Obama and Clinton Campaigns clash over Foriegn Policy

[illinoisprogressive]

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) The rival camps of Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama clashed Tuesday over the meaning of Obama's claim in a Democratic presidential debate that he'd be willing to meet with leaders of rogue nations such as Cuba, North Korea and Iran.

Clinton supporters characterized it as a gaffe that underscored the freshman senator's lack of foreign-policy savvy while Obama's team claimed his response displayed judgment and a repudiation of President Bush's diplomacy.

"I would think that without having done the diplomatic spadework, it would not really prove anything," former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said in a conference call with reporters set up by the Clinton campaign.

Obama's team summoned Anthony Lake, who was national security adviser in President Clinton's first term and now serves as a foreign policy adviser to Obama.

"A great nation and its president should never fear negotiating with anyone and Senator Obama rightly said he would be willing to do so - just as Richard Nixon did with China and Ronald Reagan with the Soviet Union," Lake said.

http://www.adn.com/24hour/front/story/3665421p-13037781c.html

[Ethelk2044]

1. He is correct

[SaveElmer]

2. Obama blew it on a national security question yet again...nt

[Ethelk2044]

5. I am glad Obama hit back with Clinton previously saying the same thing as Obama

Her Flip Flops continues


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[SaveElmer]

6. Don't you get tired of uttering falshoods...

Doesn't even bother you when you have been thoroughly slammed...

[Ethelk2044]

30. No but you should. I posted words that came out of Hillary's mouth.

Therefore no false hoods.

[BeyondGeography]

10. Clinton supporters should avoid that particular verb

Anyway, thank your girl for letting us re-open IWR, which was either an act of the very naivete of which she accuses Obama, incompetence or (most likely) naked political miscalculation.

[BluegrassDem]

12. None of the Clintonistas ever say what was wrong with what Obama said?

It kinda goes without saying that a president wouldn't meet a world leader without adequate preparation. Of course there would be diplomacy going on first. Obama didn't say anything wrong at all. Most of those world leaders hate Bush anyway, not the U.S. The world would be a lot better off if Obama is the face of our country than Hillary.

[beachmom]

17. I don't think so. Look at this exchange here.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/7/24/151612/975#c267

Hillary:

In the interview, Clinton rejected the idea she reversed herself and added she wouldn’t foreclose talks with those leaders. But she wouldn’t promise it, either, and she added that Obama is regretting his answer today.

"I thought that was irresponsible and frankly naive," the New York senator said.


Obama:

Obama countered by accusing the Clinton campaign of hatching a "fabricated controversy" and suggested that her position put her on the same track as the Bush administration.

...

"What she’s somehow maintaining is my statement could be construed as not having asked what the meeting was about. I didn’t say these guys were going to come over for a cup of coffee some afternoon," he said.

He added Clinton is making a larger point.

"From what I heard, the point was, well, I wouldn’t do that because it might allow leaders like Hugo Chavez to score propaganda points," he said. "I think that is absolutely wrong."

He likened the position to a continuation of the Bush administration diplomatic policies. And he said what was "irresponsible and naive" was voting to authorize the Iraq War.




He got in lots of points there for the Democratic base, whereas her answer is for, I don't know, the Republican base?

[SaveElmer]

21. WHat base?

What base do you think this will help Obama with?

[beachmom]

23. The Democratic base who hates Bush? Have you heard of them?

Or us. We like diplomacy. Hate war. In fact, we want it as a last resort. To protect the country in self defense only. Unlike the Republicans who want to "play offense" and think diplomacy is for wusses. I don't think Hillary scored a lot of points in this one interchange. At least not for me.

[SaveElmer]

24. So to you DU is representative of "The base" ?

[illinoisprogressive]

3. Obama was right. and clinton said the same thing a few months back. triangulation as always

[rinsd]

8. No she didn't. Yet another fib from Team Smear-4-Obama

The Obama campaign was quick to point to an April 23 quote from Clinton in which she said, "I think it's a terrible mistake for our president to say he won't talk to bad people." That, Obama representatives said, showed Clinton had changed her position.

Clinton advisers noted that the New York senator's full quote included a line that she would first "begin diplomatic discussions with those countries" before such meetings - same as she said in Monday's debate.

[Ethelk2044]

13. Yes, she did. She said She would talk to her enemies

[SaveElmer]

15. What was the question asked of the candidates last night?...nt

[William769]

20. Thats all we are getting from Obama supporters lately.

Desperations is the air.

