Clinton: Obama "Irresponsible" And "Naive"
Democratic Rivals Clash Over Obama Saying He'd Be Willing To Meet With Heads Of Rogue Nations
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The New York senator, in an interview with Iowa's Quad-City Times, made her first direct criticism of her chief rival after the two campaigns engaged in a back-and-forth about Obama's remarks in Monday night's debate.
In the debate, Obama was asked if he would be willing to meet — without precondition — in the first year of his presidency with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea.
"I would," he responded.
Clinton said she would not.
"I don't want to be used for propaganda purposes," she said. Her campaign quickly posted video of her answer online, trying to show she has a different understanding of foreign policy than her chief rival.
Asked about the exchange, she told the newspaper that Obama is regretting his answer a day later.
"I thought that was irresponsible and frankly naive," Clinton said. The interview was posted on the newspaper's Web site.
In a separate interview with the newspaper, Obama said: "What she's somehow maintaining is my statement could be construed as not having asked what the meeting was about. I didn't say these guys were going to come over for a cup of coffee some afternoon."
The rival campaigns clashed over the meaning of Obama's answer. Clinton supporters characterized it as a gaffe that underscored the freshman senator's lack of foreign-policy savvy, while Obama's team claimed his response displayed judgment and a repudiation of President Bush's diplomacy.
"I would think that without having done the diplomatic spadework, it would not really prove anything," former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said in a conference call with reporters set up by the Clinton campaign.
Obama's team summoned Anthony Lake, who was national security adviser in President Clinton's first term and now serves as a foreign policy adviser to Obama.
"A great nation and its president should never fear negotiating with anyone and Senator Obama rightly said he would be willing to do so — just as Richard Nixon did with China and Ronald Reagan with the Soviet Union," Lake said.
In a memo from Obama spokesman Bill Burton, the campaign contended that Obama's comments played well with focus groups that watched the debate and "showed his willingness to lead and ask tough questions on matters of war."
Obama "offered a dramatic change from the Bush administration's eight-year refusal to protect our security interests by using every tool of American power available — including diplomacy," said the memo.
Obama adviser David Axelrod said on Tuesday that Obama would not just meet blindly with such leaders but only after diplomatic spadework had been accomplished.
Americans "are sick of the Bush diplomacy and aren't interested in continuing it," said Axelrod.
The Obama campaign was quick to point to an April 23 quote from Clinton in which she said, "I think it's a terrible mistake for our president to say he won't talk to bad people." That, Obama representatives said, showed Clinton had changed her position.
Clinton advisers noted that the New York senator's full quote included a line that she would first "begin diplomatic discussions with those countries" before such meetings — same as she said in Monday's debate.
"I never would have gotten out of the debate last night that there was any change in position," Albright said.
She emphasized that Obama had said he would meet with such leaders in his first year without preconditions.
"If you look back at real breakthroughs and diplomatic history, what you basically find is that in order to understand where the situation is, to clear the underbrush away, it is necessary to have lower level people make the initial contact," Albright said.
In a memo, Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said Obama "has committed to presidential-level meetings with some of the world's worst dictators without precondition during his first year in office. Senator Clinton is committed to vigorous diplomacy but understands that it is a mistake to commit the power and prestige of America's presidency years ahead of time by making such a blanket commitment."
Obama representatives also sought to emphasize anew Clinton's initial support for the war, echoing comments by the candidate himself who asserted in the debate: "The time to ask how we're going to get out of Iraq was before we got in."
Rival John Edwards, who campaigned in South Carolina on Tuesday, echoed Clinton's comments in the debate.
"I would not commit myself on the front end openly to meet with (Iranian President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad, (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Il, (Venezuelan President) Hugo Chavez," Edwards told reporters in McClellanville, S.C. "I think there's a real potential that would be used as a propaganda tool."
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See all 149 CommentsHillary is the one being naive and irresponsible.
