WESTERVILLE, Ohio - Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama mocked his rival Hillary Clinton’s “vast foreign policy experience” on Sunday, saying her 2002 vote to authorize the war in Iraq showed a lack of judgment on national security matters.
The Illinois senator’s sharp comments about Clinton marked an escalation of their fight over national security ahead of crucial nominating contests in Texas and Ohio on Tuesday.
“When it came time to make the most important foreign policy decision of our generation — the decision to invade Iraq — Senator Clinton got it wrong,” Obama said at a campaign rally.
“I don’t know where all this experience got her,” he said.
Just a few hours earlier in the same Ohio city, which is near Columbus, the New York senator invoked an ad she launched on Friday aimed at raising questions about the ability of Obama, a first-term senator, to handle a major foreign policy crisis.
The ad depicts sleeping children as a narrator says: “It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there’s a phone in the White House and it’s ringing. Something’s happening in the world. Your vote will decide who answers that call.”
At her own Westerville rally, Clinton said she wanted voters to think about the presidential race as “a hiring decision.”
She added, “When those calls come at 3 a.m. it might be a national security crisis, it could be an economic crisis.”
But Obama said Clinton has been portraying herself as someone who “supposedly has all this vast foreign policy experience.”
“We’re still waiting to hear Senator Clinton tell us what precise foreign policy experience” that she would cite “that would make her prepared to answer that phone call at three in the morning,” Obama said.
Clinton has said her years as first lady from 1992 to 2000 gave her a strong understanding of national security and experience dealing with world leaders.
While on the stump on Sunday, both Democrats — who are vying to challenge likely Republican nominee Sen. John McCain — touted their endorsements.
Campaigning with Obama was Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, who is chairman of the Senate intelligence committee.
Clinton was endorsed and accompanied by middleweight boxing champion Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik, a native of Youngstown, Ohio.
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
- Photo credit: Reuters/Jim Young (Obama speaks at a town hall meeting.)
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31 comments so far
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I wonder if 8 years as first lady gives you foreign policy experience maybe I will vote for Barbara Bush or maybe for Bill’s girlfried’s. Is Monica now a foreign policy guru also. THE Clintons are one scandal after another and this country should be tired of it by now.
- Posted by azOnly the 1984-type lies and propaganda of the Clintons could claim “momentum” when they have lost their more than 20% lead in Texas in the past few months, and have simply hung on to the lead they already had in Ohio. Again, the Clintons show that they way they “lead” is by tearing down the other candidates. If they are elected, we will have 4 more years of scandals, starting with Bill’s consulting fees, failure to show income tax returns, and the constant lying and double talk. I can’t see why the country would wish to return to this type of polarizing politics, since it leads nothing. Clinton will do more to unite Republications than anything else.
- Posted by EdwardNot all of 35 years of Hillary’s experience is good as it sounds;but what is important is some years of exprience with good judgement; and working with world leaders to gain peace and properity should be our national future goal in mending negative sentiments & hatred towards America. The good old washington folks with ties to the good old business as usual having the special interest groups managing our country domestic and foreign affairs should a thing of the past. Vote for Obama for change as he represents the future and fabic make up of America. We need to have the blue print and paint the future for our younger generation, not the good old establishment. Now our younger folks are coming out in thousands than ever before, and they are our future; and they will be the leaders of this country.
- Posted by Chareundi Van-SiThe info at the time was that there was WMD? Are you still living in oblivion, have you missed the reality boat? Hillary Clinton didn’t even bother to read the NIE at the time (that’s National Intelligence Estimate, you know, informative stuff on things like threats, security, WMDs).
Trying to parlay the argument as to what Obama might have done is ridiculous. Maybe he would’ve could’ve blah, blah blah. Fact of the matter is that she did even when her supporters begged her not to do it. Own up to your mistakes and stop
apologizing for her.
Lincoln Chafee had these fine words on HIllary being duped:
“They argue that the president duped them into war, but getting duped does not exactly recommend their leadership. Helping a rogue president start an unnecessary war should be a career-ending lapse of judgment.” - Lincoln Chafee
- Posted by susannaReally. How dare Obama try to mock Hillary’s experience on dangerous diplomatic missions with Chelsea, Sinbad, and Sheryl Crow? Bwahahahhahahah.
- Posted by Mich IndieIt’s always interesting to see how some people misinterpret facts or regurgitate unfounded, campaign rhetoric to prove a point.
Actually, Senator Obama has been invovled in politics, since 1996. He was putting his prospects of a political career on the line by going against the grain and pleading for peace.
And before you go making claims, Dolores, you might want to actually take a look at his long voting record:
http://www.votesmart.org/voting_category .php?can_id=9490
Just because you say it isn’t so - doesn’t make it true. Yell, scream, blame the media, but facts are stubborn things.
- Posted by wolfPlease publish my comment. Or is this a pro-Clinton page ?
- Posted by JunebugWell done! Bravo Obama! I am so sick of litsening to Hillary and her under-educated supporters singing about this non-existent, non-specific EXPERIENCE!! Well, she is an old woman so should have some life experience LIKE WE ALL DO but being the wife of a president does not qualify you as a politician in your own right. So your much touted experience started only when you became a senator with your hubby’s help. You have sunken very low on the 60 Minutes when you tried to instil the fear of Muslims in the minds of ordinary citizens. Hillary, are you sure you belong to the Dems ? Or maybe you got confused at the door and came to the wrong party.
- Posted by JunebugWell said, Obama! We have been wondering what vast foreign policy experience the lady really has. I don’t recall anything that might put her over Obama apart from the fact that she is a two -term senate whereas he is a first-term one. But even that experince comes with qualification. It must have been sooooooo easy for her to become a senate, having been a brash first lady for 8 years preceding that, whereas Obama really had to earn that office. Mrs Clinton, there is no achievement in your senate office which you rode into on the back of your ex-president hubby. That was the least he could do after cheating on you for decades. In that respect you are no better than George Bush the junior. Shame on you!
- Posted by OctoberchildWhat a crock. Hillary has a boatload of experience in making decisions based on political convenience. Her “red phone” ad should show Mark Penn in the back room conducting a poll at 3am.
- Posted by Linda WoodsI keep wondering why Hillary Clinton promised during the last debate that she would try to release her tax returns within the week, and then a day after the debate…her campaign announces that her taxes will not be released until April 15…
- Posted by kathleen t.Very suspicious, very fishy….
Why doesn’t the media create some pressure regarding this?
There is so much written about her lately about appearing on Sat. Night Live, the Jack Nicholson ad…etc ad nauseum
Let’s get real here!