Clinton Defends Iran Vote As Move For "Stepped Up Diplomacy"

The Atlantic:

In an unusual campaign mailing sent to voters in Iowa, Sen. Hillary Clinton defends her vote in favor of the so-called "Lieberman-Kyl" resolution on Iran, calling it a "vote for stepped up diplomacy" and not permission for the Bush Administration to invade the country. (Full mailing here and "here.)

Two rivals, Barack Obama and John Edwards, have compared the September vote to the 2002 authorization granting President Bush the authority to use military force in Iraq, accusing Clinton of another failure of judgment.

Read the whole story: The Atlantic

Comments

[VivaZapata]

the choice is 1. a tax and spend war monger
or 2. a borrow and spend war monger

[VivaZapata]

about the iraq vote to authorize the war, didn't hillary say that she never would have done it if she'd known bush was actually going to go to war. she just wanted him to have a bargaining chip.

with the kyl/lieberman she just wants bush to have a bargaining chip with iran.

Slow Learners for President!

[ghostsofamerica]

On the Eve of Destruction
By Scott Ritter
Truthdig.com

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/102207C.shtml


Don't worry, the White House is telling us. The world's most powerful leader was simply making a rhetorical point. At a White House press conference last week, just in case you haven't heard, President Bush informed the American people that he had told world leaders "if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing [Iran] from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon." World War III. That is certainly some rhetorical point, especially coming from the man singularly most capable of making such an event reality.

Pundits have raised their eyebrows and comics are busy writing jokes, but the president's reference to Armageddon, no matter how cavalierly uttered and subsequently brushed away, suggests an alarming context. Some might note that the comment was simply an offhand response to a reporter's question, the kind of free-thinking scenario that baffles Bush so. In a way, this makes what the president said even more disturbing, since we now have an insight into the vision, and related terminology, which hovers just below the horizon in the brain of George W. Bush...."


What is clear from the president's remarks is that, far from an innocent rhetorical fumble, his words, and the context in which he employed them, are a clear indication of the imprinting which is taking place behind the scenes at the White House. If the president mentions World War III in the context of Iran's nuclear program, one can be certain that this is the very sort of discussion that is taking place in the Oval Office...."

[VivaZapata]

WW III would help enhance and preserve Bush's legacy to the world.

[ajax2]

Both Winston Smith and Big Brother agree, arming Bush is nothing more than diplomacy.

[Lupercus]

Fine, I understand the argument that it's a diplomatic move. I don't happen to agree, but I see the argument.

And on 10/10/2002, when Hillary voted for the AUMF for a very similar reason, I saw the argument then too. She said on the floor of the Senate that we needed to show our resolve with Saddam, but to her credit, she also said she believed invasion would be a dangerous mistake. Again, I disagreed with her on the vote, but I saw the logic in what she was saying -- on 10/10/02.

The problem comes in what she did in the following months, when she decided that invasion was, in fact, warranted. How did she come to that decision? Why was she so convinced that all the arguments against invasion were wrong? That's what scares me.

Go to YouTube to see Hillary's address to Code Pink on 3/6/03 when she declared her support for invasion of Iraq.

[prolifeprogressive]

Hillary is scary.

I am encouraging all to vote Paul or Kucinich.

The rest are liars or irrelevant or both.

And I wish I could feel good about Edwards...

And I even more wish Gore would run, but he ain't.

[OETKB]

Is this presidential when you have to explain how belligerency leads to peace. We need someone who can actually talk to difficult political leaders. I suggest giving Governor Bill Richardson a closer look. At least he gets it on diplomacy. It might have something to do with his ambassadorial experience and being a graduate of the Tufts Fletcher School of Diplomacy. Also take a look at Zogby's poll on the percentages of people who would not vote for a candidate in any circumstance. The Governor from New Mexico has the lowest negative rating on that score. Ms. Clinton has the highest.

http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1376

[WigWamWag]

The US ciizens deserve better than the offering from the current DNC and GOP front-runners.

For example.

Jean Houston, Ph.D. (born 10 May 1937) has been a leading figure in the cross-cultural study of spirituality and ritual processes.

Houston was widely known for urging First Lady Hillary Clinton to carry on imaginary conversations with Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, in which Mrs. Clinton had to supply both sides of the conversation.
In a book excerpt that appeared in Newsweek, Bob Woodward of Watergate fame wrote a sensationalistic account about Dr. Houston and Mrs. Clinton's two-sided imaginary conversations with Mrs. Roosevelt.

