Bill Clinton Tries to Triangulate Hillary's War Vote

The Clinton's were masters of the political art of triangulation - trying to make your position somewhere in the middle between opposing forces. It has the effect of elevating the person "above the fray" so to speak. Hillary Clinton voted to go to war in Iraq and that vote has been a problem for her with the Democrat faithful. It's one thing that she gets hammered on by Barack Obama in every speech.

Well, leave it to Bill Clinton to try and bail her out by claiming that he was always against the war:

During a campaign swing for his wife, former President Bill Clinton said flatly yesterday that he opposed the war in Iraq “from the beginning” — a statement that is more absolute than his comments before the invasion in March 2003.

Before the invasion, Mr. Clinton did not precisely declare that he opposed the war. A week before military action began, however, he did say that he preferred to give weapons inspections more time and that an invasion was not necessary to topple Saddam Hussein.

At the same time, he also spoke supportively about the 2002 Senate resolution that authorized military action against Iraq.

Advisers to Mr. Clinton said yesterday that he did oppose the war, but that it would have been inappropriate at the time for him, a former president, to oppose — in a direct, full-throated manner — the sitting president’s military decision.

That never stopped Jimmuh Carter.

Nothing happens by accident with the Clintons. By claiming to have been firmly against the war "from the beginning" Bill is trying to average out their positions and take some heat off of Hillary. The Clintons are already hoping to pick up votes from those who want Billy back in the White House by quietly suggesting another "co-presidency". A co-presidency is, after all, the only way Hillary gets away with claiming superior "experience".