Clinton and Obama: Walking a fine line at VFW Convention next week

[DeepModem Mom]

The Hill: Walking a fine line
By Sam Youngman
August 15, 2007

Democratic Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.) risk alienating veterans or anti-war Democrats when they address the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) national convention next week....

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The Democratic presidential candidates face a tricky balancing act in addressing a group that supports Bush and the Iraq troop surge, particularly having just voted against the Iraq war supplemental as they continue to jockey for favor with the party’s anti-war wing....

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Veteran care may be just the ticket Clinton and Obama need if they want to avoid alienating the 2.4 million VFW members as well as the vocal, primary-voting anti-war Democrats.

A spokeswoman for the anti-war group Code Pink, Dana Balicki, said the group would be watching the speech for any signs of pandering or capitulating on their issues, particularly when it comes to Iraq and Iran. “We always have a little hope that we’ll be surprised,” Balicki said, adding that she is afraid Clinton and Obama “will do what they’ve been guilty of, which is to walk so fine a line, you don’t walk any line at all.”

Both campaigns, however, indicated Tuesday that the senators would not shy away from the elephant in the room.

“Obama was against this war before it began and has a plan to get our troops out as quickly and responsibly as possible,” Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in an e-mail. “Veterans we’ve spoken with agree with Obama that the way we can best support our troops is by getting them out of the middle of a civil war in Iraq.” And Clinton’s spokesman, Phil Singer, said: “Senator Clinton has a long and extensive record of supporting the troops but believes we’ve reached a critical point on Iraq and that we need to increase the pressure on the White House to change its policy.”...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/walking-a-fine-line-2007-08-15.html

[zulchzulu]

1. I'm going to bet Obama wins a lot of hearts with a passionate speech

Saying you support the troops when you in fact sent them into an unneeded war is going to be a hard sell.

Supporting the troops means not sending them into a meat grinder.

[Colobo]

2. Amen!

[DURHAM D]

3. I bet both of them will be booed. eom

[draft_mario_cuomo]

4. Who will do a better job of triangulating before the VFW? Clinton or Obama?

[Colobo]

5. Probably your girl.