It seems that Senator Clinton, formerly reluctant to take a stand on the Iraq War, has gotten the loud and clear message of Connecticut voters and the liberal blogosphere in their repudiation of Joe Lieberman over his wholehearted support of the Bush Administration agenda in Iraq.

"...I think it’s fair to say that that collective common sense overwhelmingly does not either understand or approve of the way you and the Administration are handling Iraq and Afghanistan. Under your leadership there have been numerous errors in judgment that have led us to where we are in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We have a full fledged insurgency and full blown sectarian conflict in Iraq. Now, whether you label it a civil war or not, it certainly has created a situation of extreme violence and the continuing loss of life among our troops and of the Iraqis. You did not go into Iraq with enough troops to establish law and order.

You disbanded the entire Iraqi army, now we’re trying to recreate it. You did not do enough planning for what is called Phase IV and rejected all the planning that had been done previously to maintain stability after the regime was overthrown. You underestimated the nature and strength of the insurgency, the sectarian violence, and the spread of Iranian influence....

So Mr. Secretary, when our constituents ask for evidence that your policy in Iraq and Afghanistan will be successful, you don’t leave us with much to talk about. Yes, we hear a lot of happy talk and rosy scenarios, but because of the Administration’s strategic blunders, and frankly the record of incompetence in executing, you are presiding over a failed policy.

Given your track record, Secretary Rumsfeld, why should we believe your assurances now? "

--- Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, addressing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld during a Senate Hearing on the Iraq War, August 3, 2006

Related Reading
Iraq War Results & Statistics as of July 24, 2006
Hillary Clinton Unplugged & Unleashed