Dropping bombs is occasionally, and sadly, necessary but she hasn't an ounce of sincerity whatsoever. I see no reason to believe her without lots of evidence, regardless of topic -- the irony being we all already know Iran is a legitimate danger. But common sense trumps her chicanery any day of the week.
this is the only way!!!!!!!!! to stop this adminastration. period..the only way bush has no way of vetoing. so why haven't they done this?
both party are dragging this on to far. its time to end this for god sake
so call on congress to do this NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Article 1 of the US Constitution gives the Congress, not the President, the right to declare war. And the War Powers Act specifies that the President may not continue a war without Congressional authorization. Saddam is dead. There never were any WMDs or ties to Al Qaeda. The basis for the 2002 war authorization is gone.
If Congress passes a resolution de-authorizing the war, the President has no legal authority to continue. De-authorization cannot be vetoed, and it would legally require Bush to begin bringing the troops home.
The time for waiting is over. People are dying every day. We cannot wait until this fall to start bringing our troops home. If Congress doesn't act before they leave for the summer, the only thing that will change between now and the end of the year is the body count.
Congress has a public mandate and the Constitutional authority to end this war.
LETS GO AMERICA WE OWE THIS TO OUR TROOPS DIEING FOR NOTHING BUT THE PRESIDENTS AND MR VP'S PLEASURE, AND PROFITS.....
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What's there to negotiate when you have enemies in the world who seek nothing less than your destruction and who are get their inspiration from a 6th century death cult?
For Hilary's 'tough talk' she's as much of a pus.sy as the rest of the Dems and the GOP are a bunch of wussies too but at least they aren't afraid of stepping up to the plate. If America wasn't so weak as it is today, Iran's nuke plants would've been bombed already and groups like Hezbollah, Hamas wouldn't exist for starters.
Posted by WiccanTexan at 04:51 PM : Jul 24, 2007
Good one.
The Clin'toons support the same policies as Bush--they just try to sell them to a different set of people--those who walk upright. Obama is clever--we probably have Mr. Lake, he's an old hand at being so clever that one can't readily distinguish his cleverness from rank deceit. You can always meet with someone, pretend to be reasonable and then accuse them of being unreasonable...would the American electorate know the difference? Hardly! Obama has already shown himself to be a weasel in sheep's clothing when it comes to the war in Iraq. Looks like Hillary, a mistress of deceit in her own right, could appreciate Obama's position. I think Rupert Murdoch and the New York's 'Our Crowd' must keep her on a pretty short leash and she is merely envious of the Obama's projection of reason and goodwill and doesn't want him to count coup at her political expense in the heartland...where reason is valued more than in New York hive.
"Irresponsible" And "Naive"???
That describes the Democratic Party perfectly.
Thank you, Hil!
...
Posted by hypnotoad72 at 05:09 PM : Jul 24, 2007
Barack Obama - Osama Bin Laden ... we'd have to be crazy! Someone should have told him to change his name to Smith or Johnson, his chances would be better. Pretty sad too, of all the dems running, he's the ONLY one who has really been consistent and hasn't wavered. Not that I agree with him but I do have respect for his character. Hillary on the other hand only knows how to pander, no substance there.
Posted by b48151 at 06:28 PM : Jul 24, 2007
True.
Frankly, we're completely doomed if that b.i.t.c.h. wins.
I am a strong democrat - a liberal one at that. However, i feel YOU are a bad representation of the people; however you have name-recognition so you'll probably win.
Your mud slinging/insulting really does not become you. This is the antics of a 5 year old child! When will you political figures finally wise up and stop acting like children? Stop the infighting. Just because someone else's ideas are not the same as your own does NOT make then naive or foolish. In fact, YOU, i believe... SUPPORTED this war from the outset. Who is the foolish one now?
Anyhow, i'm all for a PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES to face these "rogue" nations' leaders in PERSON and actually discuss things! Our policy of our LACK of desire to meet with other nations has quite frankly, DOOMED us during this administration (only a PART of what DOOMED us).
