When all else fails, blame Clinton

[question everything]

An op-ed quoting Clinton and Gore warning about the danger of Saddam Hussein.

The difference is - they talked, they did not send troops


JONAH GOLDBERG NATIONAL REVIEW
Democrats parroted Bush's 'lies'

November 4, 2005

Just how big a threat was Saddam Hussein? Let's reprise what our leaders had to say on the subject. First, here's the president:

"If he refuses or continues to evade his obligations through more tactics of delay and deception, he and he alone will be to blame for the consequences. ... Now, let's imagine the future. What if he fails to comply, and we fail to act, or we take some ambiguous third route which gives him yet more opportunities to develop this program of weapons of mass destruction ... ? Well, he will conclude that the international community has lost its will. He will then conclude that he can go right on and do more to rebuild an arsenal of devastating destruction. And some day, some way, I guarantee you, he'll use the arsenal. And I think every one of you who's really worked on this for any length of time believes that, too."

Here is the vice president:

"If you allow someone like Saddam Hussein to get nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, chemical weapons, biological weapons, how many people is he going to kill with such weapons? He's already demonstrated a willingness to use these weapons. He poison-gassed his own people. He used poison gas and other weapons of mass destruction against his neighbors. This man has no compunction about killing lots and lots of people. So this is a way to save lives and to save the stability and peace of a region of the world that is important to the peace and security of the entire world."

Here's the hitch: That was Clinton and Gore in 1998, not Bush and Dick Cheney in 2002.

President Clinton offered his assessment in February 1998. Gore made his observations the following December, defending the military strikes Clinton had ordered against Iraq. These were not off-the-cuff remarks but vetted statements by the two highest officials of the United States.

(snip)


Goldberg can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].


Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051104/news_lz1e4goldberg.html

[Wetzelbill]

1. good ol' Clenis

Yeah, but they also said it at a time when it was possible he may have actually had some leftover stuff. Bush, Cheney and Co. were saying it after everything would have expired even if they did have it.

[Justitia]

2. With Jonah "Clinton Obsessed" Goldberg, do you expect any less?

[question everything]

3. I am not familiar with him, but from what you describe

this nonsense does make sense - by his reasoning.

[Justitia]

5. His mother is that vile creature Lucianne Goldberg.

He sat at his momma's knee and learned all about oral sex from illegally taped phone calls.

He and his Dragon Lady mother have a very bizarre oedipal complex thing going on, IMO.

They are freaks of the first order and they live, breathe and dream all things Bill Clinton - ick.

[question everything]

10. Oh, THAT Goldberg

Yes, that explains this. Talk about obsession.

At least, on this issue he is obsessed with war which, I suppose, is an improvement from obsession about sex that the Clinton's witch hunt was all about.

[EarlG]

4. Here's the difference

Clinton: "If he refuses or continues to evade his obligations through more tactics of delay and deception, he and he alone will be to blame for the consequences."

Bush: "He refuses and continues to evade his obligations through more tactics of delay and deception, and he alone is to blame for the consequences."

Gore: "If you allow someone like Saddam Hussein to get nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, chemical weapons, biological weapons, how many people is he going to kill with such weapons?"

Cheney: "Saddam Hussein has got nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, chemical weapons, biological weapons; how many people is he going to kill with such weapons?"

[snowbear]

6. They'd blame him for El Niño if they could...

[kevinam]

7. huge difference...

Maybe dude should have searched for better quotes. Tense's mean someting.

Clinton said "Now, let's imagine the future." Clinton is not speaking in current tense form, as in a current threat.

Clinton said "gives him yet more opportunities to develop this program of weapons of mass destruction ..." Again, speaking in future tense, not current tense.

Clinton said "do more to rebuild an arsenal" Rebuild, as in not currently running.

There is a big difference between what Clinton said and the Bush administration's comments "He CAN attack within 45 minutes". "Don't want the smoking gun to be in the form of a mushroom cloud". Huge difference. This author is making the Dems case. He doesn't even realize it. How smart is he??

Kevin.

[bambo53]

8. But, But,,, I thought Clinton was a liar?

Now Jonah is saying he tells the truth? I'm confused...

[tanyev]

9. Clinton's brilliant, devious, trap.

See, Clinton wanted to go to war, but he knew that if he held off and let the Bush administration (because of course Clinton knew that Bush would be the next president) invade Iraq, that they would really screw it up and it would make them look incompetent. And then, the country would be so disgusted with Bush and the Republicans that Hillary would have a clear shot at the White House. Boy, did they walk right into that one!

FEAR THE MIGHTY, OMNISCIENT CLENIS!

[Hippo_Tron]

11. LMAO funniest thing I've read all week

The "Hillary would have a clear shot at the White House" is the icing on the cake.

[tanyev]

12. How do you scare the bejeebus out of a rightwing nutjob?

Yell, "LOOK OUT! HILLARY CLINTON IS RIGHT BEHIND YOU!!!!!!"

Fools.