New York State Democrats who nominated Hillary Clinton to run for a second Senate term on Wednesday closed out their convention by passing a resolution calling the war in Iraq "illegal."Though media reports insist that Mrs. Clinton remains supportive of the war, Democrats gathered in Buffalo this week were seething with anti-war fever. Even New York party chairman Herman 'Denny' Farrell felt compelled to reaffirm his opposition, insisting: "Everybody's been against the war. The question is what do you do to get out of the war."
And while Mrs. Clinton's operatives were successful in beating back a challenge from anti-war candidate Jonathan Tasini, they were unable to suppress support for Tasini's position, with the Albany Times Union reporting:
"In the end, the Democrats unanimously agreed to a resolution just before the convention broke. It states the nation went to war 'illegally' and calls for the end of offensive action and the withdrawal of forces 'at the earliest practical date.'"
New York Democrats have long been unhappy with Mrs. Clinton's vote to authorize the Iraq war. But until this week, she'd largely resisted pressure to shift her position.
During her acceptance speech, however, the former first lady felt compelled to insert the line: "Stand with me as we put pressure on both the administration and the new Iraqi government to get behind a real plan for the Iraqis to assume a growing responsibility for their own security and safety so that we can begin to bring our troops home."
A Zogby poll released on Tuesday may explain why Mrs. Clinton is suddenly running away from the war. While 38 percent of New Yorkers in both parties said they'd back Clinton, 32 percent said they'd prefer an openly anti-war candidate like Tasini.
"A credible challenge from the left could embarrass Hillary," pollster John Zogby told the Buffalo News, adding that such a move could cast doubt on her credibility as a presidential candidate.
With numbers like that, Mr. Tasini says there's no reason for him to toss in the towel. While he failed to win enough Democratic delegates to have his name placed on the ballot, the Hillary nemesis said he intends to ride New York's anti-war sentiment onto the primary ballot by gathering the required 15,000 signatures.