Democratic game-players: find fault with libertarian Radley Balko on Hillary Clinton.

"Bill Clinton ordered more U.S. military interventions than any other post-WWII administration, and there's no reason to think any of them were over Hillary's protestations." There was one protestation: when it came to Kosovo, military leaders hestitated (correctly predicting ethnic cleansing.) Clinton writes that she called Bill from Africa: "I urged him to bomb."

Balko (an editor at Reason,) raises no complaint about Clinton's private healthcare plan, but on civil liberties he lists: "Hillary Clinton voted for both the Patriot Act and its reauthorization. She voted for building a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border. She voted to loosen restrictions limiting the federal government's ability to wiretap cell phones. In the past, she has supported a robust role for the federal government in enforcing "decency" standards in television and music…" He quotes open-source advocate Lawrence Lessig: "Of all the Dems, I would have bet she was closest to the copyright extremists. "

Balko doubts President H. Clinton would give up the executive's new powers. Cheney walks where Clinton trod: "Hillary Clinton herself went to court to keep meetings of her Health Care Task Force secret from the public."

He sums up: "Activists on the left need to recognize that Hillary Clinton winning the Democratic primary is the GOP's last best hope to elect a Republican to continue pursuing President Bush's pursuit of these unfortunate policies. And judging by her political career and recent voting record, they should also realize that even if they succeed in electing Hillary Clinton to the White House, it's likely that the only real resulting change in Washington will be that come 2009, we'll merely have a Democrat pursuing the same misguided policies.

Party-hearty! Find reason to disagree with Reason.

LAURA FLANDERSis the host of RadioNation and the author of Blue Grit: True Democrats Take Back Politics from the Politicians.

Comments (23)

1. Well if you're going to put it that way...

   Just wondering since Al Gore was part of that same Clinton/Gore admin, if the same arguments could be made to his prospective candidacy?

   I ask because I saw an article that argued that the GOP candidates were ready to lay bare Thompson's late start to more than an absence of ideas, dedication/sincerety,... And the total antithesis to Al Gore! Like what could the demacratic candidates say of Al Gore's late start, definitely not per lack of same.

   Posted by hsuBfools at 10/09/2007 @ 6:14pm

2. er, sincerity, democratic,... my eyes are shot.

   Posted by hsuBfools at 10/09/2007 @ 6:17pm

3. Like what could the demacratic candidates say of Al Gore's late start, definitely not per lack of same.

   Posted by HSUBFOOLS 10/09/2007 @ 6:14pm

   They would shout in unison..."Not AGAIN, I THOUGHT WE GOT RID OF HIM!!'...go back to Global warming/cooling...and tighten the bolts in your neck....

   Fools, this guy will never win the WH ..he had his chance...and shit the bed...thank God.

   Posted by john maasch at 10/09/2007 @ 6:37pm

4. JoMa, you're full of shit. It's obviously your fear talking as you have no facts. You fear Al. Funny you automatically think shit in the pants when you think of Al. Since Al's never done it-- it must be the one that... Try pulling a wash cloth from one of your ears through the shit for brains you have, to the other side, I'm sure you can do it and it may help. For a while.

   Posted by hsuBfools at 10/09/2007 @ 6:58pm

5. Again, HSUB....a week of "lag time" after Halloween, and then still no Gore announcement, you drop it....

   deal?

   Posted by Mask at 10/09/2007 @ 7:32pm

6. hey!

   jeb just announced he's running in 2016!

   Posted by frosty zoom at 10/09/2007 @ 9:49pm

7. Posted by HSUBFOOLS 10/09/2007 @ 6:58pm

   Hey, nice guy..a real way with words...

   ....any way, MASK, says you are an ALGORE insider, so,I am still waiting for your prediction on impeachment...I bet Bush gets impeached the same day ALGORE announces his bid to run for the WH..but first, he needs to collect his "Nobal GLOBAL Warming/Cooling/ Whatever Prize(needs the cash to refuel his G-5), as more and more scientists start to examine his "data" and grin...

   Come on Bushfooledagain...ALGORE is a dolt..there is no broad appeal there...half the people hate him for being an idiot just as the other half hates Bush for the same reason...the fact that you are hanging on to some ALGORE hope/savior dream is , well, kinda sad to watch.

   Posted by john maasch at 10/09/2007 @ 10:16pm

8. hey!

   jeb just announced he's running in 2016!

   Posted by FROSTY ZOOM 10/09/2007 @ 9:49pm

   Actually, in 2012, as Hillary is a one termer..

   Posted by john maasch at 10/09/2007 @ 10:17pm

9. Actually, in 2012, as Hillary is a one termer..

   Posted by JOHN MAASCH 10/09/2007 @ 10:17pm

   same loaf, different slice.

   Posted by frosty zoom at 10/09/2007 @ 10:39pm

10. Posted by JOHN MAASCH 10/09/2007 @ 10:16pm

    Uh, JOHN....HSUB HAS predicted that BOTH impeachment of Bush and Cheney AND Gore's announcment to run in 2008 will occur by the end of this month!

    And believe it or not...he is (gutsy I admit, if insane) sticking to it!

    Posted by Mask at 10/09/2007 @ 10:39pm

11. BUSHCLINTONBUSHCLINTONBUSHCLINTON

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 10/09/2007 @ 10:42pm

12. On Jan. 26, 2006, the one and only Molly wrote for Columbus,Ohio Free Press, "I will not support Hillaty Clinton for President." Keep THAT in mind. Kealayng@comcast.net

    Posted by keala at 10/10/2007 @ 12:27am

13. Again, HSUB....a week of "lag time" after Halloween, and then still no Gore announcement, you drop it....

    deal?

