Bill Clinton Seeks Truce in Obama and Hillary spat

[illinoisprogressive]

Bill Clinton said Monday that he had no interest in wading into “that little spat” that broke out last week between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama over whether the next president should commit to meeting with the leader of several U.S. adversaries.

Then, in the next sentence, the former president waded right in -- in a way that sounded like the Clintons might be seeking a truce with Obama in the debate over the proper role of presidential diplomacy when dealing with assorted bad guys on the world stage.

While Hillary Clinton and her team pounced on Obama’s pledge to meet with leaders of such countries as Iran, Syria and Cuba as “naïve,” her husband took pains in a speech to centrist Democrats to emphasize that all the candidates basically agree on the big picture.

“We have to get back to more diplomacy,” Clinton said, adding, “I’ve heard no fewer than four of our candidates say in the last month, remind us that in the middle of the cold war, in the darkest hours, we never stopped talking to the Soviets at some level. So no one disputes that.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0707/5154.html

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Mrs. Clinton Must Realize She's Utterly $%&ed By What She Did

Otherwise there's no way the Clintons would sue for peace.

She basically tried to triangulate between Obama and Bush - and didn't realize that being closer to Bush is a bad, bad way to go. Obama has been quick to exploit his opportunity, painting Mrs. Clinton as being closer to Bush.

[Cha]

2. What's with this "spat" shite?

Pardon my naivete but I thought it was politics.

The "central dems" or the dlc?

[AtomicKitten]

3. "in a way that sounded like ..." Crap Journalism rears its ugly head.

[Forkboy]

4. Quoting Politico scores you....ZERO....points.

[geek tragedy]

5. At least it's not Charles Krauthammer. eom

[earthlover]

6. Has Charles Krauthammer OFFICIALLY endorsed theHillary campaign yet?

Or is it the other way around?

Way to emphasize Hillary's ties with far right stuffed shirts.

[geek tragedy]

9. Her campaign website linked to a column of his

regarding this dispute in which he took her side.

If they're proud of having Charles Krauthammer on their side . . .

[rinsd]

13. Now its "they are proud to have Krauthammer on their side"

Who needs Rove to distort our message and candidates.

:eyes:

Yup it appears to be a pattern with you

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3412880

[Forkboy]

15. Well if they linked to it it sure wasn't to trash him like he deserves.

:shrug:

They certainly don't seem bothered by it,like any sane person should be. :)

[rinsd]

16. The link isn't there now though it certainly could have been.

Look at the website

http://www.hillaryhub.com/

There's 10 links for blogs and 10 links for news.

Am I glad they included Krauthammer's link originally? No. And I am certainly glad they removed it.

But how does that translate to pride or whatever evolution Obama supporters try and make it into?

[Forkboy]

17. I have mixed feelings.

First,thanks for pointing out they had removed it.That alone gives me some sense of comfort.It never should have been used in the first place.

But how does that translate to pride or whatever evolution Obama supporters try and make it into?

It doesn't in any real way.Us political junkies need shit to gnaw on,and this is one of those examples.

I find the whole thing amusing because the positions of Hillary and Obama are almost identical,and we're basically arguing over the parsing of certain words.Both us and the media are bored this week. ;)

[rinsd]

18. Exactly!

"I find the whole thing amusing because the positions of Hillary and Obama are almost identical,and we're basically arguing over the parsing of certain words"

"Both us and the media are bored this week."

Dog days of summer.

[earthlover]

20. I guess you are smarter than your candidate...Hillary actually lashed out!

[Forkboy]

21. Dog,cat,parrot,and ferret days of summer.

Wait until after Labor Day when the campaigns start spending the money they're raking in.Then things will become real. :)

[rinsd]

7. Smear by association? How lame....

[geek tragedy]

10. Hillary should remember she's in a primary race before touting

the approval of Arch-Neocons like Charles Krauthammer.

[rinsd]

12. Wow a google collection of quotes supporting her over Obama

:eyes:

But yes she should remember that there are minority segment of small minded DUers who will take something like posting a quote and turn it into defacto unwavering support.

And she should continue to ignore them because they are easily exposed.

[Skip Intro]

23. It gets lamer

I'm reading now that it was evidently Hillary who switched her position to Obama's on the question.

you gotta wonder about how someone who evidently gets himself out of jams of his own making by lashing out at others

gotta wonder how that person would govern

[TeamJordan23]

8. lol. great point. Weekly standard also. nm

[Forkboy]

14. ouch....yeah,that too.

:)

[Joe the Revelator]

26. The fact that Hillary CHOOSES to hide behind her husband...

... is disheartening

[zulchzulu]

11. Why does Bill have to come out to defend somone who's supposedly running for President

It sounds like Bill was on his own in this statement. I bet the room is getting small in the Clinton HQ.

Granted, this whole thing smells due to the fact that it came from an arm of the Drudge Sludge Machine...

[sampsonblk]

19. Politico = Garbage. Clinton = 100% right

Plus this was a waste of time anyway. What a stupid spat it was. I haven't met two people (in real life) who can explain to me the difference between the two positions. The differences amount to nothing.

[earthlover]

22. Lazy way out?

Obama, speaking from his gut, says fine, I'll meet with enemies. That 's what negotiation is all about. Besides I can use my persuasive abilities to tell them what America is all about.

Hillary says, wait, ohmygod, talking with the president without permission?....three demerits....you can only talk if you raise your hand....and can't you see that the only ones with their hands raised are my bestest students?.....you know, you really aren't that experienced....why don't you stand in the hall....now class....Class...CLASSSSSS!!!! SHUT UP!

Sorry. But most Americans would rather our leaders take the time to talk to our enemies instead of taking the lazy way out and just going to war instead.

[sampsonblk]

24. Their positions are virtually identical different

He showed a willingness to meet with our enemies. Common sense. And they both share that view. And she says 'but you don't offer it upfront. They have to do something to get a meeting.' And Obama isn't going to be any different. Whichever one of them takes office in January of 2009 is going to do the same as the other. They will be more open to meetings with people - even ones we don't particularly care for. No meeting will be off the table. But neither is going to offer in advance to meet with our enemies any time they request. And I don't think Obama was saying that either.

For a voter who wants a real, engaged foreign policy, either of the two will be fine.

[Skip Intro]

25. Title of artcle changed (before your thread) to, " Bill Clinton sands edges of Obama 'spat'."

Just for the record.

[Gloria]

27. Bill should butt out of public battles. This is Hillary's to handle. One could

really wonder who is actually running for office if this keeps up.

[earthlover]

28. What's a husband for?

Of course Bill will act as a surrogate. So will What's-his-name from Iowa. That's what surrogates do. In Bill's case, the surrogate is like the guest at a wedding who outdresses the bridal party....but....whatever. We may as well get used to Bill acting as a surrogate. Maybe if he can sit in for her during the Fall debates if she is the nominee....I'd feel better then

[David Zephyr]

29. This was Hillary's campaign's first big screw-up thus far & Bill's comments prove it.

This little episode was a very petty move by HRC's campaign. Whoever advised her to go after Obama over his straightforward answer in the debate really blew it. She had hit the 40% range and then stepped on her own rising star.

Obama is liked. Hillary has a problem in that realm. Her picking at Obama's words to make him look like he said something he didn't say was transparent and ugly.

Hillary lost this one. Bill Clinton weighing in doesn't help her either. That's how bad it must be.