Irregular Times Diaries: Unfit Discussion

Senator Hillary Clinton raised the ire of some Democrats when she voted to authorize a possible Iraq war in 2002. I say “some” because at that time, a number of Democrats as well as Republicans thought it was a good idea. Let’s not engage in historical revisionism on that point. Still, though, Senator Clinton has done a lot of thinking, studying, watching and reconsidering, and that’s what a good leader should do. Last night, Senator Hillary Clinton decided that enough was enough, and she voted a firm “NO” on sending President Bush another blank check for Iraq. Clinton explained her vote:

“Tonight I voted against the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill because it fails to compel the President to give our troops a new strategy in Iraq. I believe that the President should begin a phased redeployment of our troops out of Iraq and abandon this escalation. I fully support our troops, and wish the President had followed the will of the people and signed the original bill we sent which both funded the troops and set a new course of phased redeployment. But the President vetoed Congress’s new strategy and so Congress must reject the President’s failed policies. I will also continue to press with Senator Byrd for our legislation to end the authorization of the war in Iraq.”

Understand what Senator Clinton has done here. She has firmly, finally, joined the anti-war contingent of Americans that is our new majority. She passes my test.