Will Hillary Have to Defend Every One of Bill Clinton's Positions In the Campaign?

[Bonobo]

Seriously, when the Repiblican attack dogs are done with her, will there be anything left?

Claiming to be a vital part of the Clinton Administration as she does, won't she have to defend 8 years of Clinton administration policies while still defending her own?

Last night, I posted about the 500,000 Iraqi children under 5 that died as a result of the Iraq Sanctions that Bill maintained brutally for 8 years against Iraq. Doesn't Hillary have to address this? She was there for 8 years. That is a long, long time. Surely if Hil felt it was wrong, she could have exerted influence, no?

Now, let me ask you this. Who would be a better person to have up there negotiating with our enemies? A woman with all this baggage, and from the perspective of much of the Middle East, BLOOD and lots of it on her hands -or would you rather have a man up there who can start afresh? A man who, for the first time in American history, does not represent the slave-owning race, a man who has grown up among Muslims and knows what it is like to be on the other side -for once.

I, for one, do not want a candidate with this much baggage negotiating with the rest of the world or representing me. As another poster said, he is 38 years old and for his entire adult life, it has been either a Clinton or a Bush in the WH. If Hil wins, it will be 24 years of Bush/Clinton. Whether you think the Clinton's deserve some of the blame for the deaths of all these Iraqis is immaterial. The real question is: How many people in the ME and other parts of the world see it that way?

Let's have a frsh start, please.

P.S. Expect to see plenty of posts from me challenging Hillary to stand up and defend the record of the Administration that she cites as the source of all her "experience".

[Evergreen Emerald]

1. Will Obama support his wife? Will Edwards support his wife?

Will DU continue to have double standards when it comes to Clinton?

[hedgehog]

7. Neither Michelle Obama nor Elizabeth Edwards were ever President.,

Barack does not claim experience as a hospital administrator nor does John link his experience to Elizabeth's.

[beachmom]

8. Obama is not running on his wife's record the way Hillary is running on Bill's so no.

We've been warning you guys for MONTHS that this is a problem. Hillary can't on one hand run on her experience as First Lady, and on the other, distance herself from the Clinton Administration's record. She could be in a WORLD of trouble as our nominee. She hasn't come even CLOSE to being vetted, I assure you. This is even worse than a Senate record. Every last detail of the Clinton Admin. will be opened up again. And with more hindsight, they will have more material.

[Avalux]

10. Are you serious? There is not double-standard; Bill Clinton is a former president.

And whether you like it or not, his legacy will be part of everthing Hillary does; good and bad. It could be a huge hinderance to her if she is not able to put a lid on it and exert her own influence and ideas. Of course that's difficult to do when the campaign depends on Bill's achievements.

[Adelante]

2. It's a matter of some confusion

What she is credited with in Clinon I-II and what she takes a pass on.

[Bonobo]

4. It won't be confusing for Karl Rove. He will now where to sink his teeth in.

Shit, he's had stuff on her for 20 years! Waiting to use it.

[Fredda Weinberg]

3. This is fair and HRC isdoing well.

Baggage? That's a child talking. The higher the stakes, the more vital the perspective and maturity that comes w/experience. Painful experience.

Indeed, Bill could testify that his inexperience in the beginning of his term led to many disasters ... HRC has picked up the baton and it's still heavy lifting. But physics teaches us ... lateral motion requires no extra effort. Ponder that as you wonder who has a strategy for success.

Maybe you want a candidate who'll wing it w/a position paper he just got from an aide. For the rest of us, I suggest the best we can get - and HRC has demonstrated the capacity to lead. Heck, I've followed for years - willfully participating in a vision for a better future.

[Bonobo]

5. What you see as experience is seen as guilt and complicity in many other places.

Surely you must recognize that.

[maddiejoan]

12. I disagree with you.

--and stop calling me Shirley.

[Bonobo]

13. Maybe I should call you "Fredda".

[maddiejoan]

14. I'd be honored if you did.

I enjoy Fredda's posts quite a bit.

Thanks!

[Bonobo]

15. You got it.

Thanks for the kick.

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. If it really revolves around that

On net Hillary comes out ahead. I would gladly take her having to defend Bill Clinton's record over any Republican having to defend George W. Bush's record in a heart beat. Had it been constitutional I suspect Bill Clinton could have won a third term on his record.

But this is also a case where it helps to have a candidate who is highly intelligent, who thinks well on her feet like Hillary. Everyone who has been in politics long enough to run for Prewsident has some problematic aspect of their record that needs to be handled skillfully. The ability to turn do so well is a major part of the art of politics. I think she is up to it. She has fought through more hostile press than our other candidates combined.

[eleny]

9. If she runs on the "1990s", she'll have to defend the policies

[Bonobo]

11. Someone should come up with a list of the issues that she'll have to explain.

Oh, someone already did. Karl Rove.

Maybe that's why they want her to win so badly. Hmmmm....