CHILE - During her tour of Chile this week, Sec. of State Clinton was often confused for American Idol judge Ellen DeGeneres.
Chilean crowds would often spontaneously form and mob the Secretary as she toured parts of Chile's earthquake ravaged regions this week, asking for autographs, fighting for photographs, and trying to rip parts of the Secretary's pantsuit as keepsakes. At first, Secretary Clinton believed this was just an unusually warm reception for those in dire need of U.S. disaster assistance. Later it was discovered that the crowds were, in fact, screaming "Ellen!" and mistaking the Secretary for American Idol judge Ellen DeGeneres.
"She's been a pretty good sport about the whole thing," said one staffer. "She even started signing autographs as 'Love, Ellen.' I think that's pretty cool."
Victims of the 8.8 magnitude quake -- many of whom lost their homes and families -- often walked hours to meet "Ellen" as she toured the rubble and devastation. Unwilling to disappoint them, Clinton cracked jokes, disparaged Simon Cowell, and ripped into Idol contestants with a vengeance.