No "Do-Over" For Hillary On Iraq

Senator Clinton Campaigns For The White House In Iowa

(CBS/AP)  Pressed to defend her Iraq war vote, Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday there are no "do-overs in life" and Democrats need a presidential nominee who inspires confidence on national security.

In her first campaign swing through this early nominating state, the New York senator told party activists that Democrats in 2008 will face "someone on the other side who will be very tough and strong, even bellicose perhaps."

That likely was a reference to Arizona Sen. John McCain, who has taken a hard line in supporting more U.S. troops to Iraq, as President Bush has announced.

The former first lady also said has learned the lessons of the last two presidential campaigns, both lost by Democrats who responded slowly to criticism.

"When you are attacked, you have to deck your opponent," Clinton said. "I have been through the political wars longer than some of you have been alive. We've got to be prepared to hold our ground and fight back."

Clinton, who announced her candidacy last weekend, said Democrats cannot concede the security issue.

"We have to nominate someone who can have the trust and confidence of the American people to make the tough decisions as commander in chief," the former first lady said. "That is the threshold issue."

Her initial foray in Iowa was far different from the traditional caucus campaigning, with a few people in a living room. More than 1,500 people jammed a high school gymnasium for a town hall-style meeting. Some 150 reporters and photographers chronicled the event.

Clinton knows she could be counted out if she doesn't win in Iowa, reports CBS News correspondent Cynthia Bowers. Candidates who stumble in either Iowa or New Hampshire find it hard to regain the momentum they need to win their party's nomination.

“If somebody's able to become the clear winner in Iowa and New Hampshire, frankly, no matter when those states’ primaries are, no matter how big they are, I don't think they'll be able to buck the trend that is set in Des Moines and in Manchester,” Peter Greenberger, a Democratic political consultant, told CBS.

Earlier, Clinton met with state Democrats at the party's headquarters.

Attention focused on Iraq and her vote to authorize the use of force ahead of the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003. Presidential rivals such as former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards now say the vote in support was a mistake.

"There are no do-overs in life," Clinton said. She says Congress received bad information going into the vote and that she would have voted differently given what she knows now.

"As a senator from New York, I lived through 9/11 and I am still dealing with the aftereffects," Clinton said. "I may have a slightly different take on this from some of the other people who will be coming through here."

Clinton said her view was that the nation was engaged in a deadly fight against terrorism, a battle that she contends President Bush has botched.

"I do think we are engaged in a war against heartless, ruthless enemies," she said. "If they could come after us again tomorrow they would do so."

Clinton has urged a cap to the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, but has refused to go along with suggestions that Congress use its power of the purse to bring the war to a halt.

"This will be a problem that will be left to the next president," the senator said. "We've got to figure out now, given where we are, how we go forward."

Seeking a "phased redeployment" of troops from Iraq, she said, "We've got to bring the Iraq war to the right end." The Democratic-controlled Congress, she said, must start to "build the political will" to stop the president.

Clinton joked about the emotions she stirs in both those who like her and those who do not. "I know what I'm getting into. I do inspire strong feelings," she said.

She later planned to visit eastern Iowa for house parties in Cedar Rapids and Davenport.

[tank611]

Clinton said:

'If they could come after us again tomorrow they would do so'

The reason they can't come after us tomorrow is that we're fighting and killing them in Iraq,Afgahnistan,Warziristan and Somalia.

They WILL attack us tomorrow if we withdraw from Iraq.

[billion2005]

Hilary 2008!

[aisat2666]

SharnCedar, exusmcsgt,

How do you say, %u201C To a bunch of chauvinist pigs%u201D , to threas 2 clowns ?

[aisat2666]

Fascistusa Posted%u2026.

%u201DI will NEVER support another politician. America is a FASCIST COUNTRY.%u201D



You kiss a fat *** republican%u2019s ***. You have to be a broad, right? With a comment like that.

[annd2302]

Posted by exusmcsgt at 10:38 PM : Jan 27, 2007

"We need to insist that Israel follow the road map and stop treating the Palestinians as prisoners in their own land.
We also need to allow Iraq to disentegrate into secular states - something we'll never stop anyway, and show the Arab world that we consider them to be human beings like the rest of us. "


We don%u2019t need to do anything other than get the hell out of their business and come back home. We are not and should not be the world%u2019s police force.

