[Q]Saturday Nov. 29, 2003; 10:18 a.m. EST Hillary to Troops: Support for War Fading
In a demoralizing message to U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq, visiting New York Sen. Hillary Clinton told them that Americans back home are growing increasingly skeptical of President Bush's decision to send them into battle.
Describing two meetings with G.I.s over turkey dinners in Baghdad, Sen. Clinton told reporters later that soldiers wanted to know "how the people at home feel about what we are doing."
Clinton said she told the troops, "Americans are wholeheartedly proud of what you are doing but there are many questions at home about the (Bush) administration's policies."
She also suggested that the U.S. could eventually lose the war in Iraq, contending, "We have to exert all of our efforts militarily, but the outcome is not assured."
Despite her sour pronouncements, the former first lady insisted that the soldiers were just as glad to see her as they were President Bush, whose surprise visit less than 24-hours earlier was greeted with standing ovations.
"It's a positive for the commander-in-chief to visit troops in the field," Clinton told reporters, adding, "the troops [also] seemed to appreciate seeing myself."
Speaking from a secure location just over the Kuwaiti border, Mrs. Clinton launched one verbal salvo after another at the White House, arguing that Bush officials had been "obsessed" with getting Saddam Hussein and saying the perception blinded them to the difficulties of deposing his regime.
"The Pentagon tried to make do with as few troops as possible, as light a footprint as they could get away with," Clinton said. "Now, we're playing catchup . . . Unfortunately, I don't think they fully appreciated the conditions we would encounter."
The top Democrat also reprised her charge that the White House is being less than candid when it comes to apprising the American people of the costs of the war.
"The obstacles and problems here are much greater than the administration usually admits to," she said, adding, "Everybody has to be honest."[/Q]
Now, two days ago it was asked what the difference was between the President visitng the troops and Senator Clinton visitng the troops and here it is.......
You can say that the President used it as a political forum, but there was not ONE political attack on the democratic party in his message. I posted his entire speech. He was there in the capacity of commander in chief.
According to this article she has directly told the troops:
the American people's support is waining
they might lose the war
and used this as a forum to launch attacks on the White House.
Mrs. Clinton was NOT there in the interests of the troops. She was there to forward her own political agenda, whatever that may be. It most definitely was not to lift the spirits of the troops.
In a demoralizing message to U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq, visiting New York Sen. Hillary Clinton told them that Americans back home are growing increasingly skeptical of President Bush's decision to send them into battle.
Describing two meetings with G.I.s over turkey dinners in Baghdad, Sen. Clinton told reporters later that soldiers wanted to know "how the people at home feel about what we are doing."
Clinton said she told the troops, "Americans are wholeheartedly proud of what you are doing but there are many questions at home about the (Bush) administration's policies."
She also suggested that the U.S. could eventually lose the war in Iraq, contending, "We have to exert all of our efforts militarily, but the outcome is not assured."
Despite her sour pronouncements, the former first lady insisted that the soldiers were just as glad to see her as they were President Bush, whose surprise visit less than 24-hours earlier was greeted with standing ovations.
"It's a positive for the commander-in-chief to visit troops in the field," Clinton told reporters, adding, "the troops [also] seemed to appreciate seeing myself."
Speaking from a secure location just over the Kuwaiti border, Mrs. Clinton launched one verbal salvo after another at the White House, arguing that Bush officials had been "obsessed" with getting Saddam Hussein and saying the perception blinded them to the difficulties of deposing his regime.
"The Pentagon tried to make do with as few troops as possible, as light a footprint as they could get away with," Clinton said. "Now, we're playing catchup . . . Unfortunately, I don't think they fully appreciated the conditions we would encounter."
The top Democrat also reprised her charge that the White House is being less than candid when it comes to apprising the American people of the costs of the war.
"The obstacles and problems here are much greater than the administration usually admits to," she said, adding, "Everybody has to be honest."[/Q]
Now, two days ago it was asked what the difference was between the President visitng the troops and Senator Clinton visitng the troops and here it is.......
You can say that the President used it as a political forum, but there was not ONE political attack on the democratic party in his message. I posted his entire speech. He was there in the capacity of commander in chief.
According to this article she has directly told the troops:
the American people's support is waining
they might lose the war
and used this as a forum to launch attacks on the White House.
Mrs. Clinton was NOT there in the interests of the troops. She was there to forward her own political agenda, whatever that may be. It most definitely was not to lift the spirits of the troops.
, I don't know what to think..I don't think that was the time or place to launch her verbal attack on the White House. Those men and women are risking their lives every day, and they need and deserve moral support and encouragement. That doesn't mean they should be lied to, but they are intelligent men and women w/ minds of their own.
