Hot Air » Blog Archive » Billy Jeff: I opposed the Iraq war “from the beginning”; Update: DU calls BS

Billy Jeff: I opposed the Iraq war “from the beginning”; Update: DU calls BS

posted at 8:42 pm on November 27, 2007 by Allahpundit
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True or not? The beauty of the Clintons, my friends, is that the answer to that question can be, and usually is, “both.” Start here with what Mark Halperin dug up from 2003. So he did support the war! Or did he?

In the crucial weekend before to the final breakdown of diplomacy in March, Mr Clinton was a guest of Mr Blair’s at Chequers where the pair discussed the crisis…

Three days after his Chequers meeting, Mr Clinton made a rare public appeal to his successor, George Bush, to give the UN weapons inspectors more time.

So he didn’t support the war! No, wait — he sort of did!

I’ve got to grab some dinner but I’ll let you take it from there. There’s no limit to how much triangulation might be found in Google’s archives. He wanted another round of weapons inspections before military action, except that the Europeans wouldn’t go along with that, so that means we had to … what? Take Saddam’s word for it? Go in anyway? Let Tony Blair call it in the air? Let me know in the comments what you find out. I’m guessing there’ll be support for all three positions.

Speaking of guys who want to have it both ways, here’s a little dessert for after you finish.

Update: Hot Air readers get results. He questioned the timing of the war, but not the war itself. Which leaves us … where?

Former President Clinton has revealed that he continues to support President Bush’s decision to go to war in Iraq but chastised the administration over the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison.

“I have repeatedly defended President Bush against the left on Iraq, even though I think he should have waited until the U.N. inspections were over,” Clinton said in a Time magazine interview that will hit newsstands Monday, a day before the publication of his book “My Life.”…

Pressed on whether the Iraq war was worth the cost to the United States, Clinton said he would not have undertaken the war until after U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix “finished his job.”…

“I want it to have been worth it, even though I didn’t agree with the timing of the attack,” Clinton said.

Update: A rare case when the right and the far left are aligned. Plus, another flashback: “Everybody makes mistakes.”

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Dinner? At almost 9 p.m.?

As for Bill Clinton, trying to figure out what he believes is like nailing jello to a wall.

Slublog on November 27, 2007 at 8:48 PM

There is this

Then there is this

Weight of Glory on November 27, 2007 at 8:49 PM

All I need to know is that his lips moved.

Dusty on November 27, 2007 at 8:50 PM

How ’bout the sought after “Third Way”

Weight of Glory on November 27, 2007 at 8:50 PM

I hope I am not the only one who think Bill Clinton and the entire Clinton family should just GO AWAY!

reppac122 on November 27, 2007 at 8:53 PM

Here he is standing up for the little guy

Weight of Glory on November 27, 2007 at 8:54 PM

I’ve got to grab some dinner…

How long does it take to open a Newcastle and nuke a frozen burrito?

RedWinged Blackbird on November 27, 2007 at 8:55 PM

First, I was Ms. World, then I gained a few lbs, then I wasn’t any more, then I lost a few lbs, now I am Ms. World again…what’s that “deniability” thing, again?

Entelechy on November 27, 2007 at 8:58 PM

Theists/atheists, check this out. Do. Not. Be. Fooled. Again.

Entelechy on November 27, 2007 at 9:02 PM

he was against it before he was for it, before he was against it, before he was for it, before he was against it….

could someone tell hillary to make up his mind for him, already?

Canadian Imperialist Running Dog on November 27, 2007 at 9:03 PM

Hey! We have dinner after 8:00 regularly! The cocktail hour, some time to relax, then good food. Why rush?

Back to “Billy Jeff” – Everything he says from now until the 2008 election is based on his (or someone’s) idea of what will cement Hillary with the anti-war idjuts on the far left. I don’t know why anybody would pay one lick of attention to that liar, anyway.

