Future-President Clinton on Obama, the Middle East and Russia

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 1:56pm

Ladies and gentlemen and people of all gender-identifications, I give you the next president of the United States.

===


I asked her if she believed that Israel had done enough to prevent the deaths of children and other innocent people.

“[J]ust as we try to do in the United States and be as careful as possible in going after targets to avoid civilians,” mistakes are made, she said. “We’ve made them. I don’t know a nation, no matter what its values are—and I think that democratic nations have demonstrably better values in a conflict position—that hasn’t made errors, but ultimately the responsibility rests with Hamas.”

She went on to say that “it’s impossible to know what happens in the fog of war. Some reports say, maybe it wasn’t the exact UN school that was bombed, but it was the annex to the school next door where they were firing the rockets. And I do think oftentimes that the anguish you are privy to because of the coverage, and the women and the children and all the rest of that, makes it very difficult to sort through to get to the truth.”

She continued, “There’s no doubt in my mind that Hamas initiated this conflict. … So the ultimate responsibility has to rest on Hamas and the decisions it made.”

When I asked her about the intense international focus on Gaza, she was quick to identify anti-Semitism as an important motivating factor in criticism of Israel. “It is striking … that you have more than 170,000 people dead in Syria. … You have Russia massing battalions—Russia, that actually annexed and is occupying part of a UN member-state—and I fear that it will do even more to prevent the incremental success of the Ukrainian government to take back its own territory, other than Crimea. More than 1,000 people have been killed in Ukraine on both sides, not counting the [Malaysia Airlines] plane, and yet we do see this enormous international reaction against Israel, and Israel’s right to defend itself, and the way Israel has to defend itself. This reaction is uncalled for and unfair.”

She went on, “You can’t ever discount anti-Semitism, especially with what’s going on in Europe today. There are more demonstrations against Israel by an exponential amount than there are against Russia seizing part of Ukraine and shooting down a civilian airliner. So there’s something else at work here than what you see on TV.” Clinton also blamed Hamas for “stage-managing” the conflict. “What you see is largely what Hamas invites and permits Western journalists to report on from Gaza. It’s the old PR problem that Israel has. Yes, there are substantive, deep levels of antagonism or anti-Semitism towards Israel, because it’s a powerful state, a really effective military. And Hamas paints itself as the defender of the rights of the Palestinians to have their own state. So the PR battle is one that is historically tilted against Israel.”





THE ATLANTIC: Hillary Clinton: 'Failure' to Help Syrian Rebels Led to the Rise of ISIS The former secretary of state, and probable candidate for president, outlines her foreign-policy doctrine. She

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 2:20pm

I support her above any other foreseeable candidate*, but the error of overconfidence should not be made again by her, her staff, or her supporters.

* Hedging this since I don't see Warren running. I would vote for Warren over anyone for any office.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 2:20pm

Four Americans died in Benghazi.

"What difference, at this point, does that make?" Hillary Clinton

Updated On: 8/11/14 at 02:20 PM

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 2:27pm

GothBENGHAZIampc

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 2:29pm

"With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided that they’d they go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make? It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again, Senator. Now, honestly, I will do my best to answer your questions about this, but the fact is that people were trying in real time to get to the best information. The IC has a process, I understand, going with the other committees to explain how these talking points came out. But you know, to be clear, it is, from my perspective, less important today looking backwards as to why these militants decided they did it than to find them and bring them to justice, and then maybe we’ll figure out what was going on in the meantime."

[Addison D.]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 2:34pm

Wow.

It's extraordinary what some partisan, not-too-interested-in-the-facts, selective editing can do.

Who is being more disrespectful to the memories of those killed--the person in Reg's quote, or the person who uses the tragedy to take dishonest potshots at a politician whom they happen to dislike?

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 2:35pm

Well hey there Reg, how about that - context.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 2:57pm

And the Oscar goes to Hillary Clinton for her portrayal as a poor black woman in "I don't feel no wayz tarred"

Link

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 2:57pm

"Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided that they’d they go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make?"

