There have been occasions upon which I have considered that the world might be in better hands with Hillary Clinton than Barack Obama. Now I am certain that I cannot abide the possibility. Hitchens closes the door once and for all here in Slate.
Let me quote from Sally Bedell Smith's admirable book on the happy couple, For Love of Politics:
Taking the advice of Al Gore and National Security Advisor Tony Lake, Bill agreed to a proposal to bomb Serbian military positions while helping the Muslims acquire weapons to defend themselves—the fulfillment of a pledge he had made during the 1992 campaign. But instead of pushing European leaders, he directed Secretary of State Warren Christopher merely to consult with them. When they balked at the plan, Bill quickly retreated, creating a "perception of drift." The key factor in Bill's policy reversal was Hillary, who was said to have "deep misgivings" and viewed the situation as "a Vietnam that would compromise health-care reform." The United States took no further action in Bosnia, and the "ethnic cleansing" by the Serbs was to continue for four more years, resulting in the deaths of more than 250,000 people.
I can personally witness to the truth of this, too. I can remember, first, one of the Clintons' closest personal advisers—Sidney Blumenthal—referring with acid contempt to Warren Christopher as "a blend of Pontius Pilate with Ichabod Crane." I can remember, second, a meeting with Clinton's then-Secretary of Defense Les Aspin at the British Embassy. When I challenged him on the sellout of the Bosnians, he drew me aside and told me that he had asked the White House for permission to land his own plane at Sarajevo airport, if only as a gesture of reassurance that the United States had not forgotten its commitments. The response from the happy couple was unambiguous: He was to do no such thing, lest it distract attention from the first lady's health care "initiative."
The first thing I ever did to approach blogging was to try to keep track of the situation that led to America's involvement in Bosnia. I will endeavor to find that particular little piece of my website. At the very least I still have my open letter to a Serb. One thing I do not forget is our failure at Srebernica. This is the failure that made me understand that America had the power but lacked the will to engage and intervene in the prevention of genocide.
To skip over this tragedy at the express direction of having a zero sum game with Clinton's health care is unforgiveable.
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