Clinton: Bush Refrain the 'Height of Irresponsibility'

Jan. 28, 2007 — -- Sen. Hillary Clinton, in a campaign swing through Iowa, rebuked President Bush for saying that the Iraq war will continue into the next administration, whoever wins the White House in 2008. That, said Clinton, was "the height of irresponsibility."

"We should expect him to extricate our country from this before he leaves office," she said of President Bush.

Clinton's comments at a fairgrounds in Davenport, Iowa, came after a patron at the Hickory Grove restaurant there addressed the issue that seems to be on so many minds in Iowa.

As Clinton breezed past her booth, the woman urgently implored, "Please stop this war. Do something."

Clinton kept moving but replied quickly, "We're trying. We're trying. We're working hard on that."

Clinton also said she regrets her 2002 vote to authorize force in Iraq, and spoke out on the issue at multiple stops, perhaps in an effort to set her self apart from other 2008 presidential candidates.

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., often points out that he spoke forcefully against the war in 2002, and since he was not in the Senate at the time he never voted to authorize the use of force.

Clinton suggested that voters should focus on the future not the past.

"I oppose this escalation: I think we should do everything we can to oppose this war," she said. "That's easy to say, and everybody coming to Iowa is going to say it. Doesn't matter what they did or didn't do five years ago. Everybody's going to say it. And I want to be honest with you, because this is about life and death."

She went on to suggest that she thinks Democrats have to work with Republicans in Congress to stop the war, emphasizing the importance of a non-binding bipartisan resolution in opposition to the president's plan to send more troops to Iraq. She said such a resolution would be the only way to send a message to the "other end of Pennsylvania Avenue."

Clinton again said if she knew in 2002 what she knows now, "there never would have been a vote, and I never would have voted to give this president the authority [to go to war]."

On Saturday, Clinton also conceded she takes responsibility for that vote.

"I've taken responsibility for my vote, but there are no do-overs in life. I wish there were," she said at Democratic party headquarters.

Corralling Supporters

Hillary Clinton is creating a buzz in Iowa -- from Marcia Rogers' living room in Cedar Rapids to a packed gymnasium at a Des Moines high school, and today before a standing-room-only crowd at the Davenport fairgrounds.

Iowa Democrats say they're anxious to hear more from the former first lady.

The Clinton campaign estimates more than 1,800 people were on hand for a much-anticipated town hall meeting in Des Moines, where the senator again announced to a crowd of supporters, "I'm in it to win it."

At that meeting, as at Sunday's Davenport town hall event, there were questions about her bid to be the first female president.

"The fact that I'm a woman the fact that I 'm a mom that's part of who I am," she said at the Des Moines town hall meeting. "But I'm going to ask people to vote for the person they believe will be the best president."

At one point during the Des Moines event, a woman yelled out, "You go girl!," to which Clinton replied, "You go with me!"

Clinton and Giuliani May Go Head-to-Head

In national polls, Clinton is the early Democratic frontrunner, but in a general election, the latest ABC News poll shows former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani could be her biggest headache.

Although Giuliani is not officially in the race, he's spending the weekend in New Hampshire, which, like Iowa, is a key election state.

"My eyes are going be on future as we try to make this decision," he said about the race.

Like Clinton, he has huge name recognition -- he was dubbed America's mayor for helping New York City recover after 9/11.

Republicans are hoping Clinton's past will haunt her. But on Saturday she indicated she's ready for a fight.

"I've learned a lot of lessons being involved in politics," she said. "I also believe that when you are attacked, you have to deck your opponents."