I Support Hillary's Position on Iran

Like many of you, I am concerned about what I am reading and hearing about the apparent interest in parts of the Bush White House to go to war against Iran. And like you, I believe that we Democrats must do everything we can to prevent Bush and Cheney from sending this country into another preemptive war. (I invite you to visit my website StopIranWar.com)

Fortunately, Hillary Clinton has been on the front lines in opposing any effort by the Bush administration to sidestep the Congress. Eight months ago, she took to the Senate floor to warn the President that he could not attack Iran without specific congressional authorization. She said then, long before other members of Congress stood up, "If the administration believes that any, any use of force against Iran is necessary the President must come to Congress to seek that authority."

Last week, Hillary voted for a non-binding resolution that designates the odious Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization in order to strengthen our diplomatic hand. On Monday, she joined Senator Jim Webb in co-sponsoring a bill that would prohibit the use of funds for military action in Iran without specific authorization by Congress.

I support Hillary in both these votes. She is committed to ending the unilateralism of the Bush-Cheney administration. She is a strong supporter of direct nuclear talks with Iran, because she believes that direct dialogue with our adversaries is a sign of strength and confidence, and a prerequisite to achieving America's goals and objectives.

She has been one of the leaders in the Senate in standing up to the Bush administration's dangerous approach to Iran. And as president she will reject the Bush administration's ideologically blinkered vision of the world that denies America the tools and the flexibility necessary to build and more peaceful and secure world.

Comments

[LizM]

I just re-read your post and was surprised to see the following statement:

Fortunately, Hillary Clinton has been on the front lines in opposing any effort by the Bush administration to sidestep the Congress. Eight months ago, she took to the Senate floor to warn the President that he could not attack Iran without specific congressional authorization. She said then, long before other members of Congress stood up, "If the administration believes that any, any use of force against Iran is necessary the President must come to Congress to seek that authority."

I am surprised that you are not aware that, long before the vote on the Iraq Resolution (October 2002), it was Senator Biden who was leading the effort to make clear to the President that the authorization for use of military force in Iraq did not extend to Iran or elsewhere in the region.

Many may not realize that the original request by the President was for authorization that would extend to anywhere in the region! Senator Biden was instrumental in severely limiting the scope of that request and has continued to lead on this issue ever since.

[fumes]

great post! say, what's ''ideologically blinkered vision'' mean? i've always thought bush/cheney et al to be just a self-centered and greedy bunch, thinking all the time that they're fooling the public the way children think all the time that they're fooling their parents.

[JohnCitizen]

THE ISRAELI LOBBY WANTS WAR

ANTI-SEMITISM IS EVIL, just as is anti-any-e­thic-group­. But what about ANTI-ISRAEL, based on the behavior of that nation?

We Americans need to stop playing word games. For example, if we apply Webster's definition of "TERRORISM" to the already-forgotten recent Middle East war between Israel and Hezbollah, and use OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENTS, then Israel and not Hezbollah was the biggest terrorist in this tragedy, with 50 to 1 non-combatant deaths for Lebanon vs. Israel (2/3 of Israeli dead were soldiers), and an even greater disparity in terms of infrastructure and the long-term suffering of people. Israel could have fought Hezbollah up close and personal, but instead involved a million innocent Lebanonese in an asymmetrical war using United States-supplied warplanes and smart bombs.

Of course, the word terrorism is reserved for our enemies, and not part of our terms of endearment with Israel. However, before we consign what happened to Lebanon and its people to "collateral damage" and it completely fades from our short attention span, perhaps we can find a more appropriate term to describe ravaged Lebanon, such as "collateral devastation." As the pendulum of action and reaction/cause and effect swings our way, we won't just sit and wonder why these terrible terrorists hate us and want to kill us (they do 9-11, we do Lebanon, and so on).

Human beings think and rationalize in words. For this reason, words decide issues. Many people use words imprecisely or for advantage, and not for truth. The prime example here, anti-Semitism and anti-Israel are not the same thing. If they were the same, then the Israeli government would be infallible. Israeli tough-guy terror (seen often, even on American TV) is about half the reason the United States is hated in the Middle East. Unfortunately, we have to go along too because no one can speak the truth of words and reality. Our one-sided policy in the Middle East is a disaster.

