Anti-War Activists Unforgiving Of Clinton (Hillary)

[Hissyspit]

http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070114/NEWS05/701140330/1021

Anti-war activists unforgiving of Clinton
By Glenn Blain
The Journal News
(Original Publication: January 14, 2007)

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was among the first to reject President Bush's plan for a "surge" of troops in Iraq, but her criticism of the administration has done little to diminish the antipathy that many anti-war activists feel for New York's junior senator.

Clinton's initial support for the war - she voted in favor of the resolution authorizing the use of military force - and her refusal to call for an immediate withdrawal of troops still loom large in the minds of many activists and threaten to pose problems for the former first lady as she ponders a run for the presidency in 2008.

"She is critical of the handling of the war, but she is not critical of the war itself," said Nada Khader, executive director of the Westchester People's Action Coalition Foundation. The group opposes the war and has organized protests against Clinton's position.

"She doesn't call it immoral or illegal or illegitimate," Khader said. "She does not use these words. ... She hasn't changed her tune. I think she is just responding to American public opinion."

- snip -

With polls showing that a growing number of Democratic voters oppose continued involvement in Iraq, the war is likely to be a troublesome issue for Clinton as she gears up for an expected campaign for the party's presidential nomination.

MORE AT LINK

[Selatius]

1. The only difference between John Edwards and Hillary Clinton is Edwards pulled a complete 180.

He now bluntly says he was wrong to vote for the IWR. Another thing that made the anti-war grassroots turn on Hillary was that she dug in her heels on the issue of a timetable for withdrawal. That really invoked the ire of the anti-war groups.

[mdmc]

5. the anti-war crowd ain't gonna warm to him either

You don't co-sponsor the resolution, without some hippies rememberin...

[KoKo]

7. Well....I'm not a Hippie but I remember very well standing outside a

fundraiser of his (with about 200 others who had supported his run for Senate)protesting the War before it started because he had co-sponored the Iraq War Resolution and left his supporters in the dust...refusing to even speak to us about his decision.

His 180...came very late when he was very aware of NC'linians who had worked to get him elected that he couldn't give the time of day to.

He has alot of work to repair the hard feelings from his form letters about his co-sponsoring IWR and his behavior to those of us who knew it was wrong what he was doing...and thought it was a totally political decision based on his hunger to run for President in the middle of his first Senate term.

[mdmc]

9. he better get ready to beg

for true

[EFerrari]

22. I'm really sorry to hear this.

:(

[Clark2008]

61. Wow! I keep hearing this same story over and over

in regards to Edwards. Not just his support and co-sponsorship of the fiasco, but this one salient point: "came very late when he was very aware of NC'linians who had worked to get him elected that he couldn't give the time of day to."

I hear again and again, including from my own family, how he simply never paid attention to the people he was elected to represent.

How is it that so many on this board can forgive him of both his war support and his failure to represent his constituency?

* shakes head *

[goddess40]

20. I'm a lot warmer to Edwards then to Clinton

I could work for Edwards, while I'd vote for Clinton I couldn't work for her. As an anti-war person from the beginning it means a lot more when someone honestly admits they were wrong.

[mdmc]

29. I'm sure she will do so as well

perhaps through her husband...

[Catchawave]

40. I'm a hippie, I'm warm to him .....

So....?

[mdmc]

41. Surely a good ol hippie like you thinks the drug war is rubbish

right?

Can't fight poverty and racism and support the drug war (not that fighting poverty and racism will ever win you the white house).

[Catchawave]

45. I support

Legalizing marijuana and industrial hemp. I still support Edwards.

[mdmc]

44. anti-war hippies

pehaps some folks will remember how much he jocked this war. I am glad he is back on our side.

[Catchawave]

46. Two peace marches (DC and NYC)

He didn't jock this war, geesh. He was doing his job when Bush, Cheney, Rummy and Powell had mushroom clouds over my city.

[mdmc]

52. cool

Your right, he didn't really jock the war, poor choice of words on my part.

A got a group of undecided voters that I talk to and poll - they really like Edwards.

Peace and low stress

[DesertRat]

58. I'm not a hippie

but I remember. And I'll remember it at the ballot box.

[Hippo_Tron]

15. Edwards also talks about poverty

Which gives him credibility (whether or not he deserves it) because poverty isn't a popular thing to talk about.