Qzsusy on November 27, 2007 at 9:04 PM

“One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line.”
- President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998
*
“If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction program.”
- President Bill Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998
*
“In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members … It is clear, however, that if left unchecked,
Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.”
- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002
*
“We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country.”
- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
*
“Iraq’s search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power.”
- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

MB4 on November 27, 2007 at 9:07 PM

I did not support the war
I did not inhale
I did not have sexual relations with that women
I did not rape any one
I did not have an affair with J.Flowers

INCONCIEVABLE!

I do not think “I did not” means what he thinks it means.

But I guess that depends on what your definition of it is

TheSitRep on November 27, 2007 at 9:07 PM

Did he not sign the 1998 Iraqi Freedom Act? I believe that stated the official position of the United States goovernment was to oust Saddam. That is precisely what G.W. Bush did. Mission accomplished.

Zelsdorf Ragshaft on November 27, 2007 at 9:10 PM

But I guess that depends on what your definition of what is, is

TheSitRep on November 27, 2007 at 9:07 PM

Fixed it for ya!

Kini on November 27, 2007 at 9:11 PM

If there is a player in our game that is more completely full of spit than Bill Clinton, who would it be?

Jaibones on November 27, 2007 at 9:11 PM

If there is a player in our game that is more completely full of spit than Bill Clinton, who would it be?

If this is a poll, count my vote(s) for Ron Paul.

RedWinged Blackbird on November 27, 2007 at 9:17 PM

“I have repeatedly defended President Bush against the left on Iraq, even though I think he should have waited until the U.N. inspections were over,” Clinton said in a Time magazine interview that will hit newsstands Monday, a day before the publication of his book “My Life.”…

That son of b**ch. Same with his wife who brags about her vote for the war when it’s good politics, but condemns it when it’s not.

RightWinged on November 27, 2007 at 9:20 PM

Those two give me an icky feeling every single time I see their pictures or hear their voices.

SouthernGent on November 27, 2007 at 9:23 PM

Of course, this is always my favorite (I can’t snatch the entire article, so you’ll have to follow the link):

http://www.cnn.com/US/9812/16/clinton.iraq.speech/

WASHINGTON (CNN) — From the Oval Office, President Clinton told the nation Wednesday evening why he ordered new military strikes against Iraq.

The president said Iraq’s refusal to cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors presented a threat to the entire world.

“Saddam (Hussein) must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons,” Clinton said.

Clinton also stated that, while other countries also had weapons of mass destruction, Hussein is in a different category because he has used such weapons against his own people and against his neighbors.

“Instead of inspectors disarming Saddam, Saddam has disarmed the inspectors,” Clinton said.

“If Saddam can cripple the weapons inspections system and get away with it, he would conclude the international community, led by the United States, has simply lost its will,” said Clinton. “He would surmise that he has free rein to rebuild his arsenal of destruction.”

For f*** sake, it’s like a Bush speech if Bush could speak well!

NOTE TO ANY MSM FOLKS WHO MIGHT READ THIS: Don’t let this get out. The public is supposed to believe that the Democrats, Clintons especially, have never been in support of attacking Saddam or Bush’s reasons for doing so (and clearly Bush took those reasons straight from Clinton speeches). Also, make sure you don’t dig up the dozens of Democrat quotes from 1990-2003, making the WMD case. Carry on with “Bush went in alone” and “Lied on WMDs” stuff, or the Dems might not win in 2008.

RightWinged on November 27, 2007 at 9:27 PM

“The former Democratic president [Clinton] said President Bush has done the right thing in removing Saddam Hussein from power. ‘They now have a fresh chance to do the right thing and rebuild Iraq,’ he said.”
–People’s Daily Online, Bill Clinton, addressing an audience at the Beth El Synagogue in St. Louis Park, April 15, 2003

franksalterego on November 27, 2007 at 9:28 PM

Exactly, playing the H & W routine, the answer to every question is both.

As Dick Morris said, Hillary’s 8 years in the WH makes her just as qualified to be Prez as the WH pastry chef.

Phooey. It insults your intelligence to be told that kind of crap.

petefrt on November 27, 2007 at 9:35 PM

*shudder*

Jack Straw, Jacques Chirac, and Bill Clinton.

