Posted on 03/17/2008 3:13:00 PM PDT by mdittmar
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) made the case Monday that she is the only candidate who can be trusted to end the war in Iraq.
Clinton is attempting to return the war issue to prominence in the campaign despite early questions about whether her vote to authorize it might cost her in a head-to-head contest with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who spoke out against the war before it started. Obama responded to her criticism by rehashing that vote.
She pointed specifically to the oft-referenced McCain comment that he would stay in Iraq 100 years if necessary, and also to the former Obama adviser who said the Illinois senator would not be bound as president by his campaign-trail plan to withdraw all combat brigades within 16 months.
Words can be powerful, but only if the speaker translates them into action and solutions, Clinton said, adding that, despite his speech against the war in 2002, Obama did not work to end the war once he got into the Senate in 2005.
Clinton then quoted former Obama adviser Samantha Power, who told the BBC that Obama would not rely on some plan that hes crafted as a presidential candidate or a U.S. senator, and that his plan was a best-case scenario.
Power recently left the campaign after drawing heat for calling Clinton a monster.
Sen. Obama says often that words matter, Clinton said. I strongly agree. But giving speeches alone wont end the war, and making campaign promises you might not keep certainly wont end the war.
Obama said at a press conference that he's not going to let Clinton "get away" with her accusation.
"Because of that vote, we have fought a war that has cost us thousands of lives and will cost us a trillion dollars," he said. "Because of that vote, our troops have fought tour after tour after tour of duty, and their families have sacrificed so much at home. Because of that vote, we are less safe and less respected at home. Its not just a speech its a war that shouldve never been authorized, and shouldve never been wage."
McCains campaign has been rebutting the 100-years charge of late, insisting that his comment is being taken out of context.
He was speaking of a post-war scenario, not a 100-year war, when he suggested that the American people could support maintaining a military presence in Iraq should the Iraqi and U.S. governments determine it to be in their mutual interest, just as the U.S. and German, Japanese and South Korean governments did after conflicts, McCain spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker said. The American people deserve more than blatant mischaracterizations, and we invite Sen. Clinton to participate with us in an honest debate.
Hillary 2.0 is now out, new and improved liberal to take back the mantle from the now-failing Obama.
How can one woman (the Smartest Woman in America, no less) be so utterly ignorant of what we face?
” she is the only candidate who can be trusted to end the war in Iraq.”
“Trusted”? ROFLMAO!!
Yes, she’ll end the war, bring the troops homw and do nothing when 2 million Iraqis are slaughtered by Islamofascist/Nazis and Iranians.
She can be “Blood Bath Hellary”.
Then we can wait for the Iranians and Islamo nut jobs nuke NYC and DC off the map.
Well, I guess if she becomes the president, she could pull troops out, but that won’t constitute “ending the war.” Rather, it will just be capitulating to the enemy in one theater of this war. And, of course, that would be a horrible and costly mistake.
We don’t want the war ended. We want the war won.
I wouldn’t trust her to bake cookies if she used pre-made dough..
Chicken-Woman! Pruuurak puk puk puk!
She will be Rambo on pms.
I’d prefer a candidate that says they can “win” the war instead of “end” the war.
now we are winning the peace.
I call BS. Anyone can surrender. :)
Stupid B must be feeling over confident due to back week for Obama.
She would come to her senses soon enough.
As long as she sticks with the RACE CARD and FEAR MONGERING she wins.
If she returns to issues, especially issue of WAR, she loses.
My tagline reminds me of the Liberal vs. Conservative thought difference.
“I wouldnt trust her to bake cookies if she used pre-made dough..”
I wouldn’t trust her to buy cookies even if I gave her the money and personally put them in the shopping cart.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.