Barak has more class in his pinky finger than you do in your whole body Mrs. Clinton. You may be a strong woman who may be able to lead this nation; but when you resort to insults, then you smack of nothing less than the republicans who can solely point fingers, slander, use childish moronic names, etc...
Stick to your ideas and stop criticizing others' ideas as foolish. The way you make yourself shine is to show how your ideas are better.... belitting your competition only makes YOU look foolish.
Have a nice night.
Posted by katg21 at 06:24 PM : Jul 24, 2007
You and others like you are pathetic to be using his NAME that his PARENTS gave him upon birth as something WRONG? Unbelieveable. HOw in the world can you compare the MAN, Barack Obama with the likes of OBL? The whole republiCON crowd who keep saying "Obama Osama" just play off this to get you to think that Obama is a terrorist sympathizer. UNBELIEVEABLE. What is this, kindergarten? USE YOUR D*MN BRAINS for once instead of ridiculous childhood playground antics! We, the people, are fed up with it! Why should someone change their name for better chances??? A better chance at what??? winning the vote of biggots such as yourself? VOTE for the PERSON, not for their NAME. You numbskulls voted for BUSH because his FATHER was George Bush, former PRESIDENT of the united states. If you had actually delved into the MAN that calls himself George Bush (our current president, and the GOD of many RepubliCONs), you would have realized he was a former (debatable on current) drunk who has a record and who has failed at just about every business venture he has been in. For you, it's all about the NAME and not CREDENTIALS and ABILITY.
FOR ONCE people, WISE UP!
Posted by adian1 at 05:55 PM : Jul 24, 2007
-Thanks adian1 for your posting. It's refreshing to know there are people like you who can say things as they happened. It's refreshing to know there are mid-minded people who are willing to listen and clear their their vision about the substance of the candidates running for this important position that may lead to the Presidency of the USA. It's time the USA stand for the good guys/girls we are, the ones who want to share some doleances with others and talk the human-level talks. I find the attitude of Hillary is a bit childish and arrogant. She wants to impress the audience by her tough stand against rogue nations. She forgets that those nations have people inside their borders, with the basic needs similar to every one's on Earth.
On the other hand Obama, being the son af an immigrant knows and is very sensitive to it. He is the son of an immigrant, not the son of establishment who moved over from Europe, to continue it's domination and blood spilling of our and other nations sons'.
Finally, NO OBAMA is not naive nor is he Irresponsible.
Enter one Boy Obama - he sez: I'se go an see dem friends Jef Davis, Nat Forrest, he in dat white sheet,jus like my mass kkk byrd, rob lee and talk about dat emancipation proclamation - ise don need it, i se loves dem Confeder-acy.Ise talk to dem and klan all de time.
And her - oh, dear, bill's humping the fat girl, and he's got the slim model coming in. No time to bake those cookies. And s&x, who wants a witch anyway. Guess I have to run for President -maybe someone will p*ss on me. Ahhhh, I feel better already.
Anyone who votes for either one of these two non-serving, naive, full of cr&p losers needs to get their head examined immediately.
Posted by cbscrash07 at 07:25 PM : Jul 24, 2007
Foolish foolish foolish... Yes, Mrs. Clinton is an opportunist. The fact that she changes her mind does NOT make her bad... it makes her someone who realizes her mistakes... HOWEVER, in the case of Mrs. Clinton, i agree, she's only doing it to pander to the people.
With that said, your blind trust of the president, just because he sticks with a decision is a foolish placed trust. If he's doing something WRONG or that you DISAGREE with, it is your DUTY to speak up and get that wrong corrected! Just because he does what HE thinks is right does *NOT* make it right! HITLER was 1-track-minded also. Would you have admired him too because he stated his beliefs and stuck to it without caring what others thought? I'm afraid what will happen when Bush is removed from office (or when his term ends... most likely will be when his term ends) on what will come out... secret prisons?? concentration camps? how many atrocities will have been committed in the name of the republiCON God, George Bush?
