Shifting with The Wind

During the campaign, Bill Clinton has changed his position on some issues and hedged his statements to appeal to the mood and constituency of the moment. Examples of Clinton’s revisionism:

THE PERSIAN GULF WAR

On the One Hand: Two days before U.S.-led coalition forces attacked Iraq, Clinton asked whether “we should give sanctions more time”. . . On the Other Hand: At the same time, Clinton declared, “I personally don’t think it would have been a good thing for Congress to go on record, in essence, watering down and weakening the full impact of the U.N. resolution” that authorized use of force against Iraq.

MILITARY SPENDING

On the One Hand: Last December, Clinton said, “With the dwindling Soviet threat, we can cut defense spending by over a third by 1997,” in part by canceling production of unnecessary weapons systems. . . On the Other Hand: On the eve of the Connecticut primary, Clinton reminded voters that he supports the construction of the $2 billion Seawolf nuclear submarine, which happens to be built in Groton, Conn. Bush’s budget deleted the sub as too costly and unnecessary.

ABORTION

On the One Hand: Clinton says he opposes any laws requiring teens to get parental consent before seeking an abortion. . . On the Other Hand: In 1989 Clinton signed a state law requiring minors to notify one parent before getting an abortion. The law has a provision allowing a teen to petition a court to decide whether she is capable of making a decision on her abortion without parental advice.

LABOR UNIONS

On the One Hand: Clinton flew to Peoria, Ill., last week to have his picture taken with striking members of the United Auto Workers at the Caterpillar plant. “It’s not good business to replace workers,” Clinton told them. “They have a right to strike, and they shouldn’t lose their jobs doing it”. . . On the Other Hand: Last month he praised rank-and-file U.A.W. workers at the General Motors plant in Arlington, Texas, for going “against the leadership of their own union” to accept flexible new work rules that persuaded GM to keep the factory open. Clinton implied it was the U.A.W. leadership’s stubbornness in not changing work rules at GM’s Ypsilanti, Mich., plant that was to blame for GM’s shutting it. Clinton reversed himself a few days before the Michigan primary, saying, “I’m not sure I had all the facts.”