Breaking News: Hillary Clinton pledges to end war "immediately" upon taking office

[Missy Vixen]

This is new.

All thanks to looseheadprop of www.firedoglake.com, who just posted an account of today's Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee luncheon.

http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/10/15/breaking-news-hillary-pledges-to-end-war-immediately-upon-taking-office/

>What I do know, is that I heard her say that she would end the Iraq war immediately upon taking office. Lots of heads snapped up when she said that (and there was plenty of applause, even a little whooping) and the very politically plugged in person sitting next to me remarked that the statement was “completely new”. She went on to say that the troops had already done everything they had been asked to do: got rid of Saddam, created a situation where elections could take place, surged to create political stability so the elected Iraqi government could do some legislating and work out a political solution (which she said they have not done) and that it was unfair to ask our troops to stay in Iraq and “play referee to an Iraqi civil war.” She said there is no military solution.

I’m not a Hillary watcher, so somebody in the comments may want to contradict that, but it certainly is the first time I’ve heard that and is very different than what I heard her say in the last debate.<

I'll be interested to see what happens next. If this is true, someone she actually listens to told her that Republican Lite isn't acceptable to the base.

Julie

[dorkulon]

1. I think she's said this before, at least a month or two ago.

I have no doubt that the situation will change once she becomes president, or even the Dem nominee.

[LiberalVoice]

2. link? nt

[Missy Vixen]

3. The link is in my above post n/t

[superkia]

4. She had this to say in July.

She said this back in July 07 but then she changed it up a little in September, so I would take anything she says as truth, how do you trust her? She probably noticed how many people that are against this damn war and needed to change it but then she may not have said it? I just look at her votes and pay attention to the issues that she doesn't stand up for, that tells me more about who she is than what she says each week. They keep saying shes an awesome campaigner but I hate to tell everyone that doesn't equal awesome person for president.

We cannot effectively address any of these challenges if we continue our military engagement in Iraq. As long as we stay there, our military strength will continue to erode. Our standing in the world will continue to decline. Our enemies in the region will continue to exploit our failures. Our occupation will continue to serve as a recruitment tool for terrorists. Our support for Afghan democracy, our conflict with the Taliban, and our hunt for al Qaeda will continue to be compromised. And our brave men and women will continue to lose their lives and suffer grievous wounds.


But then on the Sunday talk show fest she did, she said this:

Asked by ABC's George Stephanopoulos whether she would withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq during a first term as president, Clinton (D-N.Y.) gave a simple answer: She did not know.

But she used more than 225 words to say so. "You know, I'm not going to get into hypotheticals and make pledges, because I don't know what I'm going to inherit, George. I don't know and neither do any of us know what will be the situation in the region. How much more aggressive will Iran have become?" Clinton said. "What will be happening in the Middle East? How much more of an influence will the chaos in Iraq have in terms of what's going on in the greater region? Will we have pushed al-Qaeda in Iraq out of their strongholds with our new partnership with some of the tribal sheiks or will they have regrouped and retrenched?"

[BeFree]

5. Pub lite?

Hillary: Truly a compassionate conservative... a real one, not like the faker

And that's all I got to say about that.

[hedgehog]

6. Tuning the message to the audience?

Nothing new there for Ms. Clinton

[WilliamPitt]

7. *Devil's advocate*

Kinda like Dennis saying, "When I'm elected President I'm going to see that they are arrested. I'm not kidding here!"

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/27692

The politician who doesn't tailor comments to the audience is a politician who will be looking for another line of work pretty soon. It is what it is.

*fleeing*

[Botany]

8. Go get 'em Hillary

[WinkyDink]

9. Work on that one NOW, Senator.

[AtomicKitten]

Most of the candidates already support ending combat missions immediately.

[unc70]

11. Clinton does not rule out combat for "counter-terrorism"; Obama, weasels ...

Clinton does not rule out combat or special ops for "counter-terrorism" activities in Iraq.

Obama seems to distinquish between combat and special ops activities, but does not rule out counter-terrorism operations.

They each have "goals" and plans to "immediately begin".

[madrchsod]

13. special ops in iran...she already voted yes on that

obama splits hairs...it`s going to be a long 14-15 months

[AtomicKitten]

15. Obama has been very clear in his plan.

He says he will IMMEDIATELY begin to withdraw troops at two battalions a month (the optimum number for a safe withdrawal arrived at in consultation with the military) UNTIL THEY ARE OUT.

Obama does say he will keep troops to defend the embassy (which I hope he reconsiders since leaving troops in Saudi Arabia turned out so nicely ((sarcasm)) ).

Not perfect, but weasely? Hardly.

[unc70]

18. Obama: "and ... carrying out counterterrorism activities there."

Obama: "...if there’s no timetable—then I will drastically reduce our presence there to the mission of protecting our embassy, protecting our civilians, and making sure that we’re carrying out counterterrorism activities there."

Obama often makes these strong statements, and later he qualifies them so much they may not mean anything. Sort of like making a statement, but not actually voting. Something he did in IL and now in the Senate.

Clinton is much worse at doing this.

I have part of a discussion following the debate on my journal.

[cuke]

10. I dont believe this at all

HRC says she will "immediately start withdrawing", not "immediately end the war". I don't believe fdl's claim that she's changed her postition. I think fdl misunderstood what she said

[madrchsod]

12. bush is still in charge until jan 2009

clinton voted to give bush a way to attack iran and she`s talking about ending the war in what-15 some months from now?

the devil is in the details hillary...i`d really like to hear the nuts and bolts of how this would be accomplished..

[Skidmore]

14. That gale is blowing in from the west today I believe.

Let me go check the forecast for tomorrow.

[swag]

16. Kicked and recommended

[AuntPatsy]

17. Not sure what to say, why now? Why not yesterday? And to be honest

I would love for Hillary to get the nomination if Gore does not run but can I trust her? Is she just pretending to play the game in order to win? Would she turn about face and do what is needed for this country once she held the power? I just don't know, I am no longer as sure of her as I once was and I wish I could be. I really do.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

19. When Bill Clinton was running...

for his first term, I saw him speak at San Jose State. I knew nothing about him, zilch, before that. That day we heard a liberal, populist candidate who spoke of reasonable personal and financial responsibility. I, along with four friends, came away that afternoon astonished at what we heard and wondering if we dare believe in him. We found ourselves to be caustiously excited at the possibility of Bill Clinton as president.

Two things became immediately clear to me about new President Bill Clinton: with all his ideas the devil was in the details, and he had a willingness to abandon people/values/positions if he ran up against political heat. (Witness Lani Guennier, Jocelyn Elders, Don't Ask/Don't Tell.) It still took me two terms and a lot of heartache to realize fully I had been had.

Eight years later, here is Hillary Clinton. I am hearing much of the same rhetoric and see much of the same political tacking. Add in the Maggie Thatcher act and it is not looking pretty.

I find myself having to constantly ask myself, "This is what she said, but what does she mean???"

It is possible for a politician to be straightforward and politically savvy. I personally don't want a Pandora's Box for a Presidential candidate.