And yet again...DU goes into an anti-Hillary frenzy before all the facts are known...

[SaveElmer]

Always quick to assume the worst...and always wrong....

Clinton Endorses Anti-Torture Pledge


October 04, 2007 3:19 PM

ABC News' Rick Klein Reports : Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has endorsed the principles of an anti-torture pledge circulated by a liberal organization, after facing criticism as the only Democratic candidate for president to withhold her support for a blanket statement condemning torture.

Clinton responded to the group sponsoring the pledge shortly after ABC News reported that she had declined to do so, though the campaign said the letter was being prepared before ABC made its inquiries.

The anti-torture pledge, initiated by the American Freedom Campaign -- a group founded by a coalition of civil-liberties groups and liberal activists -- commits the candidates to disavowing some of the controversial tactics employed by the Bush administration.

"We are Americans, and in our America we do not torture, we do not imprison people without charge or legal remedy, we do not tap people's phones and emails without a court order, and above all we do not give any President unchecked power," the statement reads. "I pledge to fight to protect and defend the Constitution from assault by any President."

In a letter to the group sent Thursday afternoon, Clinton writes that she agrees with the statement.

"To lead, our country must uphold its most fundamental rules and standards," she writes. "The next president must not only possess a clear-eyed assessment of the terrorist threat, but must demonstrate the moral courage to face that threat without forsaking the values which set our Nation apart."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/10/clinton-wont-si.html

For the frenzy...see here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3578940&mesg_id=3578940

[redqueen]

1. Well why won't she sign it then?

:shrug:

[ElizabethDC]

3. Apparently Obama, Dodd and Richardson signed it, whereas Edwards, Biden and Clinton sent letters

link: http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1007/Hillary_backs_habeas_corpus_etc.html

[redqueen]

12. "who only last week backed off her previous suggestions that some torture could be legal"

:o

:wtf:


Thanks for explaining that... but it seems the more I look, the less I want to see.

[jgraz]

4. Always gotta leave some wiggle room

Signing it might prevent her from denouncing civil liberties if the polls change direction

[Mythsaje]

2. What--you didn't see MY thread?

I surrender. You win. Hillary rules. (or will, anyway).

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1976113&mesg_id=1976113

[saracat]

5. Only after facing criticismfor withholding her support. Anti torture is apparently

low on her priorities.

[SaveElmer]

6. Again wrong...

A habit with you....though I did agree with you on Code Pink...to be accurate

[saracat]

9. What do you mean wrong? She didn't support this until she got criticized.She was the last

Democratic candidate to support this and only after she was criticized.Do you deny that? And yes you did support me on that issue. I still think that the "targeting" of Hillary was wrong.

[SaveElmer]

10. Uh no...

As reported the letter was in progress before the ABC report came out...

Which should disabuse people of the notion that she has some mysterious control over the media...

[saracat]

11. That does not disprove the assertion. .The criticism of Hillary also took place long before the

ABC Report.The letter may have been in progress but she was still the last to agree.

[SaveElmer]

13. Big deal...

It is meaningless...like the criticism of Obama last year for voting last on the Iraq funding bill..

She had no control over the timing of the ABC report...if it had come out last Tuesday Obama would be getting bashed...they all got it in August...

[saracat]

19. I don't care about the ABC Report.She is still the last to respond and it reflects her priorities.

[SaveElmer]

22. Ridiculous...nt

[saracat]

26. To you.It matters to some of us.

[SaveElmer]

27. Right...

So Obama waits what 2 months to answer...and he is showing leadership...

Hillary waits 2 months and 2 days to answer and she is waffling...

[saracat]

28. It is all in the timing.In addition none of the others have been as ambiguous about torture as

Hillary has been.That adds to the negative impression.If it has been one of the others the reaction might not have been so bad. Just saying.

[BootinUp]

30. You have her statement and position now

it just bothers you that she is more liberal than you want to paint her as.

[LittleClarkie]

31. Just alittle show on the uptake is all. And appearing to be waiting to see what others do

still doesn't make her look stellar.

[saracat]

33. Better late then never and she still voted for Kyl Liberman. Enuff said.Indefensible.

[Terre]

20. 7 weeks in progress?

And when the posts were made, there was no indication that the posters could have known a letter was "in progress."

She's always the LAST to stand for the right thing.

[SaveElmer]

23. You know how dumb this sounds...

The candidates were asked in August to respond...

So Obama waits 2 months and he is ok...Hillary 2 months and 2 days and she is bashed...

