Now Clinton must finally lead on Iraq

Volume Number 1 Issue Number 7 / November 10 - 16, 2006

Editorial

Now Clinton must finally lead on Iraq

The voters have spoken. The Democrats have resoundingly regained control of the House. And they have captured the Senate, too, now that George Allen has conceded in Virginia. The midterm elections were ultimately and correctly seen as a referendum on President Bush — and his rubber-stamping Republican majority — and, in particular, on the Iraq war.

Election Day exit polls showed that, by a wide margin, voters disapproved of the Iraq war. Another major issue for voters, polls found, was corruption and ethics in government — thanks, in no small part, to the recent Mark Foley “page-gate” and Jack Abramoff scandals. But it’s the unpopular war that is proving to be Bush’s undoing.

Now that balance has been restored to our system of checks and balances, it’s time for Washington to set unambiguous guidelines on what we are still hoping to achieve in Iraq and to establish a clear timetable for pulling out our troops. More than 100 U.S. soldiers died in Iraq in October alone — among the highest single-month death tolls in the more than three years that this mission has not been accomplished.

With New York Senator Hillary Clinton re-elected, we’d now like to see her help end this deadly quagmire — especially since it’s now abundantly clear that voters want this war resolved. So far, though, Clinton has hardly been a leader on this issue. Several Downtown Manhattan Democratic clubs — including Village Independent Democrats and Downtown Independent Democrats — sent the senator a stinging rebuke when they backed Jonathan Tasini over her in the primary election. D.I.D. then voted “no endorsement” in the general election — snubbing her again.

Clinton can do better on gay marriage, too. True, she’s publicly stated she feels the state Legislature — not the courts — should decide whether same-sex marriage is legal in New York. But, again, she can do more. She could advocate for inclusiveness, fairness and social equality.

Bottom line: If Clinton wants to be president, she’s got to stop playing it safe, and start leading — on issues like Iraq and gay marriage.

Eliot Spitzer’s smashing victory in the governor’s race gives cause for much optimism. As attorney general, he’s been a fighter who has stood up to powerful interests, be they Wall St. white-collar criminals or developers eager to cash in on the East Village’s community gardens. He went to bat for the little guy — like the East Village’s Mexican greengrocer workers, helping them achieve a living wage. We look forward to Spitzer’s taking a firm role in guiding local public authorities, such as the Hudson River Park Trust, on which he’ll have five appointments to the board of directors, including the chairperson. The future of Pier 40 at W. Houston St., for which the Trust has issued a request for proposals for developers, is a pressing concern. We hope that, come Jan. 1, Spitzer promptly inserts himself into this important process and makes his impact felt. The future of our waterfront park is at stake.