Matthews likened position of “hawk” Clinton on war to Bush and Giuliani, contrasted with Hagel

Written by Ryan Chiachiere

Published


On the May 8 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews asked Washington Post reporter Lois Romano, “Do you think the Democrats -- do you think we're going to have a third-party candidate who's anti-war, like [Sen. Chuck] Hagel [R-NE], if [Sen.] Hillary [Rodham Clinton (D-NY)] is the nominee? If that means two hawks running? Do you think the American people will be looking for a dove to run somewhere?” When Romano responded “everybody is kind of a dove right now,” Matthews asserted that Clinton is “a hawk. I'm sorry, she's a hawk. The president's a hawk. Rudy's a hawk.” In reality, Clinton has consistently supported Democratic efforts to limit the Iraq war that both President Bush and Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani have strongly opposed. Her voting record in 2007 on significant Iraq legislation has also been the same as Hagel's, except for two votes in which Hagel sided with Bush and took the more “hawkish” position.

As the Associated Press reported on March 28, Giuliani “called the Democratic-controlled Congress' challenge to President George W. Bush's policy in Iraq 'a terrible mistake' and equated it with waving a white flag in the war against terrorism.” Giuliani was referring to H.R. 1591, the emergency supplemental Iraq funding bill that included a timetable for withdrawal of American forces, which Clinton (and Hagel) voted for and Bush ultimately vetoed. Giuliani went further:

“I hope that the president vetoes it,” Giuliani said. “The full focus of our energies should be on supporting the troops that are there and trying to act against terrorism, trying to create an Iraq that acts as a bulwark against terrorism instead of a headquarters for terrorism.”

Additionally, while Hagel voted against S.J. Res. 9, which would have changed U.S. policy in Iraq and sought to redeploy U.S. forces from Iraq by March 31, 2008, Clinton voted for it. On February 5, Hagel voted to oppose a motion that would have forced a vote on S. 470, a bill that expressed opposition to Bush's plan to put more U.S. troops in Iraq. Clinton voted with the vast majority of Democrats for cloture (to end debate and vote on the bill). On February 17, Hagel voted with the Democrats and Clinton for cloture on a similar measure.

Like Clinton, Hagel voted in favor of H.J. Res. 114 in 2002, which authorized the president to use military force against Iraq.

From the 5 p.m. ET hour of the May 8 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

MATTHEWS: Do you think the Democrats -- do you think we're going to have a third-party candidate who's anti-war, like Hagel, if Hillary is the nominee? If that means two hawks running? Do you think the American people will be looking for a dove to run somewhere, Lois?

ROMANO: I'm not so sure about that. I mean, because everybody is kind of a dove right now, don't you think?

MATTHEWS: No. No, Hillary is not. No, I'm sorry.

ROMANO: Well, she's not, but she's calling for the end of the war.

MATTHEWS: No, she's hawk. She's a hawk. She's a hawk. I'm sorry, she's a hawk. The president's a hawk. Rudy's a hawk.

ROMANO: She's calling for the end of the war.

MATTHEWS: A dove is somebody who thinks this war was a lousy idea, and they're trying to avoid getting in the hole any deeper.

ROMANO: Like [Rep.] Kucinich [D-OH]. No, I don't think so. I don't think there is going to be a dove in the race. People want protection. They want us to fight terrorism. They just want us out of this war right now.