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This week, the State Department released a large batch of the emails that Hillary Clinton sent and received (on her personal account via a private server!) when she was secretary of state. The media, naturally, dove into this pool and quickly found the most amusing items among the 3,096 pages. One day, Clinton had heard about a Cabinet meeting on the radio and asked her aides, "Can I go?" Another time, she emailed the protocol chief at State, "Can you contact your protocol friend in China and ask him if I could get photos of the carpets of the rooms I met in w POTUS during the recent trip? I loved the designs." She once struggled to get a fax machine to work. Her emails showed how she and her lieutenants assiduously worked the press to get positive coverage. They revealed interesting details of her close relationship with author and political operative Sidney Blumenthal. But overall, this trove of emailsthe first of several to comedepicts Clinton as an earnest public servant toiling away on important affairs of state (global food security, Afghanistan policy, climate change, and international women's rights) while often operating in a Veep-like world, as in the HBO comedy in which Julia Louis-Dreyfuss plays a vice president-turned-president who must contend with absurdities and indignities large and small as she handles the gravest of matters.

These emails chronicle several scenes that could appear in the television show. At least, it would be easy to envision President (or Vice President) Selina Meyer in these situations.

* On December 17, 2009, Clinton zapped senior aide Jake Sullivan an email titled "Argentina." She noted, "The FM [foreign minister] just told me that Arturohad insulted their country. He was very upset and said I needed to do damage control. Can you figure out what he's talking about?" (She might have been referring to Arturo Valenzuela, then the assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs.) Within two minutes, Sullivan replied, "On it." And Clinton responded, "He's standing right inside the door here." In other words, it's awkward; hurry. Imagine Meyer stuck like this: The Argentine foreign minister is waiting for me, I told him I had to go to the bathroom, but now I have to tell him something about Arturo.

* A big part of the secretary of state's job is calling people: foreign officials, US officials, lawmakers, and policy advocates. Clinton's emails often refer to her call list for the day. Apparently, this was not a favorite task of hers. On November 26, 2009, her close aide Huma Abedin sent her a call sheet indicating that that morning she had 11 calls scheduled from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. with the foreign ministers of Japan, France, Poland, Canada, Brazil, Romania, Norway, Italy, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, and Spain. "Can't wait," Clinton replied. "You know how much I love making calls."

* One day Clinton showed up for a meeting at the White House only to find it had been canceledand no one had told her. She emailed her aides, "I arrived for the 10:15 mtg and was told there was no mtg. Matt said they had 'released' the time. This is the second time this has happened. What's up??"

* It can be tough to keep track of all the government and diplo-speak gobbledygook. In an April 2009 email to Sullivan about testimony she would deliver to Congress, Clinton asked, "What is the E3+3 vs the P5+1?" She was referring to diplomatic designations for the group of nations negotiating with Iran about its nuclear program. "P5+1" meant the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (the United States, China, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom) plus Germany. The "E3+3" meant the three EU members plus the United States, China, and Russia. Sullivan explained, "They are identical, just different names." Clinton followed up: "Why don't we keep using P5+1?" And Sullivan replied, "I'm being toldand still trying to verifythat as of last week, we've succumbed to the Europeans' preferred term. That there was interagency discussion of this, and that going forward, we will join the rest of the world in calling the P5+1 the E3+3."

Clinton wouldn't move on. The thread continued. "What does it mean?" she asked. "What is the E and who are the three?" Sullivan responded, "E is Europe. E3 is UK, France, and Germany. +3 is US, China, Russia. So's it the same 6 as P5+1, just a different name." To which Clinton replied, "I already feel safer." She added, "I feel ashamed that I had to subject you to this."

* Clinton knew the value of spin. In 2009, she was privately pushing for President Barack Obama to nominate Goodwin Liu, a young and rising star in liberal legal circles, to a spot on the US court of appeals in the 9th Circuit. And she was trying to rally support for him among two key players: Greg Craig, who was then the White House counsel, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California, where this particular court is based. Her staff was drafting talking points for her conversations with Craig and Feinstein. But there was a small problem. Craig was known to be a liberal-minded attorney, and Feinstein was considered more moderate in her political views. So Clinton's team came up with a solution: two sets of talking points. As Cheryl Mills, a top aide, told the secretary in an email, "The first set is for Sen. Feinstein, which stresses Goodwin's moderate judgmentsshe apparently needs reassurance that Goodwin is not too liberal. The other set is for Greg Craig, which stresses Goodwin's progressive credentials as he likely will find that more appealing." No emails indicated whether Clinton used the right talking points with each. (Of course, on a TV show, an aide would inadvertently switch them.)