Personally I think that unlike some who were playing politics like Kerry and Clinton, Edwards had no foreign policy savvy and was genuinely duped by the Bush administration. That makes me put into doubt his ability instead of his honesty.

[bemildred]

2. My heart does not bleed for Ms Clinton.

If she wants my support, she is free to begin to support my interests and values. No hard feelings either way.

[tnlefty]

32. Nice - short, sweet and to the point!

"she is free to begin to support my interests and values" :thumbsup:

[shance]

3. It has little to do with forgiveness, and everything to do with trust.

Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton have shown by their own actions and their own words they are not worthy of trust.

In fairness, few in Washington are.

However, they have also not earned the respect of Americans.

They have shown themselves to be opportunists. Opportunists can not be trusted at the times they are needed the most.

Words are cheap.

[mdmc]

4. wait until she 180 's after her return home

While she doesn't have much, she has timing.. and the Big Dog. She will save us all.

[Alamom]

19. Experience X 2...may be all that will ...save us.

[bluewave]

6. She openly insults progressives, as if $$$ makes us insignificant

She gives us the finger while running for our ticket. Her only friends are the New York big donors. She seems unconcerned that her posing as a NeoNut is hurtful to her party and peace in general.

Screw her.

[nealmhughes]

8. She also voted against Feinstein-Leahy Amnd. on cluster bombs ban.

I guess she like little kids in Lebanon playing with colorful round objects that look exactly like a toy...and they then get to go to the hospital, if they are able to get to one that isn't damaged...
Should Mme. Clinton get the nomination, I will hold my nose as I vote Democratic.
What is the hot new power rest. in NYC now Mme. Clinton? You know the one that you and Rupert go to...

[bluewave]

10. This should have been part of the 100 hours: cluster bomb ban

Any company producing cluster bombs can't trade publicly in the US. Anyone found developing the weapons on US soil will be prosecuted as a felony and face jail time.

[roody]

12. Raytheon sponsored the Demo Convention in Boston.

I don't know what companies make cluster bombs.

[roody]

11. This is unconscionable. I will never cast a vote for her.

[Pastiche423]

13. Roll Call for the bill Hillary voted against is

here:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00232

Voted on September 6, 2006

I do not understand why she would vote against such an important bill. I donate to and have attended fundraisers for Adopt-A-Minefield. After seeing videos of children hurt by these bombs, it is incredible to me that anyone would down the bill.

[Stephanie]

27. she did it because at the time Israel was lobbing cluster bombs at Lebanon

And she was in unmitigated support of Israel, regardless of what they were doing.

[sandnsea]

14. Among the first???

These people just don't pay attention to anything except what the politicians tell them to say. There is no way anybody who has been paying attention could say Hillary was among the first to oppose the escalation, and she certainly hasn't been one of the key critics of the Administration. She's not leading, that's the problem with Hillary Clinton.

[frazzledmom]

56. She's not leading... EXACTLY!! Thank you!

This woman wants to be President but she shows no leadership. She goes whatever way she thinks will score her votes. How am I supposed to vote for someone when I don't even know what she really stands for. All I see her standing for at the moment is appeasement. Damn politicians need to all get rid of their handlers, their PR people, their advisors, and get out there and be freakin honest for a change.

[Skidmore]

16. Hillary, can ride out of town on the horse named Pander she

rode in on. She categorically does not have my vote, and she's lost any consideration I might have given her.

NO, absolutely freaking NO! to Hillary.

[Stephanie]

17. this is a joke >

But Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic strategist, believes Clinton can survive any difficulties posed by anti-war activists. He noted that Clinton easily defeated anti-war Democrat Jonathan Tasini in a primary last year. She went on to win a landslide re-election victory in November.

Easily defeated? Easily defeated? She SPENT $25 MILLION to easily defeat him. Tasini spent $238,00 and got 17% of the vote, the same total the gubernatorial challenger got after spending $6 million. No, if Clinton had faced an anti-war candidate with MONEY, she would have been in serious trouble. Lamont put $4.5 million of his own dough into that race. Tasini is a labor organizer, he just didn't have personal funds to seed the race. But he scared the pants off of Hillary Clinton, which is why she refused to debate him.

