Hillary Clinton on Torture, Iran, and Baseball
[Guest post by DRJ]
Hillary Clinton’s statement against torture is a big story from last night’s Democratic debate, especially since it conflicts with a statement by her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and her earlier statement on the use of torture in exigent circumstances:
“Sen. Hillary Clinton scored with a Democratic audience last night by contradicting her husband’s belief that a terrorist could be tortured to foil an imminent plot – but what observers didn’t know is she was contradicting herself, too.
“It cannot be American policy, period,” Clinton (D-N.Y.) told debate moderator Tim Russert, who asked if there should be a presidential exemption to allow the torture of a terror chieftain if authorities knew a bomb was about to go off, but didn’t know where it was.
When Russert revealed ex-President Bill Clinton advocated such a policy on a recent NBC “Meet the Press” appearance, Hillary Clinton won huge applause from the Dartmouth College audience with a deadpan comeback: “Well, I’ll talk to him later.”
She may have to give herself that talk, too. Last October, Clinton told the Daily News: “If we’re going to be preparing for the kind of improbable but possible eventuality, then it has to be done within the rule of law.”
She said then the “ticking time bomb” scenario represents a narrow exception to her opposition to torture as morally wrong, ineffective and dangerous to American soldiers. “In the event we were ever confronted with having to interrogate a detainee with knowledge of an imminent threat to millions of Americans, then the decision to depart from standard international practices must be made by the President, and the President must be held accountable,” she said.”
John Edwards and Mike Gravel also criticized Clinton about Iran:
“Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) hit Clinton for voting yesterday to name Iran’s elite Republican Guard a sponsor of terrorism – which he said was the first step to war with Iran and all too similar to the vote both cast for the Iraq war. Cantankerous former Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Alaska) pointed at her and said, “I am ashamed of you, Hillary.”
Clinton defended her vote, saying it would let the U.S. “impose sanctions on the primary leaders to try to begin to put some teeth into all this talk about dealing with Iran.” She said there was much to to be done to try to achieve a political solution before discussing military options.”
Finally, moderator Tim Russert couldn’t even get Clinton to commit to the Chicago Cubs or the New York Yankees.
— DRJ
Given what I think of the Clinton’s, I’m more than a little disturbed that I find the most sane Democratic candidate to be Hillary Clinton.
SPQR (6c18fd) — 9/27/2007 @ 10:04 amAll this means is that if she is elected President, Hillary will not be able to make the decision to do what is necessary, or what is right, since she can’t even decide when she doesn’t have to make the decision….
God help us all….
reff (bff229) — 9/27/2007 @ 10:34 am#1, me too, SPQR. But maybe she can just promise to make Bill the Czar of Extraordinary Renditions – especially as payback for him putting her in charge of Nat. Health Care. Problems solved?
J. Peden (0416a0) — 9/27/2007 @ 11:01 am2007.09.27 Politics and National Defense Roundup…
SF Murder Charges Travesty at Ft BraggUncle Jimbo Hanson I had mentioned in a previous piece that I thought I knew MSG Troy Anderson who along with CPT Dave Staffel, now awaits an answer as to whether he will face…
Old War Dogs (72c8fd) — 9/27/2007 @ 1:47 pmI believe we should do whatever it takes to wartime prisoners to assure American’s safety. It’s is unbelievable to me that the people in the US are more concerned about prisoner’s religious beliefs and needs than their own safety. Look what these savages do to their own people. Beheadings are common place, woman don’t have any rights, it’s disgusting. But what’s more disgusting is the fact the American people take such a “special interest” in not offending people who would take their heads off in a minute.
Wake up America…will it take another attack to you get you to stop being so weak. To our politicians do your jobs stop trying NOT TO OFFEND AND KEEP US SAFE, CLOSE OUR BORDERS, GET RID OF THE ILLEGAL ALIENS THAT WE THE PEOPLE ARE MAKING SO MUCH TAX MONEY OFF OF (THAT’S RIGHT CHECK THE INCOME THE GOVERNMENT MAKES FROM ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK GOOD PEOPLE OF THE US)
All these special interest groups and now America only produces lawyers to sue each other to death. It’s a disgrace. Wake up, watch an old War movie and see what we use to be!
My goodness already..
Ellen (1304e5) — 9/27/2007 @ 2:48 pmHillary is almost sentinent when compared to her Presidential Rivals.However, she is a serial liar.The question Hillary answered is usually given to Republicans -there is the real story.
mike191 (91b326) — 9/27/2007 @ 3:22 pm“Wake up, watch an old War movie and see what we use to be!”
– Ellen
Yeah! Where the fuck is John Wayne when you need him to punch out ACLU?!
Leviticus (3c2c59) — 9/27/2007 @ 3:36 pmAs a fan of 24, I will try not let that cloud my judgement. If a bomb is about to go off, I believe that we need to do whatever is necessary to stop it. If they need to pull out fingernails one at a time so be it.
By taking any option off the table as Hillary did she again toed the line of the Soros wing of the Dem party.
Mike Volpe (d3ad03) — 9/27/2007 @ 5:28 pmAs if anything Hillary would treat anything she says now to be binding on her later.
If the focus groups and overnight public opinion polls say in 2011 that the thing to do is to crush some terrorist’s testicles in order to keep Hillary’s re-election prospects rosy, then that’s what will happen. If not, it won’t. The American public’s views being what they are, it probably won’t happen — unless there’s been another 9/11-type event on a larger scale, in which case it might. So there you have it: Captured terrorist testicular health depends on American public opinion — or rather, “likely voters’ public opinion.”
I wondered during the debate whether the Clinton campaign is subtly encouraging Mike Gravel to stay in the race. It’s like he’s the “designated moon-bat,” and he makes even Kucinich look sane by comparison.
Beldar (b3518e) — 9/27/2007 @ 11:56 pm“As if anything Hillary would treat anything she says now to be binding on her later.” –> “As if Hillary would treat anything she says now to be binding on her later.” Sorry, momentary dyslexia.
Beldar (b3518e) — 9/27/2007 @ 11:58 pmAll new, participate in our conversation at LickMyClinton.com
Lick My Clinton (fcd54c) — 9/28/2007 @ 12:54 pmhttp://www.lickmyclinton.com/
Just prove Hillary can’t be wrong since she’s taken a position on all sides of every issue.
Thomas Jackson (bf83e0) — 9/28/2007 @ 12:55 pmHere comes the wicked witch and her flying mokneys
krazy kagu (5b69ac) — 9/28/2007 @ 2:18 pm