MANILA, Philippines (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton took personal questions from students in the Philippines in a Wednesday town hall, offering answers about what she keeps in her purse and her relationship with her daughter.
After meetings with President Benigno Aquino III and other officials on issues such as South China Sea territorial disputes and the U.S.-Philippines defense alliance, Clinton dropped by a forum with student journalists and bloggers organized by the Philippines' GMA network.
Clinton smiled and often appeared amused at the questions from the audience at Manila's National Museum and others sent via social networking sites including Facebook and Twitter.
"What's in your purse?" a viewer asked on Twitter.
"In addition to makeup ... usually my Blackberry and papers of all kinds," Clinton replied, adding that her job entails flying around the world with much more than a tote bag.
Asked about what music she keeps in her iPad, Clinton told the crowd of about 100 mostly college students: "I'm a child of the '60s, which is before any of you were born ... So everything I grew up with, you know — the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, the Who and the Doors. I mean, all of that, plus I like classical music because I find it relaxing when I'm thinking about stressful things."
Because her daughter, Chelsea, got married last year, viewers were curious about whether Clinton was excited to become a grandmother. She said she wants a grandchild, but that "I'm leaving that to my daughter and her husband."
She then described the close bond between her mother, who died recently, and Chelsea, who began working at NBC News this week. "Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to experience that," she said.
Would Clinton want Chelsea to enter politics? No, she replied, she wouldn't recommend politics to anyone. She paraphrased advice from former U.S. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt: "If you get into politics, you have to grow a skin as thick as the rhinoceros because it can be very painful if you're not prepared ... you're going to be subjected to all these criticisms."
Moments later a student activist stood up from the crowd and held up a poster opposing a treaty that allows U.S. troops and ships to visit the Philippines, a former U.S. colony. As he was led out by security, the student yelled, "Junk U.S. imperialism."
The moderator asked Clinton about her attitude toward protesters.
"People have the right to have opinions that are different from others — that what's democracy is about," she said. "And the Philippines has a very vibrant democracy, where people are unafraid to express themselves ... you have a very vibrant press, which you're a part of."
"I'm pretty much used to it," Clinton said. "But it goes with that rhinoceros skin."
Some at the event said they would want to see her in the White House. But she said that her days in politics are numbered.
"I appreciate that but I really believe that it's time for me to finish my public service, Clinton said, adding she expected President Barack Obama to win a second term. "I'll figure out other ways to serve."
Clinton is visiting U.S. treaty allies Thailand and the Philippines before attending this week's annual East Asia summit in Indonesia.