[Kirby]

A disaster it is! And we U. S. Taxpayers are being bilked still in subsidizing each quart of milk and each loaf of bread sold in Israel. We are still subsidizing each gallon of gas sold in Israel, our price for Israel giving up the Sharm el Sheik oil fields which it seized in one of its calculating preemptive wars. But the Hill whores are paid in different ways to enlarge all of that, and the extremist zionist christian radio and TV preachers are given junkets to the Holy Land so that they might come back to the U. S. and spew forth old covenant land deals for Jews before the time of Christ, thus promoting the land grab Israel expects us now to support, and this idiot president has supported. (Palestine is to be only in Gaza, you know, not East Jeruysalem and the West Bank! For might does make right, you know) And the Israelis can still refer to us as GOYIM. Their Elders are working over time, aren't they?
Mearshimer, and all the rest of us who are calling a spade a spade in this debacle are summarily dismissed as anti-semites.

[Hattie]

We need Hillary as President. Why? We need the Big Dog. He's the only one who can sort out the mess Bush has made. No one else has the brians and the experience to do that.

[Paladin2]

Oh great, another kool aid fan. The Clintons are the base of the Lieberman Democrats and you actually want them running the country? I assume by Big Dog you're refering to Bill Clinton? Well he is big. And he is a dog (no offense to dogs intended), but your implication that we need any more of his "experience" indicates that you either slept through his presidency, or maybe you're just stupid. NAFTA, GATT, WACO and Ruby Ridge, after being reminded that the Bill of Rights also applies to the poor his response was to tell his Attorney General (who should be in prison) to "find a way around the Constitution". The Clintons, along with Al Gore and Lieberman have done more to destroy the Democratic party than anyone, and you have to give me a splitting headache with your lame observation. Are you really Bill using an alias? Americans are famous for observing the world with their heads firmly planted deep in the sand but this is getting out of hand. Please google DLC and spend some time understanding just what has happened to the no longer existant "democratic" party. One thing I will guarantee you...elect Hillary Clinton for 8 years and we will still be illeagly occupying and murdering Iraqis and probably by then Iranians. It's been our policy for decades and only the deep deep ignorance and denial of people like yourself make it possible. Or are you one of those Hillary reffered to when she announced that "We're all Israelis"? Please inform her for me that I'm sure as hell no friggin Israeli, and if she is would she please get the hell out of my country. Sheesh, will the ignorance never end?

[xzano]

I agree with Hattie, at first I could not understand why HRC voted along with Bush to declare Iranian RG a terrorist org, that was it, I wasn't going to give HRC my vote. I then listened to CUFI (Christians United for Israel). Thank goodness for Bill Moyers...on last night's Journal on PBS, Moyers did a great piece about Pastor Hagee and how the evangelicals are joined with the Israeli lobby (in at least 10 countries)... some scary stuff going on. I urge everyone who reads this to see if you can get a transcript of that segment. Sen. Clinton, who I never would have given my vote, has the brains to know how to play this very dangerous game. The evangelicals and the Israeli lobby (CUFI) are a bunch of terrorists as well. Now I know why HRC's numbers jumped after that vote. Why doesn't anyone call the evangelicals & Israeli lobby, Pastor Hagee's "match made in heaven", terrorists? It's OK if they designate Iranian RG, Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinians & Lebanese as named by Gary Bauer, executive board of CUFI, "Islamofascists" on last night's show, when the Israelis and the religious right are equally as guilty of murdering innocent Lebanese & Palestinian civilians. CUFI is backed by Bush, Gingrich, Blunt, Frank Gaffney(MEDIA) & Leiberman to name a few. HRC has the know-how & Gen. Clark I hope becomes Secretary of Defense. I don't believe there is a God who would do these terrible things to his creation.Jesus was called the prince of peace. At lease that is what I was taught in 8 years of cathloic elementary school, I am now a secularist.The CUFI are the ones calling for a pre-emptive strike on Iran, they don't want a dialogue or diplomacy. HRC will say & do whatever it takes to stop this madness. I have to believe she loves America as much as I do. As far as I'm concerned, the Bible was the first wikipedia.

[queenie]

This Iranian guard terrorist vote was the final straw for me with Hillary. When the bombs start dropping in Iran, it will just be billed by "W" as further "war on terror" you remember, the one congress agreed with me on. They could have at least tied it to a bill that required Bush to come to congress before he started his war against Iran (the bill they are belatedly working on now) General Clark is evicdently applying for job in Clinton administration - you know the one the media and republicans have already told us she's won. NOT WITH MY VOTE!