* There was always wheeling and dealing under way. When conservative Senate Republicans blocked the nomination of Tom Shannon, who had served in the George W. Bush administration as assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, to be US ambassador to Brazil, Clinton tracked the State Department's effort to undo this obstruction. When then-Senator George LeMieux (R-Fla.) lifted the hold, she sent an email to Richard Verma, the State official on the case, and asked, "What took them so long? Did you promise your first born?" Verma replied, "Yes, I sold my soul to George LeMieux today. I am not proud of it." Clinton retorted, "Does this mean you have to go to Cuba and arrest Castro or just shovel more $ into Little Havana?"

* An obscure senator had to be made happy. So, too, a very small country. In 2009, the island-nation of Palau was one of only two countries (the other was Israel) to join with the United States at the United Nations in voting against a resolution calling for an end to the US embargo of Cuba. After the vote, Clinton was forwarded an email indicating that US foreign aid to Palau was being cut. She quickly emailed her top aides: "As I have said repeatedly, I do not want to see Palau shortchanged. I do not know whether this assessment is accurate, so can I pls get an update and recommendation about [how] to take care of this?"

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Hillary Clinton's emails show she's basically Julia Louis ...

According to a new CNN/WMUR New Hampshire Primary poll, Clinton holds an 8-point edge over Sanders, with 43% behind Clinton and 35% backing Sanders. Vice President Joe Biden clocks in at 8%, with 2% or less supporting Martin O'Malley, Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee.

The poll marks a significant tightening of the contest since the May Granite State Poll, which included Elizabeth Warren on its list of candidates. In that poll, Clinton stood at 51%, with Warren at 20% and Sanders at 13%.

Several shifts in the poll seem to explain much of Sanders' gain. Looking at the demographic breakdown in primary preferences, men, younger voters and liberals appear to have moved broadly toward Sanders in the last month. Among men, 52% backed Clinton in the May survey, that fell to 32% in the new poll, while 47% now support Sanders. Likewise, among liberals, a 51% to 16% Clinton advantage is now a 48% to 41% Sanders edge. And among voters under age 50, Clinton has fallen from majority support to a near even split in the new poll, 37% back Clinton while 39% favor Sanders.

RELATED: Read the entire CNN/WMUR poll results

And likely Democratic primary voters are now more apt to see Sanders as the candidate who "best represents the values of Democrats like yourself." Sanders trounces Clinton, with 41% of Democratic primary voters saying Sanders does, to 30% who chose Clinton. In the May poll, 38% said Clinton was tops on this question, with 22% choosing Warren and just 13% picking Sanders.

Sanders has also gained dramatically in favorability ratings among Democrats since May. In the new poll, 66% say they have a favorable view of the Vermont senator, while just 11% hold an unfavorable view. In May, 45% had a favorable view and 11% held an unfavorable one.

And the Vermont Senator also holds a big edge over Clinton as the most empathetic candidate in the field; 45% say he's the one who cares the most about people like you, compared with 24% who pick Clinton on that score.

Clinton's advantages are apparent in voters' preferences on the issues, however. She is more trusted to handle two of the top domestic issues in the race: The economy (37%, compared with 28% who prefer Sanders' approach) and health care (43% Clinton to 27% Sanders).

And the former secretary of state's advantages are larger on matters of foreign affairs. She holds a wide lead as the more trusted candidate to handle both international trade policy (55% say they trust Clinton compared with Sanders' 14%; Biden is at 11% on that one) and terrorism (45% Clinton to 12% Biden and 11% Sanders).

But when it comes to dealing with "big banks and corporations," things are much tighter: 36% trust Sanders compared to 31% who favor Clinton.

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Poll: Hillary Clinton's lead over Democrats dwindling ...

Today marks an unofficial, official turning point in Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Later today, the "ramp up phase" -- a term used by Clinton's campaign to describe the first two months of her candidacy -- will come to an end and her "official" campaign will kick-off. This transition will be marked by the Democratic presidential candidate's first big campaign rally in New York City, where Clinton will deliver a speech laying out her vision for her campaign, followed by a five-day swing through all four early voting states, including Iowa and New Hampshire.

During her remarks, Clinton will take on a more personal tone during and allude to the story of her later mother, Dorothy Rodham, according to her aides. She will explain how her mothers life story -- which was filled with trauma and abandonment -- has taught her valuable lessons of resilience and motivated her to run for president.

"If you want to understand Hillary Clinton and what has motivated her career of fighting for kids and families, her mother is a big part of the story, Clinton campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri said in a statement.

AFP/Getty Images

PHOTO: Workers from Elite Productions work on the preparations for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign launch in Roosevelt Island in New York on June 12, 2015.

Todays public rally will be Clintons largest event yet as a presidential candidate. While her campaign organizers will not say how many people requested tickets to the event, attendance is expected to be in the thousands.

Among those attending will be former president Bill Clinton and their daughter Chelsea, who are expected to make their first official appearances of the campaign today. It is not known yet whether Clintons 9-month-old granddaughter, Charlotte, will also be there.

