Hillary Clinton's Defense of Iran Vote Criticized

New York Senator and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has sent a mailing to Iowa voters in defense of her senate vote on the Kyl-Lieberman amendment regarding Iran, which defined part of Iran's military as a "terrorist organization." Fellow presidential candidate John Edwards' campaign has criticized her defense of the vote.

According to a press release issued by the John Edwards For President campaign on Sunday, Edwards' campaign manager released a statement regarding Senator Clinton's mailing. The statement pointed out that her explanation to Iowa voters was not the same as her campaign's explanation to the New York Times. It indicated that Clinton backers told the Times that the reason for her vote was about changing from campaigning for the nomination to campaigning for the general election. The statement also expressed the belief that there have been "devastating consequences" in Iraq and that the Bush administration appears to be preparing for war with Iran.

The U.S. Senate web site indicates that seventy six senators voted in favor of the anti-Iran amendment, while twenty two voted against it. Two, including presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, were not present to vote on it. Candidates Biden and Dodd, among other senators, voted in opposition to the amendment.

On September 26th, Senator Clinton issued a statement regarding her support for the Kyl-Lieberman amendment. She referred to Iran's nuclear program and "substantial links" with Lebanon's Hezbollah organization. She went on to claim that the amendment would not authorize military action against Iran, instead intending to put "diplomatic pressure" on the Central Asian nation. Her statement also accused Iran of "mismanaging" its economy and repressing its citizens.