While her husband was in the White House, she accompanied him to the province three times and made two visits on her own. In fact her visits to Northern Ireland indicate that she went little beyond the traditional role of a President's wife attending social events, meeting women's groups and greeting children.
"During the first trip in November 1995 the only separate items on her schedule were a visit to a women's drop-in centre and two business parks. Two years later, a solo visit lasted just over six hours. She gave a lecture in memory of Joyce McCartan, a community activist she had met in 1995, and had an hour-long discussion with participants at a youth conference.
Her September 1998 visit with Mr Clinton was overshadowed by the Monica Lewinsky scandal. But Mrs Clinton was by her husband's side as he visited Omagh, the scene of a Real IRA atrocity that had killed 29 people the previous month.
In Belfast, she gave an address to the Vital Voices women's conference, spent 30 minutes at a reception at the City Hall and visited the PlayBoard children's project. Her schedule records that she and Cherie Blair, the then Prime Minister's wife, were to "proceed to the children's play area, where children are creating playground models". They were then to "proceed down the path where they are joined by "25 children with balloons" and go "to the top of the hill and release the balloons".
Her September 1998 visit with Mr Clinton was overshadowed by the Monica Lewinsky scandal. But Mrs Clinton was by her husband's side as he visited Omagh, the scene of a Real IRA atrocity that had killed 29 people the previous month.
In Belfast, she gave an address to the Vital Voices women's conference, spent 30 minutes at a reception at the City Hall and visited the PlayBoard children's project. Her schedule records that she and Cherie Blair, the then Prime Minister's wife, were to "proceed to the children's play area, where children are creating playground models". They were then to "proceed down the path where they are joined by "25 children with balloons" and go "to the top of the hill and release the balloons".
So, from a balloons point of view she was indeed a central player, but from everyone elses she did NOTHING of substance, as I have repeatedly stated. I attach an image of her in key negotiations which led to..ahem..peace in our time. You can see just how tough she could be.
Cross posted on A Tangled Web.
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