Hillary Clinton Calls Obama Vetting Regulations a 'Nightmare'

How frustrated is Hillary Clinton over the Obama administration's vetting process for State Department nominees? Very. Recently, Clinton was answering questions from staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development, when she expressed anger at the slow-moving procedure (via CNN):

"The process -- the clearance and vetting process -- is a nightmare. It takes far longer than any of us would want to see. It is frustrating beyond words."

Clinton also used the word "ridiculous" to describe the delays. Her remarks come as the secretary of state prepares for a major address on Wednesday at the Council of Foreign Relations that is designed to refocus attention on herself and her department. What's the common thread between the speech and her critical remarks on the vetting process? Perhaps Politico is onto something when it suggests that Clinton is simply untroubled by confrontation:

Clinton appears increasingly comfortable expressing her views. State Department officials have suggested that she's been a hawkish internal voice, pushing Obama toward more confrontational stances toward adversaries from Iran to Cuba. And she has shown a new willingness in recent days to throw the occasional mild elbow in public -- even one directed at the White House.

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