Duane Patterson, writing on the Democratic Presidential Debate last night in
[T]here was one section that caught my eye, and if you are someone who cares about the continued existence of the state of
, regardless of which political party you belong to, it should have caught your eye as well. . . . Israel
After all the candidates thought they handled their obligatory Iran policy question, Tim Russert, to his credit, visually stunned them all by making them all answer a simple yes or no follow up question.
Russert asked all of them individually if they would take a pledge tonight to the American people that
will not develop a nuclear bomb while they are president. Here is how Hillary responded. Iran
He asked her twice. Her answer in so many words: No. Twice.
Patterson has posted videos of all seven candidates’ answers to Russert’s question and notes that:
Foreign policy experts from the center, right and left do see
as a threat that might ultimately require military action. Most recently, Walter Russell Mead of the Council on Foreign Relations appeared this past Friday on the Hugh Hewitt Show, saying, "Should we reach a point where we have to make a choice between a nuclear Iran or some kind of military action, then I think it’s pretty clear that a military action is where we’d have to go." Iran
Patterson contrasts all the Democratic answers with the straightforward one by Rudy Giuliani:
Rudy Giuliani in a Reuters story from just this last Friday said, “
America will not allow them to become a nuclear power," and "the military option is not off the table and the Iranians should understand that, thatwill not allow them to become a nuclear power.” Notice the use of the phrase will not allow. That’s a pledge, something the Democrats just couldn’t bring themselves to say. America