duties. She commissioned an independent investigation led by Mike Mullen, the admiral, former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman and Tom Pickering, a veteran diplomat, that was really tough on a State Department, on the government in which she serves and accepted all 27 of their recommendations. That shows real character. It can't be anybody's standards that nothing goes wrong when you're secretary of state, like she said, 60,000 employees and 245 posts, but the way she has dealt with this. It's classic Hillary, character, confidence, intelligence and indefatigable energy. Obviously we all hope that she feels better soon, but I think she's going out having been one of the most accomplished and beloved secretary of state we've ever had.</s>BLITZER: I have no doubt, Ari, that if she's healthy and up to it, she's looking forward to testifying before the House and Senate on what happened in Benghazi and wrapping up her tenure with that testimony.</s>FLEISCHER: Well, I don't know that anybody ever looks forward to testifying before Congress, but she is very capable and very able and I think she owes to it the country, as Paul rightly pointed out, she did take responsibility as the head of the State Department for what took place and people want to know. People died and we have a reasonable expectation that our diplomats can be protected when they go abroad and when things go wrong, government officials regardless of party owe the public a very upfront explanation. They have to take the hard questions to make sure they thought through the answers. So if that's coming up, she'll deal with it and that's her style. I think she would deal with it. I do accept absolutely that she hasn't in the past because of her illness and hopefully she will be able to recover and testify.</s>BLITZER: You know, my sense has always been, assuming she is emerging from this blood clot and the concussion in excellent shape and she's strong, healthy, Ari, how formidable of a presidential candidate would she be in 2016?</s>FLEISCHER: Well, you know, Wolf, I think everybody except for a few smart souls in Chicago thought she was unbeatable in 2008. In 2016, I think you'd have to stay that she would emerge as the front-runner for the Democratic Party. But frankly, at the end of the day, I think she's not going to do it. I think it's a lifestyle choice, a lifestyle issue. I think after all of the years that she's been in public life. She's entitled to relax and enjoy the good things of life. I don't know that she wants the burden. I think if she could get promised that she would not have to go through primaries and the primary process. She might want to do it and take on the Republican, but to go through all of the primaries again and pancake eating in Iowa, and everything you have to go through that's a lot to impose on somebody again.</s>BLITZER: Paul, what do you think?</s>BEGALA: First off, nobody gives these things away and nor should they. She wanted to be a president, very much and made I think historic and honorable run at it. Close as any woman has come to our top job in the country. By the way, she wasn't wild about becoming secretary of state. She loved being senator of New York. She loves the state of New York, God only knows why, but she does and served it wonderfully. I have no idea. I think the last thing she needs is another headache and certainly not one from me. I'd give her a couple weeks, let her recover from this serious injury, more than just a bump on the head but let her recover from that. Let her take a little time to figure this out. I travel the country a lot. I talk to Democrats everywhere and she is a beloved figure by everybody who supported her last time. But also by the folks who supported then Senator Obama against her the last time. She would be incredibly formidable but she will not be unopposed, I promise you that.</s>BLITZER: All right, guys, a good way to end this little conversation, but you know what? Over the next few years, we're going to be talking about this subject a lot. Thanks very much. Paul and Ari, appreciate it. The Colorado movie theatre that was the scene of this summer's deadly shooting massacre is about to reopen and the family members of the victims are outraged because of a letter. We're going to share with you the details.