Posted on 02/03/2007 12:10:45 AM PST by Reagan Man
BALTIMORE (AP) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Friday accused Democratic front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of "timidity" regarding the security threat posed by Iran.
In a speech to a retreat of conservative congressional Republicans, Romney lashed out at Clinton for telling a pro-Israel dinner that a dialogue with countries hostile to Israel - including Iran and Syria - is needed to promote peace in the Middle East.
"At this point, We don't need a listening tour about Iran," Romney told the Republican Study Committee. "Someone who wants to engage Iran displays a troubling timidity toward a terrible threat of a nuclear Iran."
In a speech Thursday night at a Manhattan dinner held by the nation's largest pro-Israel lobbying group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Clinton called Iran a danger to the U.S. and one of Israel's greatest threats.
But the New York senator also said, "We need to use every tool at our disposal, including diplomatic and economic in addition to the threat and use of military force" when dealing with Iran.
"I have advocated engagement with our enemies and Israel's enemies," Clinton said. "I believe we can gain valuable knowledge and leverage from being part of a process again that enables us to get a better idea of how to take on and defeat our adversaries.
"U.S. policy must be clear and unequivocal: We cannot, we should not, we must not permit Iran to build or acquire nuclear weapons," Clinton told the audience. "In dealing with this threat ... no option can be taken off the table."
Responding to Romney's criticism, Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said Friday: "Senator Clinton believes that no option should be taken off the table when it comes to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Given his record of flip flops, the only thing that's timid are Governor Romney's convictions."
Romney, who served one term as Massachusetts governor, said that rather than engagement, economic and diplomatic isolation should be the priority.
Last year, when former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami visited Harvard University, Romney criticized the visit and ordered state agencies not to cooperate if asked for assistance.
On Thursday, some 1,700 attendees applauded as Clinton cited her efforts on behalf of the Jewish state and spoke scathingly of Iran's decision to hold a conference last month that questioned whether the Holocaust took place.
"To deny the Holocaust places Iran's leadership in company with the most despicable bigots and historical revisionists," Clinton said, criticizing what she called the Iranian administration's "pro-terrorist, anti-American, anti-Israeli rhetoric."
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly called the Holocaust a "myth" and said Israel should be "wiped off the map" and its Jews returned to Europe.
Iran insists its nuclear program is designed to produce energy, not weapons. Ahmadinejad said Thursday that his government is determined to continue with its nuclear program, despite U.N. Security Council sanctions imposed over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment, a process that can produce fuel to generate electricity or for the fissile core of an atomic bomb.
PING
"Given his record of flip flops, the only thing that's timid are Governor Romney's convictions."
CORNY!
Shoot. Romney wouldn't even stand up against four out of control state judges.
Romney causes the Democrats great discomfiture, as all they know how to do is attack a Republican personally, and the usual attacks they use on Republicans (stupid, right wing extremist, corrupt) are not credible with Romney. They would probably use his religion, but hard to do that with a Mormon Senate Majority Leader. They've resorted to the stinging rebuke of "smooth talking".
I went to the the AIPAC Annual Northeast Regional Dinner last night and was appalled. It was bad enough that they could not find a single Republican to speak other than the absent gun-grabbing Pataki, but the Democratic politicians there despicable.
http://www.aipac.org/nydinner2007/index.htm'
At the pre-dinner cocktail hour, John Edwards made his rounds and was warmly received. I suppose that the gushing throng did not realize that Edwards's Senior Adviser for Policy and Politics is David Bonior, who was one of the most anti-Israel congressmen. Not that many seemed to care to find out.
Likewise many were unfamiliar with Bill Clinton's work with Jimmy Carter and their mutual call at the Arab-funded Carter center to redefine the Baptist and larger Evangelical movements.
http://www.baptistpress.org/bpnews.asp?ID=24745
While some Jews may be predisposed to this theological liberalism, the inherent replacement theology should not be forgotten with a Carter-led effort.
Some people just don't care for the truth. Those who like Edwards called me a liar, even when I pulled out my PDA and googled the facts. Those praying at the dual altars of Bill and Hillary Clinton claimed that President Clinton was a better friend of Israel than George W Bush and that he would be a moderating influence on President Carter.
Senator Clinton, started her speech railing at Iran. However after calling Iran a threat to Israel and the US and noting the Iranian agents were killing Americans, she called for negotiations and failed to indicate a desire not to hand over Iraq to Iran. http://jta.org/page_view_breaking_story.asp?intid=6762 She called for understanding the intricacies of the Iranian regime. Not once has Mrs. Clinton showed an understanding of the various Sunni Islamists. To my knowledge, she has never used the terms "Deobandi", Wahabbi, Salafi, or looked into the writings of Sayiid Qutb.
Having spent an all-too-long evening with spineless liberal sycophants, I am left wondering if there is some other AIPAC? Most of the attendees paid more attention to appearing concerned than knowing facts. How they were supposed to influence policy is beyond me.
I hope all the WHINOs realize how terrible it would be for the future of the country to elect a democrat.
Met PIAPS in Afghanistan face to face (forced attendance at a "Thanksgiving Dinner" in 2003, with PIAPS and Senator Reed (RI) as our guests. By the time they showed up the food was as cold as if it came out of a refrigerator.
Looked in her eyes and saw death, lifeless, naked, cold, more akin to the eyes of a rooster, her eyes were portals to raw ambition struggling to disguise a complete void of humanity.
She will more than cripple the country if elected, she will bend every effort to destroy it.
"He may have changed his mind in times past, but he seems pretty resolute in recent years."
I'm soooo impressed with the Hillary camp's criticizing Romney for flip-flopping. This from a woman who was for the war before she was against the war.
"If I'm elected President I will pull the troops out."
I guess that means, even if real progress is being made. I guess that means we won't even leave a small contingent.
she is satan's daughter. You stared down pure evil.
LLS
He's got her number. Based on her handling of Waco and Elian Gonzales I describe her as indecisive. She dithers, quivers, and vacillates. Then she sends in the storm troopers with big guns.
Ah, music to my ears, a Republican actually taking it to a Democrat.
More, more, more, more!
You are right... and she is pure evil.
LLS
Romney's having a good week. He's not my ideal conservative candidate, but at least he understands the need to reach out on core conservative issues. If Newt doesn't get in and no other conservative emerges from the pack, I'll take Romney over Rudy by a long shot.
I should always add that she wants to end the war in Iraq to resume making war on Americans.
Good for Romney. Since Hillary will probably be the Dem nominee, it is good for Republicans to start attacking her instead of each other.
I don't understand why Giuliani didn't attend the RSC.
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