HILLARY-BAITING

We've come to expect this. Drudge links to this recap of Hillary's visit to Iraq with this loaded headline: "Hillary tells troops there are questions about Bush policy"

The implication, to the "I hate Hitlery Klintoon" right, is that Clinton is pulling a Jane Fonda or something, running around Iraq telling our men and women in uniform how fucked up everything they're doing is.

How dare she do that! This is absolutely deplorable. Those fuckin' Clintons have no respect for the military. Heck, that's why her husband completely decimated the military while in office, right?*

Well, just in case, let's look at the actual article:

WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday the United States "must stay the course" in both Afghanistan and Iraq and called for more military personnel to finish the job.

The New York Democrat has spent two event-filled days meeting soldiers, leaders and citizens in Afghanistan and Iraq, and she spoke in a telephone interview from Kuwait.

"We have to exert all of our efforts militarily, but the outcome (in Iraq) is not assured," she said.

Clinton said it is still an open question whether the Bush administration can make the transition in Iraq from a war zone to an independent, representative government. In an interview with the Associated Press, she called for United Nations assistance in the process.

The morale of the troops, she said, "is very high," but she said the military personnel with whom she spoke in meetings and during "two turkey dinners" wanted to know "how the people at home feel about what we are doing."

" "Americans are wholeheartedly proud of what you are doing,' " Clinton said she replied, " "but there are many questions at home about the (Bush) administration's policies.' " (italics TFM's)

So to recap: The troops were asking Hillary to tell them what public opinion was on the war in Iraq. Was she supposed to lie to them? If they ask, they can handle the truth. Recent polls have shown that more people disapprove of the Iraq operation than approve, so she told the precise truth. And Drudge mischaracterizes her by neglecting to point out that the phrase "there are questions" refers to the American people, who actually do have questions. Oh and by the way, Hillary cheers on the troops, telling them to "stay the course". That was the headline of the article, too.

* - No, of course Bill Clinton didn't decimate the military, but the right wants you to think that. Consult chapters 27 and 28 of Franken if you want to know more.