Smart Diplomacy

This is how the Clintons treated people when Bill was president.

President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived late for the Presidential Medal of Honor ceremony for Israeli President Shimon Peres and missed the award.

From the pool report:

Former prez bill Clinton and sec of state Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived about 7:20, missing the actual medal bestowing by about 10 seconds They hurried in and took seats at tables on either side of the stage Obama acknowledged them as “2 people who constantly sought to achieve peace.”

Any reporter – like me – who covered Clinton during his presidency can tell you that Clinton was in fact not occasionally late for appearances. He was always late, sometimes substantially so.

For the record, President Obama is often late. Bush was never late.

That's because being late and forcing people to wait is disrespectful. Decent people don't behave like that.