Clinton fans will be greeted by some opposition, too. Representatives from the Republican National Committee -- which, according to a spokesperson, has already spent roughly a quarter of a million dollars on its Stop Hillary campaign since she soft-launched her campaign two months ago -- are planning to hand out sunglasses with a not-so-friendly message for the Democratic presidential candidate.

Up until now, Clintons campaign has focused on small, intimate roundtables, as opposed to big rallies, since announcing her campaign with an online video. Clinton has also kept the policy specifics at a minimum and the press at an arms length.

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Hillary Clinton Gets Ready to Make Her Pitch at 1st ...

Hillary Clinton Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2009 67th United States Secretary of State In office January 21, 2009 February 1, 2013 President Barack Obama Deputy James Steinberg William Joseph Burns Preceded by Condoleezza Rice Succeeded by John Kerry United States Senator from New York In office January 3, 2001 January 21, 2009 Preceded by Daniel Patrick Moynihan Succeeded by Kirsten Gillibrand First Lady of the United States In role January 20, 1993 January 20, 2001 Preceded by Barbara Bush Succeeded by Laura Bush First Lady of Arkansas In role January 11, 1983 December 12, 1992 Preceded by Gay Daniels White Succeeded by Betty Tucker In role January 9, 1979 January 19, 1981 Preceded by Barbara Pryor Succeeded by Gay Daniels White Personal details Born Hillary Diane Rodham[nb 1] (1947-10-26) October 26, 1947 (age67) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Political party Democratic (1968present) Other political affiliations Republican (Before 1968) Spouse(s) Bill Clinton (1975present) Children Chelsea Alma mater Wellesley College Yale Law School Religion Methodism (United Methodist Church) Signature Website http://www.hillaryclinton.com

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (/ /; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician and former United States Secretary of State in the administration of President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013; a former United States Senator representing New York from 2001 to 2009; and, as the wife of President Bill Clinton, was First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001. She was a leading candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination to the 2008 presidential election and has announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the 2016 presidential election.

A native of Illinois, Hillary Rodham was the first student commencement speaker at Wellesley College in 1969 and earned a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1973. After a stint as a Congressional legal counsel, she moved to Arkansas and married Bill Clinton in 1975. She cofounded Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families in 1977, she became the first female chair of the Legal Services Corporation in 1978, and became the first female partner at Rose Law Firm in 1979. The National Law Journal twice listed her as one of the hundred most influential lawyers in America. During her tenure as First Lady of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and 1983 to 1992, she led a task force that reformed Arkansas's education system and sat on the board of directors of Wal-Mart and several other corporations.

As First Lady of the United States, her major initiative, the Clinton health care plan of 1993, failed to gain approval from the U.S. Congress. In 1997 and 1999, she played a leading role in advocating the creation of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the Adoption and Safe Families Act, and the Foster Care Independence Act. Her years as First Lady drew a polarized response from the American public. The only First Lady to have been subpoenaed, she testified before a federal grand jury in 1996 regarding the Whitewater controversy, but was never charged with wrongdoing in this or several other investigations during her husband's presidency. Her marriage to the president was subjected to considerable public discussion following the Lewinsky scandal of 1998.

After moving to New York, Clinton was elected in 2000 the first female senator from the state; she is the only First Lady ever to have run for public office. Following the September 11 attacks, she supported military action in Afghanistan and the Iraq Resolution, but subsequently objected to the George W. Bush administration's conduct of the Iraq war. She opposed most of Bush's domestic policies. Clinton was re-elected to the Senate in 2006. Running in the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries, Clinton won far more primaries and delegates than any other female candidate in American history, but narrowly lost the nomination to Obama.

As Secretary of State in the Obama administration from January 2009 to February 2013, Clinton was at the forefront of the U.S. response to the Arab Spring and advocated the U.S. military intervention in Libya. She took responsibility for security lapses related to the 2012 Benghazi attack, which resulted in the deaths of American consulate personnel, but defended her personal actions in regard to the matter. Clinton visited more countries than any other Secretary of State. She viewed "smart power" as the strategy for asserting U.S. leadership and values, by combining military power with diplomacy and American capabilities in economics, technology, and other areas. She encouraged empowerment of women everywhere and used social media to communicate the U.S. message abroad. Leaving office at the end of Obama's first term, she authored her fifth book and undertook speaking engagements before announcing her second run for the presidency in April 2015.

