Hillary Clinton TACKS RIGHT Of Obama On Foreign Policy

[Segami]

Hillary Clinton has begun laying out foreign-policy positions that sound a more hard-line note on Iran, Russia and other global trouble spots than is coming from President Barack Obama, underscoring how she might differentiate herself from the administration she served, should she run for president. The former secretary of state this week voiced doubts that Iran would make good on an agreement that Mr. Obama hopes will curb that country's nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions. Mrs. Clinton, speaking to the American Jewish Congress in New York, said that she was "personally skeptical that the Iranians would follow through and deliver" on the nuclear deal reached last year.



She added that the deal was a "development worth testing," though she hinted that military action should remain a consideration if the agreement collapses. "Let's be clear. Every option does remain on the table," she said. In previous appearances recently, Mrs. Clinton drew parallels between the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine and Adolf Hitler before the Second World War. Mrs. Clinton's remarks, coupled with a memoir she is writing, give her a chance to shape impressions of her four years as the nation's top diplomat and to blunt Republican claims that she was a partner in an ineffectual Obama foreign-policy operation. When it comes to foreign policy, Mrs. Clinton faces a delicate balancing act in the run-up to the 2016 presidential race.



Overtly criticizing Mr. Obama's foreign moves would make her appear disloyal. But at the same time, as secretary of state, she was not in lock step with the president on all issues, and she might want to draw distinctions about her own stances. In internal discussions about the Syrian civil war, for example, she had pushed unsuccessfully for lethal support to opposition forces, in addition to diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, a former colleague of hers said. The arming proposal was later backed by Mr. Obama. One image from 2009 could prove embarrassing for Mrs. Cilnton, now that U.S.-Russian tensions are escalating. A widely distributed photo from that year shows a broadly smiling Mrs. Clinton pushing a red "reset" button with her Russian counterpart—a suggestion that relations between the two countries were on the mend. Speaking in California earlier this month, Mrs. Clinton said Mr. Putin's claim that his moves in Ukraine were meant to protect ethnic Russians echoed Hitler's argument in the 1930s that he wanted to protect Germans living outside of the country.




Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., said Mrs. Clinton and her husband are much admired in Israel. However, he said, "Israelis don't like world leaders being compared to Hitler. Whatever else Putin has done, he's not putting six million people in an oven." Rosa Brooks, who worked in the Pentagon during Mr. Obama's first term and now teaches law at Georgetown University, said that Mrs. Clinton's remarks on Russia and Iran seem aimed at "positioning" herself for a possible presidential bid. She said the comments are at variance with the "sober-minded" views Mrs. Clinton expressed when she served in the administration. "She was in fact someone who really seemed willing to be the honest person and to ask hard questions and listen and challenge conventional wisdom as secretary of state," Ms. Brooks said. "The bad news is that she is positioning herself for a presidential run, and her views are dictated by what she regards as politically expedient," she added She said Mrs. Clinton's comments on Russia were not helpful to Mr. Obama, who is "under intense pressure to do something," amid concerns that Mr. Putin may seize more territory in Ukraine. "I don't think she did Barack Obama any favors by saying those things," she said.





cont'

http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/SB10001424052702304026304579453720053676130-lMyQjAxMTA0MDIwMTEyNDEyWj

[TwilightGardener]

1. Her foreign policy was ineffective at best, damaging at worst.

She's a McCain Lite, she'll bomb something or somebody just to look tough. Libya was a bad idea, in retrospect, but she pushed for it--"we came, we saw, he died"--one of the most cavalier and cringe-worthy statements a SoS could make.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. She's polishing up her cowboy boots.

[ReRe]

3. Yep...

... she's running. And I will not vote for her in the primary.

[cui bono]

4. Me either. Though by the time it gets to me there's slim pickin's

[ReRe]

5. So you're in one of the late primary states? n/t

[cui bono]

6. Yup. California.

So last time I basically got to vote between Hillary and Obama. Kucinich had dropped out by then. I don't even remember when Obama clinched the nom so I don't know if my vote made any difference in that regard.

[ReRe]

7. Now, now...

... don't get to thinking like that. You guys ice the cake, you know. CA is the kitchen of our democracy.

[cui bono]

8. Hehe...

We do have some recipes for success.

Some of our ingredients have gone a little sour though.

[LuvNewcastle]

9. We'll be involved in a whole new set of conflicts/wars if she's elected.

She's a conservative, plain and simple.

[Scuba]

10. Yep, and Goldman Sachs will be in charge of our economy.

[n2doc]

11. She has always been to the right of Obama on FP

Even as a Senator. I remember this area being one where I was really swung in favor of Obama in 2008.