The Malice Brothers.

RushBaby on November 27, 2007 at 9:35 PM

Unbelievable quotes from Bill Clinton in the Des Moines Resgister today when talking about some of the GOP candidates.

…”Clinton said that when Fred Thompson was a U.S. senator representing Tennessee, Clinton used to send him cigars. That would be an interesting matchup, he said.”…

…”The former governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, is doing well with Republicans because he’s a genuine social conservative and an economic populist and he gives the best talk. He’s really funny,’ Clinton said. ,You can tell we were raised in an oral culture down there.” …..

He cracks me up!!!! :)

Nelsa on November 27, 2007 at 9:50 PM

Did somebody airbrush Bills Rudolf nose in that pic?

He’s the official poster boy for the Winos of America Association aka WAA.

Speakup on November 27, 2007 at 9:55 PM

Darn right he did!
I specifically remember seeing him in Lettermen talking about what a threat Iraq was during lead up to the war.

terryannonline on November 27, 2007 at 10:03 PM

Democrat ex-presidents make my skin crawl.

Sirs, have you no sense of decency …. honor or loyalty?

fogw on November 27, 2007 at 10:16 PM

It’s disturbing that an impeached president, who is an icon of deception is being interpreted.

Hening on November 27, 2007 at 10:21 PM

“I have repeatedly defended President Bush against the left on Iraq, even though I think he should have waited until the U.N. inspections were over,” Clinton said in a Time magazine interview that will hit newsstands Monday, a day before the publication of his book “My Life.”…

Strange, then why did Clinton attack Iraq in 1998 if the weapon inspectors was still at work, and if they were done before Clinton attacked Iraq, then Bush had waited until after the weapon inspectors completed it’s work.

ToddonCapeCod on November 27, 2007 at 10:28 PM

Slublog on November 27, 2007 at 8:48 PM

If anyone can nail Jello Willy Jeff can.

You can tell we were raised in an oral culture down there.

Old news.

jdkchem on November 27, 2007 at 10:33 PM

Update: A rare case when the right and the far left are aligned.

Gack! No April Foolin!

Wow. Such an easily refutable lie. Bill is not as good as he used to be.

He used to know how to parse it better.
-beachmom Tue Nov-27-07 08:04 PM

RushBaby on November 27, 2007 at 11:03 PM

don’t triangulate me, Bro!

DrW on November 27, 2007 at 11:11 PM

I have come to the conclusion that both Mr. and Mrs. Clinton are mentally ill.

Labamigo on November 27, 2007 at 11:30 PM

RushBaby on November 27, 2007 at 11:03 PM

Very rare indeed

Also from DU:

So, either Bill is lying or Hillary disregarded his good advice.

Or maybe both–one never knows with the Clintons.

Rick on November 27, 2007 at 11:30 PM

MB4 on November 27, 2007 at 9:07 PM

Another thing Mr. Bill said, to the extent that I can recall it, was, “At the time I left office, there were unaccounted stockpiles of WMD in Iraq.”

The said this during an appearance on Larry King Live in 2003, around June if I’m not mistaken.

Bigfoot on November 27, 2007 at 11:32 PM

The slug, Komrade Klinton, is the Ultimate Liar. There is no competition.

Zorro on November 27, 2007 at 11:33 PM

A s Blair has said, in war there will be civilian was well as military casualties. There is, too, as both Britain and America agree, some risk of Saddam using or transferring his weapons to terrorists. There is as well the possibility that more angry young Muslims can be recruited to terrorism. But if we leave Iraq with chemical and biological weapons, after 12 years of defiance, there is a considerable risk that one day these weapons will fall into the wrong hands and put many more lives at risk than will be lost in overthrowing Saddam.

I don’t know, Bubba appeared to be pretty supportive to me.

Rick on November 27, 2007 at 11:36 PM

Plus, another flashback: “Everybody makes mistakes.”

The problem is, despite the White House pussying out on the line, it wasn’t a “mistake”. He stated that British intelligence had found… and it’s backed up by the former PM of Niger.

