In Final Hours, Clinton Swipes at Bush
ABC’s Kate Snow and Eloise Harper report: Sen. Hillary Clinton is not mentioning her Democratic rivals by name, but 36 hours before Iowans go to the caucuses, she has returned to some crowd-pleasing anti-Bush red meat.
Clinton told a packed hall at a church in Indianola that history will judge Bush harshly.
She offered two complaints about the President. "Number one…he has governed by fear, setting us apart, dividing us. You know we had a President that said, ‘All we have to fear is fear itself,’ and now we have a President that wants us to be afraid. And he has injected a strain of fatalism into the American bloodstream."
"We’re gonna stand against fear and fatalism" Clinton said to big applause.
She told voters: "We are not going to be fooled again. We’re gonna be in charge of our own destiny."
Later Clinton implored voters to caucus for her on Thursday night or risk a nation changed forever by Republicans.
"We cannot continue on the course we’ve been on for the last seven years or you will not recognize America."
Returning to more standard lines she said: "I want a government that works for everyone again." And a crowd favorite: "How about appointing qualified people for the jobs we ask them to hold in the United States?"
Clinton pledged that she would bring US troops home from Iraq "as quickly and as responsibly as we can.".
After talking about energy policy, education, foreign policy and health care she concluded, "We have never needed you more cause these are big problems and the stakes are huge."
UPDATE: Danny Diaz, a Republican National Committee spokesman, offered this responseto Clinton’s comments: "What voters fear are Senator Clinton’s plans to punish middle class families with devastating tax increases and cut funding for our men and women in uniform. Voters in Iowa and across the country won’t be fooled by Clinton’s tired political rhetoric."

Email
USS Gabrielle Giffords Honors Courage
Mitt Romney's Full Speech at CPAC 2012
While I would not vote for Hilary, I suspect she is quite right about George Bush – he did incite fear and fatalism into the public mind. It will take many, many years to overcome the damage that Republicans have created. It will take a strong Democrat to right the wrongs and to start bringing the middle class back into the fold.
Posted by: Brandon | January 2, 2008, 1:57 pm 1:57 pm
I disagree with Brandon. When Bill Clinton was president, he ignored all of the uprising terrorist threats. The World Trade Center was bombed, the embassy bombings, the USS Cole bombings…….if you talk to most democrats, they don’t even recall these.
Finally something happened on our own soil, and it took a determined President to do something about it. I do not live in fear……just realities that if the US does not fix the terrorist problem, the terrorist problem will fix us!
Posted by: Bob | January 2, 2008, 2:03 pm 2:03 pm
End the War on Terror. Stop abortion now. Vote for ALAN KEYES.
Posted by: zab | January 2, 2008, 2:05 pm 2:05 pm
A VOTE for Hillary is A VOTE for Stronger ECONOMY!!! AMERICA CANNOT afford to “experiment” an inexperienced Candidate or another Republican!!!
Posted by: Tommy | January 2, 2008, 2:08 pm 2:08 pm
While Hillary makes a few good points, she fails to make the case why she should be president. I fail to see why so many Democrats like her. What has she done other than be married to an ex-president who was average at the job? I can’t name one thing she openly stands for, except for Bush Bashing.
Posted by: Chuck | January 2, 2008, 2:18 pm 2:18 pm
“AMERICA CANNOT aford NOT to get back on the right track. A vote for ALAN KEYES is a vote in the right direction.
Posted by: ZAB | January 2, 2008, 2:20 pm 2:20 pm
Too little, too late, Hillary. She caved to Bush’s fear tactics when she voted to give him the power to declare war. Now she says her vote was based on faulty intelligence. I knew there was no imminent threat from Iraq – as the Bush administration told us there was. Hillary is either a lier or didn’t practice due diligence before voting to give Bush the power to declare war. Either way, she is unfit to be President in my mind.
