Ran across a post on The Washington Note this evening with some very big news: Hillary Clinton is going to support Jim Webb's amendment requiring the President to seek congressional approval before any attack on Iran. This is not simply a "sense of the Senate" resolution, but includes binding language prohibiting the use of funds from the defense appropriations bill for such an action without approval.Some of us have occasionally been critical of Hillary Clinton in the past over some of her other votes, but I am very pleased to see her lending her status as the Democratic presidential frontrunner to Jim Webb in his effort to rein in the administration on this.
Iran is a complicated issue -- unlike Iraq, I am convinced that they really do have a nuclear program. I also think they're involved in supplying some of our enemies in Iraq -- not surprising when the Cheney crowd has been saying "you're next" so loudly over the past few years. But I also think there are potentially some very major negative consequences to a strike on Iran, first and foremost the fact that we've got 165,000 US military personnel exposed to Iranian retaliation in Iraq, and also the fact that an oil price shock could have serious impacts on the US (and world) economies. A strike on Iran very well might set in motion a protracted, stalemated conflict, since Iran has sufficient strategic depth that 'regime change' by force isn't really an option. In President Bush feels that war with Iran is the only option, he needs to comply with the Constitution, and allow the Congress to exercise its responsibilities in that regard.
In my opinion, the US ought to be pursuing more serious negotiations with Iran, including on stabilizing Iraq. As Sen. Webb has emphasized repeatedly, there isn't likely to be a solution to stabilize Iraq until its neighbors feel an incentive to cooperate in making that happen.
I'm very pleased to see Sen. Clinton taking a stand on this. This amendment was introduced by Sen. Webb back in the spring, but was dropped when it didn't get adequate support from the Senate leadership. I'm hoping that she will follow through and make a real push to get the Webb amendment on Iran into this year's Defense Appropriations bill.
So anyway, thanks for your support, Sen. Clinton, and thanks to all of you Virginians (and others) who helped to elect Sen. Webb!
Teri Meyer
But the photo itself was taken last year at the campaign event which Hillary Clinton did for Webb right before the 2006 election.
thanks!
The Admin keeps saying they are "trying diplomacy" but haven't been impressed that they actually mean it. I also think they said that prior to invading Iraq.
I don't think W cares, and he has enough yes-men around him that this extra measure seems necessary IMHO.
The sine quo non on Hillary Clinton is that she was the chief enabler of the attack on Iraq. If a voter can't accept that, he or she is living la-la land.
And, Hillary has yet to ask forgiveness for that.
In contrast, Jim Webb knew from the beginning that the attack on Iraq was wrong.