[nighthawk808]

The bill requiring the President to get authorization from Congress before starting any war with Iran was already passed--in 1787. At the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

See Article I, Section 8 of the document formerly known as the Constitution of the United States of American (now known as the "Meaningless List of Suggestions to Follow as Long as it Doesn't Contradict the Republican Agenda" after the USA PATRIOT Act).

[EW]

I thought it was important for the General not to endorse ANY of the candidates until he/she is the Democratic nominee. Especially as a leader in VoteVets, it gives the impression to many that fine organization is also endorsing HRC.

And now this unfortunate endorsement.

I hope Gen. Clark does not lend his considerable credibility so freely as did Gen. Powell.

[deminmo]

My biggest concern is that Hillary is doing this for political gain, not because she truely believes war with Iran is a very bad idea.

If the President goes ahead and starts any type of military action against Iran, without the ok of Congress, then everyone in both parties better initiate impeachment immediately.

[research]

I usually agree with you Clark, not this time. BushCo does need any excuse to go to war with Iran. The dems can't pass anything the repugs don't want. So now Hillary wants a bill reiterating the constitution power of congress to declare war. She won't get it.

[PeterM]

I wholehartedly disagree with you Mr. Clark and Hillary Clinton.

1) The declaration of Iranian Revolutionary Guard as terrorist organisation is nothing but a propaganda ploy of the Bush administration which happens to work for Israel and their DLC minions. No difference from the propaganda before Iraq invasion. Iran is as much a terrorist organisation in their actions as some covert factions of the US military and private armies of merceneries (Blackwater etc..)

2) There is no need whatsoever to file redundant bills. The Constitution is abundantly CLEAR who can declare and fund wars. Period.

[StephenJK]

Hmmmm...I have to wonder what your credentials are to make these statements.

[timm0]

What credentials do you need, skeeter?!

The only requisite credentials are basic literacy (to read the stupid resolution HRC supported and the Constitution), a very modest grasp of current events (to get a feel for the actions of entities to which PeterM refers), and some remedial history knowledge (how dubya's used even the slightest legal nuance to beat his war drums).

Your only valid debatable position is to claim that you don't believe dubya'd sink so low as to use the Senate resolution's terrorist definition as an excuse to attack. Basically, you'd have to assert that you believe dubya won't abuse his power. That's a pretty powerful argument... to blind faithers and neocons.

[PeterM]

Dear StephenJK. The best qualification is to have open eyes, awareness, knowledge of history, be politically informed citizen and have a greater perspective on geopolitical events throughout history.
I have the qualification of experience of having lived in east Europe and its totalitarian rule however you need little credentials to recognize that your government is thoroughly corrupt to the core and that this constitutional republic is on the brink of complete takeover by forces of fascism.
In the eastern block, people had the advantage of understanding that whatever the government told the people was pretty much a lie. On the other hand, in the United States people pretty much believe whatever the government tells them - to their great harm.
It is hearting to see a great awakening in this country that recognizes that this system and the Bush administration in particular survives by pure deception and propaganda.
One of their tools is to accuse others of things that they perpetrate themselves to a greater degree and much larger scale and turning victims into perpetrators and pretending to be the victims themselves. This method is as old as society.

If you don't have the credentials of life in Stalinist tyranny and want a primer on principles of political manipulation that this system finds useful read 1984 by Orwell and The Prince by Machiavelli (really DO it!).

[nighthawk808]

Don't take PeterM's word for it; read it for yourself:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.articlei.html#section8

[prilla]

What about the "terrorist" designation as enabling the Bush administration to deal with Iran's army as any other terrorist, instead of an enemy with whom we are engaged in a fully declared war.....i.e., accompplishing what they couldn't other wise do without congressional approval?

[factanonverba]

It sounds like General Clark is applying for a job in a Clinton Administration be it the Vice Presidency (which is interesting because he might add votes in "swing" southern states- VA, NC, AR, WV, MO, TN- states that the Republican candidate can not afford to los) or alternatively Secretary of State or Defense. The aside is, of course, that General Clark is likely to serve in any Democratic Administration.

[kali4niadazed]

As you can see the President can do whatever the hell he wants without congress as he did with the child health care. Let's get Hillary in and dump the whole congress and start over. Women rule.

