New York Sen. Hillary Clinton told a
college audience last night that she was worried the
Bush administration was too eager to wage war against
Iraq.
"To talk all the time like you're inviting war,
anxious to go to war, does a great disservice to the
country," she told "Hardball" host Chris Matthews.
Clinton, who voted to give Bush the power to take out
Saddam Hussein if he decides to, called the Iraqi leader
"a megalomaniac willing to use weapons of mass
destruction."
But she questioned attempts to link Saddam to Osama
Bin Laden's terrorist gang and suggested that "a lot of
people" in the White House "have some old scores to
settle."
Clinton appeared relaxed in her interview on the
State University campus in Albany, deftly handling
Matthews' rapid-fire questions and gracefully dealing
with anti-war protesters who interrupted the show.
"I think it's great ... that we have people on our
campuses willing to express themselves," the former
First Lady said.
She flatly ruled out a run for President in 2004, but
was fuzzy about 2008, saying only, "I have no plans, no
intentions."
Later, when Matthews said the husband of the first
married female President would be called the First
Gentleman, Clinton quickly corrected him.
"First Mate," she said with a smile to cheers and
applause from the audience.
Leo
Standora
Originally published on
November 21, 2002