Clinton emphasizes need for more U.S. diplomacy (FReeped in Austin)

The United States should be more diplomatic than it has been in handling its current confrontations with Iraq and North Korea, former President Clinton said Wednesday in an appearance at the University of Texas.

In an hour-long speech at the Erwin Center, Clinton addressed a possible war with Iraq, international diplomacy and President Bush's proposed tax cuts. But he said the country's largest threat today is the potential for a revived nuclear weapons program in North Korea.

The remarks came on the same day that CIA director George Tenet revealed that North Korea has a long range missile capable of reaching U.S. targets.

"They have the largest capacity to build nuclear weapons and missiles, and they're under the biggest pressure to sell what they build," Clinton said of North Korea. "They can't grow enough food to feed their people."

Clinton, who appeared as part of the 14th Liz Carpenter Lecture Series, spoke early and often about cooperating with other countries in dealing with international problems. He made the visit at the request of Carpenter, a former press secretary to Lady Bird Johnson.

In his speech, Clinton also addressed an impending war in Iraq, saying the U.S. should allow United Nations weapons inspectors to do their job and that the Bush administration should continue to work to shore up more international support for war.

"The rest of our world questions our commitment to the United Nations," Clinton said in reference to the recent build up of troops near Iraq. "It's very important that we get as close as possible to looking like we are the police enforcers of a U.N. resolution."

Attacking Iraq pre-emptively would set a dangerous precedent for other countries looking to confront their own problems and would inevitably result in casualties, Clinton said.

"There is a lot of risk in this conflict," he said. "Even though I think it will be over quickly, a lot of innocent people will die."

Clinton gave compliments to President Bush at times for his policies but attacked the president's economic plans, saying too many tax cuts were hampering growth and benefitting only the rich. He singled out Bush's 2001 tax cut as the worst.

"We passed that tax cut before we knew what our income was, what our expenses were, what our emergencies were," he said to loud applause. "You'd be broke if you ran a business like that, and not surprisingly, we're broke."

Clinton did not charge the university his standard $100,000 speaking fee, but the lecture series is donating $10,000 to Clinton's non-profit foundation, said Tammy Sun, a Clinton spokeswoman. The series is run with private funding.

UT officials moved the event from the smaller Bass Concert Hall to the Erwin Center after 2,900 free tickets went in minutes, said Robin Gerrow, a university spokeswoman. At the Texas Union, where tickets were being distributed last week, the line at one point ran from the fourth floor down and outside the building onto 24th St.

In the two years since leaving office, Clinton has packed his schedule with speaking engagements and appearances to support his Harlem-based foundation and the planned Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Ark.

In 2001, the foundation raised more than $10 million, according to tax records filed with the Internal Revenue Service.

Wednesday's speech was the latest in a series of quick-hit appearances for the former president, who served from 1992 to 2000. In recent days, Clinton has spoken at a Rolling Stones benefit concert in Los Angeles, filmed an interview with Katie Couric to air on the "Today" show and appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live."

In those appearances, he spoke largely about Bush's economic stimulus plan and garnering international support for war with Iraq.

The Austin crowd consisted of mostly students in the mezzanine seats and many Democrats from the Texas Legislature on the floor and was Clinton-friendly, applauding loudly when he first walked on stage.

But several dozen demonstrators gathered outside the Erwin Center shortly before the speech to protest.

The protest, which was organized by the Young Conservatives of Texas and the UT College Republicans, took place at a street corner nearby. Some openly argued with ticket holders as they streamed into the building.

"There's a chance (Clinton) left the country in such a bad shape that we can't recover," said protestor Joe Holly.

None of the state's major Republican elected officials were planning to attend the lecture, said Ted Royer, a Texas GOP spokesman.

But several dozen demonstrators gathered outside the Erwin Center shortly before the speech to protest.

Roughly 30 proud "Clinton Haters" stood outside to protest the Liar in Chief. Our main foil for the night was a graying liberal with a sign that asked "Who Would Jesus Bomb?" (answer: nobody, He doesn't need to what with some of the other weapons at His disposal).

Several members from Free Republic were there and there was a great many from the media who came to interview and take photos of us. Of course, practically none of it will ever air but that's par for the course in Austin.

KLBJ-AM did announce the anti-Clinton protest several times on their afternoon newscasts just after mentioning security concerns for the evemt.

There were lots of good signs (given the subject matter, how could there not be?) and we enjoyed ourselves which is probably more than I can say for most who attended the former Pervert In Chief's remarks.

Photos, no doubt, to be posted soon.

Excerpts from his remarks:

.

On private life:

"I like meeting people on planes, trains and on the streets. People I used to just pass in limousines when I was president. It's interesting. People will say anything to you. Some people say, 'I'm sure glad you're gone.'"

