Clinton praises Canada's Afghan mission

CNEWS ^ | 11/11/06 | cp124

[cp124]

VICTORIA (CP) - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is urging Canada to stay the course on Afghanistan and continue providing aid and military muscle to defeat the Taliban.

Clinton, sporting a poppy in his lapel, was the main draw at a noon-hour event that packed the B.C. capital's largest arena with people willing to pay up to $175 for the privilege.

The focus of his speech was on the power ordinary citizens have to affect the public good, both locally and globally.

But he also took time to thank Canada for its efforts to bring aid and peace to Afghanistan.

"I promised myself that as long as the situation in Afghanistan persists, I would never come to Canada without thanking you for your participation through NATO in the effort to save a genuine moderate, pro-western democracy," he said. "I am grateful."

Canada is "doing a good thing," Clinton said.

"Because we have to pursue both these things together: a security policy and a policy to create more partners and fewer terrorists."

In an half-hour question and answer session with B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell after the speech, the two-term Democratic president urged the deployment of more troops.

"We have under-forced the mission there," he said. "We have 20,000 American troops there, 20,000 NATO troops there, and there are 140,000 troops in Iraq."

He is urging the U.S. government to free up more troops to go into Afghanistan to stem the Taliban and send a message to NATO allies that it's a fight worth waging.

"We can't expect NATO to send more unless we (the United States) send more first."

The 60-year-old Clinton apologized for looking a bit haggard, explaining that Tuesday's mid-term U.S. election had kept him busier than he could ever remember.

He said he'd caught a morning flight to the B.C. capital from New York.

"If I somehow faint in the middle of the speech you'll have to cut me a little slack," he said.

His speech touched on citizenship, rather than partisan politics, and what ordinary people in the 21st century can do to ensure they leave a better world for their children.

It boils down to providing security, making friends and partners and home improvement, both locally and globally, he said.

"Your power as a private citizen to deal with some of these challenges is greater today than at any other time in human history," he told the crowd.

He used a nine-year-old Victoria boy who had raised money for the Clinton Foundation's AIDS initiative as an example of what ordinary people can accomplish.

Jamie Poncia had made "conkers," a horse chestnut on a string, and sold them to schoolmates to raise money for medicine for AIDS-infected children.

Clinton read the boy's letter out to the crowd while singling him out in the front row, then held up his cheque for $204.

"This money will save a child's life - a child he will never know, who may never know him, who will live and grow up just like Jamie because he did this."

Campbell asked Clinton about his wife Hillary's political future. She was re-elected as New York senator earlier in the week but many see her as a contender in the 2008 presidential campaign.

"Nobody will believe me, but I don't know," the former president responded.

"I think if my wife had made a decision to run for president I would probably know it. I think it would be unlikely that she wouldn't tell me first."

[cp124]

New President Bill Clinton leading up to new president Hitlery Clinton.

[conservative in nyc]

Ping.

If you have any relatives with young ladies in Victoria, please warn them that Bill Clinton is in town. At least we're safe in New York for a few days.

Any idea why Clinton was getting $175 a plate to give a talk in BC?

[2ndDivisionVet]

When former President Clinton visits the WC, are the democratic faithful charged money to waft his aroma and witness his b.m.?

[ExcursionGuy84]

Well Waddaya know....'ole "I-did-not..." is doing a 180 on Afghanistan....from saying the US is "botching" IRAQ,
to "High-fiving" the Canucks in the Other battleground

[Rosamond]

"The focus of his speech was" I I I I I

[Candor7]

The focus of his speech was on the power ordinary citizens have to affect the public good, both locally and globally.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

BJ has too many skeletons in his closet to preach the Liberal Moonbat "Brave Nude World" propaganda in Canada.

He still has too much lipstick on his crotch for Canadians to believe he is anything but Belinda's latest bone.

Any bets that she and Slick will be getting together in her "riding?"

I suppose BJ's campaign trip to the Great North means that Canadians will be voting in the next Presidential election, along with illegal Mexican aliens.

Could it be that Canadians will be included in the new Alien Amnesty Bill planned by the Democrats?

Get ready Ottawa, for an exodus of Canadians into the South, as couples who are pregnant decimate the Canadian populus via emmigration to Jesusland.Its an invasion of the Southern States by Mexican aliens and now by SNOWBIRDS?Finnally the conservative bastion of the South will be conquered!! Liberals will rule in Mexico, Canada and the USA!.

Nice Plot Slickster. The only problem is the lipstick on your crotch. Somehow it is a warning banner for all Canadians, who have been there and done that with their own moonbat politicos for 40 years.

BJ, what you say about people acting for the public good lies in patriotism, not in a slick, moonbat Utopia which will destroy democracy and freedom in the West.

Will someone just crucify him? I want to see him rise in three days.

[GMMAC]

"Clinton praises Canada's Afghan mission"

Yikes !!!
While I suppose it's possible to worry too much about Arkancide, if our casualty numbers now suddenly go up in Afghanistan, no one should be surprised.

"Any idea why Clinton was getting $175 a plate to give a talk in BC?"

Answer: like yours, our liberals are all hypocrites.
Accordingly, the only time they cease in their whining anti-Americanism is when the Americans in question number among their fellow travelers.
Then, as in the case above, it's ass-kissin' time.
If you think eating with Clinton is disgusting, you really don't want to see them with Michael Moore.

PING!

[rockinqsranch]

"The focus of his speech was" I I I I I"

When is it not?

He's "on the juice" now, and the BS is flowing like lava.

[waywest]

I was at his Victoria speech. Any questions about what he said?

[CeDex]

Now, tell us what you really think, Candor7. :)

[Fair Go]

I wonder if Clinton was handing out cigars?