Clinton launches withering attack on Bush on Iraq, Katrina, budget.

[SLCPUNK]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Former US president
Bill Clinton sharply criticised George W. Bush for the
Iraq War and the handling of Hurricane Katrina, and voiced alarm at the swelling US budget deficit.


Breaking with tradition under which US presidents mute criticisms of their successors, Clinton said the Bush administration had decided to invade Iraq "virtually alone and before UN inspections were completed, with no real urgency, no evidence that there were weapons of mass destruction."

The Iraq war diverted US attention from the war on terrorism "and undermined the support that we might have had," Clinton said in an interview with an ABC's "This Week" programme.

Clinton said there had been a "heroic but so far unsuccessful" effort to put together an constitution that would be universally supported in Iraq.

The US strategy of trying to develop the Iraqi military and police so that they can cope without US support "I think is the best strategy. The problem is we may not have, in the short run, enough troops to do that," said Clinton.

On Hurricane Katrina, Clinton faulted the authorities' failure to evacuate New Orleans ahead of the storm's strike on August 29.

People with cars were able to heed the evacuation order, but many of those who were poor, disabled or elderly were left behind.

"If we really wanted to do it right, we would have had lots of buses lined up to take them out," Clinton.

He agreed that some responsibility for this lay with the local and state authorities, but pointed the finger, without naming him, at the former director of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

FEMA boss Michael Brown quit in response to criticism of his handling of the Katrina disaster. He was viewed as a political appointee with no experience of disaster management or dealing with government officials.

"When James Lee Witt ran FEMA, because he had been both a local official and a federal official, he was always there early, and we always thought about that," Clinton said, referring to FEMA's head during his 1993-2001 presidency.

"But both of us came out of environments with a disproportionate number of poor people."

On the US budget, Clinton warned that the federal deficit may be coming untenable, driven by foreign wars, the post-hurricane recovery programme and tax cuts that benefitted just the richest one percent of the US population, himself included.

"What Americans need to understand is that ... every single day of the year, our government goes into the market and borrows money from other countries to finance Iraq,
Afghanistan, Katrina, and our tax cuts," he said.

"We have never done this before. Never in the history of our republic have we ever financed a conflict, military conflict, by borrowing money from somewhere else."

Clinton added: "We depend on Japan, China, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Korea primarily to basically loan us money every day of the year to cover my tax cut and these conflicts and Katrina. I don't think it makes any sense."

[Prometheus]

ohhh that stupid 2 term rule fucking christ............

[Cornell]

ohhh that stupid 2 term rule fucking christ............

You'll like it next election, though. 

[Drew]

Clinton must need to sell some more books.

Doesn't he know that you shouldn't throw rocks when you live in a glass house?

[Sterlingdog]

I really don't understand how anyone, whether you are really knowledgeable about politics or not, could actually think Bush does a better job running this country than Clinton did. I'm not trying to argue, its just mind blowing to me that anyone could think he did a bad job.  Sure he had the Lewinsky thing, but that didn't hurt me financially.  But Bush sure does. 

[Cornell]

I really don't understand how anyone, whether you are really knowledgeable about politics or not, could actually think Bush does a better job running this country than Clinton did. I'm not trying to argue, its just mind blowing to me that anyone could think he did a bad job.? Sure he had the Lewinsky thing, but that didn't hurt me financially.? But Bush sure does.?

I'm with you - I stay out of politics because they are all liars and twist everything.  I too had more disposable income when Clinton was pres!

[Prometheus]

but i have more now that bush is in...... LOL and im canadian...... hmmmmmm wonder why

[Prometheus]

ohhh that stupid 2 term rule fucking christ............

You'll like it next election, though.?

but i would not have had to worry back in '01 cause there was no way bush would have knocked down clinton.....

[badapple81]

Dodgy American elections! 

[ClintroN]

i bet Michael Moore is re- writing the script to Farenheit II

[Charity Case]

Was't Clinton like only the 2nd president ever impeach?  And the worst of it is that he stood there on national TV and waived his finger at everyone and lied into our faces about an issue that was so small and unimportant that it should never have required a lie.  Now if he will lie about something so small, he would lie about anything.  Isn't this the man that pardon, on his last night in office, a bunch of felons who had contributed to his campaign mightly?  He is a sleazy bag...no one can possibly deny that and even his wife would agree.

This man avoided real conflict during his presidency when he shouldn't have.  He turned down the chance to get Bin Laden handed over to us on a silver platter on 3 occasions which directly led to 9/11 being possible.  He ruled like a mouse.  He benefited from the internet boom and everyone thinks he was a master financial genius because of it.  Hell, I could have been president during the 90's and come out looking clean on the other side.

