Clinton urges Dems to question criticism (not to shy from fighting back)

[truthpusher]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061018/ap_on_el_ge/clinton_politics_3

Clinton urges Dems to question criticism

By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer
5 minutes ago

Former President Clinton bemoaned ideologues who describe opponents as "running for office on his or her way to hell" and urged Democrats not to shy from fighting back.

(snip)

"Most of us long for politics where we have genuine arguments, vigorous disagreements but we don't claim to have the whole truth and we don't demonize our opponents and we work for what's best for the American people," he said.

(snip)

"It's not about who represents the religious truth and who is basically running for office on his or her way to hell," Clinton said.

Clinton also argued that the GOP has allowed its conservative element to drown out moderate voices.

"The ideological, right-wing element of the Republican Party has been building strength, partly in reaction to things that happened 40 years ago — Barry Goldwater's defeat, the excess of the '60s, Ronald Reagan's election" he said. "But this is the first time on a consistent basis, the most conservative, the most ideological wing of the Republican Party has had both the executive and legislative branches with a very distinct governing philosophy and very distinct political philosophy."

(snip)

"The problem with ideology is, if you've got an ideology, you've already got your mind made up. You know all the answers and that makes evidence irrelevant and arguments a waste of time. You tend to govern by assertion and attacks."

(snip)

link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061018/ap_on_el_ge/clinton_politics_3

[Kagemusha]

1. Debates where one side doesn't claim the whole of the truth?

Sorry. They're RIP.

[apnu]

2. Sorry Big Dawg, that will never happen

The GOP isn't interested in a debate, and never will be interested in a debate. Its a one sided conversation that the GOP and its echo chamber uses to brand us the 'loony left'

He's wasting his, our and their time with this stuff. The GOP has long since walked away from any meaningful conversation into a path of darkness that they will never find the way out of.

[Bandit]

7. Did you even read the article

Clinton was not arguing for debate, he was saying fight back when attacked. He said the GOP would not debate because they already know all the answers so all they do is attack instead. You need to learn to comprehend what you read I think, because you sure got this all wrong..

[rodeodance]

3. k

[leesa]

4. What happens when the so-called "moderate voices" are just as nuts

as the conservatives. We end up with people like his wife saying, "a little bit of torture is good", and, "it's not the illegality of an unprovoked invasion against a disarmed nation, it's the PROSECUTION of that war that is the problem"

I have no use for "moderate voices"

[Voltaire99]

5. Well said.

No use for these "moderates" here, either. Hillary the Torturer can go to hell.

[The Count]

6. Excellent point! A little bit pregnant/a little bit of torture.....

There are issues where one cannot equivocate. War, torture, civil rights.

[primavera]

8. Bravo

Yes, debate and compromise have their place, but the Clintonian willingness to constantly shift positions in order to appear reasonable and accommodating and escape being branded an ideologue results in amorphous positions and a neverending slide to the right to keep up with a constantly shifting center.