I don't think she is as far right/nuts as McCain or Rmoney on this issue, but she is definitely more hawkish. Libya happened on her watch as SOS. If she were president now I could see us bombing Syria, and providing more arms to the insurgents there as well as arms to the Ukraine. But I don't think she would be invading Iran or the Crimea.

[Vattel]

12. Obama has bumbled around on foreign policy issues,

but although he is way too militarist for my tastes, he is not terribly hawkish. My guess is that Clinton would bumble less but be more hawkish than Obama.

[TwilightGardener]

17. Hillary WAS his foreign policy--if you didn't like it, you can thank her.

Whenever he listened to her (and Samantha Power, and Bob Gates, and David Petraeus, and Leon Panetta), he made the wrong decisions. She is nothing BUT a bumbler on foreign policy.

[Vattel]

20. Basically I agree with you.

She gave him bad advice on more than one occasion. I just think she is less prone to keystone cop fiascos than him, but maybe I am wrong.

[Whisp]

18. and Hillary bumbled herself and Lanny Davis into a coup in Honduras.

The President denounced that coup, but Hillary and Company had their own ideas about that and went ahead and set up good business for their good rich friends.

So I don't believe for a second that everything she did was with Obama's approval - she was a renegade in a lot of ways - she was working for the Clinton Foundation first and foremost.

[Whisp]

13. Of course she does, that not new news at all.

My bet it's a lot more right that what this article suggests tho. She's always trying to prove her 'toughness', which is very very scarey in a person who doesn't have the greatest way about her in the diplomatic skills and is not very good at thinking on her feet in surprise situations and too often blurts out something really stupid.

[DURHAM D]

14. Yawn

[DonCoquixote]

27. hmm

no talks about how Hillary did not actually say things?
No talks about how Hillary will pursue peace?

wow

[Motown_Johnny]

15. (IMO) She will have problems passing the Commander In Chief test

Between her outspoken plea for (D)s to vote in favor of the Iraq war and Snipergate, she has created a huge barrier to overcome.

Now that she is continuing to be a hawk, even when the entire country is tired of war, shows that she doesn't understand foreign policy at all. She is simply taking the McCain route and trying to project strength by always advocating for military action (although to a lesser degree).


It is clear that a double standard exists and that any woman will have an uphill battle in this regards. The one strange thing is that because of the current mood of this war weary country, the uphill battle might not be quite as steep right now. A more reasonable approach would be more popular, especially with swing voters.


Even Tweety took a shot at her for this last night, and he has been pushing Hillary For President ~3 times a week since 1998.

I hope she stops living in the past and figures out what the voters are looking for this time around.



P.S. Bengazi is Bullshit but some crazy RW PACs are bound to make attack adds about it. This makes things worse simply because it will force her off message.

[Whisp]

21. I don't have much confidence in Hillary worrying about what the voters are looking for.

She is worried about what they want to hear so she can get in and then continue her work for the Clinton Foundation from the Oval Office.

[rgbecker]

16. If I hear one more thing about what's on the table and what's not...

I think I'll throw up.

Seems it always has to do with how we are going to war and how we're going to look the other way while our glorious leaders approve waterboarding as an interrogation technique.

I hope to god we can find another strong democratic candidate besides Hillary.

[Jefferson23]

19. But who is she courting, Independents? Overall, I am not getting who in the Democratic base

she would be trying to attract. She knows she lost the primary to Obama b/c he ran to
the left of her.

[BeyondGeography]

28. Good question

She should always be more concerned with differentiating herself from the GOP, whom she'll never be able to out-hawk, than from Obama. Then again, I haven't read the article. Not sure I will, either. I adhere to strict maximum daily limits of irritation.

[Jefferson23]

29. That sounds like a very good rule, lol. She has to be cognizant of who she is appealing

to....so it doesn't make sense to me.

[woo me with science]

22. No more corporatists and warmongers.

No more corporate-bankrolled representatives of the MIC and One Percent.

No more.

[LittleBlue]

23. Welcome to the Hillary presidency

I'm worried she'll spend 8 years doing the Maggie Thatcher thing of proving she's tougher than the boys.

[Whisp]

25. Yes, that alone should set off bells and flags. That 'tough' thing is foogin' scarey

and should be looked at as a portend.

[City Lights]

24. "Just say no" to Hillary.

[polichick]

26. ...

[Jefferson23]

30. lol

[adigal]

31. She'll fit in with her BFF Gillibrand now!

Who tried to undermine the President's policy on Iran.

[Kild the Radio Star]

32. Meh

She's playing to the audience.

[TheKentuckian]

33. Hillary is a bad idea trying very, very hard to happen.

[fredamae]

34. Quell Surprise-n/t

[woo me with science]

35. kick