When asked during the Democratic presidential debate whether she believes that the U.S. is at war with “radical Islam,” Hillary Clinton emphasized that America is not fighting all Muslims, citing former president George W. Bush.
“I don’t think we’re at war with Islam. I don’t think we’re at war with all Muslims. I think we’re at war with jihadists,” Clinton said.
CBS moderator John Dickerson jumped in to note that he used the term “radical Islam,” and was not referring to all Muslims. Republicans have long criticized President Obama for eschewing the term “radical Islam.”
Clinton then said it was important not to demonize the Muslim faith, citing former President George W. Bush’s belief that the U.S. was not at war with Islam.
“We’ve got to reach out to Muslim countries,” she said. “If they hear people running for president who basically shortcut it to say we are somehow against Islam …”
“That was one of the real contributions, despite all the other problems, that George W. Bush made after 9/11, when he basically said after going to a mosque in Washington, ‘We are not at war with Islam or Muslims. We are at war with violent extremism. We are at war with people who use their religion for purposes of power and oppression,'” Clinton continued. “And yes, we are at war with those people. But I don’t want us to be painting with too broad a brush.”
Watch the clip:
I agree with Secretary Clinton’s - and President Bush’s and Obama’s - point. And I’ve long felf the conservative obession with not saying “radical islam” is opportunistic b.s.
But I will say this. We are not at war with all of Islam. But it doesn’t help any of us that Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States are funding, or allowing their citizens to fund, radical Islamists. An issue, as Charles Pierce pointed out earlier today, Sec. Clinton raised back in 2009.
That connection is one we have to be braver about laying bare, along with putting more pressure on the regional states to own this secartian conflict with our support. Starting tomorrow, with Turkey at the G20.
Clever. Bush and his enablers were lying, but still clever.
I’m reminded of the old Casey Stengel quote:
“The key to being a good manager is keeping the people who hate me away from those who are still undecided.”
FWIW- I never liked the term “Christofascist”, either.
This was not a good moment in what was the worst part of the debate for all the Dems. This whole piece came across as trying to play semantics (which they were) on an issue that is going to be front and center for rest of the campaign.
GWBush announced US efforts as a crusade, a war against Islam.
Words matter and invoking what many interpret as “onward Christian soldiers” to “justify” his shock & awe™ campaign is nothing more than provocative behavior, the same as any iman railing against the Wall Street devils.