Iraq Low on Clinton's Concern List - WSJ

[question everything]

http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,washington_wire,00.html

By JACKIE CALMES
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
April 30, 2004; Page A4

CLINTON RANKED IRAQ low on a list of security concerns he gave Bush.

When the two spoke privately at inauguration time, Clinton put al Qaeda at the top of his list of national-security concerns, with Iraq behind the Mideast, North Korea and India and Pakistan, according to one outsider who recently heard Clinton's account. It is confirmed by several former Clinton aides from the time. Bush, by contrast, already had called for regime change in Iraq.

Word of the split could add to recent finger-pointing between Bush and Clinton camps over the war on terror. Bush backers revel in a new Harris poll showing slightly more blame Clinton than Bush for not doing more to prevent the 9/11 attacks.

[LETSGETFREAKY]

1. This is incomprehensible

Why did he want war so badly? I can see the oil angle, but still. Something more sinister than oil is afoot.

[rainy]

6. Energy, Cheney, Oil, riches, Corporate war profiteering

Peak oil, protect Israel, military industrial complex. There are aways many benefits from war for the powerful and corrupt.

[Just Me]

28. Don't forget that four-letter word: P-N-A-C. n/t

[Red_Viking]

7. He has an overwhelming inferiority complex

He's proving to Daddy he's a good boy. I'm not kidding.

I think the oil, control of the Middle East, and pandering to Israel are all up there, but not for *. Those are the priorities of his puppet masters. They're looking forward to the "End of Days" when Armageddon comes, Christ returns, and all the Jews convert. I'm not kidding.

For *, it's pretty simple. All he ever wanted to do was dance naked on bars and be a cheerleader. Can you imagine growing up with his bitch of a mother? The day after they buried his sister, who died of lukemia, HIS PARENTS WENT GOLFING. Little George wrote an essay about his dead sister at prep school, brought it home, and his mother made fun of it. Then you have dad, the overachieving fighter pilot and oil baron. * just wants to prove he's worthy. Too bad we have to be part of the charade. :P

RV

[myomy]

10. Well said Red, it sure makes sense to me.

..

[Bridget Burke]

13. Small correction: There was no funeral for Robin Bush

She died of leukemia in 1953 at the age of three. "There was no funeral, as the Bush's had signed papers giving Robin's body to research hoping that a cure could be found for such a horrible disease."

This little article on "Find a Grave" says a grave was later created for her in Connecticut; it's been moved to the Bush Library at Texas A&M.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=21590&pt=Robin%20Bush

Robin was being treated at Sloan Kettering in New York. When a patient undergoing experimental treatment dies, an autopsy is always requested. Back then, any treatment for leukemia was highly experimental. However, the post-mortem is considered sufficient; donating the body for research is not requested.

It always seemed rather cold to me. They golfed, then returned to Texas without their daughter. Nobody had explained the situation to young George & I'm sure it was very hard for him.

[Red_Viking]

14. Thanks for the info--

Didn't realize there was no funeral. Makes it even creepier, since no one in the family got to say "goodbye" or have any closure.

They are one screwed-up bunch...

RV

[question everything]

21. Wonder whether poppy wanted to prove himself, too

to his dad Prescott Bush

[Zero Gravitas]

15. PNAC

and "end times" theology.

Our foreign policy is in the hands of lunatics. Clinton knew that Iraq was not a threat to the US and therefore assigned it the appropriate priority. The intellectually weak Bush has been manipulated by the PNAC loonies into thinking that it would be easy to turn Iraq into a democracy and thereby remake the Middle East. Once the Middle East has been made safe for Israel they can rebuild the temple and bring about the end of the world.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

20. Why?

It's all about the men around him. Here's why....

http://www.doyouknow.org/features/introtopnac.html

[dedhed]

2. And rightly so...

But...

Word of the split could add to recent finger-pointing between Bush and Clinton camps over the war on terror. Bush backers revel in a new Harris poll showing slightly more blame Clinton than Bush for not doing more to prevent the 9/11 attacks.

... it will only be good news to those delusional enough to still think that Iraq had anything to do with 9-11.

:bounce:


edit: spelling

[hyphenate]

3. That's bullsh*t

Records and statements contradict that article completely. We all know that the WSJ is a reigh wing rag anyhow.

[shaolinmonkey]

4. That poll boggles the mind

considering Clinton had weekly meetings regarding Al Qaeda and foiled 2 attacks during the millenium. Bush ignored them for 8 months!

And the blame goes to...Clinton!? I'll take "morons" for $1,000, Alex.