I wouldn't put much stock in what this man has to say.

[sandman]

this all has to do with the next election. he's lobbyingn for hillary. you're gonna see alot of bill in the next 2-3 years. he's a major key to hillary winning the white house.

i'm starting to think the only person she would lose to is rudi.

[shades]

Bill Clinton was an ass clown,
and had nothing to do with you having more "disposable income".
Id love to hear what policy exactly you think may have affected that if you would be so kind.

Clinton was in the right place at the right time.
Can you say dot.com

And Bush has put more money in yours and my pocket than any president in our lifetimes.

Hillary for president?
I dont think so.
I only hope she runs, would sure make whatever conservative we put up a sure bet.
 

[Sterlingdog]

Of course I don't expect conservative republicans to give Clinton credit for anything.  And I don't know or care what his morals are, I don't need a president to show me how to be a good person.  I can figure that out for myself. 

As for me personally, of course I'm better off with any democrat in office, things were particularly good with Clinton.  I'm middle class and I work in the social service industry.  Financially, I get trampled by republicans.  If things keep going the way they are, I won't even qualify as middle class anymore.  You can say it would have happened anyway, but I don't buy it.  Bush has screwed up this country and still has 3 more years to make it worse. Incidently, I actually didn't think the first Bush was so bad.  At least he seemed to want to do a good job.

I do actually agree with Shades about Hillary though.  I don't think she can win.  If she gets the democratic nomination, we can expect at least 4 more years being screwed by the republicans.  Why can't she win?  Because she's a woman, and this country isn't ready to put a woman in power. 

[gilld1]

I think that the new ABC show with Gena Davis as president is preparing us for a woman pres. 

[Jessica]

I personally never understood why a president's sex life is so important in united states.

Most people of power habe enormous sex drives ,that's well known and usually, women ( their wifes) have long term lovers ( jackie O was rumored to see sinatra for 15 years, apparently hillary had one for 20 years and he ended up comitting suicide when she refused to leave her soon to be presidential husband for him, etc etc)..

what's new ?

Most people are sleazy, only you don't know it because you dont get to know what they do with their arse.

Back to politics.

[SLCPUNK]

I personally never understood why a president's sex life is so important in united states.

Most people of power habe enormous sex drives ,that's well known and usually, women ( their wifes) have long term lovers ( jackie O was rumored to see sinatra for 15 years, apparently hillary had one for 20 years and he ended up comitting suicide when she refused to leave her soon to be presidential husband for him, etc etc)..

what's new ?

Most people are sleazy, only you don't know it because you dont get to know what they do with their arse.

Back to politics.

They talk about his sex life, because that is all they can talk about. They spent millions of dollars of our tax money to catch him having a bj...wow, good job.

Dotcom crash?

You don't think we are in a housing bubble? You probably rent anyway.....so you wouldn't know.

Same thing, different market.

Price of gas now?

Deficit now?

Clinton had a surplus.

Clinton caught all terrorists during his administration that attacked us and they sit in jail now.

Bush has not caught any.

Bush had a memo prior to 9-11 that said, " AQ plan on taking planes and flying them into buildings." and you know what he did? He went on vacation. Then guess what happened?

How does catching the person who attacked us on 9-11 equal starting a "democracy" in another country? It doesn't.

Clilnton also had huge international support, where most of the world hates Bush's sorry ass.

[SLCPUNK]

Here is your intellectual leader in action:

http://mp3.dubyaspeak.com/admiralg.mp3

[Jessica]

Bush had a memo prior to 9-11 that said, " AQ plan on taking planes and flying them into buildings." and you know what he did? He went on vacation. Then guess what happened?

THAT is VERY true !!!

The note was left by Clinton himself and his services.

Bush didn't believe it, the secret services did but the people who knew were replaced as soon as Bush came into office and 5000 people died because of the most cretinous family ever seen in white house.

[SLCPUNK]

Bush had a memo prior to 9-11 that said, " AQ plan on taking planes and flying them into buildings." and you know what he did? He went on vacation. Then guess what happened?

THAT is VERY true !!!

The note was left by Clinton himself and his services.

Bush didn't believe it, the secret services did but the people who knew were replaced as soon as Bush came into office and 5000 people died because of the most cretinous family ever seen in white house.

Funny enough, Bush stayed on vacation after hearing about Katrina too. But what do you expect? Waging illegal wars are exhausting, one needs a break every now and then.......