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Giuliani: Clinton Spewing 'Political Venom' on Iraq

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September 12, 2007 2:49 PM

ABC News' Teddy Davis, Jan Simmonds, Jennifer Parker, and Sunlen Miller Report:

One day after Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., sharply questioned the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Rudy Giuliani blasted his Democratic presidential rival, accusing her of spewing "political venom" in the Iraq war debate.

"I don't know what she's trying to say when she's accusing a general of the ‘willing suspension of disbelief,;" Giuliani said Wednesday on the "Randy and Spiff" show, a radio program which airs in Atlanta. The former New York mayor repeated his criticism of the Democratic frontrunner for president later in the day Wednesday during a media availability in Akron, Ohio.

When Army Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker came before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Clinton said that their claims of progress in Iraq require a "willing suspension of disbelief."

"Despite what I view is your rather extraordinary efforts in your testimony both yesterday and today," said Clinton, "I think that the reports that you provide to us really require a willing suspension of disbelief."

Giuliani accused Clinton of "playing into" a MoveOn.org ad that ran in the New York Times Monday that read: "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?"

After co-host Spiff Carner said, "She's trying to tell us that she knows more about the whole situation than he does," Giuliani shot back by saying, “Doesn’t it also sound like she’s also saying that he isn’t telling the truth?"

"I really do think to accuse a general of the ‘willing suspension of disbelief,’ particular in the atmosphere that Moveon.org has created with these terrible attacks, I don’t know, I mean I think that’s not the way in a responsible way to go about , you know, forging the foreign policy of the United States and the military policy of the United States," said Giuliani. "I think this name calling, you know, saying to people, ‘willing suspension of disbelief,' and then saying the horrible thing they said about betrayal -- that is the last thing we need right now."

"What we need right now," he added, "is a reasoned account, we need statesmanship not political venom."

The Clinton campaign responded to Giuliani's charge that the former first lady is spewing "political venom" by suggesting that the national Republican frontrunner is oblivious to the real situation in Iraq.

"Mayor Giuliani might be content to bury his head in the sand when it comes to ending the war in Iraq," said Clinton spokesman Phil Singer, "but Senator Clinton will continue to ask the hard questions in an effort to get our troops home."

September 12, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (604)

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Come on now, Rudy, give Hillery a break. She's got a lot on her plate right now trying to launder $850,000 of corrupt Hsu cash.

Posted by: Life ain't easy for a boy named Hsu | Sep 12, 2007 2:59:02 PM

She's very busy trying to keep a campaign of 350 people from flying apart...

But she is able to know everything going in in Iraq with our 165,000 soldiers...

Sure Hillary... keep checking those donors for dirty money...

Posted by: Waiting for the other Hsu to drop... | Sep 12, 2007 4:07:20 PM

It doesn't surprise me at all that she would make those comments. She is as crocked as they come.

Posted by: Rep | Sep 12, 2007 4:07:48 PM

How are the Dems any different from Al Qaeda in their efforts to help our enemies and hurt our own work to stop Islamic extremism?!?

Posted by: Cory | Sep 12, 2007 4:07:52 PM

How is telling the truth of the matter an "attack"? AWWWWWWWWWWW poor little Hillary can't defend herself. Good thing she's got her ABC poodle to yap back at mean old Mr. Giuliani.

Posted by: birdhurd | Sep 12, 2007 4:09:04 PM

If ABC News didn't hate America so much they would have said what Rudy said before Rudy siad it...But ABC NEWS is full of America Haters

Posted by: bob litfin | Sep 12, 2007 4:09:23 PM

Yea, besides, she has to seem like she supports everything that that HATE organization offers. Once again the Hypocrisy of the LEFT is shown in Vivid Color. Hillery blasted Don Imus for Hate speech, yet she supports what those %&*%&% did to a 4 Star General. They will never, ever win another Presidential election. There is nothing Presidential about Hitlery, Edwards et,al..

Posted by: Michael Demers | Sep 12, 2007 4:10:36 PM

I guess her accomplished statesmanship, exceptional public service, and objective point of view were finally on display...

...oh wait a minute...she has none of those qualities.

