The first desi in the Oval Office?

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Relax, this post has nothing to do with Bobby Jindal. Banish the thought and just bear with me for a moment. Last week, after one of the candidates I was eyeing as the potential recipient of my vote made a monumental policy blunder (which made me question everything about this candidate), I started giving a closer look to another candidate who had more sensible and educated things to say on the same issue. And that is when I decided that it was finally time (after months of my teenage-like infatuation where I contemplated the perfect post that might get her to take notice of me) to write about an awesome potential development that would take place IF Hillary Clinton goes on to win the White House. I’m talking about that goddess beautiful and capable assistant of hers, Huma Abedin. Huma currently serves as Clinton’s “body man,” similar to the character of Charlie on the show The West Wing. If she doesn’t go on to become the Chief of Staff, she would certainly remain one of Clinton’s closest advisors, with daily access to the Oval Office. From an article I first read in April:

Last June, under an oppressive sun, at a rally to save the Niagara military base at the University of Buffalo, all of New York’s top politicians–George Pataki, Chuck Schumer, Hillary Clinton–poured sweat.

Yet there was exactly one member of the wilting delegation who managed, somehow, to stay cool: Hillary Clinton’s mysterious, glamorous and eerily unflappable aide de camp, Huma Abedin.

“It was like 110 degrees outside,” recalled the source, a political aide who asked to remain anonymous. “We were all just pouring down with sweat. But I have this distinct memory of Huma traipsing in in this blue pantsuit–it was like this wool pantsuit–not a bead of sweat on her brow, not a hair out of place, with everything perfectly organized in her Yves Saint Laurent handbag.”

That sort of fantastical, supernaturally tinged tale is not unusual. Indeed, in the insular world of New York and D.C. politics, Huma Abedin has become a sort of mythical figure. [Link]

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p>Huma was born in Michigan to an Indian father and a Pakistani mother. She interned at the White House in the mid-90s and graduated from GW. If she goes on to become Chief of Staff it is entirely possible that she could broker a lasting peace in South Asia by helping to end the Kashmiri conflict. I’m just saying, if I was at the negotiation table I’d commit to any concession she proposed. Let’s give peace a chance.

“I think she has special powers,” said public-radio broadcaster Katia Dunn, who recently crossed paths with Ms. Abedin and Mrs. Clinton at a café on Capitol Hill.

Ms. Dunn explained that she had heard about the “cult of Huma,” but had never met her. “All of a sudden, I turn around and there was this woman I now know to be Huma. And it wasn’t just that she was gorgeous–she did just sort of have this presence. She stopped me in my tracks for a second…” [Link]

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p> For those of you who think that the “special powers” quote above is an exaggeration, check out this clip. She is as agile as a secret service agent in protecting Ms. Clinton from the attacking flags (apparently Clinton forgot to wear a flag pin on her lapel and the flags in the audience were really pissed). At the end of clip you can see her calming down some of the flags:

“This might seem too over-saccharine, but I love Huma,” said Oscar de la Renta, who is a personal friend and intensely loyal supporter of the Clintons. The legendary designer was speaking to The Observer on the phone from his compound in the Dominican Republic. He has known her for nearly a decade. Indeed, he noted, Ms. Abedin has actually been a guest at his island home. He described her as “discreet,” “loyal,” “beautiful” and “half-Pakistani.”

“She is an unbelievably feminine and gentle person, but at the same time she can accomplish so much,” offered Mr. de la Renta. He recalled that she had great style, but hastened to point out that “she’s a Muslim” and “she’s very conservative.”

“I always say I don’t want to die without seeing [Huma] in a strapless dress,” he said, with a laugh. But did the dapper dressmaker know, say, where his dream girl grew up?… [Link]

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p>I never thought I’d have so much in common with Oscar de la Renta. Who knew? There are rumors that she once dated John Cusack for a while. That is not conservative. But honey, didn’t you watch High Fidelity? That bum is a commitment-phobe and it was always going to lead to a failed relationship. I’m not like that. I also love politics and believe in government service so we’d have a lot to talk about.

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p>Now, as for the other rumors, I find them just disgusting. It is a combination of misogyny and racism that motivates the spreading of innuendo that Clinton is having a lesbian affair with her Muslim aide. It is dirty politics at its absolute worst (even worse than what happened to McCain in 2000). Some segment of our society (in both parties) just can’t accept one strong woman working with another without feeling threatened by it.

