Hil hails troops in Baghdad, raps Prez

New York Daily News ^ | 11/29/03 | RICHARD SISK

[kattracks]

WASHINGTON - Arriving in Baghdad hours after President Bush's star turn, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) said yesterday the troops were happy to meet her, too. "It's a positive for the commander-in-chief to visit troops in the field," Clinton said, yet "the troops [also] seemed to appreciate seeing myself" and Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) on their joint trip to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Clinton and Reed, both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, quickly turned from faintly praising Bush for his surprise Thanksgiving drop-in at Baghdad's airport to ripping his handling of the Iraq war and the transition to democracy.

In a conference call from the region, Clinton, who voted in the Senate for the Iraq war resolution, charged that Bush failed to commit enough troops for the invasion and the increasingly bloody occupation effort.

"The Pentagon tried to make do with as few troops as possible, as light a footprint as they could get away with," Clinton said. "Now, we're playing catchup."

She added that the government's Iraq policy was mishandled by Bush administration officials who have been "obsessed with [deposed Iraqi leader] Saddam Hussein for more than a decade."

"Unfortunately, I don't think they fully appreciated the conditions we would encounter," Clinton said.

Reed, who voted against the war resolution, renewed his call for more troops to be committed to Iraq and for more troops to be recruited for the war against terror groups in the future.

"There's no question in my mind we need a larger Army," said Reed, a West Point graduate and former paratrooper.

The two senators, who stayed in Kuwait last night but will visit U.S. troops in the Iraqi oil town of Kirkuk today, also questioned the Bush administration plan to hold elections for a new Iraqi government by June.

Clinton said the support of the majority Shiite community in Iraq was "still a big if. The obstacles and problems are much greater than the administration usually admits to."

The former First Lady said the morale of the troops she met from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division was high, but they were concerned about how their mission was perceived back home.

She said she told the troops "Americans are proud" of them, "but many question the administration's policies."

Originally published on November 29, 2003

[LoudRepublicangirl]

Now compare the genuine smiles on the faces of the men and women with President Bush. I think when Hil came they ordered people to take photos with her-they probably couldn't contain the troops that wanted a photo with the Pres.

[StriperSniper]

"the troops SEEMED to appreciate seeing myself"

Despite her husbands attempts to undermine the military, they are still quite well trained.

[giotto]

Well crafted. While I don't condone picking on people--even our Enemies of the State--for physical attributes they can't help, what someone chooses to wear, day after day after day, is entirely fair game. And unless her Heinous owns a dozen of those black pants suits, game(y) is the operative word.

[Toespi]

The broader and deeper meaning of her visit is, "I can lead these troops, I know more about war, even though we are proud of you, you shouldn't be here and I (the mother of America) will take you home to safety."

[johnb838]

If the UN doesn't get run off like the french, they never leave. As in Kosovo, for example.

[Peach]

The pictures say it all.

Did Hillary really say the troops seemed "happy to see myself"?

#1: They sure didn't look happy. On another thread, a Freeper said video of Hillary with troops while she complained about the president showed a soldier rolling his eyes.

#2: Lousy grammer, Hillary. She's obviously hung around Bill (white trash) a little more often than we think.

[arasina]

YOU nailed it. That's her underlying message. I assume she did find some to agree with her. I saw video on FNC where a few soldiers took her up on photo ops and autographs.

[NYCVirago]

You know, if the troops were really happy to see her, she wouldn't have to say it; it would be obvious. If she were a real patriot, and not a left-wing America hater, she would be talking about being happy to see the troops, and not vice versa.

[giotto]

What a common woman she is

Quite correct, except that that's an insult to decent common people. To accuse Hillary of being common would be the most unimaginable insult as far as she's concerned. Because Hillary truly believes she is special, beyond mere mortals. We know this from various accounts of her behavior--how she forced White House staffers to disappear into doorways when she came down the corridors...How she ordered staffers never to make eye contact with her...The way she treated the military and Secret Service while she was First Lady...How she ran through the police barricade at the airport just days after 9/11, injuring an officer.

The truth is, though, that, as with anyone else who treats other human beings imperiously, in her heart she knows she will never be as good as even the most common person.

[hellinahandcart]

A one-woman(?) morale-wrecking crew!

Yep. Malaise-spreader. Stomach-acid inducer.

The poor soldiers.

[tgslTakoma]

I meant common as in vulgar, as in crude, boorish, ill-bred, pretentious, obscene... but I was trying to temper my disgust with her(?) and condense it all into one word. I guess that can't be done, in her case.

[Cvengr]

These are combat troops, deary. They can always use another battle ax.

Yeah, but it seems that no matter how much effort the troops put into it, she's one battleax that always remains dull!

[johnb838]

I think when Hil came they ordered people to take photos with her-

The military had 8 years of practice on how to deal with the Clintons. "Yes, Sir", "No Ma'am", and NEVER let on how you really feel. The one little bit of rebellion was to never smile when they were around. If a soldier got caught rolling his eyes, he was breaking discipline.

[Northern Yankee]

Amazing quote from Hillary... "The troops seemed to appreciate seeing myself."

Wouldn't most Americans say they appreciate seeing the troops?

What absolute arrogance!

This in a nutshell are the Clintons. It is all about them. I would save that quote and use it as a campaign ad and ram it down her throat.

[Eala]

Have I missed something, or are there no smiling people near Hillary in any of her photo ops?

Actually there was one. It shows Hillary scarfing down while a woman seated next to her chats with two other women across the table. (Clearly the photographer didn't like Hillary else that photo would never have seen light of day.)

It’s been a while since I’ve seen her with a smiling person paying her any attention.

There's the key.

[The Wizard]

tyhe beast will never be president, she lacks the ability to shut up, a talent she has never developed.....

[Angelwood]

Hillary was doing the soldiers a favor by letting them see and/or meet her. Hillary's whole Thanksgiving holiday was spent as an effort to make herself SEEM presidential in stature -- she made a commercial that portrayed her as a leader giving a Thanksgiving address to the troops and the people of the nation; she took a trip to war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq and to the staging area of Kuwait to show her concern for the troops and appear similar to a visiting commander-in-chief; her fact-finding tour is really an effort to destroy morale and continue to undermine President Bush and his administration. Unfortunately for her, the real PRESIDENT showed up and Hillary was upstaged and wiped off the front pages around the world.

Hillary is still running and the press is giving her whatever platform she needs.

[CGVet58]

thanks, Meg, I can see it in my mind's eye... and enjoying a laugh as well.

It's like hearing Hannity on the radio when he does his slick willie impressions... that makes my commute back home worthwhile everytime he does it.

Juan

[johnb838]

I hope that Dubya is saving up all the terrific sound bytes and attack America behaviors that these fools have been displaying in order to paint them with them later. I fear though, that he is too well-bred to do that.

OTOH, he knows how to play them like fiddles, so we can hope he'll hav'em "crawfishin'" again before too many more months go by.

[MEG33]

They never see it coming and neither do I.Patience!