Hillary's Campaign Promise: "I Will" End the War

Fighting words from Senator Hillary Clinton. At the Democratic National Committee Winter Meetings, she passionately proclaimed, "If we in Congress don't end this war before January 2009, as president, I will." She also said that had she been President in October 2002, "I would not have started this war." Yes - the Daily News predicts that'll be Clinton's "flip-flop" soundbite.

Clinton supports a bipartisan Senate non-binding resolution that disapproves of the the President's troop increase but doesn't cut off funding, which become something former Senator John Edwards questioned. Edwards said that Democrats should be cutting off funding instead to make a stronger statement. He said, "[President Bush, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove are] counting on us to be weak, to be political and to be careful. This is not the time for political calculation. This is the time for political courage."

Senator Barack Obama supports the resolution, but kept to simply saying, "But whether you were for it or against it then, we all have a responsibility now to put forth a plan that offers the best chance of ending the bloodshed and bringing the troops home." Obama has been the "rock star" of the meetings, with students eager to listen to what he has to say.

Photograph of Clinton at the Democratic National Committee Winter Meetings in Washington by Evan Vucci/AP

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By Jen Chung in News on February 3, 2007 9:48 AM

Comments [rss]

R

All the more reason for us not to have invaded in the first place, Messy. But there is strong evidence that, had the Bush admin. been truly interested in keeping the peace, we could have kept tensions from breaking out into civil war.

wei ping

wow. she looks like she's saying "Achtung, The Third Reich shall take over! Zieg Heil!"

Xring Chain

Another example of her out of control ego.

"I" will end this war. Makes me long for the days of Al "I invented the internet" Gore.

Oh wait, no it doesn't.

The only solution to both major parties is two sets of rope.

RicktheCabbie

You all better get your heads straight and vote the GOP out, or we will have a re-run of 2000.

They are all scumbags by the time they get to be electable for POTUS, but she's my scumbag. Otherwise if you 'vote your conscience' or sit it out you get McCain and/or Crueliani.

I learned my lesson from the 2000 election. Until we have more than 2 parties you have to vote for the winner not for the best person. And the only way to have more than 2 parties is from the bottom up, and we're all too busy correcting Jen's spelling and/or voting on Idol.

messy mcmesserson

I don't think you can blame the civil war on the reconstruction effort. This thing was doomed from Day 1. Shiites and Sunnis hate each other. Iran and Al Qaeda and every other foreign jihadist were inevitably going to get involved.

R

This war isn't ours to lose any more, jmchez, it's a civil war made possible by the spectacular incompetence of the Bush administration's reconstruction effort. Right or wrong, bringing US troops home won't "end the war," only our involvement in it. When we leave, the violence is only going to get worse. Of course, staying doesn't get us anywhere, either...

anonymass

I'm left-learning but if Hilary keeps this nonsense up and manages to win the primary, I'd vote for her opponent out of principle.

I prefer a straight-shooter whose policies I revile over a two-faced hypocrite. Shame those might be the only two choices.

Then again, hasn't that almost always been the case?

Tim N.

Like it or not, resistance is futile.

Get used to saying "Madame President."

read it in the Times

"we'll perform this masquerade for the voters, but carry on as usual."

That pretty much sums up everything in politics. Everyone knows that the vote to allow Medicare to negotiate with drug companies isn't going to make a bit of difference. And that the Democrats aren't going to do anything about carbon emissions until 2009. Better to do nothing and hold "hearings" and save it as a campaign issue for 2008 than actually tackle the problem and come up with a workable solution.

Tim N.

Like it or not, resistance is futile.

Get used to saying "Madame President."

anonymass

A vote of 'disapproval' means nothing unless the funding is cut.

I don't understand what these people are trying to pull. It's almost a tacit wink and nod to the hawks in the White House that "we'll perform this masquerade for the voters, but carry on as usual."

I'm starting to hate her. This isn't the time to be politically correct - Edwards is right about that.

jmchez

Wars can be ended quite easily. Just lose them. Unfortunately, losing becomes a habit, specially when every one else then knows that you are wimp and can be pushed around. Just ask the French, how come the Germans just kept coming back.

sam shit different party

Indeed, take control of your vote and ask what the candidates will do when the troops are withdrawn. Bill Richardson told Chris Matthews he will redeploy the troops around the Gulf. So explain how that is a change? Al Qaeda will still say the US is occupying Muslim land and I'm sure the Iranians will be thrilled as well.

mike

She shouldn't have voted for it, like most of Congress.

Vanessa

Seriously unfortunate photo

nycaviation

Hillary talking about the oil companies this week: "I wanna take those profits..."

She seems to have the same speech writer as Hugo Chavez.

latb

She wouldn't have started the war if she was President? How come she voted for it as a Senator then?!

By the people, for the people

She voted for it then, she'll say anything to get into power now. Hillary Clinton may be better than George Bush, but who knows, maybe not.

Shame on us for voting for these liars. Until we, the voters, raise our standards, we will always have to tolerate this scum. Take control of YOUR VOTE.