Hillary[nb 2] Diane Rodham was born on October 26, 1947, at Edgewater Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.[2][3] She was raised in a United Methodist family, first in Chicago and then, from the age of three, in suburban Park Ridge, Illinois.[4] Her father, Hugh Ellsworth Rodham (19111993), was of Welsh and English descent;[5] he managed a successful small business in the textile industry.[6] Her mother, Dorothy Emma Howell (19192011), was a homemaker of English, Scottish, French, and Welsh descent.[5][7][8] Hillary has two younger brothers, Hugh and Tony.[9]

As a child, Hillary Rodham was a teacher's favorite at her public schools in Park Ridge.[10][11] She participated in sports such as swimming and baseball and earned numerous awards as a Brownie and Girl Scout.[10][11] She attended Maine East High School, where she participated in student council, the school newspaper, and was selected for National Honor Society.[2][12] For her senior year, she was redistricted to Maine South High School, where she was a National Merit Finalist and graduated in the top five percent of her class of 1965.[12][13] Her mother wanted her to have an independent, professional career,[8] and her father, otherwise a traditionalist, felt that his daughter's abilities and opportunities should not be limited by gender.[14]

Raised in a politically conservative household,[8] Rodham helped canvass Chicago's South Side at age thirteen following the very close 1960 U.S. presidential election, where she found evidence of electoral fraud against Republican candidate Richard Nixon.[15] She then volunteered to campaign for Republican candidate Barry Goldwater in the U.S. presidential election of 1964.[16] Rodham's early political development was shaped most by her high school history teacher (like her father, a fervent anticommunist), who introduced her to Goldwater's The Conscience of a Conservative,[17] and by her Methodist youth minister (like her mother, concerned with issues of social justice), with whom she saw and met civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. in Chicago in 1962.[18]

In 1965, Rodham enrolled at Wellesley College, where she majored in political science.[19] During her first year, she served as president of the Wellesley Young Republicans;[20][21] with this Rockefeller Republican-oriented group,[22] she supported the elections of Mayor John Lindsay and Senator Edward Brooke.[23] She later stepped down from this position, as her views changed regarding the American Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War.[20] In a letter to her youth minister at this time, she described herself as "a mind conservative and a heart liberal".[24] In contrast to the 1960s current that advocated radical actions against the political system, she sought to work for change within it.[25] In her junior year, Rodham became a supporter of the antiwar presidential nomination campaign of Democrat Eugene McCarthy.[26] Following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Rodham organized a two-day student strike and worked with Wellesley's black students to recruit more black students and faculty.[26] In early 1968, she was elected president of the Wellesley College Government Association and served through early 1969;[25][27] she was instrumental in keeping Wellesley from being embroiled in the student disruptions common to other colleges.[25] A number of her fellow students thought she might some day become the first female President of the United States.[25] To help her better understand her changing political views, Professor Alan Schechter assigned Rodham to intern at the House Republican Conference, and she attended the "Wellesley in Washington" summer program.[26] Rodham was invited by moderate New York Republican Representative Charles Goodell to help Governor Nelson Rockefeller's late-entry campaign for the Republican nomination.[26] Rodham attended the 1968 Republican National Convention in Miami. However, she was upset by the way Richard Nixon's campaign portrayed Rockefeller and by what she perceived as the convention's "veiled" racist messages, and left the Republican Party for good.[26]

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Hillary Clinton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hillary Clinton looked into their eyes, her voice dropping. This is very personal for me, the senator from New York told a small group of undecided voters in a Portsmouth, N.H., cafe in January 2008.

Her voice cracked with emotion. Clintons campaign for president was foundering. Another history-seeking Democrat, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, had won the Iowa caucuses, and polls showed him with a double-digit lead over Clinton on the day before the New Hampshire primary.

A woman asked how Clinton did it how, after all she had been through, she remained so upbeat. Clinton paused, tears welling in her eyes. I see whats happening, she said. And we have to reverse it.

She had, until that point, been scripted and cautious, intent on projecting the gravitas of a commander in chief. Voters struggled to connect, and the campaign appeared adrift, beset by bickering and leaks that Clinton seemed unable to control.

Then, whether it was authenticity or a Hail Mary by a desperate campaign, Clinton went off the familiar script. Her voice softened. I just dont want to see us fall backwards, she said. You know?

The next day, she erased Obamas lead and won New Hampshire, though Obamas historic momentum would be too much to overcome. Portsmouth, though, was more meaningful than one primary win. I found my footing, Clinton wrote in Hard Choices, her second memoir, and my voice.

She refused to concede to Obama, even when it was clear she couldnt win. And by the end of her campaign, 18million people had voted to nominate a woman for president of the United States.

When the time finally came to withdraw, an 89-year-old woman wearing green entered the atrium of Washingtons National Building Museum to listen to Clintons concession speech. When youre knocked down, Clinton told hundreds of supporters, get right back up and never listen to anyone who says you cant or shouldnt go on.

The woman in green applauded, and Clinton continued.

Although we werent able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, its got about 18million cracks in it, she said as Dorothy Rodham watched from a few feet away.

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Hillary Clinton won't back down. Or go away. | The ...