Posted by: diana | January 2, 2008, 2:40 pm 2:40 pm
Hillary is right. I’ve seen her, Obama, and McCain at rallies. She’s the most prepared. While, Obama is inspiring…he’s shows his inexperience when he talks about foreign policy. Most of his policies come from Clinton or Edwards. McCain is an amazing foreign relations expert but a fool on domestic issues.
Posted by: Sam | January 2, 2008, 2:44 pm 2:44 pm
I think it’s very funny that democrats are still running against Bush. We keep hearing that any democrat elected would be better than Bush. So what? Who cares? Bush ain’t running. He’s the easiest one to beat. No wonder democrats believe they are going to walk away with the election! They know they can beat a man that isn’t running. That’s not very impressive in the political scheme of things.
Posted by: TexBork | January 2, 2008, 3:04 pm 3:04 pm
LOL @ Bob. What did you expect Bush to do after 9-11? Cry? Though reports said that he almost did that after 9-11 at a kindergarten school. I’d give Cheney more credit to what we did after 9-11 than Bush. What did Bush do exactly to make the world safer? Hello? Bush spent almost a trillion dollars to get rid of Saddam. Please. I could have done it for a LOT less.
Posted by: koriksspanky | January 2, 2008, 3:24 pm 3:24 pm
Hey TexBork, see Romney.
Posted by: koriksspanky | January 2, 2008, 3:27 pm 3:27 pm
Hillary is the best candidate to bit republican and run our country from first day of presidency. Vote for OBma is vote for George BUsh=unexperienced Rookie politician.
Iowans vote for Hillary and make a History and make USA proud nation.
Posted by: jmaya, iowa | January 2, 2008, 3:39 pm 3:39 pm
Hillary’s level of experience and knowledge makes her the best candidate for President. We need a democrat to bring the country back to the fundamentals of our founding fathers. She will be a great President! :-)
Posted by: JJJWilkes | January 2, 2008, 3:54 pm 3:54 pm
Vote fr Alan Keyes? Really? This may be the biggest story of the day. Alan Keyes has a supporter!!!! Kudos to you for supporting your guy eventhough it is gauranteed that he will get as many delegates as ME. In what world is Alan Keyes a viable presidential candidate? I wouldn’t vote for Alan Keyes if they gave me 1 billion votes. Get a better candidate loser.
Do you think that was Alan Keyes himself? If so, he IS a loser!!!
Posted by: waleeg | January 2, 2008, 4:05 pm 4:05 pm
I have listened to them all and seen many in person and I am voting for Hillary Clinton. The people of NY where a little skeptical the first time she ran for US Senate but after 6 years they re-elected her by a huge margin. She has earned the respect of her fellow Senators and she is on the right side of the issues. Most any democrat running would do a better job the Bush or the Republicans running that would continue his policies, but we need to elect the Democrat who can do the BEST job from day one, and the Democrat who has the Best chance of getting elected. That person is Hillary Clinton. Having Bill Clinton as a Trusted Adviser is a supper PLUS as well.
Posted by: Carl | January 2, 2008, 4:07 pm 4:07 pm
Obama is gonna win this thing. I have never been prouder to be an American. God bless this beautiful country. Where else is this even possible? Will you ever see a president/prime minister in China named Steve Smith. Or the new leader of Spain being named Hso Chin. Only in America. Even if you are a Republican or if you like Hillary, you gotta be impressed by the American people. This is truly the greatest country on the face of the Earth.
I’m fired up and ready to go!!! Go Obama!!!
Posted by: waleeg | January 2, 2008, 4:13 pm 4:13 pm
Would the Hillary staffers please stop posting and let actual people speak. We know its getting tough for you but leave that in iowa. Maybe if people actually liked your candidate you wouldn’t be pleading her case so hard.
Posted by: waleeg | January 2, 2008, 4:17 pm 4:17 pm
It takes a Village Idiot to vote for Hillary Clinton!
Posted by: Bob | January 2, 2008, 4:27 pm 4:27 pm
Who is this Albert Keyes that Zab writes about? Hmmm?