RightWinged on November 27, 2007 at 11:58 PM

Shocka!

saved on November 28, 2007 at 12:03 AM

I just took another look at the clinton photo on the home page, trying to figure out why it gave me the chills. Take one hand and cover his eyebrows and forehead, the other hand and cover the lower part of his face. With only the eyes showing, without the smiley mask, there is nothing but cold, sociopathic awareness.

This is what bonds him to Hillary. The relentless, calculating, chimeric coldness they share in common.

RushBaby on November 28, 2007 at 1:08 AM

But what will he say tomorrow?

His first two initials aren’t B.J. for nothin’.

profitsbeard on November 28, 2007 at 2:31 AM

Good Lord. Slick Willy thinks we forgot the time period between January 20, 1993 and January 20, 2001.

SoulGlo on November 28, 2007 at 2:49 AM

just took another look at the clinton photo on the home page, trying to figure out why it gave me the chills…With only the eyes showing, without the smiley mask, there is nothing but cold, sociopathic awareness.

RushBaby on November 28, 2007 at 1:08 AM

The photo gave me the willies (pun semi-intended) too, but didn’t know why. Now I know why it creeped me out so much. He is a scary dude and I hope I never see him in person.

inviolet on November 28, 2007 at 8:11 AM

Here he is standing up for the little guy

sorry, thought that one was going to end up being a p*nis joke. I mean…Clinton, you know? Sigh.

austinnelly on November 28, 2007 at 8:31 AM

Bill Clinton had the same stance as his buddy Al Gore did before the war, which was that regime change in Iraq was the ultimate goal, but they disagreed with the timing and manner in which Bush was pursuing that goal.

Al Gore’s speech September 23, 2002 sums this up very well:

What this tells me is the Congress should require, as part of any resolution that it considers, some explicit guarantees on whether we’re proposing to simply abandon the Iraqi people in the aftermath of a military victory there or whether or not we’re going to demand as a nation that this doctrine of “wash your hands and walk away” be changed so that we can engage in some nation building again, and build the kind of peace for the future that our people have a right expect.

Much more in that speech that should be recycled and rebroadcast everywhere to remind people that Gore and the Clintons have been trying to rewrite history ever since we invaded.

Gore advocated for “staying the course”. Read it in that speech. It’s right there. In the excerpt. Gore advocated that Congress should require Bush to stay the course in Iraq for the sake of the Iraqi people.

Seixon on November 28, 2007 at 8:56 AM

Lots of quotes about Iraq by Clinton and other Dems here. As it turns out, the Larry King Live interview I mentioned in my earlier post was in July, rather than June, 2003.

Bigfoot on November 28, 2007 at 9:01 AM

I did not have sex with that woman !

Maxx on November 28, 2007 at 9:43 AM

Everytime this sociopath speaks I need to take a shower.

Winebabe on November 28, 2007 at 11:14 AM

I just took another look at the clinton photo on the home page, … With only the eyes showing, without the smiley mask, there is nothing but cold, sociopathic awareness.
RushBaby on November 28, 2007 at 1:08 AM

“Sometimes that shark he looks right into ya. Right into your eyes. And, you know, the thing about a shark… he’s got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll’s eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn’t seem to be living… until he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then… ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin’.”

Brat on November 28, 2007 at 2:49 PM

Must be the Syphilis begining to attack his memory more now than before.

Texyank on November 28, 2007 at 5:39 PM

That was such a demonstrably false (and discrediting) thing to say, I’m wondering if BJ might be losing it.

petefrt on November 28, 2007 at 6:04 PM

That was such a demonstrably false (and discrediting) thing to say, I’m wondering if BJ might be losing it.

Nah, he just knows he’ll get away with any lie he says. Why should he change?

Ann NY on November 29, 2007 at 1:13 PM

I already have Clinton fatigue. Don’t you think the majority of Democrats are cringing just a little bit thinking about the 4 to 8 years of rationalizations and spinning they will have to do to defend them?

Ann NY on November 29, 2007 at 1:16 PM

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