Hillary Clinton: I wouldn't have started war I voted for (great analysis)

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/6/165652/7161/441/431794
by Geekesque
Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 02:24:02 PM PST
On the heels of Bill's infamous "I opposed the Iraq war from the beginning" Hillary Clinton is engaging in some serious IWR revisionism.

Because, she says, she wouldn't have gone to war with Iraq.

Even though she voted for it and didn't say it was wrong to invade at any point before 2007.

The chutzpah below the fold.

Geekesque's diary :: ::
"After 9/11, I would never have taken us to war in Iraq. I would have stayed focused on Afghanistan because the real threat was coming from there."

Clinton comments in Nashua, NH today.

In other words, "I agreed with Barack Obama but didn't say so until now."

Let's take a stroll down memory lane:

What Clinton voted for:

Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

(a) AUTHORIZATION. The President is authorized to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to

(1) defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; a

Clinton's speech on the Iraq War Resolution:

This is a very difficult vote. This is probably the hardest decision I have ever had to make -- any vote that may lead to war should be hard -- but I cast it with conviction.

And perhaps my decision is influenced by my eight years of experience on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue in the White House watching my husband deal with serious challenges to our nation. I want this President, or any future President, to be in the strongest possible position to lead our country in the United Nations or in war. Secondly, I want to insure that Saddam Hussein makes no mistake about our national unity and for our support for the President's efforts to wage America's war against terrorists and weapons of mass destruction. And thirdly, I want the men and women in our Armed Forces to know that if they should be called upon to act against Iraq, our country will stand resolutely behind them.

So it is with conviction that I support this resolution as being in the best interests of our nation. A vote for it is not a vote to rush to war; it is a vote that puts awesome responsibility in the hands of our President and we say to him - use these powers wisely and as a last resort. And it is a vote that says clearly to Saddam Hussein - this is your last chance - disarm or be disarmed.

More:

If we get the resolution that President Bush seeks, and if Saddam complies, disarmament can proceed and the threat can be eliminated. Regime change will, of course, take longer but we must still work for it, nurturing all reasonable forces of opposition.

If we get the resolution and Saddam does not comply, then we can attack him with far more support and legitimacy than we would have otherwise.

Of course, here's what she told Code Pink about all of this in 2003:

There is a very easy way to prevent anyone from being put into harm’s way, that is for Saddam Hussein to disarm. And I have absolutely no belief that he will. I have to say that this is something I’ve followed for more than a decade. If he were serious about disarming, he would have been much more forthcoming. . . . I ended up voting for the resolution after carefully reviewing the information, intelligence that I had available, talking with people whose opinions I trusted, trying to discount the political or other factors that I didn’t believe should be in any way part of this decision.

In other words, Clinton knew that war would result from this authorization. On one hand she says she was voting to pressure Saddam to disarm, yet on the other she flatly states that she has no expectation that Saddam will disarm.

So, she didn't support invading Iraq, but she supported authorizing an invasion to pressure Saddam into doing something she knew he would never do.

More. of. the. same.

One must judge people on their actions, not wishful thinking about what their actions might have been in a different context.

Because, according to your very own very clever "logic," we can't rely on what he said, only on what he DID. He says he wouldn't have. But it's just wrong to believe him.

Got it, cookie.

Voting for the IWR doesn't mean should would done what Bush did.

Look, I don't support her and her vote for the IWR is a big reason why, but making the leap that her (or Kerry or Edwards) would have unjustly invaded Iraq is wrong.

the OP.

But, since it's the only concrete thing you have on her, you have to bring it up, I perfectly understand.

But no IWR would have existed had ANYONE else been president. That includes Hillary. If you deny that, YOU are the liar.

Hillary Clinton wouldn't had lied about WMD.
John Edwards wouldn't had lied about WMD.
Barak Obama wouldn't had lied about WMD.

George H W Bush wouldn't had lied about WMD.


Bill O'Reilly would had lied.
Rush Limbaugh would had lied.
Sean Hannity would had lied.
Glen Beck would had lied.
Pat Robinson would had lied.


Trent Lott would had lied.
Dennis Hastert would had lied.
Dick Armey would had lied.
Tom Delay would had lied.

we already know she stupidly voted for it, as did a lot of people, unfortunately.
FWIW, I don't blame her so much for IWR as Kyl-Lieberman, but in both cases she should have known better -- hell, it was her JOB to know better.

not really anything new to bring to the table about it -- bringing it up now is just foolish.

is bringing this up again in the form of a lie and trying to rewrite history..we ain't gonna let her do it.

re-uttered it again.

Geekesque rocks!

"In other words, "I agreed with Barack Obama but didn't say so until now." AKA= Pandering blathering hypocrit. I like the way she/he thinks.

"So, she didn't support invading Iraq, but she supported authorizing an invasion to pressure Saddam into doing something she knew he would never do."

And they could have contained sadam..they knew this was about OIL and Mid- East logistical strategy..I did.

Iraq had nothing to do with 9fucking11 ..the pnacers were planning this in 2000. hillary was and is a waste has a senator..only her stepping stone back to white house.

further votes to continue funding the war.

We ALL know this war is a giant farce. ALL the candidates are wringing their hands about how they're all now "AGAINST THE WAR™".

If you've realized you've driven off the road, do you keep on driving further into the ditch? No. You get back on the road.

If we're all so damned opposed to this war, why do we keep funding it?

believed PNAC and thought it would all be done and over without anyone remembering that she and the others permitted it.

Blah blah blah. Spin, lie, revise, backtrack, equivocate. Parse, triangulate, split hairs.

I call bullshit.