Hillary and Jeb on Iraq: compare and contrast

Iraq figures to be a major issue in the presidential election, as it should be given the current disastrous situation. It’s less clear that Iraq as it was in 2003 should be an issue, but it’s fair to look back that far, and at subsequent inflection points, to see what positions (if any) various candidates have taken on Iraq.

A reader sent me a comparison of Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush on this subject. He writes:

Ready for Hillary!
1. 2003 – Voted for authorization to use military force in Iraq
2. 2007 – Blasted General David Petraeus as a liar with infamous “willing suspension of disbelief” line as part of effort to pander to leftists in run-up to 2008 campaign; blamed Bush Administration for fact that war in Iraq was violent and that people died; opposed “surge” as part of effort to pander to Leftists; renounced vote for Iraq War
3. 2009 – Became Secretary of State after “surge” ended hostilities in Iraq
4 2009-12 – Spent time as Secretary of State traveling to countries other than Iraq for ribbon-cutting ceremonies; bragged to President Obama and Secretary of Defense Gates that [her Iraq position had been] based only on politics with an eye toward 2008 campaign; blasted Iraqi government; supported 2011 troop withdrawal from Iraq. . .
5. 2013 – Left office; said nothing about continued decline of Iraq; focused on “the children,” income inequality during paid speeches, and the little people. . .

Jeb!
1. 2003-07 – Governor of Florida – no authority to vote or do anything about Iraq.
2. 2007-present – Private citizen – no authority to vote or do anything about Iraq.
3. 2015 – Misunderstands question by Megyn Kelly about whether he would have voted to invade Iraq.

Mainstream Media Conclusion:

Everything that went wrong in Iraq is the fault of Jeb Bush. Therefore, he cannot win, and Mrs. Clinton will blow him out if Republicans nominate him.

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