Posted on 12/03/2002 1:49:27 PM PST by lexlov
DJ Bill Clinton Offers Post-Election Advice To Democrats
12/03/2002 Dow Jones News Services (Copyright © 2002 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)
NEW YORK (AP)--Addressing Democratic leaders for the first time since their midterm election losses, former President Bill Clinton urged the party Tuesday to present a new, unified message with national security and a revived economy as priorities.
Clinton said a lack of clarity on those issues was where Democrats fell short in this year's races.
The former president said the Democrats lacked appeal to voters insecure after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The party also failed to attract those looking for a way to revive the economy, he said.
"When people feel uncertain, they'd rather have somebody that's strong and wrong than somebody who's weak and right," he said.
Republicans increased their narrow margin of control in the House and took back the Senate in the November elections.
"We have a heavy responsibility to cooperate in uniting this country on security issues, and also to come up with better ideas across the board," Clinton told a gathering of the Democratic Leadership Council, a national network of elected officials and community leaders.
"We don't have to be more liberal, but we do have to be more relevant in a positive way," Clinton told the audience of about 200 at New York University.
Going after terrorists should be the first concern in the Democrats' national security plan, Clinton said - even above pressing for weapons inspection in Iraq.
"Al-Qaida should be our top priority," said the two-term president. "Iraq is important, but the terror network is more urgent in terms of its threat to our security."
Clinton helped found the DLC in the 1980s to steer Democrats toward a more centrist image, championing a "third way" between the traditional left and right. The ideology is credited with propelling Clinton to the presidency in 1992.
On the Net:
Democratic Leadership Council: www.ndol.org
(END) DOW JONES NEWS 12-03-02
04:46 PM
Whoops! there goes the base.
The Farrakan base of the DemonRat Party supports the terrorists against Israel and the US. How can that be a concern of their National Security Plan?
Yeah, like having to wake up with hillary. (sometimes)
That's my point, billy boy is telling the base they should care about national security. That's like telling sadamn he should care about human rights.
"Al-Qaida should be our top priority," said the two-term president. "Iraq is important, but the terror network is more urgent in terms of its threat to our security." I don't understand why the Democrats want to take this bet. This whole business about the war on terrorism being a separate thing from the problem in Iraq is a common theme with the Democrats now. It seems to be driven by the belief that they need to come up with some "differentiating factor," something that makes them sound like they're going to be Tough On Terrorism, but in a way that's different from what Bush is doing. There are two big risks in this, and they seem to be acting like they don't see them coming. The first is that Bush knows something they don't. When all this is over, it will come out that Saddam was thissssssClose to having a nuke, and had uncounted tons of smallpox, anthrax, and worse. Democrats will then look like the guys whose plan was to let that go on, in the name of chasing some people who every once in a while were going to blow up an airplane or something. In the worst case, we find huge stockpiles of the anthrax powder that was used in the 9/11 attacks... something I fully expect to happen, and something that will make Bush look like the guy who saved a million lives... while the Democrats wanted to go the other way. The second risk is that people will -- quite understandably -- hear in the call to "forget about Iraq for now" merely a thinly-disguised echo of the anti-war marchers. This is what people expect from Democrats, and Clinton is right that it is the last thing they need. Why he then advocates doing it, I cannot imagine. Perhaps he doesn't see it himself; it is common among Democrats to believe their own lies. But they aren't fooling anyone else. |
Then he could say that his sycophants like Begala, Carville, and the Greek guy on ABC, knew about many of this and kept silent. So no one should take them seriously, either. And he should warn the Democrat Party not to accept and choose as candidates for any public office, others who have habits and proclivities like his.
Finally, he should announce that he is retiring from public life. Of course the odds of that happening are the same that Saddam Hussein will find Jesus, and become as peaceful and good as Mother Teresa. But if Clinton REALLY wanted to help the Democrats and the nation, that is what he would do.
Congressman Billybob
He may as well try out for the job. He can sound just as foolish in rhyme as the Rappin' Reverands, Al Sharpton and the Mullah Jesse Jackson. I'm still waiting to hear Jesse's touching rendition of Dr. Suesse's "Green Eggs and Ham."
Funny, you considered BJ's our top priority while Al-Qaida was plotting their attack on the twin-towers.
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