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p>I’d like to conclude this post with what I predict would be some notable developments should Clinton win the Presidency and Huma accompany her to the White House:

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p>1) Secret Service budget would be increased exponentially as it would need to staff up because of all the brown men that would suddenly become interested in seeing Clinton speak at events.

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p>2) Peace between India and Pakistan. How could two nations that combined to form a Huma keep fighting?

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p>3) Raghubir “the foil” Goyal would ask the White House Press Secretary, “ummm. so, how’s Huma? Did she say anything about me?” at every press briefing.

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p>4) The Saudis would lower oil prices (Huma grew up there and could probably place a call to make it happen)

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p>5) USINPAC would suddenly become Islamaphilic.

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p>6) Huma action figures by Kridana.com

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p>7) SM blogger Abhi would quit SM to run Huma fan club website

8) Secret Service would investigate Abhi…again.

150 thoughts on “The first desi in the Oval Office?”

  1. i was waiting for news of her to show up here… let’s hear it for smart, beautiful desi women. though i am somewhat mystified by the intersection between politics, high fashion, and hollywood.

  3. Abhi- Surely you jest about her being able to end the Kashmir conflict. It seems quite intractable, no?

  4. Now, as for the other rumors, I find them just disgusting

    .

    What!? Does this mean she didn’t kill Vince Foster?

  5. Abhi- Surely you jest about her being able to end the Kashmir conflict. It seems quite intractable, no?

    I never jest about two things: space or a beautiful woman. 🙂

  6. I vaguely remember Mario’s “Vote for Cuomo, not the h–o” against Koch. Lucky for Abe, Mario was born too late. Poor Ed had to fake an affair with Bess Meyerson.

  7. is a combination of misogyny and racism that motivates the spreading of innuendo that Clinton is having a lesbian affair with her Muslim aide.

    Does Bill just watch or does he get involved as well.

  8. Maybe she can remind Hillary that Gandhi isn’t just a guy who “ran a gas station down in St. Louis”…that he had a real DIY fashion sense and made his own dhotis to boot

  9. Abhi, I am happy to see that Obama has taken the libertarian turn of wanting to cut down on taxpayer funding of (non-miliatary-related) NASA projects, in order to let the private sector in, to the extent that such projects make sense at all. That said, I can hardly fault you for your Huma obsession. 😉

  13. I was looking through the blogosphere re: her–there is a fair amount of attention being brought to the claim (I have no idea as to its accuracy, and am not familiar with the links I was scanning) that she seems to be spending a lot of $$, despite being the child of two professors and earning a “clerical” (according to one blog) salary–with attendant innuendo about where the $$ is coming from. I suspect we will be hearing a lot more about this in 2008, from Obama and/or the GOP.

  14. Clinton is not my choice in this election (i’m for Obama), but I don’t think these rumors will hurt her. There has always been unfounded rhetoric about her, well before the emergence of Huma.

    I suspect we will be hearing a lot more about this in 2008, from Obama and/or the GOP.

    From a rejuvenated Turd Blossom on behalf of the GOP maybe, but I don’t see anyone on Obama’s staff doing anything that low.

  16. @15 and 16… [since deleted by admin]

    WTF?

    I guess, quoting one blog citing another blog about an anonymous rumor makes it a definite “I didn’t make it up, I read it in somebody else’s blog, who said somebody else told me it is true category”.

  17. Please everyone, if you are going to leave a comment about Huma, make it more interesting than “she is hot.” Such comments are the equivalent of finishing The Catcher in the Rye and saying, “man write good.” Show some depth please . I will ask my monkeys to cull all the idiot comments at the end of the day.

  18. I was looking through the blogosphere re: her–there is a fair amount of attention being brought to the claim (I have no idea as to its accuracy, and am not familiar with the links I was scanning) that she seems to be spending a lot of $$, despite being the child of two professors and earning a “clerical” (according to one blog) salary–with attendant innuendo about where the $$ is coming from.

    Yes, shes a spy for the terrorists. So what other scoops are being uncovered at LGF?

  19. Please everyone, if you are going to leave a comment about Huma, make it more interesting than “she is hot.”

    I find it interesting though, that politics has gone the hollywood image route. She could have cured hunger, created world peace, and solved every other global problem in the book, but the minute vogue magazine pictures her like above, all that is figuratively speaking, out the window.

