Clinton Mocks Obama: Being A 10-Year-Old In Indonesia Isn't Foreign Policy Experience

AP:

Hillary Rodham Clinton ridiculed Democratic rival Barack Obama on Tuesday for his contention that living abroad as a child helped give him a better understanding of the foreign policy challenges facing the U.S.

"Voters will have to judge if living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next president will face," Clinton said. "I think we need a president with more experience than that, someone the rest of the world knows, looks up to and has confidence in."

Read the whole story: AP

Comments

[Independent voter]

11:33 AM on 11/21/2007

Would one of the Clinton Cattle please tell about this magical experience Hillary has?

She says she was the co-president, BUT:

She got our asses kicked out of Somalia
She allowed terrorist camps in Afghanistan
She let bin Laden go free
She let Pakistan and India develop nuclear weapons
She did nothing about attack on the USS Cole
She allowed the World Trade Center to be bombed

Experience ! MY ass !

She said NOTHING, she did NOTHING, she is NOTHING except the woman who slept with Slick Willie when he wasn't busy porking fat file clerks, trailer trash and other floozies.

This is not the kind of experience that I want back in the White House.

Clinton = Bush

[RationalDem]

11:28 AM on 11/21/2007

Pardon me, Hillary, but accepting a bouquet from someone when you get off Air Force One in a foreign country is not foreign policy experience.

Obama did major in international relations at Columbia, did live abroad for awhile (even as a child it broadens your horizons) and literally grew up in a diverse household.

[GuiltyByStander]

10:50 AM on 11/21/2007

Here's an answer to the question of foreign policy experience. While most of the media are hallucinating over Clinton, Obama and Edwards, Salon.com inteviewed Joe Biden. What he says is complicated and simple:

“When you listen to what they say on Iraq, they miss the entire point. The point is not what your tactic is. It’s: What is your strategy? What is the strategic objective of your policy? Is your strategic objective the same as your tactical objective — just get out and hope for the best? …

“Tactically, I wouldn’t take much issue with John Edwards’ point that you draw down 50,000 troops right away. But what are you going to draw them down to do, John? I happen to think that’s right … But then what?

“They don’t answer the “then what?” Because then-what could be very bad. Then-what could be a regional war. Then-what could be both Turkey and Iran with military forces in Iraq. Then-what could be the Saudis making a very bad bet and concluding that they have to support the al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia elements — and al-Qaida, period — because they’re the only Sunnis who can fight.

“My strategic objective is to get America out of that killing field. But leave behind a relatively stable, relatively representative republic that is not a threat to its neighbors, that’s not a haven for terror and has an accommodation among the warring factions that over time can be ameliorated. That’s as good as it will ever get in the next year.”

That's one of the reasons Joe Biden is beginning to win in Iowa.

[THISTLE]

10:43 AM on 11/21/2007

PLEASE READ MAUREEN DOWD'S PIECE IN TODAY'S
NEW YORK TIMES. FINALLY SOMEONE COMES OUT AND
CALLS HILLARY ON HER SO-CALLED, "EXPERIENCE."
HILLARY HAS A LOT IN COMMON WITH GEORGE BUSH,
EVERYTHING HILLARY HAS "achieved" - COMES FROM
BILL CLINTON. JUST LIKE GEORGE JR - AND HIS
DADDY. HILLARY GOT HER JOB AT THE ROSE LAW
FIRM BECAUSE OF BILL, SHE BECAME A SENATOR
BECAUSE OF BILL, AND NOW SHE WANTS US TO
BELIEVE SHE WAS REALLY RUNNING HIS WHITE HOUSE.
I HAVE ASKED OVER AND OVER AND OVER - HOW
CAN SHE SAY, AND TOUT - SHE "is the most
experienced," - SHE CLEARLY IS NOT - AND
THIS PIECE BY MAUREEN DOWD - FINALLY CALLS
HILLARY OUT AND EXPOSES HER TOTAL LACK OF
REAL EXPERIENCE!

[Yogsoggoth]

10:16 AM on 11/21/2007

No one was particularly worried about Bush's lack of experience. Why is this an issue now? And for someone who has so much experience, Hillary has made way too many poor voting choices.