[doug108]

No. Even if you're right that calling the Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization is usefull in gaining diplomatic leverage, the fact of the matter is Bush isn't engaging in diplomacy with them anyway.

And if Hillary should have learned ANYTHING by now it's that if you give Bush an inch he'll take a thousand miles. The Democrats should being forcing Bush to prove EVERY LAST CLAIM he's making about Iran. By going along with labeling part of Iran's military a terrorist organization, they help give Bush the rationale he needs to start dropping bombs whenever he wants.

All Bush and Cheney want is a toehold, just a little crack into which they can start military aggression. They know well enough that once the bombs start dropping, escalating the war would be easy enough. Iran is sure to retaliate in some way, or maybe one of our bombs will go off course and hit an elementary school or a hospital, then all hell will break loose.

The Dems are once again playing into Bush's damned hands. The hands of a C student, as he loves to keep reminding the world.

[peacehappens]

I don't understand why anyone would be in favor of designating one of Iran's military groups as being a terrorist organization.

We, along with Israel, have been the terrorists to other nations.

How does calling anyone a terrorist help anything?

[Jonni Rae]

Good point, peace. Also, who knows where Hilary stands on war or peace? She voted to authorize the war without reading the full intelligence report, supported all of Bush's bills on it, says nukes are on the table in dealing with terrorists, then says she has a plan to end the war, than says it is "Bush's war." I DO NOT TRUST HER. Like her husband, she goes with the flow (read polls.) I am afraid she will be trying so hard to prove she has balls as President that she will be the biggest hawk in our history. I mean, who is she? A woman candidate who rarely talks about women's real issues and needs. Without Bill she would not even be running for anything. People who vote for her want Bill back, I suppose, but I want to remind you that it was his administration that prided itself on balancing the budget on the backs of the poor, ending "welfare as we know it," forcing millions of mothers to work at minimum wage jobs, their kids bumbling around in the streets, getting into trouble and jail. More people were incarcerated during his administration than any other. Clinton actually republicanized the party, was not progressive at all. NAFTA, his baby, has really come to fruition now. Do you think Hilary is going to do anything about that? I think also that she and Bill will spend a lot of time settling old scores, about themselves and their cronies, and we, the people, will just be spectators. It is very important for voters in this campaign to open their eyes and get off their asses! I support Obama, I believe he is right for our country now, which needs a clean sweep, radical change in attitude and approach. For those of you knee-jerking for the old Clinton days, look closer, there is a lot at stake in this election.

[nighthawk808]

It's good to see that there are others who realize that Bill Clinton was not the first coming of Jesus Christ.

[hip dibler]

I'm not buying it either General Clark. Hillary's been 'wrong' when it should have been painfully obvious what was happening. She voted for this war. And saying she only voted for the authorization is a cop out. If I can see thru Bush from where I sit, someone as intelligent as her, should be able to as well. Kucinich knew it was ll bs, why didn't she?

p.s. your son is great on AAR

[horhay]

General Clark, I have much respect for you. But I disagree with you on this issue. If Congress is going to label the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization, then mercenaries like Blackwater should be deemed terrorists as well. Innocent Iraqi citizens are caught in the crossfire of the many factions in this civil war.
To Iraqi civilians they are all terrorists.

[SensibleAmerican]

PLEASE explain the connection? What connection? Blackwater and the Revolutionary Guard?

If you can't just continue the rant!!!

[peaceandfreedom]

Senseless-

More pitiful demands from you....

When will you understand that you do not set the tone or the topic on these boards?

[horhay]

What connection? Blackwater members killed at least 11 innocent bystanders on 9/16/07.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/03/world/middleeast/
03firefigh­t.html?_r=­2&ref=toda­yspaper&pa­gewanted=a­ll A Blackwater member killed one of the VP of Iraq's guards on 12/24/06. Blackwater is being investigated for smuggling weapons into Iraq that were sold on the black market, ending up in US-designated terrorists hands.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/09/21/blackwater.probe.ap/
index.html
Blackwater seems to be instigating terror and fear amongst Iraqis, that's sounds like terrorism.

[Grit]

Blackwater is Bush's terror organization. And the in country thousands of them will provide the military support for Bush's coup between november and january of next year. When they can almost instantly produce 10,000 of them to police New Orleans right after Katrina, because there weren't enough national guard troops left in this country to do it, that says alot. And ask the people how these hired guns treated them.