I would like to point out that that one time DU fave, John Edwards

[cali]

was far more gung ho about the Iraq War than Hillary Clinton. Yes, her decision to support the IWR was flat wrong, but she's not the mindless hawk many here seem determined to view her as. Should she become SoS, I really don't see her fomenting war and undermining Obama's agenda for foreign policy. I think that's very, very far fetched. And yes, she does have real stature in the world community.

[liberalmuse]

1. I wrote both Sen. Edwards and Sen. Kerry...

a few letters way back in 2002, BEGGING them to vote 'No'. I also sent numerous emails and called anyone I felt would run for President in 2004. Hillary was actually the most hesitant of the bunch on IWR. Well I swore I'd never vote for them. I voted for Kerry/Edwards in 2004 and supported Edwards for awhile during his most recent run. The alternative was unthinkable.

[blm]

7. Kerry sided with weapon inspectors who proved force was not needed. HRC sided with Bush's

decision to invade and stayed supportive of the decision to invade through 2006 and until Joe Lieberman lost his primary race and she was preparing to begin her presidential run - then she and Bill shifted a bit left on their position on Iraq.

Kerry spoke against invading Iraq when the weapon inspections were doing their job - he stayed against the decision before, during and after the invasion, and all the other IWR voters like Hillary COULD HAVE showed their disapproval and stood with him and the weapon inspectors, but they stayed supportive of Bush.

They wouldn't even back Kerry up when he was the nominee and calling for Rumsfeld to go over his careless strategy on Iraq....HRC waited till after the election and THEN made a show out of being tough on Rumsfeld.

[karynnj]

24. How was HRC the most hestitant

when Kerry repeatedly spoke out saying not to rush to war (Georgetown Jan 23, 2003) or saying that he did not favor going to war (MTP DEC 2002) The truth was that Kerry was labeled "anti-war" in early 2003 articles.

and HRC was mostly silent - except even in March 2003, when she spoke of war as likely necessary.

[blm]

2. Clinton STAYED in support of Bush's DECISION to invade until Lieberman lost his primary in 2006, and

only then did she and Bill adjust their rhetoric on Iraq to the left.

And, of course, there isn't a Dem in all of DC who influenced MORE support for Bush on Iraq than Bill did. He advised DC Dems to support Bush, advised Tony Blair to support Bush, and used his summer 2004 booktour to reinforce his support for Bush's decisions on Iraq and vigorously defended those decisions from the attacks being made at the time by our 2004 nominee. Clinton, of course, received the giant share of broadcast time, and his high profile interviews then made great headlines for Bush and his war strategy, not to mention Rove's war president election strategy. Thanks Bill.

[cali]

3. hate to break this to you but it took Edwards years to repudiate

his vote. And I'm talking about Hillary, not Bill.

[blm]

9. Hillary stayed on the same page as Bill up until Joe lost his primary race in 2006. The SAME

and Clintons were far more influential on Iraq due to their privileged access to info from his term. He used that privilege to urge support for Bush.

Hate to break it to you but the most influential Dem selling the Iraq war to the Dem lawmakers and to the public was Bill Clinton, and apparently Hillary went right along with it through the end of 2006, didn't she?

[Captain Hilts]

13. NO. Bill Clinton came out against the invasion in Feb '03. nt

[blm]

16. he mumbled a few cautionary words then FULLY SUPPORTED the DECISION to invade. Did you miss his 2004

booktour? Check the audience he was speaking to when he mumbled a few words of caution on Iraq. Focking Clinton sold that war to Blair and DC Dem lawmakers and YOU know it.

[Raineyb]

26. Perhaps, but he repudiated the vote. Clinton did not. n/t

Regards

[BlooInBloo]

4. Edwards admitted he was wrong. And didn't encore by threatening to obliterate Iran.

[cali]

6. It took him years to repudiate his vote, and though I certainly

dislike what Clinton said vis a vis Iran, let's be honest about the context. She said that she'd obliterate Iran if they attacked Israel with nukes. Of course, that doesn't pardon what she said. It was needlessly provocative, and well, stupid.

