In her own words: Hillary Clinton on withdrawal from Iraq

[welshTerrier2]

source: http://www.vote-smart.org/speech_detail.php?speech_id=98865&keyword=iraq+withdraw&phrase=&contain=
(CNN interview: 5/26/05)

WOODRUFF: Very different subject, Iraq. Record numbers of Americans continue to die in Iraq. No end to the violence in sight that most people can see. When should the United States begin significant troop withdrawals?

CLINTON: Well, there's a preliminary question to that. And the preliminary question is, when will the United States have a strategy that can gain the confidence of the Iraqi people, support the new Iraqi government and protect our troops. And we haven't had that.

You know, I am not one who feels comfortable setting exit strategies. We don't know what we're exiting from. We don't know what the situation is moving toward.

I have said on many occasions, I regret deeply the way the president and the civilian leadership at the Pentagon pursued this action in Iraq. I think numerous mistakes were made. And I believe that it is unfortunate that the Congress, under Republican leadership, has been unwilling to hold the kind of oversight hearings that previous Congresses have done.

How do we know where we're headed, when we don't know where we are. And when we don't get anything but, sort of, a chorus of happy talk from the administration.

[katinmn]

1. Just 2 years ago I would have cried for joy if Hillary had been

a Dem frontrunner.

Now I am close to despising her for repeating Bush's propaganda.

[merbex]

2. I heard her this weekend on c-span and she sounded like

Scott McClellan for God's sake

I will not be knocking on doors in NH for Hilary (which I did for Dean and Kerry)

[katinmn]

3. Same here. So sad. I was hoping we'd finally have a woman as president

But Hillary's not worthy.

Now Barbara Boxer -- I would live off cat food for a year if I had to in order to get her elected.

[renaissanceguy]

7. I would too.

I think we need to start looking for a woman candidate to siphon off some of the "woman factor" in the primary race. By this, I mean that people want to see a woman president. But Hillary's not the right candidate. We need to neuter the fact that she's a woman, by running a strong, progressive woman. Boxer could certainly do the job, if only we could convince her to run.


http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues/428793

[katinmn]

13. Let's talk her into it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=333x77

[carnie_sf]

11. We will

Barbara Boxer

[Justitia]

4. I don't like speaking negatively of a Dem, but I can't let this slide by..

Hello!!!????

Not only did you vote for it, you are in that small group of Americans that can ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Hey, if it was up to me and my imaginary constituents that sent me to Congress, I'd be screaming for heads to roll, heads on platters, etc.
Not lamenting about "we don't know where we are"!
Quit feeding the beast! Remember how we finally ended that man-eating monster called Vietnam?? If not, ask somebody sitting next to you.


CLUE PHONE for CLINTON: We're in a huge Clusterfuck - In Iraq, Good Senator - THAT'S where we are - DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT - you are the ONLY ONES that can!!!

:think:

[hiley]

5. Hilliary Clinton

will not be my candidate ever, I decided that a while back.
She is full of crap.

[tabasco]

6. She doesn't really give a shit about soldiers getting killed.

Just like republicans.

[Eloriel]

8. Yes, Senator, and some of those "numerous mistakes"

ahhhh -- the famous "mistakes were made" line. Where have we heard that before??

As I was saying, SOME of those numerous mistakes were YOUR DAMN VOTES, yours and Kerry's and Biden's and sooooo many others. When YOU can admit that, I'll be slightly more willing to listen to you about anything. But instead, you're digging your heels in deeper, aren't you, fearmongering to advance your own career?

You're a disgrace to your office, to your State, to your country, to your own history. You'll never get my vote for anything.

[PATRICK]

9. You know she is actually dancing around the correct response

So what is obscuring it? Polite deference to the now mystical aura of the Presidency? Robert's rules of order for Senatorial consultation procedures? Sharing the confusion but not the proper disillusionment, not the ability to clear the plate of the crap according to the established rules of etiquette?

Etiquette that swallowed the lying hogwash of the esteemed fraud Colin Powell, the "need" to go after Hussein, tolerates the utter murder of thousands in Iraq to enrich and empower our own conscienceless, inflexible tyrant. If this were satirical understatement I could take it.

Instead it is feckless failed leadership by the party's finest confronting an even more feckless GOP failure which is accorded all the respect and absolute power of simply being king of the compost heap.

Nor could she rudely skewer the dumb and misdirected question that jumps over the incredible mess Bush has left for any rational solution or strategy, wise or otherwise. So polite that it is bland obfuscation that looks evasive instead of aggressive.

In any interpretation one can alternate sadness, disappointment and anger. I yearn for a montage of war casualty pictures playing on split screen any time the "wise" who let us be pushed into this obvious disaster put forth opinions on staying the course. Of course that course is one heck of a course- to the grave.

[Donna Zen]

10. pursued this action in Iraq????

T H I S A C T I O N !

Just what the country needs: more double speak.

when will the United States have a strategy that can gain the confidence of the Iraqi people

Let me see? She's a senator who voted for this shit, so maybe, just maybe, she could be doing something like--oh, let's say--refusing to vote for those billions of dollars until there was a plan? Too much of a political risk?

Dear Hillary,

We will have a plan to leave Iraq when people like you find the necessary moral strength to stand up and tell the truth.

Signed,

Someone who is sick and tired of listening to bullshit

[Jacobin]

12. How is this different from Rumsfeld, Bush and Wolfowitz?

Nothing different.

Nada.

Zip.

PNACing wench.

:puke:

[shance]

14. Hillary's become very excelled at talking out of both sides of her mouth.

n/t

[welshTerrier2]

15. Clinton visited Iraq and she still claims she doesn't "know where we are"

how can anyone who is self-admittedly so ill-informed on such a critical issue seriously entertain thoughts of running for President ...

it's just plain wrong ... the Party and the country need better leadership than that ...

[Q]

16. Hillary calling the Bush Lies a 'mistake' is an insult to all Americans...

...and just this statement alone should disqualify her from high office.

[Generator]

17. Excellent point

Wouldn't want to offend all those in the Bush admin would we? All those that "meant well" but just screwed up? She's aiding and abetting the lie. They knew the reason was false, they smeared those that dared to tell the truth, committed treason by the top "advisor" to the President and it's a mistake???? The DSM, Plame-she has the stuff to make a case and she fucking STILL let's the criminals off with this pussy language. (AS in pussyfooting around the damn truth)