Clinton: U.S. out of Iraq by January '09

AP on Yahoo ^ | 1/28/07 | Mike Glover - ap

[NormsRevenge]

DAVENPORT, Iowa - Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday that President Bush should withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq before he leaves office, asserting it would be "the height of irresponsibility" to pass the war along to the next commander in chief.

"This was his decision to go to war with an ill-conceived plan and an incompetently executed strategy," the Democratic senator from New York said her in initial presidential campaign swing through Iowa.

"We expect him to extricate our country from this before he leaves office" in January 2009, the former first lady said.

The White House condemned Clinton's comments as a partisan attack that undermines U.S. soldiers.

About 130,000 American troops are in Iraq and Bush has announced he was sending 21,500 more as part of his new war strategy.

Clinton held a town hall-style forum attended by about 300 activists, giving a brief speech before taking questions for nearly an hour. Pressed to defend her vote to authorize force in Iraq before the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003, Clinton responded by stepping up her criticism of Bush.

"I am going to level with you, the president has said this is going to be left to his successor," Clinton said. "I think it is the height of irresponsibility and I really resent it."

Bush describes Iraq as the central front in the global fight against terrorism that began after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "The war on terror will be a problem for the next president. Presidents after me will be confronting ... an enemy that would like to strike the United States again," he recently told USA Today.

One questioner asked Clinton if her track record showed she could stand up to "evil men" around the world.

"The question is, we face a lot of dangers in the world and, in the gentleman's words, we face a lot of evil men and what in my background equips me to deal with evil and bad men," Clinton said. She paused to gaze while the audience interrupted with about 30 seconds of laughter and applause.

Meeting later with reporters, she was pressed repeatedly to explain what she meant. She insisted it was a simple joke.

"I thought I was funny," Clinton said. "You guys keep telling me to lighten up, be funny. I get a little funny and now I'm being psychoanalyzed."

She told reporters that evil men included al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, who remains at large. "Isn't it about time we get serious about that?" she said.

During the town hall meeting, she tried to make clear that she thinks she would be a chief executive with enough fortitude to confront any danger facing the country.

"I believe that a lot in my background and a lot in my public life shows the character and toughness that is required to be president," Clinton said. "It also shows that I want to get back to bringing the world around to support us again."

The meeting was scheduled for a downtown restaurant but was switched to a pavilion at a nearby park when it became clear that hundreds of people planned to attend.

At virtually all her stops in this early nominating state, she ran into questions about her Iraq vote. She says Bush misled Congress and she now wants a cap on the number of troops, as well as beginning a "phased redeployment" of troops from Iraq.

The White House said it was disappointing that Clinton was responding to Bush's new war strategy "with a partisan attack that sends the wrong message to our troops, our enemies and the Iraqi people who are working to make this plan succeed."

"The height of irresponsibility," spokesman Rob Saliterman said, "would be to cap our troop numbers at an arbitrary figure and to cut off their funding."

Clinton does not support cutting funding for American troops, but does favor that step for Iraqi forces if the Baghdad government fails to meet certain conditions.

Clinton defended the role that Congress has played, saying newly empowered Democrats are beginning to build pressure on Bush to act, but the public needs to be patient.

"We are at the beginning of a process," Clinton said. "It's a frustrating process, our system is sometimes frustrating."

In making the case for her candidacy, Clinton cites her years as first lady, when Bill Clinton was president for two terms, and two winning campaigns for the Senate.

"I believe that my qualification and my life experience equip me to hit the ground running in January of 2009," Clinton said. "I have a unique perspective having been in the White House for eight years and understanding the challenge that comes from trying to govern our great country."

Clinton said he will run hard in Iowa's leadoff caucuses, an early contest her husband skipped when he sought the nomination in 1992. That year, Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin (news, bio, voting record) was in the race and Democratic rivals opted not to challenge him in his home state.

"My participation in the Iowa caucuses is the only thing in politics that I will do that Bill has not done," she said.

[aragona]

This once again proofs her ignorance of world dynamics and exposes her blind ambition. In her mind the terrorists are reduced to a politcal problem that needs to be cleaned up by the end of an American political season. What a WITCH.

[Son House]

She has a peace keeping mission that is more important.

[YOUGOTIT]

I would suggest that Clinton or is that Klinton or is that anti-American Communist withdraw back to her and her husbands country of China or the USSR, or even North Korea.

[orinoco]

I notice lots of women laughing but just a few of the men.

[Graymatter]

"My participation in the Iowa caucuses is the only thing in politics that I will do that Bill has not done,"

Is that a straight line that deserves a thread all its own?

[Deetes]

She wouldn't want a inconvenient war to goof up her day '''' Like she could even win , HA !!!

[popdonnelly]

What a phony. First she wants everybody to believe she's General Patton. Now she's falling all over herself to appease her party's left wing base. This woman will say anything, do anything.

[popdonnelly]

Roosevelt died inconveniently and left a war for the next Commander in Chief. Truman left a war for the next Commander in Chief. Clinton is an immature child, who can't deal with unpleasant realities.

[PistolPaknMama]

That bunch looks almost as awake as the Clintons at Reagan's memorial.

[spectre]

WRONG HILLARY!

January of 2009 we are going to see to it YOU are the one who is OUT!

Let's get it on and get it decided..

sw

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

NEVER FORGET


Clearly the height of Irresponsibilty in Time of War =


HILLARY's actively supporting our terrorist enemy Communist North Vietnam Dictator HO CHI MINH, against Freedom for the then Free South Vietnam that we were fighting so hard for during the Vietnam War.

Sadly bringing about in the End:

Pictures of a vietnamese Re-Education Camp

http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1308949/posts


What horrid price
is there for US to now pay
for another CLINTON Presidency,
in a new time of war
in a new century
with our own Freedom
directly at stake
right here at home
with a terrorist enemy that's now
just around the corner and
...up your street..?


NEVER FORGET

.

[madison10]

Hillary and Pelosi are b@stard-ettes.

[kabar]

Let's get out of Bosnia and Kosovo first.

[rottndog]

And when, Mrs. Clinton, will the troops be home from Bosnia and Kosovo?

[Victor]

"....asserting it would be "the height of irresponsibility" to pass the war along to the next commander in chief......"

Whassaa matter Hillie.....worried about a REAL issue handed to you should you win?

Or have you not considered that the office of POTUS is quite a bit more than your scripted version.....?

So now you hold this President responsible for your "ease" of taking office? Despicable.

God help me; I hate this loathsome bitch so....

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Phlap]

"I believe that a lot in my background and a lot in my public life shows the character and toughness that is required to be president,"

The question is, we face a lot of dangers in the world and, in the gentleman's words, we face a lot of evil men and what in my background equips me to deal with evil and bad men," Clinton said. She paused to gaze while the audience interrupted with about 30 seconds of laughter and applause.

We know how she dealt with the last evil man she faced. She forgave him. That showed her toughness all right.

[SkyPilot]

She is going to regret this campaign speech. He aides are probably in full spin mode, and in a panic.

First, she gave the general impression that she does not understand the fight the West is in against Good vs. Evil. Actually, that was a blessing for Conservatives, because the Left does not understand moral absolutes.

Secondly, her joke about "evil men" fell flat because it again revealed her true vicious nature. People don't vote for harpies - they have to like their President.

For all the vitriol and hate from the MSM and the Demoncrats, GW Bush is VERY likable - that is why he was elected TWICE.