Statement of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on the Libby Verdict

[ProSense]

March 6, 2007

Statement of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on the Libby Verdict

Washington, DC - "While justice has been served in the Libby case, the real lesson to come from it is that we must be vigilant in ensuring that the intelligence on burgeoning threats to our nation is beyond reproach. Clearly, the Bush Administration wasn't forthcoming about the intelligence failures leading up to the war in Iraq and as a result damaged the country's credibility. We need to ensure that our intelligence is accurate, reliable and free of political influence."

link

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Weak, Hillary. Very weak.

Justice hasn't been served until Shooter, Turdblossom & the Chimp in Chief are squared away.

And it wasn't "intelligence failures." The operative word was LIES.

[illinoisprogressive]

2. Not the Strong statement of a leader

[ElizabethDC]

12. Obama's statement says pretty much the same thing

but you seemed to think his was just fine :shrug:

[bigdarryl]

3. what do you expect from a panderer

[job777]

35. OH my

is this the same Hillary that took the 5th over 240 times in grand jury testimony? Pander away Hillary.

[paulk]

37. when was that?

please cite your source or link to it.

[Seabiscuit]

4. She's sounding more and more like Paula Abdul on "American Idol" n/t

[zulchzulu]

5. Not a barnblasting firecracker statement, but certainly all the good points were made

Even Repugs don't care for Scooter.

Senator Clinton could have said that this was the first of many Project For A New American Century signatories to get busted, but I'll leave that one for Congressman Dennis Kucinich. Maybe Senator Obama could swipe at them with that little gem of joy.

[Tom Joad]

6. she's a much better liar than Mr. Libby, gotta give her credit.

[jgraz]

7. Ugh...this woman can NOT be president

We just cannot afford to follow this cluster-fuck regime with another weak-ass fake dem triangulator.

[Jack Rabbit]

8. That statement sounds like it was written by a focus group

[pampango]

15. Isn't that what Rush used to always say about Bill? n/t

[Alamom]

9. Sounds very similar to Senator's Obama & Edwards.

[Colobo]

10. Yes, and it's a good statement

They can't come out and say "Cheney's next" if they are serious about winning the WH. Sadly, that's the truth.

[Jack Rabbit]

48. I disagree

Senator Obama:

"The conviction today underscores what happens when our foreign and national security policies are subverted by politics and ideology. Leaks and innuendo in pursuit of a flawed policy lead to shameful episodes such as this. It should never happen again."

Mr. Edwards:

"Today's verdict in the Libby case is an important step in holding the Administration accountable for its consistent misuse and manipulation of intelligence to further its ideological agenda. But there are serious questions about whether the buck actually stopped with Scooter Libby. The American people deserve to know if Mr. Libby has been made a scapegoat in order to protect anyone else."

Senator Clinton:

"While justice has been served in the Libby case, the real lesson to come from it is that we must be vigilant in ensuring that the intelligence on burgeoning threats to our nation is beyond reproach. Clearly, the Bush Administration wasn't forthcoming about the intelligence failures leading up to the war in Iraq and as a result damaged the country's credibility. We need to ensure that our intelligence is accurate, reliable and free of political influence."

Senator Obama clearly states the problem as being one of foreign policy and national security being subverted by politics and ideology. Senator Clinton, on the other hand, continues to speak of intelligence failures, as if it were the CIA, not the OSP, who got it wrong. The intelligence was bad because the neoconservatives wanted it bad. This was not an intelligence failure; this was intelligence manipulation. Former Senator Edwards makes the clearest statement of the three, referring to the constant misuse and manipulation of intelligence to further (an) ideological agenda. That is a clear and accurate characterization of the intelligence that caused Senator Edwards and Senator Clinton both to cast a mistaken vote for war.

Senator Clinton also refers to the intelligence being about burgeoning threats when the truth is that the intelligence, taken as a whole, cast doubt on whether Iraq was any kind of threat at all to any one, let alone to the United States.