Posted by: Drome1 | January 2, 2008, 4:29 pm 4:29 pm
HELLO, FELLOW CITIZENS
I THINK WE ALL NEED,FOR THE GOOD OF AMERICA, TO STOP BRINGING OUR PERSONNAL FEELINGS INTO THIS CAMPAIGN.WE NEED TO OPEN A NEW PAGE OF OUR HISTORY,A NEW ERRA WHERE WE DO POLITICS DIFFERENTLY.
THE VOTE WE ARE ABOUT TO ACCOMPLISH IN LESS THAN 24HOURS,MUST BE BASED ON WHAT WE SAW AND HAERD DURING THE CAMPAIGN AND THE PERSONNAL JUDGEMENT WE HAVE ON ALL OF THE CANDIDATES.THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR FEELINGS.DON’T VOTE FOR A CANDIDATE JUST BECAUSE YOU LIKE HIM OR HER.DON’T VOTE FOR A CANDIDATE JUST BECAUSE HE OR SHE IS BLACK OR WHITE LIKE YOU.VOTE FOR THE CANDIDATE YOU THINK WILL GET THE JOB DONE FOR THE GOOD OF AMERICA AND AMERICAN PEOPLE.
IN THIS SPECIAL MOMENT,WE NEED TO CALL ON GOD TO HELP US MAKE THE BEST CHOICE.
MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA
Posted by: KWAMI G. DOTSE | January 2, 2008, 4:34 pm 4:34 pm
Happy New Year! Let’s all be thoughtful about our choices in the voting! Consider experience,knowledge,education,track record and vote the American way. Life will always provide us with change. We need good leadership.
Posted by: Marty | January 2, 2008, 5:31 pm 5:31 pm
Unfortunately Hillary’s remarks make those good words against a Clinton candidacy — if I remember correctly they were being attacked right and right hook all the way with her protesting loudly and de-viding people as much as Bush has. —
As much as I would like to see a woman as president — this is neither the time nor is she the person to take the helm –
Posted by: Paulet | January 2, 2008, 5:34 pm 5:34 pm
Hillary’s swiping on Bush tells you she does not have any reason to counter attack on OBAMA. Her years in Washington made our intelligence and secret service weaker and All Qaeda stronger. Because of Hill And Bill in the white House, 911 happened . We can’t afford another weak president on defense. SAY NO TO HILLARY!!!!
Posted by: alice | January 2, 2008, 5:40 pm 5:40 pm
so she wants us to be afraid of Bush and republicans?
Posted by: Louis | January 2, 2008, 5:42 pm 5:42 pm
Hillieary is finding out America doesn’t want any more of the Clintons, but her ego won’t allow her to realize the truth. Go OBAMA.
Posted by: William Ellison | January 2, 2008, 5:47 pm 5:47 pm
Dude, what’s the push for Alan Keyes. If he was worth a hill of beans, wouldn’t he be showing up in the polls. Hillary is known around the world in a positive way, Yea!!
Posted by: Joe | January 2, 2008, 6:30 pm 6:30 pm
JJJWilkes – “Hillary’s level of experience and knowledge makes her the best candidate for President. We need a democrat to bring the country back to the fundamentals of our founding fathers. ” ——-Our founding fathers built this country of the fundamentals of a free Republic. Where government intervention was minimal compared to what it had been in England… No forced government sponsored religion, the right to bear arms, the right to free speech… Now with Hillary, we have a candiate who supports big government, heavy taxes and endless soscial programs to control your life. (no Liberty) She wants to conttrol corproate profits and individual profits and “redistribute” the country’s wealth ( no pursuit of happiness), supports abortion on demand at all levels of pregnancy(no right to life), Supports the ACLU in their effort to REMOVE religion from our public life ( atheism becomes the governmet sponsored religion), Experience — lets see she failed at healthcare reform, failed at education reform, and wrote her college thesis on Saul Olinski the most prominent COMMUNIST in American history.. But some how you think she will bering the country back to the fundamentals of our founding fathers.. Of all the candidates out their in both parties, I believe that she is the LEAST likely to do this.
