Hillary Speaks on Iraq, Defends Her Pro-War Vote

[kerrygoddess]

Hmmm...

Hillary Speaks on Iraq, Defends Her Pro-War Vote
November 29, 2005

Today, Hillary Clinton defended her vote to authorize war in Iraq. She stopped short of saying her vote was a mistake, as others have in recent weeks. Hillary spoke up “amid growing unease among liberal Democrats who could determine the potential 2008 presidential candidate’s future.”

“I take responsibility for my vote, and I, along with a majority of Americans, expect the president and his administration to take responsibility for the false assurances, faulty evidence and mismanagement of the war,” the New York senator said in a lengthy letter to thousands of people who have written her about the war.

At the same time, she said the United States must “finish what it started” in Iraq.

Clinton and other hawkish Democrats have come under criticism from liberal anti-war activists, many of whom will hold sway over presidential primary contests.

MORE - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=1269

[SHRED]

1. “finish what it started”

What did it start Hillary?

[rooboy]

3. Genocide isn't genocide unless you kill 'em all. n/t

[FrenchieCat]

4. She helped start it....

yes, she did!

United States didn't start Shit!

Divided States with a chimp as President who politically conned the loyal opposition right before a dicisive election started it! That's who!

[ixion]

2. she should go ahead and announce her change to the GOP

I mean, her policy seems to be heading in that direction, IMO.

[Oleladylib]

5. Yes, troop withdrawal is a must

but, give some thought to the fact that immediate,disorganized without would be a nightmare costing us hundreds more military personnel and we do not want one more life lost in this unnecessary atrocity..Bring them home two by two if necessary but safely.

[newyawker99]

28. Hi Oleladylib!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Hardrada]

6. %#@*^$+9!%#"1%!!!

to Hillary too. I have always thought she was kind of a plant in the Dem. party from early years on. There are some other Dems I'm suspicious of too. The DLC types who began as just-barely-liberals and soon hoisted the bourgeois capitalist imperialist colors.

[SHRED]

7. DLC=PNAC? n/t

[FrenchieCat]

8. Is Lieberman DLC....cause he sure in the hell is PNAC.....

and just think...he was almost VP! That's almost as scary as what we've got right now! :scared:

[SHRED]

12. DLC website

Speaking Out on Iraq

In the last week, three thoughtful New Democrat leaders have issued clear statements in favor of maintaining troops in Iraq until benchmarks have been reached to enable Iraqis to provide their own security and control their own destiny:
# Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY)
# Sen. Joseph Lieberman (CT)
# Gov. Mark Warner (VA)

http://www.dlc.org/

[longship]

9. Hillary defends the indefensible.

Enough said.

[Oleladylib]

10. Interesting some posters sound more repub than repubs.

Wow, look at the mud slinging going on..read the forest through the trees folks..Lets find out what "finish what it started" means in her book..and let's limit narrow mindedness to the repubs..

[mitchtv]

16. Welcome to DU, olelady

All I can say is, "she's been asking for it. This is afterall a liberal board, she made the choice to distance herslf from us.
"Orderly, yes, but out ASAP'.Believe me the iraqis will toss out the foreigners, as soon as their civil war is over

[bluestateguy]

11. I'm not worried about her electability anymore

Because if she keeps this crap up, the good Democratic primary voters of New Hampshire and the caucus-goers in Iowa will dispose of her candidacy by early February.

[BamaLefty]

14. Bingo

And Alabama as well. We are right after NH, we'll bury her here. . .

[Hardrada]

24. We will.

I am an Iowan and we will. Count on it!

[Dr Fate]

13. At least she has time to police video games. n/t

n/t

[Sparkly]

15. To which I say a resounding

"whatever..."

:hi:

[Jacobin]

17. that quote does not even make any sense whatsoever

None.

Read it over a few times.

“I take responsibility for my vote, and I, along with a majority of Americans, expect the president and his administration to take responsibility for the false assurances, faulty evidence and mismanagement of the war

It sounds kinda like its okay if you hear it real fast...lots of okay words.

Then go back and read it a couple of times and try to make the sentence make any sense.

