Was this a small mea-culpa from Hillary regarding her Iraq vote?

[trumad]

SEN. CLINTON: Well, I don't have enough time to tell you all the mistakes I've made in the last many years. Certainly the mistakes I made around health care were deeply troubling to me and interfered with our ability to get our message out -- and, you know, believing the president when he said that he would go to the United Nations and put inspectors into Iraq to determine whether they had WMDs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/27/us/politics/27debate_transcript.html?pagewanted=12&_r=1

I think she is saying that she made a mistake believing Bush and if she didn't make that mistake, she wouldn't have voted the way she did.

[wyldwolf]

1. This has been her position for a while

[babylonsister]

2. Then she should say she 'made a mistake'! What's the difficulty with

that? She's a stubborn one, that Hillary.
Why should you be thinking about what she meant to say?:crazy:

[trumad]

4. But she did didn't she.

[babylonsister]

6. No, she did not. She has always made a point of not acknowledging

she made a mistake, that she was fed bad intel, blah blah blah. For better or worse, that's her story and she's sticking to it.

[Bluerthanblue]

11. I agree humility is an important but rare

attribute that makes a truly good leader.

There is NOTHING wrong with admitting that you did something you regret- If she could LEAVE her statement with the "I wish I hadn't made that decision, it was wrong." she'd hold much more credibility, appeal and respect in my mind.

"Yeah, but "They"made me do it" is what I hear, when the caveats are added. It is a sign of maturity, humility, ... evidence that the person doesn't need to "excuse" their 'wrong' but are willing to face the discomfort of being wrong, head on.

I believe it is very important for a person to be willing to stand and boldly face the ridicule that our BAD CHOICES bring, with as much or more grace than we do the praise that our good choices do.

Bill Clinton didn't skulk away when the s--t hit the fan- when his earlier denials were laid bare. He very contritely stood before this nation and the WORLD- and apologized for his actions with Ms. Lewinsky- ... stuff that the "public" had no real business being privy to, and without 'excuse' he "faced the music" as unpleasant as it was-

That is a hard act to follow- IMO



peace,
blu


typing error edit-

[JackintheGreen]

3. She also said

that she made her choice with the best evidence available to her at the time - the same info available to every congress critter - and that had the intel been better she would have voted differently.

To which Kucinich pointed out that he *did* have the facts and used them to vote against the war, and that those same facts were available to Mrs. Clinton.

It's hardly a mea culpa when she's still blaming somebody else for her vote.

[trumad]

5. But she admitted that mistake, didn't she?

[RufusTFirefly]

7. Gee, why would ANYBODY distrust Bush?

I mean, he's a devout, death-penalty-lovin' Christian, a compassionate Muslim-killing, oil-stealing, veteran-neglecting conservative, and the kind of alcoholic that you'd want to have a beer with.

As George Tenet might say -- out of context, of course -- it's a slam dunk.

[Captain Hilts]

8. Regret is appropriate, and apology is not. Bush did not follow the IWR in good faith.

The war is not Kerry, Clinton or Edwards' fault. It's Bush's fault for ignoring the tenets of the resolution and not acting in good faith.

The Senate should hold another vote on the IWR.

[whistle]

9. It was a very honest answer about having made many misstates

.....she is admitting she is a human being and human beings make mistakes, even very bright ones.

Then in the next sentence she reverts back to being political by saying she took George Bush at his word that he would make a sincere effort to find what he claimed to be a major threat to the U.S national security, those pesky WMDs.

I don't think Hillary for one moment ever believed that crock of shit coming from out of the White House, because Hillary is one of the smartest women in the world. Most sane Americans didn't believe Shrub's* bullshit either. I never did, but then I could never run for or ever be president of the United States. Hillary can and is and could most likely get elected and statements like those she made last evening will only enhance her chances of winning.

[peacebird]

10. see here's the problem

"I don't think Hillary for one moment ever believed that crock of shit coming from out of the White House, because Hillary is one of the smartest women in the world." <-- If she didn't believe them then she had a responsibility to our country and our people in the service to speak out against the Bush run up to war. She did not do this. Why NOT?

If she DID believe the white house propaganda then she is not smart enough to run the country. Too many people here and around the world knew it was pure BS. FWIW I believe she is extremely smart.

I think she was taking the politically expedient path in the run up to war, as did many others in congress - out of concern more for their JOBs than our country. And the fact she won't own up to the vote being a complete mistake - without caveats - says to me she is not strong enough to admit her mistake.

[RufusTFirefly]

13. Well said

I agree that HRC is quite smart, way too smart to be fooled by Bush.
So her vote was a cold-blooded expedient one.
I understand that Senators occasionally vote out of expediency. The horse-trading on Capitol Hill can be tricky. But when tens of thousands of lives are extinguished and billions are spent, that sort of calculation is obscene.

[Captain Hilts]

12. HRC saw 8 years of Repubs on the Hill tying Bill's hands on FP. nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. It wasn't a "mistake". CYA language doesn't cut it.

It was calculated pandering and poll-watching. Either that, or she was/is too stupid to hold public office.

[Bluerthanblue]

15. huh... it just jumped out at me- she said

and, you know, believing the president when he said that he would go to the United Nations and put inspectors into Iraq to determine whether they had WMDs.

by way of 'explaining' why she made her "mistake". Am I having a senior moment, or was it not the "faulty intelligence" that supposedly 'sold' the IWR to the reps?
The UN was done "putting inspectors into Iraq" by the time the IWR came up for a vote- * was demanding that SH either step down/surrender or 'give up the "WMD's"????