Posted by: givemeabreak | January 2, 2008, 6:41 pm 6:41 pm
Fundamentals?
the fundamentals of the founders were: a weak federal government that was only to deal with international issues, not determine what I think, eat, educate, do/etc.
Hillary is for cradle-to-grave care, just like the national socialists…we all know who they elected back in the 1930s!
Posted by: Apollo | January 2, 2008, 7:01 pm 7:01 pm
I guess Clinton would rather not talk about the utter failure of her Democratic Congress. In 2006, Democrats seized control of both House and Senate for the first time in 12 years. They promised dramatic changes – an end to the war, a crusade against Congressional corruption, fresh initiatives to punish corporations and help the middle class. Nice pitch without any substance. She is stupid to attack President Bush when he just ended the first year of her and Nancy Pelosi’s reign with a series of victories in budgetary and military policy, as his much-reviled surge continues to bring encouraging results in Iraq. Clinton, Pelosi and Reid have lower approval ratings than the president’s!!! She is such a loser and only cares about the power grab in front of her. God save us from the queen.
Posted by: John | January 2, 2008, 7:35 pm 7:35 pm
hillary sucks. bush sucks. period.
Posted by: E | January 2, 2008, 7:51 pm 7:51 pm
Dear John … Democratic Congress vs. a President and his veto pen is pretty much a no contest. The Congress has repeatedly brought legislation that fulfills their election promises to their constituents, only to have George-I’m-an-egomaniac-Bush constantly reject legislation that reflects the will of the people of this country. I’m embarrassed by a President who would actually say that he’d stick to his policy “even if only he and Laura thought [he] was right.” Did he miss the part about “government by the people, for the people” when he was in school?
Bring back the Clinton years. Booming economy, budget surplus … sounds great to me!
Posted by: VetoThis! | January 2, 2008, 7:55 pm 7:55 pm
WHAT?
Posted by: wearthehalo | January 2, 2008, 8:43 pm 8:43 pm
Why is nobody looking at Biden? This is a man who actually has the experience needed to run this country. Obama can rev up a crowd, but there’s no substance there…Hillary is in it to be the first woman president. There’s no passion there. Biden is truly the best candidate right now, why is he not getting any press?
Posted by: Get Real | January 2, 2008, 10:50 pm 10:50 pm
Hillary is courting Iowa farmers, but the only thing she’s ever planted is questions in their audience. Bill was elected promising universal health care. The Congress was democratic. Eighty percent of the public was behind it. The economy could easily support it. Yet her program was 1000% failure. She had another 6 years to try to revive it. Nothing happened. Can anybody actually be that incompetent? Let’s hear the excuse for 8 years of failure on her supposed pet program – when her husband was the president no less. Now there’s an election, she’s promising you healthcare again just like Bill did – with an unworkable mandatory plan to force down people’s throats – a windfall to the insurance lobbies that fund her. The theory is that if you can fool them once, you can always fool them.
Posted by: julianbook | January 3, 2008, 12:39 am 12:39 am
Vetothis – “Bring back the Clinton years. Booming economy, budget surplus … sounds great to me!” Lets see, a stock market that fell 4000 points in Clintons last 12 months, 6.8 million jobs lost when his tax and spend policies caught up with a leveling economy…the only three years we had an annual surplus was when the republicans controlled the Congress (and spending) During his first term when there was a democratic president, and a democratic congress the deficit grew every year – while our taxes went up! 7 major terrorist acts against the US – one on US soil (and that doesn’t even count 9/11) and Clinton did NOTHING to protect us. The most proactive thing Clinton did with regard to terrorism was to send Sandy Berger into the National Archives to steal documents that showed Clinton failed to protect us (we can only asume that was what they were) before the 9/11 commission could get hold of them.. that way there would be no blot on the Clinton legacy….Bring them back.. NO THANK YOU !!