    Posted by MASK 10/09/2007 @ 7:32pm

    Frita, you never stop creating straw dildos no matter how many times you're wrong, so how can you inherit justification to even ask for someone else to forfeit anything for making logical deductions you can't follow per your faulty logic/ideology?

    I say you already should forfeit 2 months of making/playing with your straw dildos for being wrong on your Frito and Pelosi considering impeachment. And as adamant as you are able Al Gore announcing, you should go at least 6 months without your straw dildos after he announces. When cHeney gets booted-- another 6 months ‘poof'. Then hsuB, I'd say at least 12 months for your undying love protecting, giving cover, and disillusioning/obstructing attempts towards others pursuing his constitutionally righteous impeachment.

    However, I'm definitely fine being wrong about my predictions of our troops death rate in Iraq being in the tens of thousands by the end of this year. I'm still hoping the DoD isn't lying, but the VA has already outed them for downsizing the numbers of injured to being double what they're putting out. And the numbers of the first Gulf War dead seem to have gone from about 400 in '91 to 9600 in '01, (http://www.desert-storm.com/GWI/). No telling what the 3800+ dead from the current Iraq War will morph to when reality eventually takes over.

    So if I'm wrong, no problem, I'll say so.

    Still JoMa's argument for his illogic, spelling, bad rhetoric, is that he's simply uneducated (or is that he's a product of his dis-aducation?). Bases his conclusions on faith-- faith that the world's flat and that there would not be any apes left if we did actually evolved from them... Thus he's for an empty suit-- to go along with his empty mind, empty soul, empty outlook. He's already forfeited so much for so long and with his consistent wrongness-- why bother...

    Posted by hsuBfools at 10/10/2007 @ 02:27am

14. "So if I'm wrong, no problem, I'll say so. "

    I am thrilled beyond repair...a few "rules", tho.. Impeachmernt has to come while Bush is STILL in office, and ALGORE has to announce BEFORE the elction in 08, OK?

    And this..

    "Still JoMa's argument for his illogic, spelling, bad rhetoric, is that he's simply uneducated..."

    Aside form just plain mean spirirted and "hurts my feelings, 'cause I care"...

    1. What are you talking about?

    2. Reread your post above..then re read what you wrote about me.... you may want to review if you are really projecting on me...

    er,10,000s dead hidden from the public?(with or without black helicopters) MY god, man, you aren't a teacher in the public sector, are you? ..as an example.

    PS I will take any and all spelling, typing, syntax lessons offered..I went to public schools, so...and there seem to be an abundance of public teachers on this site for some reason..

    I do manage to feed my family and about 12 other familys inspite of this "weakness"... and will soon cover other peoples health care, so...is that OK?

    Posted by john maasch at 10/10/2007 @ 08:08am

15. Posted by KEALA 10/10/2007 @ 12:27am

    Well, KEALA, sorry to be blunt, but Molly Ivins is dead. So unless she's in Chicago, she won't be voting anyway.

    Posted by Mask at 10/10/2007 @ 09:08am

16. So if I'm wrong, no problem, I'll say so.----Posted by HSUBFOOLS 10/10/2007 @ 02:27am

    Thanks. Stick that in with your predictions.

    Posted by Mask at 10/10/2007 @ 09:09am

17. Oh and....

    BLOG | Posted 08/16/2007 @ 12:53am Kucinich Sounds the Alarm by John Nichols

    (Only Al will decide whether he'll run or not and I say he decides to run by October same as I've said for a year or longer like I said hsuB would not finish his term-- impeachment will happen.) ----Posted by HSUBFOOLS 08/20/2007 @ 11:00am

    21 days and counting....

    Posted by Mask at 10/10/2007 @ 09:11am

18. Posted by JOHN MAASCH 10/10/2007 @ 08:08am

    JoMa, re-read your own stuff. Makes as much sense as your 'shit in bed'... Per your shit head, possibly?

    Plus projections I made concerning Iraq war vets are backed up per documentation. You can't say the same of your faulty opinions. Ergo you're the tapping in the stall erratic frazzled weak-minded ideologue.

    Posted by hsuBfools at 10/10/2007 @ 10:59am

19. Posted by MASK 10/10/2007 @ 09:09am

    No Frita, you can stick it on your straw dildos and play all you want.

    Posted by hsuBfools at 10/10/2007 @ 11:02am

20. hope you were kidding because it is not going to happen.

    Posted by Lil at 10/10/2007 @ 12:45pm

21. so is it your opinion that al gore is destroying the world with his travels to help educate the world about global warming? wow. is your favorite news organization named after a furry animal with a bushy tail? get educated about ice shelf destruction and then comment.

    Posted by cunnicunnyguy at 10/10/2007 @ 3:53pm

22. While I might disagree with parts of his analysis,but his summary was correct. We would get a Republican light version of Bush with Clinton. I'm not voting for the top three candidates in the Democratic Primary even if they become the candidate.

    Posted by P. J. Casey at 10/10/2007 @ 4:07pm

23. 2008 Presidential Election Weekly Poll

    www.votenic.com [votenic.com]

    Results Posted Tuesday Evening At Midnight.

    Posted by votenic at 10/10/2007 @ 5:34pm