Posted on 09/18/2005 2:48:44 PM PDT by wallcrawlr
Former US president Bill Clinton sharply criticised George W. Bush for the Iraq War and the handling of Hurricane Katrina, and voiced alarm at the swelling US budget deficit.
Breaking with tradition under which US presidents mute criticisms of their successors, Clinton said the Bush administration had decided to invade Iraq "virtually alone and before UN inspections were completed, with no real urgency, no evidence that there were weapons of mass destruction."
The Iraq war diverted US attention from the war on terrorism "and undermined the support that we might have had," Bush said in an interview with an ABC's "This Week" programme.
Clinton said there had been a "heroic but so far unsuccessful" effort to put together an constitution that would be universally supported in Iraq.
The US strategy of trying to develop the Iraqi military and police so that they can cope without US support "I think is the best strategy. The problem is we may not have, in the short run, enough troops to do that," said Clinton.
On Hurricane Katrina, Clinton faulted the authorities' failure to evacuate New Orleans ahead of the storm's strike on August 29.
People with cars were able to heed the evacuation order, but many of those who were poor, disabled or elderly were left behind.
"If we really wanted to do it right, we would have had lots of buses lined up to take them out," Clinton.
He agreed that some responsibility for this lay with the local and state authorities, but pointed the finger, without naming him, at the former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
FEMA boss Michael Brown quit in response to criticism of his handling of the Katrina disaster. He was viewed as a political appointee with no experience of disaster management or dealing with government officials.
"When James Lee Witt ran FEMA, because he had been both a local official and a federal official, he was always there early, and we always thought about that," Clinton said, referring to FEMA's head during his 1993-2001 presidency.
"But both of us came out of environments with a disproportionate number of poor people."
On the US budget, Clinton warned that the federal deficit may be coming untenable, driven by foreign wars, the post-hurricane recovery programme and tax cuts that benefitted just the richest one percent of the US population, himself included.
"What Americans need to understand is that ... every single day of the year, our government goes into the market and borrows money from other countries to finance Iraq, Afghanistan, Katrina, and our tax cuts," he said.
"We have never done this before. Never in the history of our republic have we ever financed a conflict, military conflict, by borrowing money from somewhere else."
Clinton added: "We depend on Japan, China, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Korea primarily to basically loan us money every day of the year to cover my tax cut and these conflicts and Katrina. I don't think it makes any sense."
More SPEW from Yahoo News, and can see all the Yahoo Employees walking around the call center in their baggy pants with the waist hanging around their axx.
Yeah. It's kind of like accepting a ride from Teddy, isn't it?
Make that per second.
"Must be some poll numbers for GW are coming UP otherwise why would Clinton attack now when he's at an all time low?"
Because Dems like to kick a dog when it's down.
Democrats and Republicans remind me of the story of the fox and the scorpion. The fox gives the scorpion a ride across the river, but part way there the scorpion stings the fox. When the fox asks why, the scorpion replies that it's his nature.
russert IS a lap dog! And...if clintin wants to eat those burgers and fistfuls of fries...so be it. He's just as careless and flippant about his own health as he was about the presidency. He's the same old jerk as he always was.
Unfortunately, a lot of us are starting to turn against President Bush. Including me.
A wise man is not necessarily a good man. A good man would not intentionally spread a lie about someone and a wise man would check out the facts before opening his mouth. In this case, I’m not sure how to fault him because I don't know his heart or mind. Either way, the damage he did to those associated with the minutemen is the same.
Lot of DU posters here tonight.
Hillary is just waiting for Bill to die soon to sue it for her elections.
1. "Bumbling and pussyfooting in the war in Iraq." Let's see, millions of people freed from a terrible dictator who killed millions of his own people and is now captured and waiting for his trial, free elections for the first time in many, many years, and a constitution . . . I don't call that "bumbling and pussyfooting."
2. RE: "Inarticulate" Apparently you haven't heard his latest speeches, which even Dick Morris (a Clinton spokesman when he was in office) and Alan Colmes and other Dems praised. But articulateness I guess is somewhat subjective . . . just that most people do not agree with you.
3. "severely damaging the Republican party" according to a Rasmussen poll taken 9/7-9/9/05, a whopping 84% of Republicans approve of the job the President is doing.
As corrupt as Lyndon Johnson was, at least he never sold military secrets to the Communists.
First, I support your soldier and his mission too...God bless him and all of our beloved troops, and God's blessings on all of you family members who await their safe return.
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"I firmly believe someone has been giving Blanco "advice" to benefit the "party" vs wisdom to help the people of LA..."
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I agree. I don't know that they specifically wanted people to die, but their main concern and focus appears to have been on thwarting Bush, benefitting themselves, and blaming the feds and the president for any "collateral damage". Same old, same old....the end justifies the means, and their goal is controlling the power.
Clinton reduced the number of poor people in Africa by preventing any outside action to stop the genocide in Rwanda. I can't think of anything he did to benefit the poor people who were still alive.
I'll take it a step further. There appear to be a handful of 'on the payroll' Clintonistas. They think they can criticize our President on FR in regards to the border, budget deficit and SCOTUS issues. There might be other issues, but these stand out. They want to divide the base on all levels, including FR.
Hillary has her minions ready and willing to take on FR cuz they know that FR does the heavy lifting for the Rep Party in REAL TIME. Ie: Rathergate.
Fortunately, they will fail
Can you say TRANSPARENT?
It's a stunning accusation for you to make just because you disagree with something he said.
btw, did you hear his actual words? No matter what you think of his saying he did not approve of vigilanteism......that's what he actually said, and I don't agree with him either........to say he is not a good man, or even say he is not wise because of it, is extreme, if not malicious.
And it is just plain wrong.
They interfere with his leftist drenched nonsense, and will most likely get his brain all confused....
Well, I surfed a few blogs, looked at the Drudge thread, and apparently I'm doomed to hear about Clinton tomorrow on the talk circuit. Can you feel my excitement? :sigh:
Maybe the German elections will take some focus, hopefully, or something else will occur because I just don't have the passion to give excessive time to a washed up ex-President lowering his own 'presidential' stature to that of moveon.org, desperately circling for a legacy, a man that cannot enter a "red" voting zone without dooming a Democrat to defeat.
Sure, he excites the Dems. Memories of dooming victory in Vietnam excites the Lefties too, but WoodStock is gone. It ain't coming back. And there is a reason why Clinton was not invited to Florida or Alaska to endorse his buddies in their failed election attempts.
All he did was hurt himself, and rather than being worked up by the man, conservatives should pity him. He didn't lay a finger on President George W. Bush. He just looks small in comparison.
"Can you say TRANSPARENT?"
You bet!
Message to DU posters:
Not being "conservative enough"........ will never translate into a vote for the liberals
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