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Clinton errs on Pakistan
The Politico ^ | January 1, 2008 | Ben Smith

Posted on 01/01/2008 6:15:12 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was praised in the wake of the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto for demonstrating her command of the players and the issues at stake in Pakistan, even as another candidate, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, was criticized for stumbling over details.

But in two confident television appearances, on CNN and ABC, Clinton made an elementary error about Pakistani politics: She described President Pervez Musharraf as a "candidate" who would be "on the ballot."

In fact, Musharraf was reelected to the presidency in October. The upcoming elections are for parliament, and while Musharraf's party will be facing off against opposition parties, the president himself is not a candidate.

"He will NOT be on the ballot," said a Pakistan scholar at Columbia University, Philip Oldenburg, in an e-mail. "These are parliamentary elections, where the contests are for a seat in the national assembly. The prime ministerial candidate typically fights for victory in a local constituency, as well as lead[ing] the party in a national campaign."

A spokesman for Clinton, Howard Wolfson, said Clinton was referring to Musharraf's party, not the president himself.

And Oldenburg said that "how well the PML-Q, the so-called 'King's Party,' does would in effect be a referendum on Musharraf."

But Clinton's words appear unambiguously to describe Musharraf himself as a candidate.

"If President Musharraf wishes to stand for election, then he should abide by the same rules that every other candidate will have to follow," she told CNN's Wolf Blitzer (.pdf) Dec. 28.

"He could be the only person on the ballot. I don't think that's a real election," she told ABC's George Stephanopolous December 30.

Her error was first noted by a conservative American commentator, Thomas Houlahan.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections; US: Arkansas; US: Illinois; US: New York; War on Terror
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This woman would have us in a nuclear war within a week! Smartest woman in the world my Aunt Fanny!!
1 posted on 01/01/2008 6:15:13 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I challenge the smartest woman in the world to a calculus competition.

On national TV.


2 posted on 01/01/2008 6:16:32 PM PST by G8 Diplomat (Creatures are divided into 6 kingdoms: Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Monera, Protista, & Saudi Arabia)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The MSM doesn’t care. They just want her elected no matter what. They will cover for her every mistake right up to the next devastating terrorist attack in this country.


3 posted on 01/01/2008 6:17:17 PM PST by originalbuckeye
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Keep yappin’, Hillie....


4 posted on 01/01/2008 6:17:19 PM PST by mewzilla (In politics the middle way is none at all. John Adams)
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To: G8 Diplomat
Lying bar-flunker .
5 posted on 01/01/2008 6:18:12 PM PST by kbennkc (For those who have fought for it , freedom has a flavor the protected will never know)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Liars
Liars
Liars


6 posted on 01/01/2008 6:19:34 PM PST by nuconvert ("Terrorism is not the enemy. It is a means to the ends of militant Islamism." MZJ)
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To: devolve; 2ndDivisionVet; ntnychik; PhilDragoo; dixiechick2000; MeekOneGOP
Another 'mess up' by Hillary! Will they never end? We sure hope not!!


7 posted on 01/01/2008 6:21:27 PM PST by potlatch ("Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we might as well dance!")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
"If President Musharraf wishes to stand for election, then he should abide by the same rules that every other candidate will have to follow," she told CNN's Wolf Blitzer (.pdf) Dec. 28.

"He could be the only person on the ballot. I don't think that's a real election," she told ABC's George Stephanopolous December 30.

The problem is that Blitzer and Stephanopolous are political pimps, not news reporters. They haven't the faintest idea what they are talking about. They ask hillary questions about Bhutto and Pakistan because that's the latest cause celebre, but I doubt whether they even noticed that hillary mispoke. They probably know even less about it than she does, although they're standing there like pompous experts interviewing her.

So, what are they going to say now? That she was wrong and they are stupid? I don't think so.

8 posted on 01/01/2008 6:29:24 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: potlatch; devolve; 2ndDivisionVet; ntnychik; MeekOneGOP; Grampa Dave
All well and good that the Red Queen has Howard Wolfson to shovel the manure she leaves in the street.

Not good that her ignorance was twice expressed in her own incontrovertible words.

As with the Red Queen of C.S. Lewis' Alice, "words mean what I mean when I say them".

Hillary and Huckabee sung to the tune of Ebony and Ivory
Neither could find Pakistan with a hundred-Mountie search party.

9 posted on 01/01/2008 6:30:02 PM PST by PhilDragoo (Hitlery: das Butch von Buchenvald)
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To: PhilDragoo; devolve

Doesn’t say much for Hillary’s ‘smarts’ when someone has to do clean-up after every other speech she makes now, lol.


10 posted on 01/01/2008 6:34:59 PM PST by potlatch ("Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we might as well dance!")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
"Clinton errs on Pakistan"

Nah.....everybody's got it all wrong!

The senator from NY never makes a mistake!

Either her statement was taken totally out of context or the rest of the world is wrong!!!! . (at least that is how it will be spun).

.

11 posted on 01/01/2008 6:40:40 PM PST by R_Kangel (`)
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To: PhilDragoo
All well and good that the Red Queen has Howard Wolfson to shovel the manure she leaves in the street.

I'm sure it has not escaped your attention that the entire disgusting team is back. Wolfson, Ikes (how appropriate), Blumenthal, Carville, Begala, Anne Lewis. We are about to be plunged into the world of soap opera and sleaze and corruption all over again.

12 posted on 01/01/2008 6:41:09 PM PST by Bahbah
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The Hildebeast has no need of correct facts, no need for honesty, no need for integrity. She is, after all, the Hildebeast, and she will lead us to Socialist Enlightenment.
Gawd, this woman makes me want to puke. And, the lemmings following her unto the sea need to be treated for their peculiar mental illness.


13 posted on 01/01/2008 6:43:16 PM PST by PubliusMM (RKBA; a matter of fact, not opinion.)
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To: originalbuckeye

And when that occurs, it will still be blamed on Bush.


14 posted on 01/01/2008 6:51:34 PM PST by Gator113 (My short list..Fred, Hunter, Romney.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Just on Pakistan? Is that all?


15 posted on 01/01/2008 6:55:38 PM PST by RichInOC (Hillary! 2008: Why Not The Beest?)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Not to mention Hillary said her “close friend” Benazir had two children when she actually has three.
16 posted on 01/01/2008 6:58:00 PM PST by OCC
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To: Gator113

Forever. Or at least until the next Republican President. I asked my cousin (a lefty) when was the last time he actually read anything good about any Republican in the news or heard anything good on the TV? He couldn’t remember anything positive at all. At least it made him think about the bias.


17 posted on 01/01/2008 7:00:59 PM PST by originalbuckeye
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

What a stuning intellect!


18 posted on 01/01/2008 7:03:30 PM PST by Paladin2 (Huma for co-president!)
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To: Paladin2
A spokesman for Clinton, Howard Wolfson, said Clinton was referring to Musharraf's party, not the president himself.

And Oldenburg said that "how well the PML-Q, the so-called 'King's Party,' does would in effect be a referendum on Musharraf."

But Clinton's words appear unambiguously to describe Musharraf himself as a candidate.

"If President Musharraf wishes to stand for election, then he should abide by the same rules that every other candidate will have to follow," she told CNN's Wolf Blitzer (.pdf) Dec. 28.

O what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.

19 posted on 01/01/2008 7:06:46 PM PST by mvpel (Michael Pelletier)
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To: potlatch; PhilDragoo; ntnychik; MeekOneGOP; FARS

20 posted on 01/01/2008 7:07:12 PM PST by devolve (---- - Hey Boone! - My bonus check is late again! -)
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