[mjjcpa]

That way all the rogue nations of the planet will have nuclear wepaons just like the deal he engineered with North Korea

[GladysKnightsPIP]

At the Global Affairs blog, Barnett Rubin looks at the way Afghan President Hamid Karzai finds himself caught between Iran and the US, and he tells us that the Iranians have explained exactly how they will reply to a US attack-- with rocket attacks of their own on US bases. I.e. they will behave as Hizbullah did during the Israel war on Lebanon in summer of of 2006.

[otispfudpucker]

HRC supporters read this and then weep

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071105/baker_federman

[bluesnot]

Unfuckingb­elievable. Then again, maybe not.

[whoknows]

From the floor Speech of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on S.J. Res. 45, A Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq in October 10, 2002:

"And perhaps my decision is influenced by my eight years of experience on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue in the White House watching my husband deal with serious challenges to our nation. I want this President, or any future President, to be in the strongest possible position to lead our country in the United Nations or in war. Secondly, I want to insure that Saddam Hussein makes no mistake about our national unity and for our support for the President's efforts to wage America's war against terrorists and weapons of mass destruction. And thirdly, I want the men and women in our Armed Forces to know that if they should be called upon to act against Iraq, our country will stand resolutely behind them"

" So it is with conviction that I support this resolution as being in the best interests of our nation. A vote for it is not a vote to rush to war; it is a vote that puts awesome responsibility in the hands of our President and we say to him - use these powers wisely and as a last resort. And it is a vote that says clearly to Saddam Hussein - this is your last chance - disarm or be disarmed."

[whoknows]

That was a taste of Hillary the warmonger when she is at her best. Notice how she is saying the same thing now about Iran.

[GladysKnightsPIP]

Its Iran's right to enrich uranium.

I suppose you idiot Warmgering Americans think Iran will roll ove rwhen attack them.

Would you folks roll over if some Nazi country attackd you for your resources?

[ResidentChimp]

I can't wait to read HuffPo after Hillary locks up the nomination. What will Huffers do then?

[WigWamWag]

In answer to your question concerning Billary locking up the nomination.

Vote for Ron Paul.
The first thing we need to do is to end the war using diplomacy and perhaps a UN peace keeping force. Divide Iraq into three separate countries each sharing oil wealth.
Then we need to restore the US constitution and undo all the other messes that Bush and company has made.

Voting for Ron Paul will at least put someone in power that understands the bigger picture.

[BuyRubles]

We are already at war with Iran and have entered Iranian territory several times.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article2691726.ece

[Ramirez]

Legally speaking we have been in a state of war with Iran since the embassy takeover.

[WigWamWag]

Before that the US government put the Shah of Iran into power as a lifelong dictator.
It was all about the oil.
Before that the British Petroleum Company controlled the Iraq oil fields.

You need to learn your history.

[katok]

Obviously, Hillary is part of the cabal. You want more of the same - vote Hillary. I am building a space ship in my backyard and the launch is Oct. 30 2008. Screw you Kyle,I'm takin my stuff and I'm goin home

[demsrnuts]

Hillary Flip Flops on Nuke Weapon Use

Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton, who chastised rival Barack Obama for ruling out the use of nuclear weapons in the war on terror, did just that when asked about Iran a year ago.

"I would certainly take nuclear weapons off the table," she said in April 2006.

Her views expressed while she was gearing up for a presidential run stand in conflict with her comments this month regarding Obama, who faced heavy criticism from leaders of both parties, including Clinton, after saying it would be "a profound mistake" to deploy nuclear weapons in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

[demsrnuts]

Hillary’s First Lady Records Locked Up

Nearly 2 million pages of documents covering Hillary Clinton’s eight years as first lady are locked up at her husband’s presidential library – and they’re not likely to be released until after the 2008 election.

The documents consist of calendars, appointment logs, memos and other records and are in the custody of federal archivists at the library in Little Rock, Ark.

While some records have already been made public, others have been censored by archives staff "because they include confidential advice and must be kept secret under a federal law called the Presidential Records Act,” the Los Angeles Times reports

[mjjcpa]

I think they are right next to John Kerry's military records, and Teresa Heinz's financial disclosures.