Reporter Mark Leibovich has now given us three faces of Hillary, and they're all flattering. The latest, Friday's "A No-Nonsense Style Honed As [1]Advocate and First Lady [1]," showed Hillary Clinton, Efficient Manager.
Already this year Leibovich has graced us with Hillary the Burgeoning Idealist [2] and Hillary the Angst-Ridden Brooder (the MRC's Brent Bozell [3] noted [3]Leibovich's awe of the letters collegiate Hillary wrote to a high school friend).
Leibovich's latest Vaseline-on-the-lens profile implied that whatever mistakes Hillary Clinton ever made are safely in the past and she's learned from them.
"Her background as a boss, powerful spouse and advocate could signal Mrs. Clinton's approach to the job for which she is now applying. She is credited with hiring capable, loyal staff members, though her top aides have also been called insular and needlessly defensive at times.
"Friends and advisers say Mrs. Clinton has been a diligent student of her own mistakes, and her style has evolved over the years from a tendency to micromanage to a greater willingness to delegate; from a bent toward perfectionism to one closer to pragmatism; from a go-for-broke mentality to one more willing to compromise."
Leibovich has skewered GOP figures like "prickly [4]" Republican Rep. James Sensenbrenner, but typically goes much softer on prominent Democrats like Hillary, "happy warrior" [5] Chris Dodd and "pop culture icon [6]" Al Gore.