[rinsd]

26. Not all Obama supporters, just the 3 from Team Smear-4-Obama

[Ethelk2044]

29. That is all we have been getting from the Hillary bots for the last 4 months

nothing but smears.

[William769]

31. Got news for ya not talking about smears. That would be to nice a statement to use.

[SaveElmer]

9. False...

Just can't help yourself...

[rinsd]

4. Lake comparing Obama to Nixon and Reagan during a primary? Kind of strange, no?

[wyldwolf]

7. In your quoted article, Obama camp took Clinton's earlier quote out of context...

... deception... the Obama camp? NOOOO!

The Obama campaign was quick to point to an April 23 quote from Clinton in which she said, "I think it's a terrible mistake for our president to say he won't talk to bad people." That, Obama representatives said, showed Clinton had changed her position.

Clinton advisers noted that the New York senator's full quote included a line that she would first "begin diplomatic discussions with those countries" before such meetings - same as she said in Monday's debate.

"I never would have gotten out of the debate last night that there was any change in position," Albright said.

She emphasized that Obama had said he would meet with such leaders in his first year without preconditions.

"If you look back at real breakthroughs and diplomatic history, what you basically find is that in order to understand where the situation is, to clear the underbrush away, it is necessary to have lower level people make the initial contact," Albright said.

[killbotfactory]

16. "without preconditions"

That is not the equivalent of saying no preparation will be done.

Politics disgust me.

[Ethelk2044]

19. Foreign Policy - Hillary's Flip Flop

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_112220939.html



(CBS/AP) DECORAH, Iowa Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday criticized President Bush's foreign policy, and said if she were president she would do things differently, including beginning diplomatic talks with supposed enemies and sending envoys throughout the world.

"I would begin diplomatic discussions with those countries with whom we have differences, to try to figure out what is the depth of those differences," said Clinton, who spoke to about 1,000 people at Luther College in Decorah in northeastern Iowa.

"I think it is a terrible mistake for our president to say he will not talk with bad people. You don't make peace with your friends -- you have to do the hard work of dealing with people you don't agree with," said Clinton, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.

[Ethelk2044]

11. Hillary is going to have a hard time triangulating this campaign

Obama will bring everything she has ever said up. If she said the samething in the past, she can be expected to be hit with it hard and heavy.

[Alamom]

22. There are no perfect people, including all candidates..Be prepared,

Everyone has skeletons in the closet......

[Crunchy Frog]

14. OT, but why is Cuba considered to be a "rogue nation"?

I mean, I know they have a leader that our leaders don't like, but isn't "rogue nation" kind of overtating it a little?

[Eugene]

18. Interesting. When did Hugo Chavez become a made member of the Axis of Evil?

Obama could have stated his point better, like not ruling
talks out, but his point and Lake's point are valid.

[zulchzulu]

25. Team Clinton basically says it would be more of the same old shit

Obama mentioned that diplomatic efforts should not be stopped even with your enemies. Just as Nixon and Reagan talked with China and the Soviet Union at the height of international problems, Obama would not shut off communications with our sworn enemies.

Team Clinton seem to want to say we should act like the Bush administration. Granted, she voted FOR authorization for the Iraq War. That surely show a lack of judgement and more bends toward political expediancy with blood on her hands.

Team Clinton seems to think that we should not talk with our enemies and should continue the wars and lack of diplomacy.

For those that say an ad trying to say Obama would be gleefully meeting our enemies in his first year obviously are lying delusional sacks. Obama could smack that ad down hard with photos of Nixon meeting Mao Tse-tung and Reagan meeting Gorbachev and say that in times of danger, you have communicate with your enemies.

As Abraham Lincoln said "The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend." As Moshe Dayan said "If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies."

[rinsd]

27. Obama as Ronald Reagan. There's an image for the Democratic nominee

"Team Clinton seems to think that we should not talk with our enemies and should continue the wars and lack of diplomacy."

What happened to you? You used to be honest in your critiques now its just BS like this.

" Obama could smack that ad down hard with photos of Nixon meeting Mao Tse-tung and Reagan meeting Gorbachev and say that in times of danger, you have communicate with your enemies"

Oh please please Obama campaign team do an ad comparing your guy's foreign policy with Reagan and Nixon.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

28. This should get interesting

:popcorn: