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Clinton defends himself in Fox interview
Associated Press ^ | 09/24/06

Posted on 09/24/2006 7:23:51 PM PDT by presidio9

In a combative interview on "Fox News Sunday," former President Clinton defended his handling of the threat posed by Osama bin Laden, saying he tried to have bin Laden killed and was attacked for his efforts by the same people who now criticize him for not doing enough.

"That's the difference in me and some, including all of the right-wingers who are attacking me now," Clinton said in the interview. "They ridiculed me for trying. They had eight months to try, they did not try."

Clinton accused host Chris Wallace of a "conservative hit job" and asked: "I want to know how many people in the Bush administration you asked, 'Why didn't you do anything about the Cole?' I want to know how many people you asked, 'Why did you fire Dick Clarke?'"

He was referring to the USS Cole, attacked by terrorists in Yemen in 2000, and former White House anti-terrorism chief Richard A. Clarke.

Wallace said Sunday he was surprised by Clinton's "conspiratorial view" of "a very non-confrontational question, 'Did you do enough to connect the dots and go after Al Qaida?'"

"All I did was ask him a question, and I think it was a legitimate news question. I was surprised that he would conjure up that this was a hit job," Wallace said in a telephone interview.

Clinton said he "worked hard" to try to kill bin Laden.

"We contracted with people to kill him. I got closer to killing him than anybody's gotten since," he said.

He told Wallace, "And you got that little smirk on your face and you think you're so clever, but I had responsibility for trying to protect this country. I tried and I failed to get bin Laden. I regret it, but I did try and I did everything I thought I responsibly could."

The interview was taped Friday during Clinton's three-day Global Initiative conference.

On NBC's "Meet the Press," also taped Friday and aired Sunday, Clinton told interviewer Tim Russert that the biggest problem confronting the world today is "the illusion that our differences matter more than our common humanity."

"That's what's driving the terrorism," he said. "It's not just that there's an unresolved Arab-Israeli conflict. Osama Bin Laden and Dr. al-Zawahiri can convince young Sunni Arab men, who have — and some women — who have despairing conditions in their lives, that they get a one-way ticket to heaven in a hurry if they kill a lot of innocent people who don't share their reality."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; Israel; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: binladen; chriswallace; clinton; clintonlegacy; formerfirstrapist; foxnewschannel; heletbinladengo; republicannonsense; smirkforthebigjerk; x42
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To: Hi-Tech Burrito

I am not sure where you are coming from.. but I am Damned sure where Billy Jeff was coming from.
Do you wish to clarify?
A lie.. is a lie.. is a lie
The End.


41 posted on 09/24/2006 8:00:25 PM PDT by acapesket (never had a vote count in all my years here)
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To: hophead
Well, considering that it was Clinton, he put out a "contract" but it had to go through Gorelick first. And since this would require cooperating with "unsavory" people in other countries, and because it would require cooperating with law enforcement and other intel agencies, it couldn't get past the wall.
42 posted on 09/24/2006 8:08:08 PM PDT by Enterprise (Let's not enforce laws that are already on the books, let's just write new laws we won't enforce.)
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To: Candor7

Righteous bump!!!!! Well said!!!!!


43 posted on 09/24/2006 8:15:49 PM PDT by Enterprise (Let's not enforce laws that are already on the books, let's just write new laws we won't enforce.)
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To: Candor7

Gawd, that almost made me faint.


44 posted on 09/24/2006 8:17:49 PM PDT by Howlin (Declassify the Joe Wilson "Report!")
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To: presidio9
What a POS this man is... anger, hate, crazy eyes, pointing his finger like a street guy... and of course lying and lying and lying.

If President Bush behaves BJ Clinton in did in the Foxnews interview, their will be zillions of stories from now until election day how bad mannered is President Bush and the democrats will be calling for his immediate impeachment.