[lancdem]

11. I wouldn't worry about that poll

If it's the Harris poll from April 8-15, it has Bush's approval rating at 48 percent and bad numbers for him regarding Iraq.

They can "revel" all they want.

[sniffa]

5. a hah!!

it's cLinton's fauLt for not prioritizing iraq.

[AJ BENDER]

8. W's Messiah Complex

Did you see Frontline on PBS last night ? As hard as this may be to grasp... God Himself (I'll be conventional here) has chosen George W. Bush to bring freedom to the world...as per the divine instructions of that Almighty Being & his kid who's name escapes me now.

:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:

He such a nut he probably believes that he's a cog in the Revelation scenario

P.S - when does the beast with 12 heads gonna show up ?

[whistle]

9. Precisely because Clinton ranked Iraq low as a security...

...threat to the United States relative to al Qaeda and the others mentioned, is why BushCo wanted to go after Iraq. They needed a target that they knew they could defeat easily and also prime the financial coffers of the military contractors and big oil contributers who Bush is in bed with. The freepers are just not awake to this fact.

[CookieD]

12. I've been out of town. Could someone please tell me ...

when Bill Clinton entered the race for president?

I find it amusing that the Bushies find solace in the public blaming Bush slightly less than Clinton for 9/11. Last I checked Clinton wasn't running for president.

The war on terror is supposed to be Bush's signature issue and (considering all the $$$ the Rethugs have spent) he should be polling well, well ahead of any Democrat on the handling of pre- and post-9/11. How is polling slightly ahead of Bill Clinton on a single issue a good thing for Chimpy?

:shrug:

[Nashyra]

16. Ok for those of you knocking the parents for playing golf

I am as a anti * as anyone could probably be and I think the senior *'s are just as bad if not worse and no I can not imagine growing up with "babs" as a mother, however when our daughter was stillborn we allowed the hospital to keep her body so they could "use her the best they could" and then she would be cremated. We chose instead of burial and a gravesite to put her name on a Children's Memorial in Lake Tahoe that represents now countires from around the world and just about all the states because of so many tourist. She looks up to the snow laden mountains, specifically the ski run "gun barrel" that is magnificent in the winter, the memorial is a park like setting. My husband and I went golfing on the day she was born, she actually died on the 15th of April and was born on the 17th, I'll not go into the details but it was a very easy PHYSICAL delivery, anyway we played twilight hours, it was where we could be at peace and alone in a very serene setting, it was a very healing afternoon/evening. We left early as it began to sprinkle and as we were leaving we saw the most beautiful rainbow, my son saw it at home with my parents and he said that his "grandpa had made the rainbow so his sister had stairs to go to heaven". To this day those close's to me know that rainbows represent to me my daughter saying "hi" and my very dear friends and relatives manage to find all kinds of cards that have rainbows in them. Sorry for the length of the post but to ridicule of what you know nothing about opens the door for criticism for which we all know alot about, ie that the * is an *, that is where we need to focus, not what the twits did after the death of their child, that is private and I think off limits.

[lancdem]

18. Very touching and beautiful post

I'm very sorry about the loss of your daughter.

[question everything]

23. My deepest sympathy

What a beautiful tribute to you and to your family.

And you are correct. We all deal with grief in our own personal way.

[Catherine Vincent]

17. What poll?

There shouldn't even be a poll asking which could have done more! The repukes are trying so hard to put the blame on the Clinton administration when 9/11 happened on their watch and they did NOTHING to prevent it! All one has to do is look at the facts. If some folks blame the Clinton administration they are only being partisan assholes!

[Gin]

19. I'm pointing my finger at the * camp right now....

gin

[agincourt]

27. I'll sure say they are partisan a-holes,

Because if the '93 WTC attack had been more successful, and had toppled the buildings, they certainly wouldn't say Reagen-Bush1 was in so many days and did nothing. They'd be blowing 24-7 this is what you get when you elect an adulterous draft-dodger, Yahweh's punishment. I still cannot believe how the sheeple fall for this crap.

[maddezmom]

22. wish the chimp listened

:(

[Aidoneus]

24. Since they'd already been bombing and starving Iraq for a decade..

I can see why he thought they ranked low.

[PurityOfEssence]

25. I've always had lots of problems with the guy, but HE'S SMART

And he embodies much of what is great about intelligence and liberalism: paying attention, constantly adjusting, being aware of one's own weaknesses and viewing things as they are, rather than as one would like them to be.

(Lest we forget, though, he's a far cry from being a liberal.)

[robbedvoter]

26. The article turns tables on Clarke's story - switching OBL with Saddam

Unbelievable tripe!