Clinton Promises to End War if Elected

[Army_of_One]

Feb 2, 4:29 PM (ET)

By NEDRA PICKLER

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday she would not have attacked Iraq if she were president in 2002 and would end the war if elected, as she tried to blunt rivals like John Edwards who are stoking anti-war passions in the Democratic Party.So, Saddam, his sons, zarqawi and the whole group would still be there and along with Iran pursing nukes and killing people...

Clinton, raising her voice at one point to be heard above anti-war hecklers, suggested that calls from Edwards and others to cut off funding for President Bush's troop increase are unlikely to win approval in a narrowly divided Senate.

"Believe me, I understand the frustration and the outrage," Clinton said in a speech to the Democratic National Committee meeting that brought the party's nine White House hopefuls together for the first time. "You have to have 60 votes to cap troops, to limit funding to do anything. If we in Congress don't end this war before January 2009, as president, I will."Assuming you can be elected...

The New York senator's comments were her strongest against the war and signal an effort to confront one of the biggest threats to her front-runner status. As the conflict nears the four-year mark, she has been on the opposite side of the most outspoken anti-war activists who are a force in the Democratic primaries.

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois reminded the party's rank-and-file - twice - that he was against the Iraq invasion from the beginning.

"But whether you were for it or against it then, we all have a responsibility now to put forth a plan that offers the best chance of ending the bloodshed and bringing the troops home," Obama told the audience.

Edwards voted with Clinton in 2002 to authorize Bush's war against Iraq, a vote he defended during his 2004 presidential race but has since said was a mistake. The former North Carolina senator has gone from being a war apologist to one of the most outspoken critics of the invasion in this campaign.

"Silence is a betrayal," Edwards said, one of 11 times he used the word betrayal in his 18-minute speech. "It is a betrayal not to stop this president's plan to escalate the war when we have the responsibility, the power and the ability to stop it. We cannot be satisfied with passing nonbinding resolutions that we know this president will ignore."

Edwards was referring to a measure being debated in the Senate that would say lawmakers disagree with the president's decision to increase troop levels in an effort to stabilize Baghdad. Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, another 2008 candidate, also criticized the effort as meaningless.

"I don't believe spending a week debating a nonbinding resolution is the change that America voted for" in November when Democrats won a majority in Congress, Dodd said. "With all due respect, a real bill and real teeth and real accountability is what is needed in our country again."

Clinton said while the resolution may not be perfect, it represents the first time Congress has stood against the president on the war.

"There are many people who wish we could do more," Clinton said.

"You can!" came a call from a small gathering of activists from the peace group Code Pink. Others in their group standing along a side wall chimed in, calling for a binding resolution that would end the war immediately, while some nearby audience members asked them to quiet down.

"But let me say," Clinton said, her voice rising above the din, "that if we can get a large, bipartisan vote to disapprove this president's plan for escalation, that will be the first time that we will have said no to President Bush and began to reverse his policies. Now, I want to go further."

"Bring them home, then," said a man dressed in desert camouflage that said "Iraq Veterans Against the War." Clinton said she has proposed capping U.S. troop levels and pulling funding for Iraqi forces, but won't cut funding for U.S. troops while they are on the battlefield.

"And let me add one other thing, and I want to be very clear about this," she said. "If I had been president in October of 2002, I would not have started this war." But I voted FOR it to be started....I voted for it before I voted against it....

Former Gen. Wesley Clark, who has not indicated whether he will run, said he's the only potential candidate with the battlefield experience to succeed in Iraq.

Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich called for an immediate end to the war - the same message he ran on in 2004. But it's now is being echoed by several other candidates in a stronger position to win the nomination.

Well now we know that if Hillary HAD been president that Saddam and his cronies would still be in charge and Iraq would still be defying UN sanctions.

[Highwayman]

I stated earlier that Hillary would have to dance to the left to win the nomination and then run to the middle for the election. We are watching that dance in progress.

Is claiming that you wouldn’t have started a war in hindsight after voting for it a two step or fox trot?

[TexKan]

They are ALL dancin and the band ain't even showed up yet - don't make her a bad girl!

[Outofdodge]

Originally Posted by Army_of_One

So, Saddam, his sons, zarqawi and the whole group would still be there and along with Iran pursing nukes and killing people....

You mean like North Korea? You mean like what was going on when the United States overtly sold arms to Iraq and overtly supported Iraq in its little spat with Iran. Surely you don't mean the Kurds he killed while he was being supported by the United States and visited by one Donald Rumsfeld? Surely you don't want to open that can of worms again, now do you?

Originally Posted by Army_of_One

But I voted FOR it to be started....I voted for it before I voted against it....

You mean you aren't going to be fair and balanced in your reporting? Where's your thread from last week when Ms. Clinton acknowledged her vote for starting this mess?

Originally Posted by Army_of_One

Well now we know that if Hillary HAD been president that Saddam and his cronies would still be in charge and Iraq would still be defying UN sanctions.

And maybe Afghanistan would be stable, maybe the people responsible for 9/11 might be in custody or dead, maybe the armed services wouldn't be stressed, maybe even the republicans would like still control congress. We'd still be enforcing a no fly zone and all that good will and international support we had post 9/11 wouldn't have been wasted.

Surely you do not want to revisit this can of worms?

[Poor Boy]

She is not a bad girl she is just sticking her finger up in the air again to see which way the wind is blowing.

[TexKan]

And you don't think the rest of em are doin the same thing?

[lurker]

Hillary Clinton Visits School Children


Hillary Clinton goes to a primary school in New York to talk about the
world. After her talk she offers question time.

One little boy puts up his hand. The Senator asks him what his name is.
"Vincent."

"And what is your question, Vincent?"

"I have three questions: First - whatever happened to your medical
health care plan? Second - why would you run for President after your
husband shamed the office? And, Third - whatever happened to all those
things you took when you left the White House?"

Just then the bell rings for recess. Hillary Clinton informs the kiddies
that they will continue after recess.

When they resume Hillary says, "Okay where were we? Oh, that's right, question time. Who has a question?"

A different little boy puts his hand up. Hillary points him out and asks
him what his name is.

"Larry."

"And what is your question, Larry?"

"I have five questions: First - whatever happened to your medical health
care plan? Second - why would you run for President after your husband
shamed the office? Third - whatever happened to all those things you
took when you left the White House? Fourth - why did the recess bell go
off 20 minutes early? And Fifth - what happened to Vince?"

[Mike B.]

lurker,

That joke is really good!!! I haven't laughed so hard in a long time!