From CNN: Clinton, Obama in war of words over 'rogue leaders'.
The bid for the White House between leading Democratic hopefuls Sens. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and Hillary Clinton, D-New York, is turning ugly, with Clinton criticizing Obama as inexperienced on national security and Obama firing back at what he called a "fabricated controversy." Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are continuing an argument started at Monday's CNN YouTube debate.The sparring began Monday at the CNN/YouTube debate, in which a viewer asked candidates if they would be willing to meet with leaders of Iran, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela and North Korea -- whom the United States has called rogue leaders. ...
Charles Kupchan with the Council on Foreign Relations said that Obama and Clinton were essentially saying the same thing, which is that dialogue is important. ...
He noted that although the Bush administration took office vowing not to talk to North Korea or Iran, it reached a deal on North Korea's nuclear program through negotiations and now is sitting down with Iran to talk about the violence in Iraq.
"At the end of the day, history suggests that only if we talk to our adversaries do we resolve disputes," Kupchan said.
Actually, history suggests that we resolve disputes with adversaries only if we defeat them first (e.g., WWII), after all we're talking about adversaries who openly advocate our demise. However, it is worth pointing out that Bush, Clinton, and Obama are all ultimately willing to talk to such adversaries as if they are rational, which is not rational.
The staging in this cartoon is inspired by the George Bellows painting Stag at Sharkey's (1909).
UPDATE: From CNN: Clinton calls Bush-Cheney comparison ’silly’.
UPDATE II -- July 28: From the Chicago Tribune: Clinton-Obama: Gloves off early.
Nobody watching politics is surprised that there is a genuine smackdown going on between the two senators, who are way ahead of the other Democratic candidates and generally considered the leading contenders for the party's nomination. ..."It wasn't a question of if there'd be a barroom brawl," said Chris Lehane, a veteran Democratic strategist who is not working for any of the current presidential candidates. "It was a question of when."
UPDATE III -- July 29: From the CNN: Gingrich predicts Clinton/Obama ticket.
Posted by Forkum at July 26, 2007 04:03 PM
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