Clinton, Obama in war of words over 'rogue leaders'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The bid for the White House between leading Democratic hopefuls Sens. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and Hillary Clinton, D-New York, is turning ugly, with Clinton criticizing Obama as inexperienced on national security and Obama firing back at what he called a "fabricated controversy."

The sparring began Monday at the CNN/YouTube debate, in which a viewer asked candidates if they would be willing to meet with leaders of Iran, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela and North Korea -- whom the United States has called rogue leaders.

Obama said he would, adding "it is a disgrace that we have not spoken to them." He added: "The notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them -- which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration -- is ridiculous."

Obama cited the diplomacy of late presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, who engaged the Soviet Union even as he called it the "evil empire."

Obama said one of his first orders of diplomacy in the Middle East would be to "send a signal that we need to talk to Iran and Syria because they're going to have responsibilities if Iraq collapses."

"They have been acting irresponsibly up until this point," he said. "But if we tell them that we are not going to be a permanent occupying force, we are in a position to say that they are going to have to carry some weight, in terms of stabilizing the region."

Clinton, who on the campaign trail has blasted the Bush administration for not engaging Iran and Syria directly, responded to the question by promising "vigorous diplomacy," including using high level envoys.

But she said she would not meet with such leaders in her first year before knowing what their intentions would be. "We're not going to just have our president meet with Fidel Castro [of Cuba] and Hugo Chavez [of Venezuela] and, you know, the president of North Korea, Iran and Syria until we know better what the way forward would be," Clinton said. "I don't want to be used for propaganda purposes."

Both campaigns issued memorandums the next day highlighting talking points on the exchange and criticizing the other. That was followed by dueling interviews with Iowa's Quad-City Times.

"I thought that was very irresponsible and frankly naive to say you would commit to meeting with Chavez and Castro or others within the first year," Clinton told the paper, adding that Obama regretted his answer at the debate.

Her comments reflected a strategy to paint herself, a two-term senator and former first lady, as the candidate with the most experience to be president and Obama, a junior senator, as too inexperienced to be commander in chief.

Obama struck back at Clinton in his interview with the Quad-City Times, accusing Clinton of a "fabricated controversy."

"I didn't say these guys were going to come for a cup of coffee some afternoon," Obama told the newspaper. Then, referring to Clinton's vote in Congress authorizing the war in Iraq, Obama said: "If there is anything irresponsible and naive it was to authorize George Bush to send 160,000 young American men and women into Iraq apparently without knowing how they were going to get out."
Clinton, Obama in war of words over 'rogue leaders' - CNN.com

Does Obama lack experience or is Hillary just a bitch? Let the voters decide........

Have a good one!:s4:

I'm for Hilary...but I'm a goofy canadian bastard, eh? :D
Nah, only reason is I don't think any republican has a chance in hell.....

This is the first intelligent thing I've heard Obama say.He's got the right idea.Just because we disagree with someones political style doesn't meen we should slam the door in his face.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Blindman0v0

This is the first intelligent thing I've heard Obama say.He's got the right idea.Just because we disagree with someones political style doesn't meen we should slam the door in his face.

---

I'd veto that comment if I had authority to do so :)

once again hillary shows us that she's just a member of the old boys' club with tits. i've never understood why so many of these political animals seem to think it is beneath the dignity of the presidency to speak with foreign rulers unless their underlings have hashed out the details beforehand. such elitist attitudes send a message of contempt to those with whom we might be able to find common ground and escalate tensions when we can least afford it. though i disagree with obama on many of his rather naive views and his tendency toward a foolish socialist agenda, he would be a breath of fresh air in the stale confines of the oval office.


oops, did i just endanger my standing as a warmonger? probably not.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by delusionsofNORMALity

once again hillary shows us that she's just a member of the old boys' club with tits. i've never understood why so many of these political animals seem to think it is beneath the dignity of the presidency to speak with foreign rulers unless their underlings have hashed out the details beforehand. such elitist attitudes send a message of contempt to those with whom we might be able to find common ground and escalate tensions when we can least afford it. though i disagree with obama on many of his rather naive views and his tendency toward a foolish socialist agenda, he would be a breath of fresh air in the stale confines of the oval office.


oops, did i just endanger my standing as a warmonger? probably not.

---

You're such a smooth talker, "old boys club with tits". Have you ever had a positive thing to say about anyone? Although I'm not a hillary lover, I'll refrain from calling her names, I reserve that for the repukes. I am also encouraged by your elitest comments, maybe we have a common thread running through our demented lives.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by medicinal

.... maybe we have a common thread running through our demented lives.

---

it might surprise you just how liberal my views really are. though my philosophy is anarchist to the core, i am a realist and know that my way of life depends too much on self control for this culture where instant gratification and the cult of entitlement hold sway. i am so tired of what this government has become, but i don't see the fault to lie in the administration or even within the system itself. the people themselves have allowed their government to lull them into a complacent slumber. substituting myths like the sanctity of human life and the necessity of growth for simple integrity and common decency. we haven't repaired the mistakes of the past, we have compounded those errors and are now racing headlong toward the very tyrannies that this country was founded to escape.

we are the masters of the slippery slope. never taking the cautious steps of the prudent man, but bounding off with reckless abandon and a certainty of our own righteous destiny. a step to the left sends us hurtling toward the massive bureaucracy of the socialist nanny state, a paradise of mediocrity where all are sustained and none may excel. a step to the right and we are rushing toward the oligarchy of our nightmares, capitalism run amok and the entire world as our foe. i yearn for the middle road, but that was plowed under long ago.

I agree with Obama, and think that the only way issues will ever be resolved is to talk about them, and try to come to a resolution.

You can use Nixon as an example.One of our worst and most corrupt presidents but he did open the door for Negotiations with China. Just talk to them.You don't have to suck there cock or anything just let them no you'd like to be on speaking terms with them.

I hope Obama doesn't backslide on this.So far he doesn't really stand for anything all you know is he's black.Thats why he gets a lot of press.