[BlooInBloo]

8. No matter how it's "explained away", those aren't qualities that suit one for being Top Diplomat.

And it didn't take Edwards nearly as long as it has taken Clinton. We're still waiting, in fact.

[speedoo]

5. He was far more emphatic that his vote was a mistake, IIRC.

My recollection is that HRC never expressed anything but pro-Iraq War comments until public opinion went strongly against the war.

[dkf]

10. Well my only two DU faves were Obama and Howard Dean.

Mostly because they got Iraq right.

For me, Hillary is a huge huge step backwards. I always thought her judgment on foreign affairs was sadly lacking.

[Captain Hilts]

11. Anyone who read Clinton's floor speech on making the vote would not call her a 'war monger'. ...

Here's the link:

CAUTION: those who do not want to be informed should not read:

http://clinton.senate.gov/speeches/iraq_101002.html

[blm]

20. and when did she follow through on standing with weapon inspectors? She SIDED with Bush's

decision to invade while mumbling quietly about 'weapon inspectors finishing' and STAYED supportive of that decision till she began her own primary race.

It's pure fantasy to claim that Bill or Hillary Clinton stood against that invasion in any significant way, especially since Bill did his utmost to VIGOROUSLY DEFEND Bush's Iraq decisions throughout his summer2004 book tour - using high profile interviews to defend Bush from the attacks being leveled at him by the left and our 2004 Dem nominee at the time.

[karynnj]

25. But, when it was clear that Bush was not following what

was said she stayed silent.

[question everything]

12. Also, when first elected to the Senate, she took her place in the back benches

referring to her seniors.

She knows how to play the game and she will be a team member of Obama.

Let's also remember: never has a primary rival, not selected as a running mate, worked so hard on behalf of the winner. Certainly not Ted Kennedy on behalf of Jimmy Carter in 1980.

(The best example of a rival fighting all the way to the convention).

[blm]

21. Baloney - she REFUSED to cross Bush and wouldn't HELP fellow Dem senators who dared oppose

him and his policies.

By not leading on any serious issues or even supporting Dems opposing Bush she kept her eye on her own 2008 run.

[No Elephants]

14. The choice is not between Edwards and Hillary at this point, though.

[LynneSin]

15. Here's something that Joe Biden once told me - yes told me and a group gathered around him

This was about a month before the vote. Each year Joe holds his 'Biden Seminars' - it's a twice a year event where he along with some other bigwig person talks about something important. Happens to be that Joe was running late for his seminar since he was working on this vote in DC (His son Beau ran it for Dad until dad could show up).

After the seminar there was wine & cookies and a chance to mingle with some Delaware Dem Bigwigs including Joe Biden. A bunch of us gathered around Joe and of course the pending war was top on our list of questions.

Joe couldn't share much details about his meetings with Bush and the discussions that were happening. But, and mind you this was after 9/11 and before the truth was exposed, he knew he didn't want to give a blank check to Bush but he also knew that there was valid information being told that he felt that he was very torn about what to do.

Remember the IWR vote did NOT give Bush persmission to go to war. It gave him permission to go to UN and make a case for war. Bush went over and above that vote.

Knowing Joe, he probably has regrets for his ultimate decisions - but it was a different world back then. The wounds of 9/11 were still too painful and Bush was a popular president.

[Barack_America]

17. She looked pretty gung ho in that Code Pink video.

I wouldn't exactly call her position "reluctant".

[peace13]

18. You need to watch the video of her humping for the war.

Her response to code pink was also heartwarming. Youtube is full of the actual comments that Hill made in the run up to Iraq. Very sad than and now. I will go with Obama's selection so if he chooses Hill so be it. You don't need to flame me. Off to Bosnia, Kim

[tritsofme]

19. John Who?

nt

[Skwmom]

22. She voted for war without reading the NIE.

[girl_interrupted]

23. So did Kerry, Biden & Edwards

So why is that important now?