[JimK2]

10:13 AM on 11/21/2007

POLL: Who is your choice for Democratic Presidential Nomination
http://www.zendurl.com/s/scorched///poll.html

[Maxstar212]

09:37 AM on 11/21/2007

6 to 10 is important years in someones life. I think traveling and living overseas does change your perspective--especially when you are young. Indonesia is one of the most repressive, backward Muslim countries. I am sure his upbringing did give him valuable insights about the Muslim world. Especially of the very repressive dictatorship that occured after Sukarno was murdered and they killed thousands of liberals and leftist in the country. He was very young, but I am sure that he was influenced by his environment.

[CrewMantle]

08:37 AM on 11/21/2007

Residing in Indonesia between the age of 6 & 10 gives Mr. Obama superior experience in international affairs then Mrs. Clinton????



GREAT...PERFECT.....another George Bush vis a vis foriegn policy.


The depressing reality is that there is a cross section of fringe elements who will regardless, overlook this gaping ocean of inexperience and will stunningly try to elect this man.

Oh, but he is sooooo not an Washington insider!

Even IF if one can believe that was actually the case, Mr Obama's foriegn policy declaration should give pause to these fringe elements who EQUALLY railed against Mr. Bush's lack of experience.


A glaring double standard, but these elements couldn't care a dime.... as long as 'their' boy wins. No matter the catastrophe to America.

[doinaheckofajob]

07:53 AM on 11/21/2007

Hillary thinkd she is experienced because she slept with Bill.

[nick1936]

07:53 AM on 11/21/2007

OBAMA LOST ME ON THE WAY HE RESPONDED TO NOVACK'S ARTICLE HE FELL RIGHT INTO KARL ROVES TRAP IF HE GETS THE NOMATION THE REPUKS WILL TEAR HIM APART.ON THE OTHER HAND THE IRON LADY WILL KICK THEIR ASSES AN THEY KNOW IT.THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE REPUK SLEAZE MACHINE WON'T GO AFTER HER BUT AT THEIR OWN RISK

[lastams]

07:52 AM on 11/21/2007

The following was posted on the David Sirota webpage this morning:

"We are watching something truly absurd - and that says a lot for the generally absurd realm of American politics.

Earlier this week, we saw Sen. Hillary Clinton (D) promise to call a "time out" on passing NAFTA-style trade deals if she is elected president - a promise that was made just four days after she announced she would be casting a vote to enact a vote for the Peru Free Trade Agreement - the latest NAFTA-style trade deal moving through Congress."

One wonders when we will stop focusing on what candidates say and start holding them accountable for WHAT THEY DO.
The two front runners are both CURRENT US Senators ... their positions on the issues should be obvious.

[Witchitalineman]

07:46 AM on 11/21/2007

I did not think Clinton mocked Obama at all. I listened to what Obama said and would have to agree exactly with what Clinton said. It is wonderful that Obama had four years of living in another country as a child but this does not equate to giving him foreign policy experience. Obama was quite naive in making this statement in the first place.

[Carlee]

07:46 AM on 11/21/2007

Please fellow democrats we must not let Hilary be our nominee. Obama is the best choice not only for our party, but for our country.

read this commentary and take the advise to heart

http://joeleonardi.wordpress.com/2007/10/28/how-to-halt-hillary/

[furion4865]

07:42 AM on 11/21/2007

Think God people are finally starting to see Hillary for the corporate lackey she truly is. If Hillary wasn't in the pocket of corporate America, why would fat cats like Rupert Murdoch give money to her campaign? It's time for the Democratic party to address the concerns of its progressive base and stop placating to the so-called centrist Democrats, either you're for equal rights, civil rights, abortion rights, pay equity and other such "liberal" tenets or you're not. God, save us from lukewarm people that don't have the courage of their convictions. If you're a Hillary-Bill type centrist Democrat do the party a favor and just join the Republican party so you'll stop hindering the progressive agenda of real Democrats.

[Turnip]

07:40 AM on 11/21/2007

Hmmmmm.

Sounds to me like it's Hillary who is 'mudslinging' and 'taking talking point from the Republican playbook'.