Clinton: Obama "missing in action"; "Well I don't think people in Texas scare all that easily."

[DeepModem Mom]

CNN: February 29, 2008
Clinton: Obama 'missing in action'

WACO, Texas (CNN) — Hillary Clinton attempted to raise the stakes of the upcoming March 4 primaries Friday by forcefully calling into question Barack Obama's qualifications to become commander-in-chief. At a rally in Waco, with more than two dozen military veterans and flag officers standing behind her, Clinton criticized Obama for being "missing in action" during key security decisions in the Senate and claimed that he had "no responsibility" when he gave an anti-war speech in 2002 as an Illinois state senator.

Her comments coincided with a new campaign ad released in Texas that asks voters who they want to answer the phone in the White House at 3 a.m. when "there's something happening in the world." Obama criticized the ad earlier Friday, saying it was an attempt to "scare up votes." Clinton disputed that notion in her speech Friday, saying, "Well I don't think people in Texas scare all that easily."

In a salvo against Obama that lasted several minutes, Clinton said, "There's a big difference between giving a speech at anti war rally as a state senator and dealing with an international crisis as president." "There's a difference between giving a speech when you have no responsibility," she argued, "and having to step up and take charge and take the responsibility for your actions."

She charged that Obama was "missing in action" when he missed a Senate vote last year on a nonbinding resolution in that labeled the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization (Clinton voted for the measure and faced heat from Obama and other Democratic rivals for supporting a measure pushed by the Bush administration.) She also said Obama was "missing in action" by failing in his chairmanship of a Senate subcommittee on Europe to hold a hearing on NATO's presence in Afghanistan, a fact she has emphasized in recent days on the campaign trail.

Gen. Wesley Clark, a Clinton supporter and the former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, plugged the TV ad while introducing Clinton on stage and suggested that her tenure as First Lady prepared her to be president. "She's been in the White House when the tough decisions were made," Clark said, looking over to Clinton. "I guess you've been at the bedside when that phone rang at 3 a.m. in the morning." Clinton was joined at the event by three generals, including Clark, and a Navy Rear Admiral.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/29/clinton-obama-missing-in-action/#more-5639

[thunder rising]

1. Speaking to 100s in another high school gym ... go gett'im Hill.

[goclark]

2. Her ad is corny

She needs to fire the person that made it.

[chascarrillo]

3. I just lost a lot of respect for Clark.

That defense is just unconscionable.

[speedoo]

8. I lost respect for him when he endorsed the Day One lady.

I don't know if I have any left for him.

[cloudbase]

4. "I guess you've been at the bedside when that phone rang at 3 a.m. in the morning."

What if the phone rings at 3 a.m. in the afternoon?

[johnnydrama]

7. maybe she was there at 3 am.

But when it came, Bill got dresses and went to talk to his advisors. She went back to sleep.

[Berry Cool]

9. Yikes.

His comment was sure from the Department of Redundancy Department.

[johnnydrama]

5. there's some doozy's in there

1. She hasn't taken responsibility for her actions!
2. She's dealt with an international crisis? When? Which one?
3. Yes, Obama wasn't there for the K/L vote, but if 100 people weren't there, it wouldn't have passed. She was there and voted for it. Her argument is weak.


All these attacks could be seen as ok coming from someone who actually had any experience.

Coming from her it's pathetic.

[stillcool]

6. that's encouraging...

"I guess you've been at the bedside when that phone rang at 3 a.m. in the morning."
I hope I don't have to service electronic equipment like my husband does. Massachusetts might be without power for a while.