(CNN) - Who says politics and diplomacy aren't contact sports?
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton returned to work Monday and was gifted the proper equipment for her final plays on the job.
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Her Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides and staff at the weekly meeting of approximately 75 department managers presented her "a football helmet with a State Department seal, lots of good padding," State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
Reporters were not in the room, but the presentation was described by Nuland at a press briefing Monday afternoon, and the department distributed photos of her opening the gifts.
Clinton had been on team State Department's "injured" list after a bout with the flu, which led to a fall, concussion, and the discovery of a blood clot in her head, according to her office.
She was also given a "football jersey that said Clinton on the back and on the front it says '#112,' which symbolizes the number of countries she visited as secretary of state," Nuland said.
"She loved it," Nuland added. "She thought it was cool. But then being Hillary Clinton she wanted to get right to business."
On Friday, department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland described Clinton's condition after her release as "upbeat" and "raring to go."
Clinton will leave her post as secretary of state once her replacement for the post is confirmed by the Senate. President Obama announced his nomination of Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry for the post late last year.
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You could see that it was a helmet in the photo and not fail to notice that she took it in the way it was intended to be taken.
I am so glad to see her back fully recovered.
She is a good woman and an asset to our country.
2016 Hillary!! 2016!!!
Glad to see she is back. Now she'll have no excuses to avoid testifying under oath about the Benghazi disaster that occurred on her watch.
Welcome back, Mrs. Clinton.
Now about that Benghazi thingy....
Welcome back Madam Secretary!
Republicans could learn a thing or two about toughness by observing Mrs Clinton and our President. Now with Chuck Hagel and Senator Kerry......It's and all star team of roll model American heroes!!
Still waiting for the apology of those who openly accused her of "faking" an injury or illness to keep from having to testify. Anyone who thinks she is somehow "afraid" to testify to congress, hasn't been paying attention to her political career. She has never backed down from a fight.......and in fact, I believe she rather enjoys setting the record straight when Republicans attack her. The ones who should be afraid are the ones who came out with inflammatory statements that they cannot back with factual information. Hillary will eat them for lunch........
John Bolton, Allen West and a few others who call themselves MEN need to step up to the plate and apologize just like they were quick to make nasty alligations. A bunch of COWARDS, I'd expect that from West, he's proven to be a total nut case, but not Bolton.
You're completely correct in your assesment California Gary.
Funny, but Sarah Palin liked to go around calling herself a Mama bear, or a pitbull I would've looooved to her have her square off against a Mama bear, Mrs. Clinton, who never hid behind a reality of her own making when facing down her detractors unlike the Thinga from Wassilla.
Thanks mama.......and I agree that it would have been something to see if the self-proclaimed mama bear ever went up against a real mama bear. Hillary would have made short work of that phony. If they put it on pay-per-view, we would all feel cheated because it would be a knockout in the first 30 seconds........
Poor John Bolton-–he must have come down with a severe headache today. GO Hillary!
Entire Benghazi is bull crab. Have a very happy new year, HILLARY. Do not even worry about Banghazu BS.
I am glad she has recovered and is able to come back to work. I am no fan of her but I don't wish ill of anyone.
She needs to answer as the Secretary of State the tragedy in Benghazi. Unless the President protects her with Executive Priviledge which I can see him doing.
I would like to say thank you to Plain&Simple, you made me laugh not only because of your comment but as well as your name. You pegged yourself so well.
Fair is Fair wrote:
Welcome back, Mrs. Clinton. Now about that Benghazi thingy....
-----------
What about it? The Tea Party suddenly cut her overseas embassy security budget by 20%, by more than $450 million annually.
Hillary Clinton – a true class act! Welcome back Madame Secretary. Sen. Kerry will have extremely large shoes to fill. Get some rest, spend time with the family and then make a decision about 2016 – you, as President Obama did, could make history.
Yes Donna, we MUST get to the bottom of that Benghazi thing. The fate of Libya surviving as a vibrant Democracy depends on it. We also need to get Hillary to fess up to what REALLY happened to Vince Foster.
She should give the helmet to Chuck Hagel, who would soon be getting a beating from the right and from the left.
She was unfit to serve before and is more so now.
welcome madam secretary and FUTURE MADAM PRESIDENT
Welcome back to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Ignore those family values GOP/Tea Party hateful comments. They have more to cry about when you are elected president!
I don't see what the big deal is. She already said she takes full responsibility for Benghazi.
@Donna
Your way of thinking is highly detrimental. Do you think the number of lives lost in Benghazi is higher than that one which were lost in Iraq? You want Hillary to testify, why not call Bush, Chenney, Rumsfeld, Condi Rice testify before Hillary takes her seat? They were also responsible for Iraq war.
All of you whinning about Benghazi, where was the outrage at the 50 people killed under W in our U.S. Embassies and Consulates in his 8 years?
The idiot remarks, brought to you by republican dim-wits. They'll do anything, say anything, and believe any lie as long as it's told by Lush Plumprump, Sean Handittome, or other AM radio (lack of personality).
The truth be known she was drunk about being so ashamed about Benghazi and passed out.
Rudy NYC
Fair is Fair wrote:
Welcome back, Mrs. Clinton. Now about that Benghazi thingy....
---–
What about it? The Tea Party suddenly cut her overseas embassy security budget by 20%, by more than $450 million annually.
=======
Actually the dems cut the funding so they could be electric cars for the European embassy's. Nice try.