You're pretty dumb to vote for this ignoramus and house servant of Mr. Byrd's. If he'd talk to Kim the Babykiller, or any other genocidal maniac he'd talk to Jefferson Davis too. Perhaps tell him that he called Lincoln a "Racist" and agrees wholeheartedly with him.
Heck, Boy Obama would also talk to Adolf Hitler it seems. Class? Yeah, that cuckolded hussy lacked it 20, 30 years ago when she put up with perv and draft dodger's sh*t, but guess what, so does house servant. You vote for either one of them because your an empty-headed, brain dead lib, you deserve them...
And by the way, since Osama, oops, Obama wants to speak to Kim or other murderers, when is he - and shrew - going on active duty in Iraq? Care to answer, Libs with mouths full of s&ck?
The next time he has lunch with KKK Byrd, Harry, would care to comment?
As long as we remain stupid, we will remain without power.
drunk who has a record and who has failed at just about every business venture he has been in. For you, it's all about the NAME and not CREDENTIALS and ABILITY.
so are you saying that the president did not set the gas prices like everyone is saying? If yes then he did not fail.
feel in the war of secret agents and political
espionage you should vote for either shirley
roper-phelps or the clintons. we soviets
are still rather rascist. we have an
allergy to melanin. it makes us want
to drink vodka and eat borscht. when white
girls from russia see a black man, they long
for the length. one of my daughters is
married to one of the los angeles lakers.
i try not to get upset. see, the union
of soviet america was defeated by basketball
players like the harlem globetrottes. but
we communists are coming back real strong.
beware our foils and foibles and strengths
and strategies, we still will bury you for
free. it costs a lotta money to be buried
under capitalism. we hate for the dead
to suffer. that's a lotta money going
for the dead. prey on. keep on praying. we
scientific materialists aren't converted yet.
So who do they love - a "whooooo boy, are you stupid" house servant of the Klan. A hypocrite who called Abraham Lincoln a "racist" but ol' stepin' barry sure knew where to start his Presidential Campaign. Of course if he had moxy, if not class, he'd run it from Jeff Davis' old Brierfield Plantation. That's more like him.
But the question is - when are these two anti-American, anti-U.S. military, pro-Hamas clowns going to finally stop wasting tax money and get their fat bu*tts over to Iraq? And when are the brain deads of the Left going to urge them to do so.
Wait, I think they've already started on the Shrew. LOL
Read your last sentence again. If you vote for any democratic party, moveon.org stooge, you will always fit that bill.
Oh, thanks by the way for your George bleep Bush comment. At least he struck back at Osama - Billy Boy, the Shrew's erstwhile hubby was either too busy humping Lewinsky or bombing innocent Serbs to take notice. And Shrew was too busy baking cookies.
As for Osama, oops, Boy Obama, he was too busy running errands for Master Byrd or eating watermelon to take notice. Or apologizing to Jefferson Davis for Martin Luther King.
To my Democrat Party friends:
I warned you, that while you were joining the Republicans in cravenly blaming the people of Iraq, and their installed puppet-government for the misery that we have foisted on them, and while you were helping to conflate the fabled and NONEXISTENT "al-Qaeda-in-Iraq" hoax, that the Republicans would use the hoax to tie the illegal war of aggression against Iraq to the idiotic "War on Terror", and that whichever corporate/AIPAC-owned Democrat is coronated in 2008, would receive the FULL BLAME for surrendering in "the war on terror" (TWOT), when they withdraw from Iraq.
It is already happening!
WAKE UP!!!
"al-Qaeda-in-Iraq"=sick, deadly, psyops hoax!!!
We are fighting IRAQIS, and they have every right to defend themselves.
Do you "support the troops"? Then get them the hell out of there, NOW!!!
www.ipetitions.com/petition/OutNow
Posted by WiccanTexan at 04:51 PM : Jul 24, 2007
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Having a 65% end of presidency approval rating even after the failed impeachment) can't be too bad. It is TWICE as high as the miserable ratings the current president is recieving.