I still can't believe my State voted her in twice for the Senate and a large portion of this country is prepared to put her in charge when her only qualification for both offices is....she was married (to a President). Says a lot about the gullibility of my fellow NY voters and the naivete of the general public when it comes to political issues. She knows this and plays it like fiddle.

I'm certain this will only endear her further with the military.

Posted by: E-Pen for your thoughts | Sep 12, 2007 4:11:36 PM

Rudy's a lying DBag.
A one hit 9/11 wonder.

Posted by: RudyLover | Sep 12, 2007 4:12:20 PM

Hillary doesn't even know what's going on in her own finances (according to her) how can she know more then the good general does about Iraq? Where is she getting her reports on the ground from if not the soldiers? The enemy????

Posted by: Ron | Sep 12, 2007 4:13:09 PM

Petraeus is a liar plain and simple. She was too easy on him.

Posted by: DG | Sep 12, 2007 4:13:24 PM

Rudy's attack?

Is Hillery off limits now?

Posted by: Chris | Sep 12, 2007 4:13:35 PM

Only the GOP can accept Gen P's re-worked version his pro-Bush 04 Op Ed piece and we're supposed to take it seriously?

Also, by definition, a surge is a temporary thing. Taking the 30k surged in soldiers back out is NOT a reduction of the troops, it is the natural end of the 'surge'. It is more Bush/GOP doublespeak.

Posted by: betrayed | Sep 12, 2007 4:13:53 PM

ABC News is a joke. Guliani's attack on Hillary? This woman is a total fraud. The General must think these idiot Senators are complete charlatans, which they indeed are.

Anyone who votes for her is a complete fool. Fundraising scams, White House travel firings, billing records, closing her WH files ntil AFTER the 2008 election.

I hope the Democrat party do nominate her so they can LOSE another eight years and the congress.

Posted by: William | Sep 12, 2007 4:14:26 PM

I thought it was a war on terrorism. No, wait ... it was an effort to bring democracy to the middle east. No ... crusade? Anyway ... the democrats are different because they aren't killing Americans, for one. Also, as far as I know, they don't live in caves in Pakistan, nor do they train each other on how to build bombs. And last time I checked the Democrats also wanted to end this ridicilous war. I could go on with the differences if you need me to.

Posted by: Shutup | Sep 12, 2007 4:14:59 PM

Are you serious:

"The Clinton campaign was not able to produce an immediate response to Giuliani's attack."

Was not ABLE to respond? Implying Rudy's attack left them speechless?!

Give me a break. Why doesn't Drudge just take over ABCNews.com in title.

Hillary's not even my horse in this race, but the right-wing bias of this crap-article is ridiculous.

Posted by: TadAllagash | Sep 12, 2007 4:15:19 PM

Give Hillary a chance. She is after all the queen of honesty! She invested $1,000 and turned it into $100,000 (chances of that happening according to university study 1 in 250 million). Someone put FBI files of her opponents in her office. Someone fired the travel office and replaced that staff with her friends. Someone, certainly not Hillary, was involved in Whitewater. Oh then there is Charlie Trie and Hsu. She just has the worst luck. Real honest lady though!

Posted by: Kevin | Sep 12, 2007 4:15:36 PM

She's the smartest woman in the world; according to her. She knows everything. Why won't just one of these kook fringe, liberal democrats denounce terrorism instead of our top general and our troops who are fighting against it to preserve our freedom? We will have to fight this war with one hand tied behind our backs. They are all a huge disgrace to America.

Posted by: Craigo | Sep 12, 2007 4:16:50 PM

Oh, "statesmenship". That means shut up and support the regime. Not happening. What Petraus said is going on and what soldiers who have been there say is going on are two different things. He was brought on by the Bush administration and will act accordingly.

Posted by: RonPaul2008 | Sep 12, 2007 4:17:34 PM

Hillary Clinton will say ANYTHING and DO ANYTHING to get herself into the history books. She is as crooked as they come and proves herself to be even more of a useless scumbag than her useless husband is.

Posted by: Peter Beers | Sep 12, 2007 4:18:10 PM

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