Iraq vote

[Eric Indiana]

Hi. This is my first post here. I just wanted to say that the one thing that I can't get over about Clinton is her Iraq vote. When she voted for the war, it was after the largest world-wide protests in the history of the planet trying to stop Bush's war. She & other members of Congress had received more emails against the war than on any subject ever. She's smart. She knew better. The way she tries to say that she didn't know Bush would actually go to war and that she did the best with the intelligence she had, etc. just infuriates me. She voted for the war because it was politically expedient to do so. She didn't want Republicans running ads against her saying she was weak on terrorism or on Iraq. Most of the Democrats at that time were governing out of fear that they would be labeled weak on national security. So it's easier for me to forgive a Republican who voted for the war because they thought it was the right thing to do than a Democrat who put aside their values to vote for a war that the whole world was trying to prevent.

So that's the reason I can't vote for her in the primary. I mean, I remember before Bush even took office seeing an ad for a TV special on Bush's "upcoming" war in Iraq. EVERYONE knew he was planning to invade Iraq.

Other than that, I'm sure she's eminently qualified & will make a decent president (although I think that Obama is more likely to beat a Republican in November).

[ViolaLee]

Good to hear about another vote for Obama :)

[lily]

She voted for the war because it was politically expedient to do so. She didn't want Republicans running ads against her saying she was weak on terrorism or on Iraq.

Well, who knows what was going through her mind when she voted....this makes about as much sense as any I guess.

[PatrickHenry]

Will the republic ever return to the constitutional method of warring on other nations?

[LogicalConservative]

[quote=Eric Indiana]
She voted for the war because it was politically expedient to do so. She didn't want Republicans running ads against her saying she was weak on terrorism or on Iraq.

Well, who knows what was going through her mind when she voted....this makes about as much sense as any I guess.


She was very clear on what was going through her mind. It was a very thought out decission based the the facts that preceded Bush and were confirmed by Saddam's continued refusal to abide by the cease fire and the threat of him supplying our enemies with the means to create a mass attack on the US or other countries.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZcY6TGfAxE

She is quite clear and quite emphatic.

And here too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyC7loMop58&feature=related

She made the right decision and then she gave up her conviction for political expedience putting that ahead of our national security. She is totally unqualified to lead the country.

[Tharagor]

Will the republic ever return to the constitutional method of warring on other nations?


It hasn't done so in over half a century. I have no expectation it will do so again.

[PatrickHenry]

Will the republic ever return to the constitutional method of warring on other nations?


It hasn't done so in over half a century. I have no expectation it will do so again.

Is the public satisfied with the current procedure?

[brien]

Good to hear about another vote for Obama

Which is a vote to continue the occupation of the Middle East and Iraq as well. :shock:

Anyone who believes Obama will disenegage from Iraq is neither familiar with his platform on Iraq, or simply refuses to admit the truth. Furthermore, they probably don't understand his overall position in the Middle East. But what care they anyway? They are sheeple who seem to base their loyalty on "hope" and vague ideas of "change". :unreal:

[Tharagor]

From what I can tell, the public is apathetic. Notice the big issue in the race right now is the economy?

Yes, the economy is important, but ending the occupation in Iraq serves the economy.

[lily]

She made the right decision and then she gave up her conviction for political expedience putting that ahead of our national security. She is totally unqualified to lead the country.


I was agreeing, not disagreeing.[hr]
From what I can tell, the public is apathetic. Notice the big issue in the race right now is the economy?

Yes, the economy is important, but ending the occupation in Iraq serves the economy.



Politicians are like the media......they will talk/write about anything that will hold the public's interest for 5 minutes. The media isn't saying too much about Iraq and are talking about the economy. Tomorrow if the media discusses the the importance of mustard on hot dogs, the politicians would be doing the same.

[Tharagor]

Good to hear about another vote for Obama

Which is a vote to continue the occupation of the Middle East and Iraq as well. :shock:


Well, he is the least likely to continue occupation.

[brien]

Good to hear about another vote for Obama

Which is a vote to continue the occupation of the Middle East and Iraq as well. :shock:


Well, he is the least likely to continue occupation.



I yi yi..aren't you being a bit vague here, kind of like Obama in his speeches.

All three major candidates are clearly going to be obliged to continue the Iraq occupation. If anyone one of them pledged to really remove the troops unilaterally, then I may be inclined to believe them, but so far none of them has done this. Ron Paul did it but you see where he is today. This is the reality of the Iraq situation no matter what the candidates blather on about with regard to remaining in Iraq.

All three major candidates know well and good that to totally disengage from Iraq makes the ME picture much more complicated than it is today. What they really should be pledging is to disengage the US from the entire ME and handing the repsonsibility over the the UN.

[Alexander Hamilton]

It would be physically impossible for any President, including Ron Paul, to completely pull all troops out of Iraq. As much as I like Dr. Paul, and his views on foreign policy, Obama has the most voter-friendly position on Iraq, and generally the most logical. Keeping a few troops there to guard the embassy and to fight terrorism is something Americans can generally agree upon even if the war is abandoned.