What has happened to Hillary Clinton? She went from lousy wife of Bill Clinton to a Senator who has, dare I say it, done a good job. The old wisdom was that she was the cool mastermind behind all the money scandals, and he was the randy chump behind all the sex scandals. Could it be that now that she is free of him (yes, I know they aren’t divorced, but still) she’s put her past behind her and is on the high road? I don’t know. It could all be an act, it could all be maneuvering for 2008. But while I can’t know her motivations, I can know her acts, and frankly, I’m impressed. She’s been consistant on Iraq, she’s toured Afganistan and Iraq. If doing the right thing also is smart politically, do I applaud doing the right thing or snark about politics? I applaud doing the right thing, which I think she has done (sound of me clapping). I think it was the right thing for President Bush to spend Thanksgiving with soldiers in Iraq; I think the same thing for Hillary to spend even more time at Thanksgiving.
And yes, she’s criticized President Bush about his handling of Iraq and Afganistan. I’m not one of those who think any criticism in war time is a bad thing. For me, it’s all about achieving the goal, and if the criticism is contructive, then right or wrong, it’s a good thing. Like a lot of others, she thinks we don’t have enough troops in both countries. I think that’s hard for either one of us to judge, but in my opinion she’s probably wrong about Iraq, and possibly correct about Afganistan. Like a lot of others, she thinks the UN should be more involved – and I couldn’t disagree more.Some people are upset that she actually told the troops that while Americans wholeheartedly support them, there are many questions at home about the administration’s policies. I think that is a pretty accurate statement, and the truth is always a defense in my book. Other remarks indicated that we need to do more in both countries and that the outcome isn’t assured. Well, again, true statements. We need to be committed to getting the job done, and not cutting and running. If her criticisms are politically motivated – so what? Let’s judge them on their own merits, and not try to guess motivations. They are at least serious and proscriptive, not just a repetition of Bush Bad.
Do I trust Hillary Clinton? No, I have too good a memory. Would I ever vote for her? Um, probably not. I like to vote for my felons after they’ve been convicted (which I did in the last election), not before. But it depends on who she’s running against.
