Hillary Gets a Warm Welcome At State

Hillary Clinton met with career State Department employees as she arrived at her new office this morning, and from all accounts, her reception was extremely enthusiastic. Two things struck me about the reported accounts of the event, though.

First, Steve Kaskent of the American Foreign Service Union told his new Secretary, ""So far, we are thrilled to have you here," which I thought was both uncharacteristically warm, and uncharacteristically frank as a warning that State employees' opinions could change quickly.

Second, Clinton told employees to "Think outside the proverbial box. There is nothing I welcome more than a good debate and the kind of dialogue that will make us better.... We need a sense of openness and candor in the building." From what I've heard from State Department employees, that call will be welcomed--and answered. There are a lot of opinions floating around Foggy Bottom, and I'm sure Clinton will get many earfuls of them.