What's up with Bill Clinton?

[politicasista]

Bill Clinton defends Lieberman's Iraq stance

Associated Press

Published July 14 2006

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Former President Bill Clinton is sticking up for U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman and his support of the Iraq war.

Clinton, who spoke at an Aspen Institute conference last week, questioned why Democrats in Connecticut are focusing on ousting a fellow Democrat, Lieberman.

"If we allow our differences over what to do now in Iraq to divide us instead of focusing on replacing Republicans in Congress; that's the nuttiest strategy I ever heard in my life," Clinton told the nonprofit cultural organization.

Clinton questioned efforts of some Democrats to impose a fixed timetable for removing U.S. troops from Iraq - something Lieberman opposes.

"Why send a signal to the people that are trying to keep Iraq divided and tear it up when we're gonna go," he asked.

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/state/hc-14200651.apds.m0968.bc-ct--senajul14,0,4431105.story?coll=hc-headlines-local-wire

Thread in LBN:http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2390273&mesg_id=2390273

[JI7]

1. it's about Hillary in 2008

[politicasista]

2. Yep n/t

[wisteria]

3. Seems to me he is campaigning for his wife. I don't agree with him on

the timetable remark. He is talking like a Republican with his head in the sand. But, do I say this, he also avoided the service and ducked the draft so, I suppose he is in the chicken hawk column.

[TayTay]

4. Clinton is straddling the issue

He is now what he has always been: a centrist Democrat. The strategy that worked for Clinton was to divide and conquer. He wanted to emphasize his differences with the 'old liberal' base and go to the middle in order to get swing voters and moderate Republicans. He is still doing that.

Bill Clinton was never about policy or the issues. Clinton was about strategy and winning elections for the sake of winning elections. This is more of the same. His remark about not being able to figure out why Dems would want to oust other Dems in a primary shows that he is still all about the idea that only winning matters. I think times have changed and that the war is an overwhelming issue for Democratic voters. If true, then it negates Clinton's point that ideology doesn't matter, what matters are the small-bore allegiances to a very bit tent Democratic Party.

This is the Democratic Wars, right in one tight package. Does ideology matter?

[ginnyinWI]

6. this illustrates the difference between WJC and JK

Kerry has deeply felt values and principles ingrained in him about fairness and what's right, and they motivate him to find ways to make things right. I think he feels that if he does the right thing, the politics will follow, and you shouldn't make politics the first reason.

And so, paradoxically, people think he does things for political reasons. Nobody acts out of principles anymore, they reason--everybody is out for himself. Wrong!

Dems have every reason to be divided over Iraq--but they aren't any more divided than the Repubs are, IMO. It's simply FUBAR and nobody has any perfect solutions. And as long as that's so, then everybody has a right and obligation to put out their ideas.

[fedupinBushcountry]

9. I agree

I have to admit I never voted for Clinton, I stayed home, I was not inspired by him at all, there was always something missing that told me he wasn't a true blue Democrat, it was a gut feeling. Many of my relatives ( Aunts and Uncles) who always voted Democrat were voting for Perot, so that was another hint that he wasn't all he was made up to be.

Sure he was alright in many ways but in other ways he signed into law some of the policies that are coming back to bite us now. I know the sex thing should of never went to impeachment, but he LIED to us and to his family, and that hurt not just him but all Democrats.

His pandering of late has totally turned me off, the holding hands and bringing Hillary to the podium with him at the Coretta Scott King funeral was the final straw for me.

To me principles matter and that is why I am a Democrat.

[karynnj]

10. More importantly, he lied under oath after swearing to tell the truth

This, not that he had sex with Monica, is the problem. A lawyer, who was then President of the US, sworn to uphold its laws, felt he could lie under oath because no one could prove he was lying . (That someone would save a semen stained dress was clearly not predictable. Without it, Clinton's attempt to say that she was simply a somewhat nutty stalker who made things up would have worked.)

I liked Kerry's characterization that it was without sense, honor and courage. Clinton, put himself above the law when he chose to lie - and had he told the truth - Hillary would have been angry and hurt (though not as much as she was after he had her and everyone else defending him for about 5 months) and a few additional people may have thought he was a slease, but there would have been no impeachment.

Unlike you, I voted for him and was overjoyed when he beat Bush. I even taped a lot of the innaugeration celebrations. When he was speaking, it was hard to look away and I ignored things that didn't quite "fit". In spite of this, I never had the sense that I do about Kerry, that he was being straight with us. Looking back at Kerry's words that Clinton's actions were without sense, honor and courage - and having heard many Kerry eulogies for people he admired - those are probably the qualities Kerry most values and holds himself to. Although no one, not Washington or Kerry, will live a life without lying - I seriously doubt Kerry would lie under oath to save his own pride. He was honest about far tougher things on Vietnam.

[sandnsea]

5. Hillary "The Goldwater Girl"

According to Arianna, that's what "she was once a Republican" means. I swear if Hillary starts hauling out "Goldwater Girl" as a campaign strategy, I don't know what I'm going to do.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/hillarys-secret-08-stra_b_24978.html

[Island Blue]

7. I suppose he's doing this to help his wife, but ...

seeing as how so many Republicans hate Bill Clinton with a rare and burning passion, his Republican-Lite stance(s) could end up backfiring on him (I mean her. I mean them. :crazy: ) at some point.

As far as this quote goes: "If we allow our differences over what to do now in Iraq to divide us instead of focusing on replacing Republicans in Congress; that's the nuttiest strategy I ever heard in my life." I don't know Bill, maybe the good folks of Connecticut want an actual Democrat representing them, not someone with their head up *'s ass. That's just my guess anyway.

[karynnj]

8. What bothers me more than his support of Lieberman

is that he spouts RW talking points in referring to Kerry/Feingold. I understand the idea that an open tent party is more likely to get a majority in the Senate. My problem is that this respect of a diversity of opinions does not extent to people like Kerry.

It's clear that he is marginalizing Kerry (and Feingold) by ridiculing their well thought out plan as just a timetable, he is less respectful than Senator Warner was. (It could also be taken as against Levin which asked Bush to set a timetable - putting Bill Clinton with Lieberman and few Democrats). I wonder what Clinton thinks we should do. (Something tells me Kerry learned a lot more than Clinton from Vietnam. He seems in line with Lieberman and Bush.)