HILARY ON IRAQ

Thanx to the Daily Howler, I found a fairly early statement by Hilary Clinton about the Iraq War on Meet the Press, August 29, 2004:

MR. RUSSERT: There's been a big discussion about Vietnam. Many people are wondering why this country is not debating Iraq in this presidential race. Jay Rockefeller, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was on this program a few weeks ago and this is what he said: "There is simply no question that mistakes leading up to the way in Iraq rank among the most devastating losses and intelligence failures in the history of the nation. The fact is that the administration at all levels, and to some extent us"--meaning Congress--"used bad information so bolster its case for war. And we in Congress would not have authorized that war--we would not have authorized that war--with 75 votes if we knew what we know now."

Do you agree with him?

SEN. CLINTON: There would not have been a vote, Tim. There would never have been a vote to the Congress presented by the administration. There would have been no basis for it. But we are where we are, and what I think we have to do now try to understand the series of miscalculations which for the first time ever the president admitted in an interview last week, have occurred which have rendered our situation more dangerous, less safe, and have put back the effort to try to stabilize and democratize Iraq. I believe with all my heart that, you know, we have to have new leadership at the highest level of our government in order to be successful in the strategy we have embarked upon in Iraq. No matter how we got there, and as I said, we wouldn't have even had a vote if all the facts had been available.

I don't think she is trying to weasel out of her vote, as Hannity and other crazies are claiming. Like most rational people, she came to see that we were lied to by the Bush regime.