IT MAKES NO FUCKING SENSE.

no surprise there, though

[wisteria]

18. It took her all this time to come up with a "position" and this is it?

She takes responsibility for her vote, and knowing everything she does now "congress" wouldn't have voted for the authority given to Bush. She does say we need to find out how we find ourselves in this situation now.
This comes off sounding like a mild reprimand and a little to the left of what Gov.Warner said about finding out what part this administration played in selling this war to the Congress and the American public.
I just can't believe she can't tell which way the wind is blowing.She is still fence sitting IMO.

[billbuckhead]

19. The Clinton's are actually thinking about governing beyond 2008

The Iraq disaster is a tragedy on so many levels. A bad ending to this misadventure probably will start a world war. They're just keeping their realpolitik options open. There is no easy way out. We should never have went in, but there was no stopping the 9-11 propaganda tide.

[Donna Zen]

20. Dear Senator Clinton,

Having read your well-crafted letter, I am very perplexed. Considering that meetings concerning the “reconstruction of Iraq” were being held openly in Washington long before the IWR vote, I find it difficult that anyone of average intelligence would not have understood completely what “reconstruction” meant. I knew.

And when it comes to giving the president a blank check for war--let’s not kid ourselves: it was war--believing that somehow any intelligence pointed to a conclusion that Saddam posed an “imminent” threat, would seem a hasty act.

In fact Senator Clinton, the more serious neglect on the part of those who made this irreversible mistake, was thinking that an invasion of Iraq was ever a good strategy. Not recognizing the worst geopolitical blunder that our country has ever made, should cause any voter pause when considering someone to serve as CiC.

You see Senator Clinton, I live in the middle of the woods, and I knew what Bush was up to. And I knew from the facts that I researched. Now how did that happen? It was your husband who received a letter from the Project for the New American Century outlining this very rush to war in Iraq. Am I to believe that somehow you didn’t know who these people were and what their plans were?

So Senator Clinton, when I was spending money, volunteering my time, and marching against this war, you weren’t any where to be seen. That is not leadership, just as writing this poll-driven letter to say “oops” is not leadership. It does not bring back our country’s treasure or blood.

This well-crafted letter insults my intelligence. While it may be great that you finally caught on, you will never catch up.

[AX10]

21. Wesley K. Clark 08'!

Forget Hillary, she can't even admit she was wrong.

[zulchzulu]

22. She's still running for Senate...I consider this statement a pass...

IIf it was Blackjack, she had 13 and decided to not try for another card. If she imagines using the word "timeline", it must be probably after the results of her Senate race.

I do however not refer to her vote as a "vote for the war". Even she was for the UN to continue inspections first and to use a multinational force as a last resort...all based on crooked deck of cards that Bush dealt regarding imminent danger from Saddam.

[BenDavid]

23. I am in total

agreement with you. What if things begin to change in Iraq and the mediawhores begin to report the military has made great progress and Iraq is perceived in early to mid 06 as winable. Now what? Hillary looks damn good because she stayed the course. I look at what the military is saying and I am not talking about the flat ass generals that warm a chair in DC. I am talking about the officers and enlisted men in Iraq that are saying, we can win....Or Iraq can turn into one big hell hole, or BIGGER HELL HOLE, but the repukes will not be able to go negative on Hillary for not supporting her vote and stretching it some, for not supporting the troops......

There will come a time when Hillary will announce something major and it will be her time table and not the media's. Oh they the media would love for Hillary to come out against the war. Can you imagine each and every night Hillary stories and not Bush/Chaney/etc etc....

Remember, she is married to the smartest political mind in William J. Clinton. If you can please use your mail and get all the breaking news about Bill Clinton. You will be amazed at where this man goes all over this world.....and in conclusion, even though the media did not play it up as news worthy, Esquire magazine announced that Bill Clinton was the worlds most influential person.....

[Andromeda]

26. Good post, BenDavid...

It's nice to hear a voice of reason. :)

[Andromeda]

27. You're right, zulchzulu...

She didn't vote for the war; she voted for the resolution on the contingency that the inspections continue. All the Senators who did should have called Bush's bluff but they didn't have the House and the House had the advantage.

[eridani]

25. If someone was in the process of stealing her car--

--would she tell them that what they were doing was a bad idea, but they really had to "finish the job?"