Clinton mocks Obama on foreign policy

[ccpup]

Source: TPM and AP

Hillary Rodham Clinton ridiculed Democratic rival Barack Obama on Tuesday for his contention that living in a foreign country as a child helped give him a better understanding of the foreign policy challenges facing the U.S.

"Voters will have to judge if living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next president will face," Clinton said. "I think we need a president with more experience than that, someone the rest of the world knows, looks up to and has confidence in."

...

She sought to compare her experience — a two-term New York senator after eight years as first lady — with that of Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois.

"I offer the experience of being battle-tested in the political wars here at home," said Clinton, arguing that her background not only was superior as a potential president but also made her the most electable Democrat.



Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/mochila.php?articleId=10553684&channelId=76&buyerId=talkingpointsmemo_com400732&buid=866

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Is this really what Obama is basing his Foreign Policy expertise on? I must be missing something.

[K Gardner]

1. Obama counters with "President for a Day" line

I'm totally not impressed with either of these candidates right now. No one can truly believe Obama is campaigning on policy because he lived abroad as a child. No one can honestly believe, either, that Clinton is basing her experience on her failed healthcare initiative when Bill was in office. It's disgusting and below both of them. If they mire themselves in mudwrestling, they'll both be too busy to watch Edwards or some other candidate sail right past them.

[ariesgem]

2. Obama's response:

"Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld have spent time in the White House and traveled to many countries as well, but along with Hillary Clinton they led us into the worst foreign policy disaster in a generation and are now giving George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran. The real choice in this election is between conventional Washington thinking that prizes posture and positioning, or real change that puts judgment and honesty first."

http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/11/obama_camp_responds_to_hillary_barb.php

[saskatoon]

4. Words of Wisdom

Thank you Ariesgem for Pointing out what all that so-called smarts and experience
amounted to, not a damn thing worthwhile.

[hedgehog]

3. There is a difference between living in a place and taking the nickel tour -

go from the airport to the hotel, watch some cute kids present a native dance, have a dinner with the leader, check out a factory and fly home. Sort of the difference between having been on food stamps and just knowing all the numbers about food stamps.

[ccpup]

6. but living there at the age of 10

counts as something to use as foreign policy experience? I agree that the nickel tour isn't that much better, but doesn't Obama have any Committee seats or something to point to instead of "I lived in Indonesia when I was 10"?

It just seems a little weak to me.

[hedgehog]

7. I think this is an excerpt from a standard stump speech. As such,we're getting

the sound bite version with no real context of what he says before or after.


A lot of my knowledge about foreign affairs is not what I just studied in school. It’s actually having the knowledge of how ordinary people in these other countries live.’’

http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/657752,ob111907.article



On the other hand,

"For the last Congressional term, Citizens for Global Solutions gave Obama an A+ rating on his foreign policy positions. "

http://usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/2008presidentialrace/p/bobama.htm

[derby378]

5. Maureen Dowd is already calling Sen. Clinton "Mistress Hillary"

In Sunday's NYT, she basically said that by brushing Obama off repeatedly and using body language and "that look" to cow Obama into submission in the Vegas debate, "Mistress Hillary" has been allowed to reframe any criticism of her flip-flopping on issues is "mudslinging" and an attack on her character.

[BenDavid]

8. Oh my goodness, one reads MoDowd...uh huh she

is the one that covered gore in 2000 and was critical of him over and over again in articles and the same with kerry in 04. She is more of a ny wotimes reporter. I cannot understand why women like her and huffington are so pissed at HRC. Maybe they did not get what they thought they deserved more of...Hell, I can understand Huffington being pissed at HRC. She had a husband that spoiled all her chances of being a Senators wife and possible first lady, but a funny thing happened on the way....u all know the rest of the story.....and mo dowd, she is just pissed that a woman could be smarter then she.

Well enough negatives about them two....

Ben David

[ccpup]

10. yeah

Dowd definitely has an anti-Clinton bias workin' there. Perhaps Bill didn't respond to her flirting (as told to me by someone who was at a party in the early 90s where Maureen made googly eyes at Bill and Bill was "polite" before moving on and mingling with the other guests)

[asha]

9. iraq

Has Obama ever gone to Iraq? When Obama was doing drugs Hillary was at a Martin Luther speech.

[THUNDER HANDS]

12. i knew Hillary was old

but she heard Martin Luther speak. My god, she's ancient!

[jackbourassa]

11. Fuck you Hillary!

What experience does she have exactly?

Her only "decision" in foreign policy came when she supported George W. Bush in going to war against Iraq...

Other than that what has she done? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Hardly something for her to crow about.

[coalition_unwilling]

13. She has the blood of 1,000,000 Iraqi civilians on her hands and the

blood of 3860+ U.S. soldiers on her hands. Let's hear it for Hillary's "experience"

[ccpup]

14. and how many times

has Obama voted to continue funding the war? By that standard, are his hands clean?

[antiimperialist]

15. My sincere apologies to the McCain follower who called Clinton a bitch

I apologize for criticizing you, McCain follower. You were right.

[JeanGrey]

16. Unreal. The "rest of the world" looks up to Hillary, do

they? More than anyone, right?