Obama on Clinton, Old Quotes

Never mind the campaign.

That's Barack Obama's once-and-for-all line on his former differences with Hillary Clinton, who he just announced as his secretary of state at a press conference this morning introducing the Obama foreign policy team.

Asked why he thought Clinton, who was standing just behind him, was qualified for secretary of state now after he once equated her trips to foreign countries as first lady with sipping tea with the powerful, he said, "This is fun for the press to try to stir up whatever quotes were generated in the course of the campaign – no, I understand – and you’re having fun, and there’s nothing wrong with that."

He reiterated his argument that he and Clinton shared a view that "we have to build and forge strong alliances around the world." He said there was no more effective advocate for America to do that than Clinton and said she would be an "outstanding secretary of state."