  20. No conflict. Man write good, girl pretty. All problems solved.

    Ok but seriously, why does growing the space program make sense when we have overcrowded schools rotting in our cities? I’ll be right with you if anyone talks about cutting NASA, but reducing its scope and transferring the savings to our school system doesn’t seem “uneducated” to me.

  21. all that is figuratively speaking, out the window.

    It could even be out the window she’s staring through in the vogue pic.

  22. Abhi:

    I can understand your frustration at the “she’s hot” comments but posting a Vogue picture doesn’t really help, don’t you think? It’s all downhill from there.

    I hope you were only half-serious about switching the Obama vote based on one issue. That is almost as bad as the one-issue pro-lifers.

    Go Obama!

  23. Intersection between sexiness and politics/publicFigures doesn’t occur, normally, except when it involves a minority. It seems that one of the first things I’ve noticed about South Asian public figures in the West was how sexy they are. I’m not saying that every desi is considered sexy, but it’s just that a higher proportion of them tend to be sexy, as if this is an added requirement for a South Asian to have.

    1. Why is Dr.Sanjay Gupta considered sexy, but nobody regards Dr. Lisa Schnydermann(sp?) as being sexy?
    2. Why is this Huma Abedin considered sexy, “exotic white man’s forbidden fruit”, when no other intern is considered this way?
    3. Why does Daljit Dalhiwal have to be sexy but not, let’s say, Katie Couric?
    4. I’ve noticed a lot of other South Asian news reporters in my area, and they’re quite sexy, like what you’d expect from the Fox News females (nee the blonde hair).

  24. Love the dress. Have no intelligent comments to make as US election doesn’t really concern me directly, and I’m not up to date with the details.

  25. Please everyone, if you are going to leave a comment about Huma, make it more interesting than “she is hot.” Such comments are the equivalent of finishing The Catcher in the Rye and saying, “man write good.” Show some depth please . I will ask my monkeys to cull all the idiot comments at the end of the day.

    Man find Desi Uberchick; Tribe emit Mega Applause!

    Abhi, the Constellation Program ain’t everything. Let’s hear what Obama and his people have in mind overall for fully fledged space and NASA policies before we go rushing into Ms. Clinton’s camp because of Huma, and expect Huma to fix or eradicate the LOC. I suspect Ms. Clinton is just waffling by throwing out shadow soundbites about how wonderful the Constellation program is, considering it has stalled. After all, Hillary ‘s clearly on the way to keeping the Iraq war going on and on, which will make make progress in space exploration impossible anyway. Plus. don’t you think developing solar energy first is more expedient than getting to Mars?

  26. You are forgetting the Battlestar Galactica parallels (the space connection). Tory Foster / President Roslin : Huma Abedin / President H. Clinton.

  27. Amrita @ 26: Plus. don’t you think developing solar energy first is more expedient than getting to Mars?

    I am no rocket scientist but ask Abhi and he will explain to you that MARS (our next door neighbor)can be used to ship some “Elements” (read folks) and ease the pain of ever increasing demands of Energy on the Blue Planet by Terraforming MARS using SRS technique. I am just saying.

  30. The monkeys woke me up because of this thread. That means I’m moderating while grumpy. Take cover.

    1) comments which use homophobic slurs add nothing to this discussion

    2) comments which are content-free add nothing to the discussion

    3) Abhi isn’t available during the day, so if you pose questions to him, expect responses after COB

    Thank you.

  33. Is this the same Huma Abedin that once upon dated Aditya Mittal and Devesh Poddar ?

    Two Marwari Industrialists from the desert state of Rajasthan, India…

  34. Kind of looks like Amy Winehouse without the tattoos and makeup.

    that’s an insult.

    For those of you who think that the “special powers” quote above is an exaggeration, check out this clip. She is as agile as a secret service agent in protecting Ms. Clinton from the attacking flags (apparently Clinton forgot to wear a flag pin on her lapel and the flags in the audience were really pissed). At the end of clip you can see her calming down some of the flags:

    think perhaps she’s toting around the GIGANTIC bag to provide balance for the Desert Eagle .50 she’s most likely packing on the right hip? 😉

    Huma was born in Michigan to an Indian father and a Pakistani mother. She interned at the White House in the mid-90s and graduated from GW. If she goes on to become Chief of Staff it is entirely possible that she could broker a lasting peace in South Asia by helping to end the Kashmiri conflict. I’m just saying, if I was at the negotiation table I’d commit to any concession she proposed. Let’s give peace a chance.