Posted by: givemeabreak | January 3, 2008, 1:23 am 1:23 am
Carl – “she ran for US Senate but after 6 years they re-elected her by a huge margin. She has earned the respect of her fellow Senators and she is on the right side of the issues.” ” Having Bill Clinton as a Trusted Adviser is a supper PLUS as well.” —-She was reelected by a large margin because the man she was running against was a loser, had Giuliani ran – she would most probably have lost. What side of the issues is she on? tell us if you know since no one seems to.. where does she stand on the war, she won’t really say. Taxes – she has enough programs to take all your money in taxes – but she hasn’t admitte that is her plan.. She is still pushing for socialized medicine even though her plan is a disaster they failed miserably the l;ast time she rolled it out.. And finally – having Bill as an advisor is dangerously close to a violation of Constitional Law (the 22nd amendment)Legally, his capacity as first husband must be just that…if he accepts ANY function of her duties, he is in direct violation of constitutional law..but hey thats okay — maybee he can become the first person ever impeached while not actually being the president at the time. That would be interesting..
Posted by: givemeabreak | January 3, 2008, 1:34 am 1:34 am
vetothis -”Democratic Congress vs. a President and his veto pen is pretty much a no contest. The Congress has repeatedly brought legislation that fulfills their election promises to their constituents, only to have George-I’m-an-egomaniac-Bush constantly reject legislation that reflects the will of the people of this country”—–Actually he has used his veto pen very infrequently against this congress compared to most presidents – At last count I believe that he has only vetoed 4 or 5 bills total and 2 of those veto’s were for the CSHIP program that congress was trying to pervert into a socialist health plan that called anyone under the age of 25 a “child” who was eligible for coverage. Once they restored it to the original program that actually helped real children, he signed it. One veto was for military finance package that required a specific troop withdrawal date (also known as a “legislated defeat” for our troops) – I know that you anti war folks don’t want to hear this, but the majority of Americans support staying until the job is complete. Clinton issued almost a hundred vetoes – Bush less than half a dozen – yet its his fault that this Democratic congress can’t find its own butt with both hands.. Maybe if they stopped trying to investigate everything in order to shame the Republicans and concentrated on actually attending to the country’s business at hand – they would have a little success.. but I wouldn’t hold my breath for that.
Posted by: givemeabreak | January 3, 2008, 6:35 am 6:35 am
The reason the Dems bring up Bush all the time is because Bush is still emblematic of the Republican party. As an example, their leading candidate, Romney, is a Bush clone. A phoney politician who thinks foreign policy experience, like John McCain`s is meaningless. Though we Independents would prefer McCain, I`m sure the Dems are hoping that Romney will be the Repub opponent.
Posted by: Luke | January 3, 2008, 11:24 am 11:24 am
Luke -I can’t and won’t try to speak on behalf of republicans, only for myself. personally, I am hoping that Romney DOES NOT make the cut. I like the foriegn policy and congressional experience that McCain brings but am worried about his domestic ideas. Huck is a true conservative (despite his tax raises in Arkansas (the state budget must balance). But lacks foriegn policy experience. I think that McCain with huck for veep might be a good mix. I supported Thompson early because he is a true conservative, but his heart isn’t in it and that don’t work for me.. Since Guiliani is so socially liberal, I have to lean to the McCain ticket. But would probably vote for Rudy if he could convince me that he will refrain from appointing activist judges that will leave the supreme court even more liberal than it already is.
Posted by: givemeabreak | January 3, 2008, 11:43 am 11:43 am
If America’s poor thinks getting free money from the government (tax payers) is really going to help them then vote for the communist Hillary Clinton.
However if the poor people of America want to finaly start thinking for themselves and want a future that gives them dignity and real jobs then vote for any Republican.
Posted by: Frank Essary | January 24, 2008, 4:06 pm 4:06 pm