Barak claims he's just as much a feminist as Hillary is a negro.
Hillary says Bill can't invalidate her feelings.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3429493,00.html
You may laugh at the attitude the Syrian ambassador had when asked if he met with his Israeli counterpart. So childish! Come on grow up...
You can only cry wolf so many times before people realize you're fooling with them. And thanks to Bush and his ilk Americans now have a better sense of who our real enemies are and who aren't. And why, and how.
There's less fear and more wisdom and that's why Obama resonates with so many people. He knows the old order is coming to an end so he's preparing the ground for the new order by running for president. It really doesn't matter if he doesn't win this time but in the future, after another Democratic or Republican candidate keep on going with the old regime with the same old tired arguments and the same hypocrisy that has fueled our foreign policies, voters will have a better understanding of why Obama speaks the way he does.
He along with a new generation of Americans are creating a new language, a new way of thinking that will set the USA straight by using our power wisely.
Thank you Obama for having the balls to speak against the old regimes, Democrat and Republican, and forging forward with a new vision we sorely need after more than half a century of irrational confrontations and bogus wars.
If this country could truly elect someone named Barack Hussein Obama, that'd be more miraculous than creating nuclear fusion from a can of Reddi-wip.
I have just one question for them:
WHY ARE YOU DEMS SO DESPERATE TO GET OUR TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ???????????
Maybe its because democrats dont have stomach for the war?
Maybe its because democrats want to protect the terrorists?
Maybe its because democrats are so scared that they just want to run away?
If our troops pull out of Iraq and Iran take control of middle east i have one more question for the democrats hopeful: WHERE ARE YOU GONNA GET THE OIL TO FUEL YOU LIMOUSINES AND TO MAINTAN OUR ROADS? FROM HUGO CHAVEZ?
demand to be made president of the union
of soviet america, as communism is better.
we take care of rogues by eliminating them
permanently. like give them permanent vacations.
as in the song, my boyfriends back. and
there's gonna be trouble, big trouble.
red-fascism is much preferable than laissez-faire capitalism where the few kick back on 'interest'
while others work their tails to the bone.
thank god for soviet programs like ssi and medicaid. and the dea, fbi,cia, usss, navy, army,
marine corps, air force, or we'd all starve.
It isn't hard to do...
No poverty pimps or tax increases...
No terrorist apologists too...
You may say that I'm a dreamer...
But I'm not the only one...
candy woman' coming to a theater near
you soon. you american maniacs can drool
as she dispenses poisoned candy to
millions of american teenagers with
her allies and wild *** parties too.
she can't wait to let loose. come
totally undone like a nun.
Posted by singinrick
-Hey sickrick, you look really upset at FF1. Tel me who has lied first about the WMDs in Iraq. It's your leader Walking-Liar Bush. Who made Al-Qaeda presence (if at all) in Iraq? -It's your iconic leader Walking-Liar Bush. Still waiting for you to denounce the lies of GWalking-Liar Bush. Can't do it can you?
I have already answered your idioitic question, but since you are apparently too lazy and helpless to check the thread for an answer, here it is again-
Re: "I sure would love to see you denounce radical islamic jihad on these boards for once."
I really couldn't care less about it. The unelected global terror network that has infected and infested our government, and the bootlicking, dead-brained Christian-Zionists and Corporatists that support them are, by far, the greatest threat to the U.S., to our Constitution, and to the rest of the world at the moment- no contest.
I have not seen you criticize the lie-based mass-murder of brown people yet, but I would not expect you to. You, and your hate-filled, blood-thirsty god seem to embrace it.
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As far as the rest of your comment goes, your stupidity is really self-debinking, in my opinion.
Hillary: Barak is such a negro.
Barak: Hillary is such a ***.
End of debate. Commercial message to follow. Thank you for watching CBS.
We get it. You feel threatened by Negros and women. This is hardly a surprise. Try to sqeeze out some new material, or give it a rest.
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