[thgdriver]

The bad part about this whole thing is we have over "six hundred more days" of this CRA@ from all party's till election time.

[gdmoore2]

Blugrass1023, you have ruined my primary. I like Hillary, but now, every TV spot will be William Howard Taft in lipstick. Take your banjo and go to your room.

[thgdriver]

jh6379 SEZ.

Hillary is good...she's got my vote!

Bill can tell you where she is not good, that's why he would love to get back to the old days in the oval office with a young intern.

[getcentered]

Wow.

I think Hillary is on the right track with the right frame of mind.

Democrat can and will protect our country, and they won't let us be exposed by foolish endeavors such as the IRAQ WAR.

[blugrass1023]

I honestly think Hillary has a Presidential look to her and an image many Americans could identify with, that is if you know your history. I think she has an uncanny resemblance to William Howard Taft.

[grumpas]

I just love people like GunOwnerDan! They are all the same foam at the mouth and the mentality of a pissant! I doubt you are a Republican! You are probably one of those far out in space Independants who are closer to being Milita or White Sepremeist based! They are worse than Republican's in their fascist belief's!

[vancouverboo]

When you can't figure out a way to get around it you have no choice but to tell the truth. It doesn't happen often to a politician but sometimes you just can't get around it. lol.

[gunownerdan]

skyk, I never said I was a g0ddammn republican.
The Bush family and the Clintons are best friends.
They are playing you sheep and you don't even realize it!

[exusmcsgt]

After attempting to steal half the White House furnishings and art in 2001, I can't believe this broad got elected Senator in the first place, much less is considered to be presidential material by some.

Obviously, being a common thief is an acceptable chararacter flaw in candidates for both positions in some people's minds.

Heaven help us......

[skyk-2009]

GunOwnerDan. What grade did you complete in school? LOL Must not have gotten beyond the 5th grade because that's the Grade my Granddaughter is in and SHE know's FASCIST are Right Wing and that Hillary is Left Wing. Now wonder the Republican Party uses you clowns and makes fun of you!! ROFLMAO

[dallison7]

Hillary is just another gun banning fascist. Her extreme voting record in congress is proof enough!
The corporate wh0re can ****************!
(Maybe is she sucked on Bill's balls a little more he wouldn't have run off to Monica!)
Posted by GunOwnerDan at 08:07 AM : Jan 28, 2007

Kindly step out of the gene pool please.

[gunownerdan]

Hillary is just another gun banning fascist. Her extreme voting record in congress is proof enough!
The corporate wh0re can ****************!
(Maybe is she sucked on Bill's balls a little more he wouldn't have run off to Monica!)

[dallison7]

Carl Rove and Dan Bartlett have been subpoenaed in the Libby trial.

Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has said he continues to explore for wrongdoing, including whether Valerie Wilson's cover was blown in retaliation for her husband's public criticism of the president.

[bluestardad]

America GET out of Iraq and the Middle East quit selling them weapons, learn how to make Bio-Fuel or Clean-Coal Fuel and let the Middle East drink the oil and eat the sand! They cut the Oil off in the middle Seventies and we still have not gotten independent from Middle East Oil! Media quit covering these people in the Middle East let them blow each other up without our kids seeing it on the news! Who in the American Media is forcing our media to cover this violence in the Middle East? America has paid for the entire Middle East for the last Fifty Years in Lives, Blood and Tax Money and this investment has brought us the Chaos we have today. It is time to try something else! The Middle East has been fighting since the Sons of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac were born. Americans come home and let the Middle East be Isolated! The entire Middle East is not worth one more American Life or Dollar!

[karlimhof]

hillary says: ""We have to nominate someone who can have the trust and confidence of the American people to make the tough decisions as commander in chief," the former first lady said. "That is the threshold issue."

Agreed - having trust and confidence means also making the decisions of the majority of Americans and acting in a way which represents the will of all Americans.

Americans are not bloodthirsty imperialists but if look at our world record since Reagan it would seem we rely first on military force. Most Americans know our primary force is our heritage; our Revolution for Freedom, our national foundations written in our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. These values are protected by our military. Every President declares our will to "spread democracy and freedom in the world" and we agree but not by sending our military unless we face a real threat.

Our leaders must stop using our beliefs to impose a Pax Americana by force and say "we are protecting American strategic interests". America is greater then her military force.