April 22, 2009 - 9:49am
News

Payne gets in a last lick on Rumsfeld

U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-Newark)

As he praised the Obama administration’s diplomatic work abroad and the president’s “willingness to listen,” U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-Newark) stuck a jab at the administration of Obama’s predecessor during his opening remarks on the House Foreign Policy Committee this morning.

“His meetings went great,” Payne said of Obama’s recent trip to Europe. “I understand he was even close to ‘old Europe.’”

The crack was a reference to former Defense Department Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s shrug-off statement about Europe, and immediately prompted a laugh from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Congressional hot seat. 

Back from Africa where his plane took some fire and two days after Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo honored Payne for his work with a plaza dedication ceremony, the veteran congressman urged Clinton to pay attention to the Sudan, where he said a comprehensive peace agreement is not going well; Western Sahara; and Somalia, where Payne said there exists a great opportunity for America to assist.  

Max Pizarro is a PolitickerNJ.com Reporter and can be reached via email at max@politicsnj.com.