Liberalguy

Watch What I Say, Not What I Did By Monica Crowley (bio)

In an attempt to show that she’s got more testosterone than Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton has recently—and repeatedly—said that if Iran were to attack Israel, as Commander-in-Chief she would respond by “totally obliterating” Iran. Asked yesterday by George Stephanopolous if she wanted to reconsider that policy, she said flatly, “No.” Then: “Why would I have any regrets? I’m asked a question about what I would do if Iran attacked our ally, a country that many of us have a great deal of, you know, connection with and feeling for, for all kinds of reasons. And yes, we would have massive retaliation against Iran.” The beauty of the Junior Senator from New York, is that unlike the Junior Senator from Illinois, she’s actually already BEEN president for two terms, so we can examine her record—and see if what she says now aligns with what she did then. After all, she’s running on the “experience” she gleaned from her first co-presidency. And by her own admission, she was in on every major policy decision. In 1993, when the World Trade Center was bombed by Islamic terrorists, she counseled her husband NOT to visit the New York site, because it would remind voters of his lack of military service. The response from the Clinton co-presidents? None. In 1998, U.S. embassies were bombed in Kenya and Tanzania. The response from the Clinton co-presidents? None. In the late 1990s, Saddam Hussein was shooting at American aircraft patrolling the no-fly zones. The response from the Clinton co-presidents? Targeted enforcement, and a signature on the Iraqi Liberation Act, calling for regime change in Baghdad. Follow-up by the co-presidents? None. In 2000, the U.S.S. Cole was attacked by Islamic terrorists. The response from the Clinton co-presidents? None. Several times during the late 1990s, U.S. intelligence services provided the Clinton co-presidents with credible information as to the precise whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, with immediate plans for his termination. Their response? None. Today, she attacks President Bush for not using diplomacy and allies more aggressively, but on Iran, he has used both and they have failed. She assails him for even having a military option to consider, but she’s saying that as president (again), she’d “totally obliterate” Iran. Pick a side, Senator. When Hillary tries to claim that she’d respond to an Iranian attack on Israel by wiping the Iranians out, look at her record. There’s nothing there to suggest she’d go down that road. You may like that idea. But she’s saying something else now. Just to get elected? Or would she really do it? And how to tell? I’d bank on looking at her record.