Behind-the-scenes: Clinton and Karzai

Workers of the Afghan Election Commission check ballots in Kabul earlier this month.

Elise Labott
CNN State Department producer

-While Senator John Kerry is getting most of the praise from the White House for convincing Afghan President Hamid Karzai to accept an election runoff, senior State Department officials say Secretary Clinton also spent hours on the phone with Karzai, Kerry, US Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry and others both in Washington and in the region to bring about the result.

-Officials say when they realized Kerry was going to the region, Clinton and Special Representative Richard Holbrooke discussed how he could be a useful actor. Holbrooke briefed Kerry for two hours.

-Before Senator Kerry arrived in Afghanistan Secretary Clinton called Karzai and his chief rival, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. Secretary Clinton and President Karzai had what is described as a "very honest, wide ranging 40 minute conversation" where she laid out why it was important for him to accept the runoff. She made it clear the road ahead with the international community, particularly the U.S. would be more difficult if he didn't accept it.

-In this discussion, Karzai laid out hs concerns. Clinton also drew on her own political experience in the conversations, something she regularly does in her discussions with leaders.

-She told Karzai to listen to Kerry, adding that he speaks as much for the administration as anyone. She pointed to the fact Kerry himself went through a tough presidential election and the he understands Karzai's predicament.

-On Monday things looked like they were moving in the right direction but Kerry had to leave for several votes.  Senator Harry Reid needed him on the Senate Floor.  But Secretary Clinton asked Kerry to stay an extra day to push Karzai to make the announcement. The secretary called Reid herself to say she needed Kerry to stay.

-Officials say there were about a half dozen calls between Clinton and Kerry, sometimes with Holbrooke, Eikenberry or both joining the calll.

-On Monday Secretary Clinton again called Karzai and Abdullah to push the agreement through. She spelled out the likely outcomes of the runoff and the positive impact on the U.S.-Afghan relationship.

-State Department officials are going to great lengths to say Senator Kerry deserves plenty of praise. They say he was not "freelancing” and that this was a coordinated effort.

-One senior official said of Clinton's efforts "she is at the center of the complex web of relationships, negotiations, conversations, incentives, pressure, and strategy."

-This comes on the heels of Clinton's recent visit to Zurich, where she spent hours negotiating between Turkey and Armenia to sign an agreement normalizing relations.

-For all the talk about how Clinton has been "marginalized" in the Obama administration, it sure looks like she's found her diplomatic sea legs.