CBS’s Logan Praises Hillary Clinton: She’s ‘Come Into Her Own’

While reporting on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s trip to Mexico to address the escalating drug war, on Thursday’s CBS Early Show, correspondent Lara Logan gave a glowing review of Clinton’s job performance so far: "Well, she seems very much at ease. That's one of the things that struck myself and other journalists dealing with her in her new role. She has almost come into her own. She's very open, very direct, taking a lot of time. One particularly important thing to note is that she takes a lot of time to meet with local women and young people, disadvantaged groups...she wants to hear from ordinary people. She finds it very useful to hear from the man on the street."

Logan went on to explain how much effort Clinton puts in to meeting with the "ordinary people": "...that's not a small achievement when you consider the time pressures on trips like these. They're very fast-paced and there's a lot of pressure. And so the fact that Hillary makes this special effort to talk to people is actually noted and appreciated wherever she goes."

Earlier in the segment, Logan also emphasized Clinton’s message that the United States was to blame for certain aspects of Mexico’s drug war: "Hillary Clinton came to Mexico with a very deliberate message that the U.S. is partly to blame for Mexico's problems and that the U.S. shares the responsibility in fighting the drug cartels." Logan played a clip of Clinton: "We have to recognize and accept that the demand for drugs from the United States drives them north and the guns that are used by the drug cartels against the police and the military, 90% of them come from America." Logan then added: "These guns have been used in the bloodshed that's left a trail of bodies in Mexico's border cities right on America's doorstep."

On Wednesday’s CBS Evening News, Logan similarly reported: "Now Mexico's getting the help it's been asking for from the U.S...In an interview with CBS News, Mexico's foreign minister welcomed the change in Washington's attitude...Now Mexico believes the U.S. at last is accepting its share of responsibility, beefing up agents and technology to help Mexico target illegal guns, drugs, and cash."

Here is the full transcript of the Thursday Early Show segment:

7:06AM SEGMENT:

HARRY SMITH: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Mexico focusing on the drug war near the U.S. border. CBS News chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan sat down with the Secretary of State last night and joins us now from Mexico City. Good morning, Lara.

LARA LOGAN: Good morning, Harry. Well, Hillary Clinton came to Mexico with a very deliberate message that the U.S. is partly to blame for Mexico's problems and that the U.S. shares the responsibility in fighting the drug cartels.

HILLARY CLINTON: We have to recognize and accept that the demand for drugs from the United States drives them north and the guns that are used by the drug cartels against the police and the military, 90% of them come from America.

LOGAN: These guns have been used in the bloodshed that's left a trail of bodies in Mexico's border cities right on America's doorstep. Do you think its serious enough to be considered a threat to U.S. national security?

CLINTON: No. What I think is that it has to be stopped now.

LOGAN: That sense of urgency is fueled in part by the possibility that terrorists could take advantage of the chaos and join forces with Mexico's drug cartels.

CLINTON: We saw it in Colombia where the insurgents made common cause with the drug traffickers. We're seeing it in Afghanistan, where we're watching the poppy trade help to fuel the Al Qaeda and Taliban extremists there. So we know that where huge amounts of money are involved and ruthless people without conscience or morals are involved, we have to be quick to respond and recognize that left unchecked, this could, you know, mushroom.

SMITH: Lara, my question for you this morning, some 60 days in, how does Mrs. Clinton seem to be settling into her new job?

LOGAN: Well, she seems very much at ease. That's one of the things that struck myself and other journalists dealing with her in her new role. She has almost come into her own. She's very open, very direct, taking a lot of time. One particularly important thing to note is that she takes a lot of time to meet with local women and young people, disadvantaged groups. And I was speaking to one of her top aides about this, asking her what she hopes to get out of these meetings. And she said to me that -- 'Hillary feels it's very important to get outside the bubble.' Usually these visits center around the U.S. embassy and top leaders in the government, and she wants to hear from ordinary people. She finds it very useful to hear from the man on the street what they think of certain policies and programs, and that that has been a very important counterweight to her understanding of the situation anywhere she goes. And Harry, that's not a small achievement when you consider the time pressures on trips like these. They're very fast-paced and there's a lot of pressure. And so the fact that Hillary makes this special effort to talk to people is actually noted and appreciated wherever she goes.

SMITH: Lara Logan in Mexico City this morning, thank you so much. Good to see you.

Here is the full transcript of the Wednesday Evening News segment:

6:39PM SEGMENT:

KATIE COURIC: In other news, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Mexico tonight. She says Americans share the blame for the drug war there because of quote 'our insatiable demand for illegal drugs.' President Obama is sending more U.S. agents to the boarder to help fight the Mexican drug cartels. Our chief foreign affairs correspondent Lara Logan is in Mexico City tonight.

LARA LOGAN: This is what it takes to fight the drug cartels in Mexico. The President forced to deploy Mexico's army against ruthless narco-traffickers and a network of corrupt police and officials supporting them. Now Mexico's getting the help it's been asking for from the U.S.

HILLARY CLINTON: It's important that we join together to defeat the violence and the criminal gangs.

LOGAN: In an interview with CBS News, Mexico's foreign minister welcomed the change in Washington's attitude.

PATRICIA ESPINOSA: We want to address together the challenges that we are facing.

LOGAN: Now Mexico believes the U.S. at last is accepting its share of responsibility, beefing up agents and technology to help Mexico target illegal guns, drugs, and cash. But Mexico says it will never allow U.S. troops to operate on their soil and the possibility the U.S. could deploy national guard troops to the border is causing concern.

ESPINOSA: Militarizing the border is something that is seen as a very delicate issue.

LOGAN: So National Guard troops would not be popular in Mexico?

ESPINOSA: Yes, that's correct.

LOGAN: The Mexican authorities have been making big arrests, sending a message to its enemies. Here in the capital, the authorities were eager to send another message, that Mexico is not in danger of becoming a failed state. Sergeant Ramon Perez took us around the city to show how much safer it's become.

RAMON PEREZ: We work two police officers per block.

LOGAN: Two policemen per block?

PEREZ: Per block.

LOGAN: That's a lot.

PEREZ: Yeah.

LOGAN: But the safety of the capital is in stark contrast to the chaos and bloodshed in Mexico's border cities. Critics of Mexico's war on drugs say the increase in violence here is not a sign the government is winning, rather, it's a sign that Mexico's president has stirred up a hornet's nest and is only now discovering that the Mexican sate is too weakened by fear and corruption to bring the situation under control. That could drag the U.S. even deeper into Mexico's drug war. Lara Logan, CBS News, Mexico City.