Democratic 2008 hopefuls clash over Iraq

MANCHESTER – Top Democratic presidential hopefuls slugged out their most heated clash yet over Iraq on Sunday, as differences over the war enlivened their second televised debate.

In the snappiest exchanges of the campaign so far, senators Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and ex-vice presidential nominee John Edwards sparred over the initial decision to go to war, and how to end the bloody conflict. Edwards provoked the sniping, early in the event in New Hampshire, which hosts the first state primary nominating election in January, accusing Clinton and Obama of not doing enough in Congress to bring troops home.”It’s the difference between leading and following,” he said, referring to his demands for Congress to immediately use its power to cut war funding.”There is a difference between leadership and legislating.”But Obama scolded Edwards, who like Clinton was a member of the Senate in 2002 and voted to authorise President George W.Bush to go to war in Iraq, though he has since repudiated his vote.”I opposed this war from the start.So you’re about four and a half years late on leadership on this issue,” said Obama, who was not in the Senate in 2002, and so was spared the politically dicey choice.In a candid moment later in the debate, Edwards acknowledged Obama – as a way of aiming a veiled swipe at front-runner Clinton, who again declined to say her vote to authorise war was a mistake.”He deserves credit for being against this war from the beginning.He was right.I was wrong,” said Edwards.”I think it is important for anybody who seeks to be the next president of the United States, given the dishonesty that we’ve been faced with over the last several years, to be honest to the country.”Clinton, who has vowed to get troops home from Iraq if she is elected president, trained fire back at Bush and Republican candidates who have backed him, who will hold their own New Hampshire debate on Tuesday.”This is George Bush’s war.He is responsible for this war, he started the war, he mismanaged the war, he escalated the war and he refuses to end the war,” Clinton said.Long-shot candidate Senator Joseph Biden voted to pass the budget despite the political risk, saying he could not do otherwise with troops in harm’s way.”I knew the right political vote, but I tell you what: some things are worth losing elections over.”Candidates at the debate, hosted by CNN, also vowed to refocus the ‘war on terror,’ a day after officials said they had exposed a plot to blow up New York’s main airport.Clinton indirectly rebuked Edwards for his declaration that the ‘war on terror’ was simply a “bumper sticker” slogan that Bush used to justify controversial policies like the Iraq war and the Guantanamo Bay terror camp.Nampa-AFPEdwards provoked the sniping, early in the event in New Hampshire, which hosts the first state primary nominating election in January, accusing Clinton and Obama of not doing enough in Congress to bring troops home.”It’s the difference between leading and following,” he said, referring to his demands for Congress to immediately use its power to cut war funding.”There is a difference between leadership and legislating.”But Obama scolded Edwards, who like Clinton was a member of the Senate in 2002 and voted to authorise President George W.Bush to go to war in Iraq, though he has since repudiated his vote.”I opposed this war from the start.So you’re about four and a half years late on leadership on this issue,” said Obama, who was not in the Senate in 2002, and so was spared the politically dicey choice.In a candid moment later in the debate, Edwards acknowledged Obama – as a way of aiming a veiled swipe at front-runner Clinton, who again declined to say her vote to authorise war was a mistake.”He deserves credit for being against this war from the beginning.He was right.I was wrong,” said Edwards.”I think it is important for anybody who seeks to be the next president of the United States, given the dishonesty that we’ve been faced with over the last several years, to be honest to the country.”Clinton, who has vowed to get troops home from Iraq if she is elected president, trained fire back at Bush and Republican candidates who have backed him, who will hold their own New Hampshire debate on Tuesday.”This is George Bush’s war.He is responsible for this war, he started the war, he mismanaged the war, he escalated the war and he refuses to end the war,” Clinton said.Long-shot candidate Senator Joseph Biden voted to pass the budget despite the political risk, saying he could not do otherwise with troops in harm’s way.”I knew the right political vote, but I tell you what: some things are worth losing elections over.”Candidates at the debate, hosted by CNN, also vowed to refocus the ‘war on terror,’ a day after officials said they had exposed a plot to blow up New York’s main airport.Clinton indirectly rebuked Edwards for his declaration that the ‘war on terror’ was simply a “bumper sticker” slogan that Bush used to justify controversial policies like the Iraq war and the Guantanamo Bay terror camp.Nampa-AFP