45 posted on 09/24/2006 8:21:52 PM PDT by jveritas (Support The Commander in Chief in Times of War)
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To: anonsquared; A CA Guy
I was hoping someone on FR would do the very same thing you requested, anonsquared. Please ping me if you come across that. It would be fascinating.
46 posted on 09/24/2006 8:26:40 PM PDT by Chgogal (GDBs - NY Times does it again - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1666501/posts)
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Comment #47 Removed by Moderator

Comment #48 Removed by Moderator

To: anonsquared
I haven't tried that and would have no idea how to do that.

I've only been to one youtube page ever.
49 posted on 09/24/2006 8:36:22 PM PDT by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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Comment #50 Removed by Moderator

To: Candor7

If you think anyone is more leftist and socialist, nay Communist, than Hillary you have bought her spin. It is all a charade to make Hillary acceptable to the mushy middle. She supports all you say and more.


51 posted on 09/24/2006 8:38:17 PM PDT by Mind-numbed Robot (Not all that needs to be done, needs to be done by the government.)
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To: presidio9

PravdABDNC never disappoints!! Nobody will ever accuse them of being fair and balance.

Pray for W and Our Troops


52 posted on 09/24/2006 8:39:52 PM PDT by bray (Voting for the Rats is a Deathwish)
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Welcome to Free Republic but you are woefully misinformed. Check out the work of Alamo Girl, Cindy, TiaM, and others.


53 posted on 09/24/2006 8:42:10 PM PDT by Mind-numbed Robot (Not all that needs to be done, needs to be done by the government.)
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To: presidio9
Clinton accused host Chris Wallace of a "conservative hit job"...This was a set-up - Clinton would have accused Wallace of a "hit job" if Wallace had asked him if he thought the sky was blue - he was just looking for a chance to unload on Fox and conservatives after the drubbing he took in "Path to 9/11" - he wants people to read Richard Clarke's book to see what a great job his administration did on terrorism, but Clarke was up to his eyebows in the action, didn't get the job done, and in no way could have written a clear-eyed and balanced book about what happened - journalist Richard Miniter's "Losing Bin Laden" is a much better researched and objective book, and shows just how half-hearted and haphazard Clinton's efforts were.....
54 posted on 09/24/2006 8:46:30 PM PDT by Intolerant in NJ
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To: LexBaird

Actually, I think the first contract was the Vince Foster "suicide"....


55 posted on 09/24/2006 8:48:16 PM PDT by Former Dodger ( "Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." --Einstein)
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To: Mind-numbed Robot; Mia T

Sorry MiaT, I got dyslexic.


56 posted on 09/24/2006 8:48:28 PM PDT by Mind-numbed Robot (Not all that needs to be done, needs to be done by the government.)
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To: presidio9

Depravity on display. Now some dim bulbs want more of the same from his spouse that makes him seem reasonable?


57 posted on 09/24/2006 8:53:19 PM PDT by MissAmericanPie
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To: presidio9

BJ Clinton chose his chump well. I share the disdain and contempt for Clinton, but he walked all over Wallace and said every single thing he planned to......stupid Wallace still hasn't gotten it, LOL, he still thinks "he" made Clinton come unglued. Wallace was set up from the git, because Clinton had him pegged to a "T".


58 posted on 09/24/2006 8:57:18 PM PDT by Vn_survivor_67-68
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To: presidio9
Saw it! Was like deja vu all over again. Except this time, the bags under the bent one's eyes are way bigger.

You should put some ice on that, BJ!

59 posted on 09/24/2006 8:59:03 PM PDT by Don Carlos (Me cache en los Moros. (Ancient Spanish curse))
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To: presidio9
Wallace said Sunday he was surprised...

In that case, Wallace is an idiot. This is hardly the first time clinton has gone off the deep end during an interview. He did the same thing at the LIEbrary with Peter Jennings, I believe it was, and I suspect other times could be adduced. And his narcisssistic rage was well known during the time his regime was in power.

Hey Chris, here's a clue: when you interview a psychopathic twisted sickie, you should expect psychopathic twisted behavior.

60 posted on 09/24/2006 9:02:36 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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