The Phoenix

Clinton, Dodd, and Obama Among the "Senate 14" Who Vote To Cut Off War Funding

    Two weeks ago, we wrote about how the next Congressional vote on the Iraq War might become a key dividing line in the Democratic race for the presidency. Thanks to yesterday's vote on legislation to continue funding the war, that dividing line has virtually disappeared.
    The Senate voted 80-14 to continue funding the war. But among the 14 dissenters were Chris Dodd, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama. This is a significant "evolution" for Clinton and it means that Obama and John Edwards will be much more hard-pressed to make the war a distinguishing difference between their candidacies and hers.
    Bill Richardson had also argued that the Senate should vote against the provision. So, among the Democratic contenders, only Joe Biden voted for it.
    In the Democratic debate in ten days, we can be sure that Biden's lone dissenting voice will become an issue. And, the Republicans will use anything he says as to why he differed from his colleagues when they have to run against the Democratic nominee in the fall of 2008.
    Will the vote ultimately hurt Obama, Clinton, or Edwards in a general election? There's no way to tell now. But virtually the whole Democratic field realizes that you can't run in the fall of 2008 unless you've won the nomination first. And, all the energy on the Democratic side belongs to the antiwar activists.

Published May 25 2007, 11:38 AM by Importer

LorenzoJennifer said:

Sens. Clinton, Dodd, Obama and former Sen. Edwards - to maintain credibility - would be well advised to continually explain how the dramatic changes in Iraq since the war began and how the President's ineffectual policy caused them to change their votes. Do they want to be viewed as putting troops in harm's way and then not protecting them?

Kerry fell into this trap in '04 when he first supported, then opposed an $86 billion Iraq appropriations bill. The fatal statement where he voted for it before he had a chance to vote against it. Kerry went into a too-long explanation of how $20 billion was purely discretionary spending. Bush, in one debate, stated, "It's about protecting the troops. What's so complicated about that?"

Candidates beware - K-I-S-S - Keep It Simple, Senators.

May 29, 2007 12:28 AM