There's just one problem, (well actaully there are a whole lot of problems but more on that later) Clinton knew this was coming - he was on Fox News and after the uproar over the Path to 9/11, Clinton knew he would be asked this. So, this whole thing was actually staged by Clinton to garner sympathy and give the left blogsphere some red meat to chew on.
As I said yesterday, if the left want to refight Clinton's record on terrorrism, bring it on.
Start with Hot Air who has the video clip and lots of links and proof to refute much of what Clinton said. Much of Clinton's defense centered around Clarke -- bad move. Glenn and Patterico destroy that defense and much of what Clinton had to say.
As a retired service member, I was struck by Clinton's "they wouldn't let me do it" defense - they being the CIA, FBI and the military. Clinton must have forgot he was the commander in chief.
Michelle has more including how, like their reaction to The Path to 9/11, this is blowing up in the Democrats face.
The Clinton Freak-Out is the No. 1 Most Viewed video on YouTube this weekend. And, in a little Internet victory, Fox was touting that point as part of its advertising of the interview. You know, instead of ripping the video down because it violated copyright. Good move, Fox. Now, almost 900,000 people have seen the great preview, and undoubtedly many of them tuned in for the whole thing as a result.
The Jawa Report agrees this was staged by Clinton. It was and it's backfiring big time. As with The Path to 9/11, now more and more people will re-learn just how weak the Democrats are on national security.
Even HuffnPuff says this blew up in Clinton's face, abeit for different reasons. Still, the effect is the same, Clinton made a fool of himself in public.
Love it!
UPDATE
ABC News notes
In the interview Clinton said that during the 1990s conservatives criticized him for "obsessing" over bin Laden and "they ridiculed me for trying" to kill bin Laden.
So let's examine the record...
By all means do that.
Told you this would blow up in their faces.
UPDATE
Even Richard Clarke rebuts what Clinton says.
RICHARD CLARKE: Actually, I've got about seven points, let me just go through them quickly. Um, the first point, I think the overall point is, there was no plan on Al Qaeda that was passed from the Clinton administration to the Bush administration.
Second point is that the Clinton administration had a strategy in place, effectively dating from 1998. And there were a number of issues on the table since 1998. And they remained on the table when that administration went out of office — issues like aiding the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan, changing our Pakistan policy -- uh, changing our policy toward Uzbekistan. And in January 2001, the incoming Bush administration was briefed on the existing strategy. They were also briefed on these series of issues that had not been decided on in a couple of years.
Then there's this bombshell for the Clintonites.
"And then changed the strategy from one of rollback with Al Qaeda over the course of five years, which it had been, to a new strategy that called for the rapid elimination of Al Qaeda. That is in fact the timeline."
He then goes on the heap praise on the Bush administration and lays out how quickly and how much effort was put into combating terrorism. Read the whole thing.
UPDATE
Tons more links here destroying Clinton.
UPDATE
More of destroying Clinton here. Claiming that bin Laden had nothing to do with Mogadishu, Clinton had this to say:
"It would have shown weakness if we left right away, but he [bin Laden] wasn't involved in that, that's just a bunch of bull. That was about Mohammad Aidid, a Muslim warlord, murdering 22 Pakistani Muslim troops...he wasn't a religious fanatatic, there was no al-Qaida.
Well Bill, then why did you indite bin Laden in 1998 for doing just that?
j. At various times from in or about 1992 until the date of the filing of this Indictment, USAMA BIN LADEN and other ranking members of Al Qaeda stated privately to other members of Al Qaeda that the United
States forces stationed in the Horn of Africa, including Somalia, should be attacked;
k. Beginning in or about early spring 1993, Al Qaeda members began to provide training and assistance to Somali tribes opposed to the United Nations intervention in Somalia;
l. On October 3 and 4, 1993, members of Al Qaeda participated with Somali tribesmen in an attack on United States military personnel serving in Somalia as part of Operation Restore Hope, which attack killed a total of 18 United States soldiers and wounded 73 others in Mogadishu;
There's some bull shit here alright and Clinton's putting it out.
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