[Terre]

24. Actually, I think Obama erred as well

but I wasn't talking about him, nor Edwards, or any of them really.

She put herself in the position of being criticized for being slow on the draw. Maybe she thinks she can "afford" to be the last one in taking a position. Personally, that's not my idea of leadership.

[SaveElmer]

25. No...despite what the left thinks...

She doesn't control the media...and the story came out before she was ready with her letter...

Had it come out last Monday, Obama would have been included...

[Terre]

29. I'm talking about the TIME it took her to sign

and Obama doesn't fair well either, but that doesn't make us Hillary, or Obama, bashers for saying so. She was the LAST to sign. Period. What's so hard to understand about that?

It's just more of the same. She's the LAST to come out with a healthcare plan. She's the LAST to say her AUMF vote was "if I knew then, what I know now...", etc.

Regardless of whether she (or Obama) was "ready" to sign, they had seven weeks to do it for pete's sake. How long would it take you to read it and sign? Precisely because she took so long, she was fair game for criticism. And who said she controls the media? I didn't. As a matter-of-fact, we're probably the only ones talking about it. So relax.

[LittleClarkie]

32. She was tapping it out on a rock

It's more permanent that way.

[Terre]

39. ROFL!!

:rofl:  :rofl:  :rofl:

Thanks for the laugh. :)

[killbotfactory]

7. The facts changed

ABC reported she wouldn't sign the pledge, and I guess that lit a fire under her ass because she then signed the pledge.

[SaveElmer]

8. No ABC reported she had not yet signed the pledge...nt

[geek tragedy]

14. So she flipped and flopped in the same day. eom

[Snarkturian Clone]

15. She's still a bad choice NT

[Perry Logan]

16. Hillary critics screw up again; refuse to admit it again. At least they're consistent.

[Terre]

21. Unfair

That we only just now find out that she's the LAST of the candidates to sign on, does NOT mean that WE screwed up.

She's ALWAYS the last to "take a stand" and it reminds me of Bush's desperate trip to New Orleans - late and because he was criticized.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

17. Elmer, serious tip...

Be nicer.

Your candidate is way ahead, so you need to turn the other cheek. Don't dis people, even if they're wrong.

Your candi ate gets mountains of unfair attacks, but you should recognize that's what comes with being in front.

Most importantly, take it from Bill Clinton that you always want to leave your opponent a face-saving avenue of retreat.

That said, I appreciate your posts.

[LittleClarkie]

36. I've suggested that, but have been told she'll do just fine even with unfriendly supporters

So rich in probable votes that they have votes to burn, apparently

[mmonk]

18. So reports come out she didn't sign on.

People react. She finally sends a reply via mail this afternoon after publicity. It's Hillary bashing to react before she does it? Is that it?

[JNelson6563]

34. It is a shame this happens

I have seen it happen here at DU in relation to several of the candidates. I would like to think DUers are a bit more discerning than that.

Julie

[mark414]

35. to be fair, EVERYBODY on this site goes into a frenzy before all the facts are known

[Colobo]

37. What about those trashing Obama Freeper-style for not wearing a flag pin?

Where's the outrage, Elmer?

[DURHAM D]

40. Could you point me to someone trashing Obama for not wearing a flag?

I have seen a lot of posts by Obama supporters speculating that he would be trashed by Hillary and DUers for not wearing the pin but I have yet to see a negative comment on here.

Seems like Obama supporters have a persecution complex - reminds me of Drudge, Billo and Rush.

[illinoisprogressive]

38. she wrote a letter. She did not sign the pledge.

[Trajan]

41. I love the sweeping generalizations .....

DU did it .....

We are one big mighty DU .....

A homogeneous, monolithic, single minded entity that moves EXACTLY in unison, just to piss off the supporters of whomever ....

Yep: We first ZIG into Obama ... then we ZAG all over Clinton .... then we BOP all over Edwards .... then we'll spit on the memory of JFK while we sing Dixie all night long in a dirty cowboy bar somewhere in Texas ! ..... Aren't we loopy ? .....

We are one ...... We are only one .....

See my DU identification badge ? ..... HEY ! ... It's just like YOURS ! .....

Elmer ? ... Let me know what you plan on doing tomorrow: Cause we have to get in synchronization ...... I would hate to dance out of step ......

DU did it .... DAMN them ! .... DAMN that DU ! .....

[LittleClarkie]

42. Damn, we're smooth

Like the Rockettes, we are.