Um, even with context her rebuttal doesn't make much sense... Because it does makes a difference. Knowing and understanding why it happened greatly impacts America's initial response to the attack and the subsequent actions taken to properly evaluate and classify it. I'm not sure what I'm missing here...

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 3:00pm

"I'm not sure what I'm missing here..."

What we're missing here is where was President Obama while this was going on? It's a huge scandal and should have been looked into. If we had a media that did its job, Obama would have answered for this.

Updated On: 8/11/14 at 03:00 PM

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 3:05pm

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 3:07pm

She's definitely the smartest person in pretty much any room.

Proof of the stupidity of the right wing is that they seized on the wrong sentence in her statement.

They should have left "What difference..." alone and seized on "Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided that they’d they go kill some Americans?"

It was (C) neither of the above.

It was a calculated attack by an Al Qaeda spinoff.

Had they jumped on that, there would have been substance to their objection. But by seizing on her intemperate outburst and regrettable turn-of-phrase, the issues of (a) who exactly planned the attack and (b) why did they plan it and (c) what was going on in the mysterious "CIA annex"...those issues will never, ever, ever be addressed.

And...at this point, what difference does it make?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 3:11pm

Remember when she gave that cheap plastic toy to the Russian diplomat and called it a "reset" button and she couldn't even bother herself to get the correct Russian word for reset? How's that reset button working?

She is a foreign policy disaster!

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 3:12pm

At this point I imagine it makes a difference to the families who lost loved ones in that "spontaneous demonstration," no? You would surely feel the same way if someone you knew or loved was among the fallen.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 3:14pm

You mean I'd feel differently about my lost loved one depending on what the killers' motivation was? I don't see that.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 3:15pm

I imagine you'd want to know who killed your loved one and why. "What difference does it make?" implies that you're speaking, quite conclusively, for everyone. To some, however, it might make a difference.

[tazber]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 3:18pm

Hillary fan here!

It's going to get messy pretty soon since Obama pretty much endorsed Warren. And Hillary has apologetically taken Obama to task for his poor foreign policy.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 3:19pm

The reason I provided the entire passage was because Goth is at pains to pretend that what Clinton was saying was "Who gives a sh*t?" And reading the surrounding sentences make is clear (to me, at any rate) that nothing could be farther from the truth.

You and Goth are free to continue to think that, of course, but then you have to ignore "With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. . . . It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again, Senator."

I would imagine if I'd lost a loved one that I would find those words to be of vital importance.



Updated On: 8/11/14 at 03:19 PM

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 3:21pm

Regarding the folks who are here solely to incite, unless you feel they are open to an intelligent discussion, I would strongly advise against engaging their inane talking points. It's not easy, but it can be done.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 3:23pm

^^^^^^^

And, I would want Warren on the Supreme Court, even is she is a bit old for a nominee.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 3:24pm

What a horribly, closed-minded way to live madbrian. I grieve for your children and the lessons you must be teaching them. That is not inciting; that is speaking truthfully.

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 3:26pm

"And, I would want Warren on the Supreme Court, even is she is a bit old for a nominee."

I completely agree. She would be sensational on the SCOTUS.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 3:27pm

"The reason I provided the entire passage was because Goth is at pains to pretend that what Clinton was saying was "Who gives a sh*t?"

Oh come on, she was doing her best dance to try and cover up a huge foreign policy blunder. Remember she was the one that said she'd be there for the 3 o'clock call. Yet when the 3 o'clock call came, she ran for cover and resorted to her usual behavior of lying until it goes away.

Updated On: 8/11/14 at 03:27 PM

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 3:27pm

Okey doke.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 8/11/14 at 3:28pm

And MB - I figure your kids know when a cause is lost not to waste any further efforts. My dad was the same way - sometimes you agree to disagree and then just move on.

Warren replacing Ginsberg (or even better Scalia) is my dream - though I would prefer a 45 year old Warren.