[EFerrari]

23. For the way she shut down that debate alone, it should be obvious

to anyone paying attention that Senator Clinton is in this for Senator Clinton. That's not public service, that's careerism.

Please don't nominate her.

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Stephanie]

51. I did and nothing is made up.

And since you're such a Hillary fan, I hope you're enjoying your war.

[Greeby]

18. Screw the both of them

Who needs em when we got Dennis?

http://www.kucinich.us/ :bounce:

[EFerrari]

24. Has Dennis declared, Greeby?

:hi:

[Greeby]

28. Look at the site, it's gone into Presidential Mode

You can watch Dennis making his announcement in the V-Log

[EFerrari]

31. I did but couldn't tell if it was official - official.

That's very cool. :)

[Shadrach]

21. Well,

I am not too crazy about Hillary but I would support her if she wins the nomination. That's why I think we should support whoever we want to win the nomination but demonizing the other dem candidates could come back to bite us on the ass come general elections. I'd rather have Hillary win than any of the Republicans who are running.

[EFerrari]

25. Welcome to DU, Sharach.

:hi:

[Shadrach]

33. Thanks, sfexpat2000! :-) n/t

[EFerrari]

35. Oops! I see I shorted you a "d".

Sorry. :)

[Shadrach]

60. Not a problem! :-) n/t

[Stephanie]

26. Nobody is demonzing her. We are objecting to her position on the war.

She was wrong to support it and she's still wrong.

[Shadrach]

34. Is she still supporting the war?

If yes, then I'd say that she still wrong.

[Stephanie]

36. Yes.

She has criticized the METHODS used in prosecuting the war, because they have not been successful, but she will not say the war is wrong, or that it was a mistake to vote approval for it.

[Shadrach]

59. Fair enough... n/t

[mdmc]

37. welcome to DU

when do you think she will flip alla Edwards?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

30. She sees herself as the perfect "Not as bad" candidate.

"A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Tom Paine

[rinsd]

38. They have such a huge effect. They got 20% for Tasini!

As long a Sen. Clinton continues in a critical vein of the Bush admin, she will be fine.

[mdmc]

42. she can still do it without "us"

as long as someone gets out there and votes for her. 10% of voters report that they would never vote for a women Commander in Chief.

She can still win, it might be easier with the left backing Nader.:shrug:

[rinsd]

47. I think she can win irregardless of the anti-war activists.

I don't expect them to rally around her but I don't expect them to hurt her.

[w4rma]

49. Hillary is the Joementum of 2006. She starts off in the lead and drops off a cliff. (nt)

[rinsd]

50. Ah yes the famous Lieberman as frontrunner myth

Which comes from his leading all of one poll in 2003.

Guess who was consistently at the top of those polls until Dean's momentum in lte 2003?

That would be John Kerry, evenutal nominee.

[w4rma]

53. It's no myth. I just looked at the polls again. Al Gore had the lead before Lieberman did.

Joementum was in the lead all the way up to September of 2003 and then he stagnated and soon dropped like a rock.
http://www.pollingreport.com/wh04dem2.htm

[rinsd]

55. C'mon most of those were sub 500 respondent polls with MOEs of 5?

To be honest I was a bit surprised at how he kept his "joementum" up after the initial name recognition polls(which you can see Hillary and/or Gore trounce him in those early 03 polls).

That's not saying she'll win the nomination. But I have confindence in her fundraising and ground game abilities and I see this race largely boiling down to herself and Edwards with Wes Clark possibly making noise early.

[mdmc]

43. well she can win without "us"

but 10% of voters report that they won't vote for a women in the white house.

I am sure that she can win without the left - Gore did, or almost did.

[Tom Joad]

48. Obviously, Hillary has chosen a different path than the anti-war crowd.

So its not a question of forgiving or unforgiving, its a question of someone who has a very different set of values and beliefs.

Hillary supports a war of aggression against Iraq, as she supported the deadly sanctions against Iraq. That's her right.

Just don't expect us to grant her any respect.

[Kolesar]

54. I remember when peaceniks had a sit-in in Hil's office before the IWR

...trying to get her to not vote for the damn thing. It was a headline on DU.

[Olney Blue]

57. It will be interesting to see what she says after her "fact-finding"

mission in Iraq.