On North Korea:

"Now today, the biggest threat, I believe, is from North Korea. They have the largest capacity to build nuclear weapons and missiles. And they're under the biggest pressure to sell whatever they build. They can't grow enough food to feed their people. Their only cash crops are bombs and people. It's bizarre but true.

What's the answer? Here's what we ought to do. We ought to get a common position with the South Koreans, the Japanese, the Chinese and the Russians. It's their neighborhood. They have different relations with North Korea. We need a common position, and then we need to carry the ball. We need to be very firm in public and very brutal in private, and say 'this is a dead end for you.' "

On Iraq:

"No matter how we cut it, if we go it alone or with allies, our critics will say this is a pre-emptive attack. Then have we set a precedent we can't live with? . . . There is a risk in this conflict. Even though I think it will be over quickly, a lot of innocent people will die.

I don't think the Bush administration is legally required to go back to the United Nations, but politically we can get the other people with us by letting Mr. Blix have a little more time. It's not a military problem."

On Bush's economic programs:

"I believe that huge tax cut we passed in 2001 was the worst mistake this country made. We passed that tax cut before we knew what our income was, what our expenses were, what our emergencies were. You'd be broke if you ran a business like that, and not surprisingly, we're broke."

By W. Gardner Selby
San Antonio Express-News Austin Bureau

AUSTIN — Former President Clinton advised the Bush administration Wednesday to stick with the United Nations in deterring Iraq while decrying the Texas president's tax cuts as misguided "crazy" economics.

In a 90-minute appearance at the University of Texas, Clinton urged a friendly audience to share his vision of nations and peoples committed to shared benefits, responsibilities and values.

"Everybody counts, everybody deserves a chance, everybody has a responsible role to play, and we all do better when we work together," Clinton said.

Calling the 2001 cuts "the worst mistake we made," Clinton noted Congress subsequently underfunded President Bush's education initiative.

And Bush now seeks to roll back a Clinton initiative that funded more than 100,000 additional local police officers.

"Look, everybody is supposed to sacrifice to fight this war against terror," Clinton said, but wealthy Americans who used to pay more of their income in taxes have been inappropriately singled out for checks in the mail.

"What's my sacrifice? I have to exert the energy to open the envelope containing my tax cut," Clinton said, to heavy applause. "That is bad ethics, it's bad economics, and it's bad for this country."

He added, "You can't have it all. This is crazy. I don't get this new attitude, and I think it's wrong.

"I think it's both good ethics and good economics to scrap this notion that we can fight a war on terror and give rich folks like me a tax cut. It amounts to class warfare."

Clinton said Bush doesn't need another United Nations resolution to attack Iraq, but should seek U.N. backing to ensure international support during what he expects would be a short war and a longer period remaking the nation.

But he ranked North Korea, suspected of building nuclear bombs, as the world's biggest threat.

"They can't grow enough food to feed their people," Clinton said. "They are world-class bomb builders and missile builders. And it's bizarre but true."

"This is a big problem, not because I think North Korea is likely to drop a nuclear weapon on South Korea," Clinton said. "If they do that, they know they will be history. They have no doubt that they cannot win a nuclear exchange. The danger is they will be overwhelmingly tempted to sell this stuff" to raise money for food.

Clinton said the United States needs to lead North Korea and neighboring nations as well as Japan and Russia toward a comprehensive solution that trades food and agricultural guidance for an end to the development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.

"Sooner is better than later, because they can't feed themselves. They think nobody likes them," Clinton said.

"We've got to break this whole psychology, we've got to break this crazy psychology. I think it can be done, but it's an urgent matter," he added.

The university gave away more than 7,400 tickets to the event, hosted by Liz Carpenter, former press secretary to Lady Bird Johnson, who listened from her home while her daughter Luci Baines Johnson sat among Democrats in the audience, including Tony Sanchez, the Laredo businessman who lost his bid for governor in November.

Citing demand, UT had moved the speech from a campus concert hall to the cavernous Frank Erwin Center, an arena named after the late UT regent who also was a Democratic mainstay.

Carpenter, introducing Clinton, said she was thrilled to have a former president "and one who doesn't need duct tape to hold us together."

Before Clinton entered, characteristically running late, boisterous audience members launched a wave and chanted as if at a football game.

"Texas!"

"Fight!"

"We want Bill! We want Bill! We want Bill!"

Outside, about 50 sign-waving Bush supporters fenced with Clinton fans.

Clinton "did nothing to stop the terroristic threat," said Matt Stolhandske of San Antonio, a first-year UT student and member of the Young Conservatives of Texas.

"It's not important what (Clinton) says," said Akbarali, a San Antonio senior and also a member of the conservative group. "I don't think he has anything to say."

Neither one had a ticket.

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