SUNDAY SHOWS

Clinton Defends Obama Apology

Clinton also said that 'My Enthusiasm for the President Got a Little Out of Hand'

Updated: February 27, 2012 | 4:49 p.m.
February 26, 2012 | 1:35 p.m.

Hillary Clinton speaks at a hearing on March 10, 2011. (Chet Susslin)

While Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney have all criticized President Obama's Afghanistan apology in recent days, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in an interview on Sunday that such rhetoric was "troubling" and could potentially exacerbate the conflict.

"I find it somewhat troubling that our politics would enflame such a dangerous situation in Afghanistan," she said in an interview with CNN.

Clinton said that "it was the right thing to do" for Obama to apologize for what military officials have called the accidental burning of a number of Korans on a U.S. military base, which led to widespread protests and the killing of several Americans.

Clinton also said that her statement yesterday in Tunisia that Obama would be re-elected wasn’t inappropriate, though she did say that, "my enthusiasm for the president got a little out of hand."

"I know what happens in campaigns,” she said. “I've been there, done that, and I know that things are said that are not going to be put into practice or policy…I did think I needed to point that out to the audience."

See all NJ’s Sunday show coverage | Get Sunday show coverage in your inbox

Get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox. Sign up for National Journal's morning alert, Wake-Up Call, and afternoon newsletter, The Edge. Subscribe here.


Leave A Comment
The National Journal Group has the right (but not the obligation) to monitor the comments and to remove any materials it deems inappropriate.
Comments powered by Disqus
Follow National Journal
Related Content
Columns
Charlie Cook: The Cook Report

No Wonder Republican Criticism of Obama Isn’t Working

May 23, 2013
They’re attacking the president where he’s least vulnerable at a time when they have minimal credibility.
Ronald Brownstein: Political Connections

Smaller Schools Aren’t Always Better

May 23, 2013
The universities best able to expand access to education are the ones with the most students.
Reid Wilson: On the Trail

Parties Push For House Retirements

May 23, 2013
Campaign committees utilize scare tactics to pressure members to step aside.
More Columns »