Senator Clinton is correct in saying that Bush Administration damaged the country's credibility and she gets kudos from me for coming closest to calling Mr. Bush a liar (the Bush Administration wasn't forthcoming). She is also correct in stating what is needed is intelligence (that is) is accurate, reliable and free of political influence. However, she should not have softened her blows by echoing White House talking points suggesting that intelligence failures are what led to the false conclusion that Iraq was a burgeoning threat. The intelligence was manipulated and even fabricated. Mr. Bush and his top aides were lying to us and they knew they were lying. That is what I wish Democratic presidential candidates would say and none of the three did.

[madrchsod]

11. blah,blah,blah......

are there any adults left in the democratic party?

[IsItJustMe]

13. Well that's just so inspiring I will have to vote for her now. LOL

[AJH032]

14. the funny thing is

If Gore/Clark/Obama said these exact words, DU would praise them.

[Alamom]

16. Edwards & Obama did ...

Edwards & Obama statements posted when this op had 8 replies.


Once the similar statements were posted, very little was said about anyone. :shrug:



Barack Obama
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3149235




John Edwards
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3149240

[wyldwolf]

17. Obama and Edwards are obviously weak panderers

[Tellurian]

19. Hillary s the only one who personalized her statement ..

and labeled the Bush Administration by name with a direct hit for responsibility.
Her statement was the best of the three.

Obama's statement was weak and watered down almost benign. If there wasn't a title attached to it,
you wouldn't really know what he was referring to.

Edwards statement was stronger than Obama's.

[wyldwolf]

21. yeah...but... umm... the other two were SINCERE... Hillary wasn't...

...I know this because... well... ummm... because my crystal ball.... no... a litle bird... wait... um...

[Tellurian]

22. Thats what I love about this country..

theres no shortage of :

[JNelson6563]

27. I don't agree

"While justice has been served in the Libby case, the real lesson to come from it is that we must be vigilant in ensuring that the intelligence on burgeoning threats to our nation is beyond reproach. Clearly, the Bush Administration wasn't forthcoming about the intelligence failures leading up to the war in Iraq and as a result damaged the country's credibility. We need to ensure that our intelligence is accurate, reliable and free of political influence."

"Intelligence failures"? The only "failure" in the intelligence was the inability to provide the intelligence Team Bush wanted/needed before the war. This statement emphasizes the importance of accurate intelligence, it's no indictment of the WH.

"Today's verdict in the Libby case is an important step in holding the Administration accountable for its consistent misuse and manipulation of intelligence to further its ideological agenda. But there are serious questions about whether the buck actually stopped with Scooter Libby. The American people deserve to know if Mr. Libby has been made a scapegoat in order to protect anyone else."

This is a more direct statement against those higher up the food chain than Libby. I see no muddying of the issue by referring to the need for accurate intelligence. Just the fact it was manipulated and then right onto "who else was in on this?".

Julie

[Tellurian]

30. You forgot to mention Obama's statement..

Reading Hillary's statement, she respectfully called Bush a LIAR!

[JNelson6563]

31. No, I didn't

I pretty much agreed with your assessment on Obama's statement, not much else to say on that. I wanted to comment on that which I disagreed with, hence the title of my original reply.

I think Hillary off-handedly, oh-so-respectfully inferred Bush lied but sure seemed to leave that blame-it-on-the-intelligence door open.

Just my .0125

Julie

[Tellurian]

36. OK, good to know..

We are in agreement, Obama's statement was a bit of a disappointment, to you as well.

[Robeson]

18. Wow. That was earth-shattering.

[NDP]

20. John Edwards' statement was 50 times better

"Today's verdict in the Libby case is an important step in holding the Administration accountable for its consistent misuse and manipulation of intelligence to further its ideological agenda. But there are serious questions about whether the buck actually stopped with Scooter Libby. The American people deserve to know if Mr. Libby has been made a scapegoat in order to protect anyone else."

[SaveElmer]

23. Good strong statement...far better than Obama's pathetic one...

And about on par with Edwards!