    She will be some sort of big-baller if Hillary wins. Given the current white house structure, where the current administration made it clear you could circumvent the normal channels of intelligence gathering by making up your own “So Much, like, Better than the CIA” Office of Special Intelligence(s), I’m sure Hillary could place Abedin in any number of yet-to-be-created, powerful white-house posts if a traditional one doesn’t fall into place.

  35. Nonsense.

    Who are those people?

    Either way, I think the point is that because vogue went the extra mile to focus on her sexual attraction in that particular picture, it drowns out any of her achievements (sadly) in the political sphere.

    I’m not saying she shouldn’t be presentable, or gain 75 lbs to be taken seriously in the political sphere, but give me a break, that picture looks like she could be selling calvin klein or chanel perfume.

  36. Either way, I think the point is that because vogue went the extra mile to focus on her sexual attraction in that particular picture, it drowns out any of her achievements (sadly) in the political sphere.
    I’m not saying she shouldn’t be presentable, or gain 75 lbs to be taken seriously in the political sphere, but give me a break, that picture looks like she could be selling calvin klein or chanel perfume.

    I think that’s why Hill. said no to a second appearance in Vogue.

  38. I thought the guy was Dennis, but didn’t know for sure. But what exactly about the wife is being ignored or downplayed?, plus her non-looks related talents could be downplayed given that she’s with Dennis Kucinich, that is, your example isn’t a strict counterexample to the original claim.

  39. Dennis and Elizabeth Kucinich. Elizabeth is commonly referred to as “his hot young wife.” Which she is.

    Her only prior work experience seems to be with these policy wonks

    She did, however, do volunteer work in Africa and India which would qualify her for a “Bono/M. Teresa’s Burden” award at the next live aid.

    Despite all the nauseating new-age vocabulary she uses to describe her romance with Dennis, she does have some work experience and a masters–which is certainly enough, in the way of success, to downplay.

  40. I’d like to conclude this post with what I predict would be some notable developments should Clinton win the Presidency and Huma accompany her to the White House:

    9 : Jaswant Singh will send flowers to Huma.

  41. The original claim was:

    Intersection between sexiness and politics/publicFigures doesn’t occur, normally, except when it involves a minority.

    I’d say there’s no more literal an instersection between sexiness and a politics/a Public Figure than Elizabeth and Dennis Kucinich.

    You could say tall thin hot English vegetarian redheads are a minority, of course.

  43. I’d say there’s no more literal an instersection between sexiness and a politics/a Public Figure than Elizabeth and Dennis Kucinich.

    I think the “intersection” described in the claim was internal to a single person. That is, “here’s a sexy new minority person, and oh hey, he/she’s done some of that politics crap too”.

  44. what in the world are you guys arguing about? beautiful people get more attention. in every culture. we’re all the same. deal with it.

  45. Either way, I think the point is that because vogue went the extra mile to focus on her sexual attraction in that particular picture, it drowns out any of her achievements (sadly) in the political sphere.

    I agree. It seems that her achievments would have been better served being represented in a news magazine, such as the Times or even CNN. I think it is great to see strong South Asian women rising in the ranks. However, I agree that it is unfortunate that the first glimpse we get of her is focused more on her appearance than her political achievements. Would this be marketed the same way if she were a male desi in politics? I don’t see any glamorous pictures of Bobby Jindal anywhere…

  49. I think that’s why Hill. said no to a second appearance in Vogue.

    Huh, the Hillary gets to appear in Vogue as much as she likes and Huma just that once? Doesn’t bode well. Huma should go where she can have all the giant croc bags she wants.

  50. Am I the only one who thinks that mahesh is right? I mean she is good-looking, but she’s not Lara Dutta or anything. Why the undue focus on her looks?

    In response to Nina, yes Jeri Thompson and Kucinich attract attention for their looks, but neither is running for office or holding a political position. They are the candidates spouses, who are traditionally viewed differently than the candidates themselves. If people start doing glamorous photo shoots on Kucinich’s hot white press secretary, you would have a point.