White House Regrets Blaming Clinton on Mideast

Reuters ^ | 2/28/02 | By Arshad Mohammed

[Recovering_Democrat]

Something is afoot here, Ari was right on the nose when he said what he said, so what's up with this then. The Bush team doesn't do anything for no reason. This should be interesting.

The statements are not in conflict, though some might try to make them appear to be. The statement that "shooting the moon" arguably could have escalated the violence is accurate. Saying impeached42 tried to establish peace in the Middle East is accurate, too...it conveniently leaves out the "why" impeached42 was doing what he did. And so, the Bush administration wisely has it on record that Clinton helped escalate the violence (something the sycophant press would never say) and a statement that Clinton did try and bring about peace. :)

Pretty smart, if you ask me.

[MeekOneGOP]

. . . if anything the White House attack on Clinton was in response to the Democratic attacks. This may be their plan to knock us off of campaign finance. Either way, the rats are disgusting.

That's kinda what I was thinking. It's not Bush's style to attack, but he has shown no reluctance to react to BS like this. . .

[VRWC_minion]

Look at the real news here.The Rats are doomed to not getting any traction on anything.

Scratch Plan A-Enron is of the page.

Scratch Plan B - The Economy is off the page.

Plan C ?- Call Bush a poopy head ?

[BenF]

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said on Thursday he regretted suggesting that former U.S. President Bill Clinton's push for a Middle East peace deal was to blame for the last 17 months of violence in the region.

It's always a shame when Republicans lack the courage of their convictions.

Earlier on Thursday, Fleischer suggested that Clinton's ''shoot the moon'' effort to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal before leaving office was responsible for the strife in which nearly 1,200 people have died since September 2000.

It's the truth. Now, if he had any REAL guts he could place a big portion of the blame for 9/11 on Clinton as well. Clinton SHOULD HAVE gotten bin Laden after the bombing of the USS Cole - but he wimped out.

``No United States president, including President Clinton, is to blame for violence in the Middle East. The only people to blame for violence are the terrorists who engage in it,'' Fleischer said. ``I regret any implication to the contrary.''

US Presidents, especially Clinton, who did everything they could to legitimize terrorists like Yasir Arafat, ARE PARTIALLY TO BLAME.

``It is unfortunate that the spokesman for the president, in dealing with the Middle East, is trying to pass blame,'' Clinton spokeswoman Julia Payne said. ``They would be better off using their energies to facilitate the peace process.''

I find it amazing that these leftist scum still believe there is a "peace process". Man...will they ever have any grasp of reality?

A Bush administration official, who spoke after Fleischer issued his statement and asked not to be identified, said: ``We agree completely that President Clinton made tireless, energetic efforts to bring peace to the Middle East.''

Hundreds of Jewish people are enjoying the "peace" Clinton helped bring to the ME - and they are mourned by the living.

[america-rules]

This is how the game is played. If they didn't mean it it would come out in the Friday news cycle. Now all the talking heads will be shinning a light on what Clintoid did and the WH can say sorry about that we really didn't mean it the way it was said.

This is 100% planned to spotlight clintoon and don't think it's not !

[BigTime]

You're spot on. If the retraction had come out tomorrow, it would have been an egg on your face moment, but the Bushies are ahead of the news cycle by getting the apology in on the same day that the story first aired. Then they waited until late that day to do the mea culpa, ensuring the story had already generated some play before that put their punctuation mark on it.

No way was this just a casual remark that Ari made off the cuff. No way.

[michigander]

To: Spinsters

Out of curiosity.
What group is this "plan" being played to?
Who's opinion is this supposed to sway?

[Senator_Blutarski]

For what it's worth: Something changed today. The Democrats appear to be taking the gloves off and attacking Bush. Today Daschle publically questioned the strategy and results of the war on terror. The press had their Democrat talking points for the WH press briefing.

It looks like the Democrats have decided that they need to bring Bush's popularity down by any means. The polls show the Democrats to be in dire straights. I think they decided they have nothing to lose by attacking a popular President.

[Cinnamon Girl]

Anyone who didn't see the press briefing should go to the C-Span link and watch it. All these reports have totally misrepresented what Ari said in the first place.

[BenF]

I hope you're right!

[j.frank.dobie]

Simple rule -- Never (ever) mention 42 again.

[RnMomof7]

Yep a slight of hand move..

[Frohickey]

What is the press complaining about? Clinton wanted a legacy.

Besides, if there is one United States President to blame for the whole Middle East issue, its none other than President Truman.

[Utah Girl]

I don't know if you've seen this yet...

[M. Thatcher]

White House Regrets Blaming Clinton on Mideast

BIG mistake. Never, but never, but NEVER apologize/express regrets to a liberal in the wrong.

[NordP]

Ari was right the first time around!!!

Something's up, and I believe it is President Bush trying to be the nice guy -- offering everyone the opportunity to play "nice nice" together, rather than giving that piranha, Clinton, any MORE ammunition to shoot his mouth off with.

Ari IS VERY SMART, and chooses his words carefully... something is up, I tell you, and the White House is positioning. This White House, unlike the last, plans ahead for upcoming issues, as well. They do not back-peddle.

The chances that there is something around the corner are much more likely than this being a simple apology for the past.

[BigTime]

Out of curiosity. What group is this "plan" being played to? Who's opinion is this supposed to sway?

I'll guess I'll respond on behalf of the vast right wing spinsters.

The point as I see it is to inject fat red nose back into the mix of the Middle East problem. The story that will be carried is the "controversy" surrounding his comments which will give the story more prominence. The target group is the sheeple who still don't receive Fox News and it is intended to remind them that the Big Creep made a big deal out of his legacy-building "peace" efforts and has squat to show for it.

Simply getting the press talking about Clinton in relation to the Middle East recalls his foreign policy failures and again gets people comparing this president to the former president. When this occurs, Bush wins every time.

[okiedust]

I'm not sure this is aimed at any group other than the press. They are extremely predictable, and anyone with any experience knows they would jump all over a statement like this. So, if it was made on purpose, why? Well the dems have been shooting at Bush's war effort and the guns are getting louder. I truly believe that Bush is committed to the success of this war and is will to do whatever he has to to make the country safer. Today was Ari's day to go out and take a hit, but not before he delivered a message to the dems. It was subtle enough that his explaination covered the ground, but everyone knows what the administration is thinking and it could have been a warning. Because regardless of what the administration thinks of Clinton, there is always the little treasure of what they know, and I'll bet it's a lot that the dems wouldn't really want people to know. Up to now the administration has kept its powder dry, but perhaps they will make nice only up to a point. Perhaps that is the message here, and I do think it significant that an administration that rarely puts a foot wrong came up with this biggie, without some ulterior motive. Time will tell.

regards

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

White House Regrets Blaming Clinton on Mideast

I don't