Hillary famously fibbed that she came out in the Senate against the War in Iraq (I call it an occupation) before Barack Obama did.
Lets examine exactly where Hillary stood on the occupation of Iraq in 2005 when Barack Obama joined the Senate. The best source for doing that I can find is a Face the Nation interview of Hillary along with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.
Face the Nation
February 20, 2005
SCHIEFFER: Well, what do you mean `long time'? Do you mean years?
Sen. GRAHAM: ...It's important we win. Our security is tied to how well things turn out in Iraq, but it's time for American politicians and I think the world to understand that this is a long, hard road that lies ahead to give these people capacity to maintain their freedom.
Sen. CLINTON: If I could just add to what Senator Graham said, because I think it's really important we underscore this. Senator McCain made the point earlier today, which I agree with, and that is, it's not so much a question of time when it comes to American military presence for the average American; I include myself in this. But it is a question of casualties.
We don't want to see our young men and women dying and suffering these grievous injuries that so many of them have. We've been in South Korea for 50-plus years. We've been in We've been in South Korea for 50-plus years. We've been in Europe for 50-plus. We're still in Okinawa with respect to protection there coming out of World War II.
Hillary did't mind the war dragging on, except for those pesky causualities. Apperently staying in Iraq for 50 years was somthing Hillary regarded as acceptable outcome.
You know, we have been in places for very long periods of time. And in recent history, we've made a commitment to Bosnia and Kosovo, and I think what is different is the feeling that we're on a track that is getting better and that we can see how the Iraqi government will begin to assume greater and greater responsibility. The elections were key to that. The training, equipment, equipping and motivating of the Iraqi security forces is key to that. But so is our understanding that if we were to artificially set a deadline of some sort, that would be like a green light to the terrorists, and we can't afford to do that.
And the second point that I would make is that, you know, this is not only just about Iraq. This is about a breeding ground for terrorism. No matter what anyone's opinion is about how we got here, whether we should get here, we can have that debate back at home, but when you meet, as we have today, with Iraqi officials, and I just came from a brief meeting with a lot of the Iraqi women leaders, they thanked me and they asked me to thank our government and particularly to thank the American people. And they know that they have a lot riding on this, and I think we do, too.
Hillary clearly bought into the NeoCons' whole Iraq as the central front of the war on terrorism meme. A meme meant to re-frame the reason for the occupation in Iraq using the worst case scenario as a scare tactic to justify continuing the occupation.
SCHIEFFER: Well, Senator Clinton, that was the question I was going to ask you. Would it be a mistake to set a deadline as some in your party have done? And you say, obviously, you do think that. Do you think we're coming to a situation where we will have permanent bases in Iraq?
Sen. CLINTON: No, but I think that we should take this sort of one step at a time. I really do understand the, you know, deeply felt feelings on the part of many Americans as to how we got into this situation, whether we should have, and a very strong concern that we don't want any more American casualties and we should be trying to get out as soon as possible. Well, I think everyone agrees that we should get out as soon as we can, but we can't get out any sooner than it is feasible in terms of what we have to accomplish and in terms of what the Iraqi government needs to accomplish. So I don't know that setting a deadline, a public deadline, is the best way to achieve that goal.
This kind of stuff could eaisly have come out of Rumsfeld's, or Cheney's, or Bush's mouth. Were Hillary to win the nomination, some clips from this interview would make devastating McCain ads in the Fall.
Here's Hillary:
I started criticizing the war in Iraq before he did.
-- Hillary Clinton, U Tube
Frankly I'm glad Hillary raised the subject of her Iraq stance in 2005.
We need a candidate who has consistently opposed to the War in Iraq to take on McCain in the Fall. Not one who used to be an enthusiastic supporter of the occupation of Iraq and who used the language of the NeoCons to promote it.
Crossposted at My DD