Bill Clinton has always been a smooth talker. Upon leaving Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, on August 5, 2008, his smooth-talking abilities earned him the discharge of two American prisoners.
Euna Lee and Laura Ling, American journalists for Al Gore's Current TV , were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for illegal entry into North Korea and undisclosed "hostile acts." After spending only a few months in custody, Lee and Ling are coming home to their families, all thanks to the silver-haired and golden-tongued politician.
When Will Bill Clinton Stop Being "Super-Cool?"
To be sure, Lee and Ling appreciate Clinton's efforts. According to the Associated Press, Ling had this to say:
"Euna and I would just like to express our deepest gratitude to President Clinton and his wonderful, amazing, not to mention super-cool team."
"We knew instantly in our hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end, and now we stand here, home and free."
"Super-cool" Bill Clinton is, was, and always will be. His successful dealing with Kim Jong-Il, however, should elevate his diplomatic status and open the door to an extensive future in foreign relations. It shows he can wine and dine and wheel and deal with the toughest of the tough. Maybe someone should calendar a luncheon for him with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad next?
But is Clinton America's new Reagan to address the world's new Gorbachev's? Or, is he merely reaping the benefits of countless hours of work performed by politicians and White House staff who came before him? Whatever the case, Clinton was the closer, and he gets the save.
Class without the Sass, Style without the Guile, Bill Clinton Gets Results
After less than 24 hours of wide-ranging discussion, Clinton managed to convince Kim Jong-Il, North Korean leader and general foe to all things American, to pardon the journalists. Although no in-depth detail of their discussions has been disclosed, Clinton's smooth-talking abilities seem to transcend language barriers.
The bottom line? Clinton succeeded where both his wife and his former running mate could not. And it took him less than 24 hours to seal the deal. Not only did he secure the pardon and release of North Korea's least dangerous felons, but he also culminated successful negotiations with an often unpredictable leader at a time of high tension between the leaders' respective countries.
To say the least, the result of Clinton's Pyongyang visit is a rare step toward the repair of otherwise hostile American-North Korean relations. It remains to be seen whether President Obama and his administration will cultivate that step.
What's Clintons next move? Given Clinton's success abroad, it's possible President Obama could consider having two Clintons close by. One thing's for sure, though; Clinton's knack for foreign diplomacy makes him a valuable representative. The future will likely see the U.S. employing his skills more frequently.
Let's Not Forget Kim Jong-Il, the Little Man with the Big Heart
Perhaps the only un-credited figure in the journalists' release is Kim Jong-Il himself. Health questions have surrounded the aging leader, and the meeting with Clinton gave him an opportunity to show the his good health and his humanitarianism. Despite his reputation for ruthlessness, Kim Jong-Il showed courtesy and respect to Clinton and compassion to his American prisoners.
Of course, North Korea conducted two nuclear tests in recent days.
As New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson told CBS Television, "They played this game before . . . At a time when we have enormous tensions between the two countries, in the past and now, what the North Koreans do is they pull out a card."
In the past, Richardson served as America's representative in negotiations with North Korea. His warning comes from experience. Thus far, the release of Lee and Ling have not been linked to talks concerning the nuclear tension between the countries.
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