[Forkboy]

24. Predictable reponses on this thread

I'd give you all my equally predictable response but the link doesn't work for me :)

[Evergreen Emerald]

25. DU is so much harder on Hillary than the boys running

I wonder why?

[Forkboy]

26. It's obvious isn't it?

Every person who doesn't like Hillary is sexist.

Even the women!

Some DUers can't think past simplistic,kneejerk responses to people who don't like Hillary.

I wonder why?

[Evergreen Emerald]

28. what?

The biggest sexists can be women! There is more to it than just sexism, but I appreciate your attempt, albeit superficial and condescending, at explanation.

[Forkboy]

29. Condescension begets condescension.

Thank you for your attempt to portray DUers as sexist.

[mtnsnake]

32. What was John Kerry's statement?

[paulk]

38. Kerry's was the best of the lot, IMO

“This verdict brings accountability at last for official deception and the politics of smear and fear,” Kerry said. “This trial revealed a no-holds barred White House attack machine aimed at anyone who stood in the way of their march to war with Iraq. It is time for President Bush to live up to his own promises and hold accountable anyone else who participated in this smear. It is also well past time for Vice President Cheney, who according to the testimony was protected by Scooter Libby’s lies, to finally acknowledge his role in this sordid episode.

“I also want to thank the jury and the prosecutor for their hard work in this case.”

[Tellurian]

39. I wondered if Obama's statement

was weak in that he's fearful of the upcoming investigation of his finances.

[paulk]

43. I thought all three of the frontrunner's statements

were kind of weak, myself.

That always seems to be the case when people are running for President; they try to sound diplomatic, or at the very least say something that can't be used against them. I can't say I blame them, what with the right (and, often enough, the left) looking for any opportunity to jump down their throats...


------------

ps -
I really haven't been following the Obama investment thing, so I can't comment on it.

[Tellurian]

45. The Fascists are really doing a number on Obama..

I don't think he was ready for this kind of scrutiny.

One of the principals was involved as a donor to the Swifties
who went after Kerry.

[PresidentObama]

47. What does Kerry have to do with this thread?

As someone said above, Kerry gave a really wonderful statement. And I agree all three frontrunners gave a weak statement. But they're in Presidential campaigns, and have to be politically cautious.

[mtnsnake]

49. He was for it before he was against it

Actually, it was just that there were threads started about the other candidate's statements, so I figured I'd ask what Kerry's statement was.

You don't think I was trying to cause any trouble do ya? O8)






:evilfrown:

[leftofthedial]

33. Lame

sounds like something Cheney would say

[SOS]

34. There were no "intelligence failures"

Greg Thielmann knew, but was ignored.
He was director of the Office of Strategic Proliferation and Military Affairs at the State Dept.
He was responsible for analyzing the Iraqi weapons threat.

"The Man Who Knew"

"At the time, Thielmann says that Iraq didn't pose an imminent threat to the US,
“I think it didn't even constitute an imminent threat to its neighbors at the time we went to war.”
And Thielmann says that's what the intelligence really showed.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/10/14/60II/main577975.shtml

[Dr Fate]

42. Everyone in the USA knows it was "lies" except Republicans & timid DEMS.

n/t

[annabanana]

46. ExACTly!! The intel was just fine, thank you.... it's the LIES

that were the problem.

[saltpoint]

40. Ably handled.

[Dr Fate]

41. "Intelligence failures???" Hillary still can't bring herself to admit Bush lied, I see.

It was not an instance of not being "forthcoming" on "intelligence failure"- it was purposeful lies.

All the Republicans I know also still refer to it as intelligence failures instead of misleading or lying.

Hillary's framing sounds just like the Bush/media's (as it always does)- I wish she could have made a more pointed statement.

[sampsonblk]

44. The intelligence was NOT faulty and did NOT fail

Intelligence is not an exact science. That's why we elected leaders to make wise decisions with the information they are given. If US intelligence on Iraq was incomplete or not entirely accurate, where the surprise? I wonder how complete and accurate Saddam's intelligence on US was.

George W Bush owns this disaster. Others contributed, but he is president and he made this choice. Comments like these diminish his responsibility.