Daily Revolt

November 19, 2007

Sorry Hillary, Joe Biden Most Experienced

The Clintonistas are fond of pointing out that Hillary is the most experienced candidate. The truth is Joe Biden is much more experienced than Ms.Clinton:
Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama sparred over who has the most experience to be president on Monday as a new poll showed Obama narrowly leading in the crucial kick-off state of Iowa.

The Washington Post-ABC News poll showed Obama with the support of 30 percent of likely Democratic caucus-goers in Iowa, compared to 26 percent for Clinton, 22 percent for former Sen. John Edwards and 11 percent for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Joe Biden has been a U.S. Senator for over 30 years. He's also accomplished a lot more than Hillary while in Congress:
Without mentioning the other Democrats by name, Clinton suggested he rivals lacked the experience to take on America's economic challenges, saying "we can't afford on-the-job training for our next president."

"We need a president who understands the magnitude and complexity of the challenges we face, and has the strength and experience to address them from Day One," she said.

Ms.Clinton has the temerity to count her years as First Lady as qualifications for being President of the United States, and she is getting away with it:
Obama dismissed Clinton's comments and questioned Clinton's experience. She was first lady when her husband, Bill Clinton, was president in the 1990s, and has been a New York senator for nearly seven years.

"I am happy to compare my experiences to hers when it comes to the economy. My understanding is that she wasn't treasury secretary in the Clinton administration," Obama said. "I don't know exactly what experiences she's claiming."

She is experienced at flip-flopping:
Democrat Barack Obama sharply criticized Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday for her past support of NAFTA, saying the former first lady had changed her mind about the trade agreement only since becoming a presidential candidate.

"I think it's important to note that Senator Clinton was a cheerleader for NAFTA for more than a decade," Obama said at a news conference with representatives of a regional United Auto Workers chapter, whose members voted last week to recommend an endorsement of the Illinois senator.

"I realize that changing your position to suit the politics of the moment might be smart campaign tactics but isn't the kind of strong, principled leadership America needs right now," Obama said.

[...]The North American Free Trade Agreement was passed in 1993 with the strong support of President Clinton, and eliminated most tariffs on goods traded between the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Since then, many Democrats and representatives of organized labor have roundly condemned NAFTA, arguing that it has favored the rich while moving thousands of middle-class jobs out of the United States. Edwards has called the agreement a "disaster."

When pressed at a televised debate Thursday on whether she still supported NAFTA, Clinton said the agreement had been a mistake "to the extent that it did not deliver on what we had hoped it would."

And unlike Hillary, Biden has a solution for the Iraq fiasco:
Yesterday former Sen. John Edwards and Sen. Hillary Clinton sparred over the need to be specific about how they will end the war in Iraq. Despite this back and forth, neither one of these candidates has a plan, that includes a political solution, which will end the war in Iraq.

Sen. Biden issued the following statement:

"I agree that we must be clear about where we stand on this issue, but the back and forth between Senator Edwards and Senator Clinton misses the point. Leaving Iraq is necessary but not enough – we need a plan to avoid leaving chaos behind. That requires a comprehensive political settlement in Iraq. Neither of them has offered a way to get there, but I have: the Biden-Gelb plan. Senator Edwards should say whether or not he supports my plan – as 75 Senator did last month and as more and more foreign policy experts and Iraqis now do. If he does not, what is his alternative? And Senator Clinton should follow up her vote for my plan by joining me in putting pressure on the Administration to adopt it.”

"Politicking over Iraq will not help us convince the American people we’re serious about an exit strategy that will protect our interests as we leave – and ensure that we do not have to send troops back to Iraq in a few years to clean up the mess. “Some of the candidates continue to engage in irresponsible rhetoric about ending the war by cutting off funding, without acknowledging the reality that it will take at least a year to get all our troops out and that we must fund the equipment to protect them in the meantime. Others say they will have some troops there until 2013 but won't support the funding for Mine-Resistant Vehicles to keep them safe. Leadership requires the courage to lay out a plan and make the case for your solution, regardless of the political consequences.”

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