Dodd and Biden join Hillary in slamming Obama

The hits against Obama just keep on coming.  Almost two weeks since Hillary Clinton called Barack Obama naive for wanting to talk directly with US foes, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden are joining the hit parade.

In response to Obama's foreign policy speech yesterday, in which he said as president he would put more pressure on Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden, Dodd and Biden went on the offensive.

Let's start with Dodd, who called Obama "unwise":

"Over the past several days, Sen. Obama's assertions about foreignand military affairs have been, frankly, confusing and confused,'' Doddsaid in a statement released by his campaign. "He has made threats heshould not make and made unwise categorical statements about militaryoptions.

"We are facing a dangerous and complicated world,'' Dodd said. "Thenext president will require a level of understanding and judgmentunprecedented in American history to address these challenges."

What Dodd choose not to address was whether it was unwise for him in 2002 to vote in support of Bush's war.  Nonetheless, he is definitely cozying up to Hillary's camp.

Biden also took aim at Obama, calling him "naive":

“In order to look tough, he’s undermined his ability to be tough, werehe President. Because if you’re going to go into Pakistan -- which isalready our policy by the way, if there’s actionable intelligence-- youneed actionable intelligence from moderates within Pakistan workingwith you. Now if you’re already going to say I’m going to disregardwhatever the country thinks and going to invade, the likelihood you’regetting the cooperation you need evaporates. It’s a well intendednotion he has, but it’s a very naïve way of figuring out how you’regoing to conduct foreign policy.”

Actually, Obama never said he wanted to invade Pakistan.  He said we have to take the fight to al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan -- bringing in a new emphasis of what the war is about instead of focusing on Iraq.  That could mean stepping up diplomacy to get Musharraf to send his troops into the border region.  It could mean conducting air-strikes on places where we think Osama is hiding.  We're not invading Pakistan.

With all the foreign policy experience Biden and Dodd have, it is surprising that they don't know the difference between ground wars and intelligence-sharing operations with other countries.

Comments

[mike]

All these foreign policy geniuses who could not tell the difference between Saddam Hussein and Bin Laden 5 years ago deserve to be retired right now. They are the reason we are in Iraq. They permitted this. They have blood on their hands big time too. Not just Bush!

If Hillary gets elected she'll pack her cabinet with washed up, white men who have been sitting in the Senate since 1970.

With Gore, Richardson and Obama out there, I would be sick if Hillary became President.

[Chief Editor: Todd]

Amen!

Richardson is hands-down the most qualified person in any of the two presidential fields -- in my opinion. Obama hasn't been in Washington that long, unlike a bunch of other people that have!

Someone who I wish was running is Mark Warner. When Warner was governor of Virginia, he actually got things done. He is one of the smartest, least corrupt and more rational individuals out there. It would be nice if Obama or Richardson, if one of them became the nominee, would choose Warner as the VP. Obama-Warner, with Secretary of State Richardson and National Security Adviser Richard Clarke would be a dream cabinet. lol Or how about Gore as Secretary of Energy.

Though, I haven't completely given up on Clinton. She is smart, I'll give her that. But she hasn't proved to us that she has any ability to think outside the political box known as Washington.

[granny]

What Biden and Dodd, with all their experience, share is that they think we don't know the difference between what that speech actually said, and what they "say" it said.

Amen to Mike's post.