SNEAK PEEK: 'There's Only One'
At radio debate, candidates accuse Sen. Clinton of being close to Bush on Iran
December 4, 2007— -- 30 Days Until the Iowa Caucuses
Tuesday's NPR debate began with Hillary Clinton saying off-mic that she was feeling a bit claustrophobic -- and that was before her Democratic rivals painted her into a corner on Iran. LINK
"I just want to be clear to the listeners that we have a real division here," said John Edwards. "I mean, among the Democratic candidates, there's only one that voted for this resolution. And this is exactly what Bush and Cheney wanted."
"This resolution" refers, of course, to Kyl-Lieberman, the non-binding Senate measure that Clinton voted for earlier this year.
Clinton took heat for her months-old vote because this was the first debate since U.S. intelligence agencies reversed themselves and reported that Iran halted its nuclear arms effort in 2003.
At the time she cast the vote, she premised it, in part, on the notion that the Revolutionary Guards were "deeply involved in Iran's nuclear program." LINK
Clinton defended her vote in two ways: first, she pointed to hawkish statements made in the past by rivals Edwards and Barack Obama; second, she argued that her stance has contributed to an improved situation on the ground.
"I think we have seen the positive effects of labeling them a terrorist organization because they have changed their behavior," said Clinton.
Joe Biden, a self-described "great admirer" of Sen. Clinton's, disagreed vehemently.
"There's no evidence -- none, zero," said Biden, "that this declaration caused any change in action on the part of the Iranian government."
Jonathan Karl, ABC's National Security correspondent, weighed in on the Clinton-Biden disagreement, saying that Clinton has some evidence to back up her point.
There has been a significant decline in attacks with Iranian weapons, according to the U.S. military. But remember "Logic 101": correlation does not imply causation.
Karl adds that nobody in the military really knows the reason for the decline in attacks, and they certainly have not attributed it to the Iranians watching the Kyl-Lieberman vote on C-SPAN.
New Hampshire numbers are coming!
The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll is coming on Wednesday.
The Republican numbers are being released at 7:00 am ET and the Democratic numbers are being released at 5:00 pm ET.
Schilling takes the mound for McCain . . .
