Clinton is criticized by Repubs for working deals with North Korea & today

[glarius]

we hear that Bush is threatening to withdraw aid from Israel if Sharon doesn't refrain from building the wall he wants?.....Isn't what Bush is doing the same thing?....bargaining with Israel just as Clinton bargained with North Korea....I don't know how may times I've heard some right-winger on TV saying that Bush's way of dealing with these matters was so superior to Clinton, because he would not bargain but would do what was RIGHT!!.....I'll just bet that NO DEMOCRAT will point out this hypocrisy....

[whoYaCallinAlib]

1. I'm afraid I have to agree with you.

Will the real Democrat please stand up!

[Redleg]

2. Not to defend Bush but there is one subtle difference

Israel has been a close "friend" of the U.S. while N. Korea has been an enemy.

I still disagree with Bush's handling of N. Korea and Israel.

[PsN2Wind]

4. a close "friend"

if you overlook that Liberty incident and the Jonathan Pollard thing.

[Redleg]

7. Yes, most Americans don't recall.

I believe our relationship with Israel has gotten us into situations that are problematic. I don't disagree with our support of Israel but am not so stupid to think that some terrorist groups hate us for that.

[bucknaked]

3. More selective-outrage from the right.

"I don't know how may times I've heard some right-winger on TV saying that Bush's way of dealing with these matters was so superior to Clinton, because he would not bargain but would do what was RIGHT!!

This reminds me of that fiasco with China and our surveillance plane. The freep types were all barrel-chested about how Bush "won't back down" and how he would demand our plane back. Not bargain, negotiate and he sure as hell wouldn't apologize... but then what did our boy-wonder end up doing?

Of course, were any of them disappointed, or critical in any way? Yeah, right!

Conservatives are the masters of selective-outrage. "Perjure yourself, and you should be removed from office... but pardon convicts will always have a job with us"

[PsN2Wind]

8. The surveillance plane incident

I think could have been settled by simply telling the Chinese that any container ships west of the date line should return to home port until a ship carrying that plane was off-loaded in Long Beach. Of course that might have hurt Wal-mart and others profits for a bit.

[wuushew]

5. The agreed framework was a VERY good temporary solution

and Clinton kept us out of war in 1994.

The North Koreans were guilty of developing enriched uranium but upheld the ban on reprocessing plutonium as stipulated in the agreed framework. Thanks to shrub undermining the sunshine policy, cutting off oil aid and calling the North Korean leader a pygmy North Korea could have up to six plutonium atomic bombs by the end of THIS year.

Make no mistake Clinton was on the ball regarding this issue

[sandnsea]

10. NKorea has 2 nuclear weapons!!!!

Isn't that what they said last October. Isn't that one of the things that contributed to this whole crisis, the reason we had to get tough, etc. I swear I remember that being the onset of the most recent events with NKorea. Did shrub cut off the oil before or after the 2 nuclear weapon statement, I don't remember.

Still, the story has completely changed. Is it just me, nobody else finds this as just one more time this Administration has hyped something up and had it turn out not to be true.

What did I miss guys?

[wuushew]

12. I will get back to you after some more research

Probably started in 2000 when Bush was pushing the missle defense shield and getting out of the ABM treaty. This made North Korea more paranoid and set them upon this course. 911 happened and shrub placed North Korea on the axis of evil list. Now remember the US was obligated to construct two very large nuclear energy plants for the North Koreans to ease their energy crisis. The nuclear power requirements lend some validity for the existence of a North Korean nuclear program. The failure of the completion of these two plants exacerbated the energy crisis in North Korea and made them VERY dependent on the oil imports which bush cut off following the administrations very poorly timed mission to South Korea in late summer 2002? Fast forward to 2003 post Iraq and North Korea and Iran both have realized that the only deterence for the military overthrow of their governments is the atomic ace card.

[robbedvoter]

6. bush waved the inspectors in North Korea that Clinton had in place

Nothing wrong with negotiating per se - it's the goal and the skills that ultimatelly matter.

[glarius]

9. EXACTLY!!!

The difference is Clinton KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING....Bush DOESN'T!!!

[Tom Kitten]

11. The right just hates anything Clinton

Clinton could discover the cure for cancer and the right would condemn him for being a "crass opportunist wallowing in an illusion of smug self-glory".

Remember on Crossfire when Hillary brought out the cake shaped like a shoe for Tucker so he wouldn't have to look an ass trying to back out of eating his shoes and the next day he compared her to Pol Pot?

(on edit: added "for Tucker")