Hillary Clinton, presidential hopeful for 2008, has been searching for a way to distance herself form the fact that she voted in favour of the Iraq war back in 2002.
Now, she may have found a way to lance this boil.
She is asking her fellow senators to support her, and Senator Robert Byrd's, plan for a new vote on the Iraq war.
Clinton has written a letter to all the 98 other senators, saying that Congress should request that there be a new war vote when the Senate debates the 2008 military spending bill in the next few weeks.
The letter argues that the 2002 vote for the war, which Clinton backed, is hopelessly out of date.
Quote:
"That authorisation, which references the government of Saddam Hussein and weapons of mass destruction, is no longer relevant.
Our troops have toppled the dictator. The Iraqis have voted in a new government.
The American public and our troops in the field are entitled to a new debate about this war."
Whilst many people may dislike Clinton, and her opportunism, one has to grudgingly respect her shrewd political skills. This letter, and possible vote, may well be an effective means of distancing herself from the vote in 2002.
Whether it helps the Iraqi people, is another matter!
No comments:
Post a Comment