Clinton Takes On Obama During Foreign Policy Talk

From CBS News' Fernando Suarez:

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Hillary Clinton took a break from campaigning in March 4th primary states to deliver what her campaign called a “major foreign policy speech” today, but her remarks were aimed more at discrediting the experience of Barack Obama.

Clinton stood on stage with 10 American flags, warning the audience that electing a president with little foreign policy experience could be harmful to America. “We’ve seen the tragic results of having a president who didn’t have either the experience or the wisdom to manage our foreign policy and safeguard our national security,” she said. “We can’t let that happen again. America has already taken that chance one time too many.”

Although Clinton rarely mentioned Obama by name, her jabs were no doubt intended at her opponent. “To me, this is not theoretical,” she said. “This is very much who I am, what I have done and what I will do. The American people don’t have to guess whether I understand the issues, or whether or not I need a foreign policy instruction manual to guide me through a crisis or whether I have to rely on advisors to introduce me to global affairs.”

Aside from knocking his experience, Clinton also dusted off comments Obama made months ago, when he said he would personally meet with leaders of rogue nations like Iran and North Korea. “I will not be penciling the leaders of Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, or Cuba on the presidential calendar without preconditions until we have assessed through lower level diplomacy motivation and intentions of these dictators,” she said, framing Obama’s comments as foreign policy inexperience. “We simply cannot legitimize rogue regimes or weaken American prestige by impulsively agreeing to presidential level talks that have no preconditions. It may sound good, but it doesn’t meet the real world tests of foreign policy.”

Obama has been quoted as saying he would take unilateral military action without the permission of a sitting government in order to take out Osama bin Laden, which drew criticism at the time. “One thing the American people can be sure of, I will not broadcast threats of unilateral military action against a country like Pakistan just to demonstrate that I am tough enough for the job,” Clinton said.

She wrapped up her remarks by telling voters that there is a clear distinction between herself and Obama. “He wavers from seeming to believe that mediations and meetings without preconditions can solve some of the world’s most intractable problems, to advocating brash, unilateral military action without the cooperation from our allies form the most sensitive region in the world,” she said. “Electing a president should not be an either or proposition when it comes to national security. We need a president who knows how to deploy both the olive branch and the arrows.”