Clinton: I Will Not Target Sanctuary Cities
Hillary Clinton speaks to voters in Brownsburg, Ind., Thursday, a day after sitting down with FOX News' Bill O'Reilly to discuss her foreign and domestic policy plans. (AP Photo)
Hillary Clinton, in the second half of her first-ever interview with FOX News’ Bill O’Reilly, said that if elected president she would not crack down on so-called illegal immigrant “sanctuary cities.”
Clinton outlined several points of her foreign policy platform in the final segment of the interview, which aired Thursday. She declared there’s nothing left to achieve in Iraq and issued a stern warning about the threats Iran poses to that region once U.S. troops withdraw.
Asked about the controversial topic of sanctuary cities — cities that encourage a hands-off approach to local enforcement of federal immigration policy — Clinton swiftly responded, “No I’m not (going to target them). I’m not.”
She said she wants illegal immigrants to feel safe reporting crimes and that “sometimes you have two competing values.”
But she said federal immigration policy is “broken” and needs reform.
“I’m 100 percent in favor of tightening our borders, of enforcing the laws against employers, of going after the kind of abuses that we see in the job market, of making it clear that we have got to figure out what we’re going to do with people,” she said.
Clinton joined O’Reilly in South Bend, Ind., on Wednesday for her first appearance in the “The O’Reilly Factor,” putting the squeeze on rival Barack Obama (who went on FOX News Sunday for the first time over the weekend) and other Democrats to do the same.
Clinton campaign aides said her appearance on the show was designed to reach out to working-class, independent white men who could decide the outcome of next week’s Indiana primary.
A day after tackling the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy, Clinton moved on to discuss the Iraq war and Middle Eastern policies, saying there’s no military solution in Iraq and that U.S. troops have already fulfilled their mission.
“First of all, I believe that our military has fulfilled all their military missions,” Clinton said, as her campaign also criticized President Bush for Iraq policies on the fifth anniversary of the “Mission Accomplished” banner. “There’s no doubt in my mind. They got rid of Saddam Hussein, which they were asked to do. They gave the Iraqis free and fair elections. They gave the Iraqi government the space and time to make the decisions that only the Iraqis can make for themselves.
“There is no military solution to what we face in Iraq, which is unprecedented. It is dangerous, it is unstable,” she said.
Clinton also charged Iran with fueling the bloodshed in Iraq.
“I think it’s somewhat open to debate as to whether Iran really wants to see us withdraw, and here’s why. They have been an equal opportunity supporter of the militias, of the insurgents, of anybody who would pick up arms against the United States,” she said.
But she took a decidedly softer tone after telling ABC that she would “attack Iran” and “we would be able to totally obliterate them” if the country attacked Israel with nuclear weapons.
“If Iran were to ever obtain a nuclear weapon, that would be unbelievably bad for us and the world. And I’m going to do everything I can to prevent that from ever happening,” she told FOX News, leaving it at that.
Iran strongly condemned Clinton late Wednesday for her previous statements. Its deputy United Nations ambassador said the remarks were “provocative, unwarranted and irresponsible.”
Clinton said as president she would withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq, and emphasize “the political and the diplomatic.”
“There will be a lot of conflict between the Iranians and the Iraqis moving forward if the United States is on the sidelines, instead of in the middle.”
Both Democratic candidates were campaigning hard Thursday in Indiana, which votes alongside North Carolina May 6.
Clinton is still trailing in delegates, but hoping to close part of the gap on Tuesday. However, as Obama grapples with the Wright controversy, her campaign got a jolt when a longtime superdelegate supporter defected to Obama.
“A vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote to continue” a long, self-destructive Democratic campaign, former national party Chairman Joe Andrew wrote in a letter designed to have an impact on the turbulent race nationally as well as in his home state of Indiana.
He urged Democrats to “reject the old negative politics” and unify behind Obama.
FOX News’ Aaron Bruns and The Associated Press contributed to this report.





Ann Coulter may be right. Hillary may be more conservative than Mcain. Who knows, after all the liberals have stabbed her in the back, she may now realize that the white american male is not and never has been her enemy after all. ARE YOU LISTENING HILLARY?
Let the people decide who will untie the party, The nomination was handed to Obama long before the people has a chance to cast their votes. This election is for the people. Let them decide.
Say what you will about Hillary Clinton and her policies, but she may well be the smartest person to run for President in the past two generations. In my opinion she couldn’t have handled this Bill O’Reilly interview any better.
Here’s the thing, why ARE we paying SO much for gas when Iraq is paying something like $0.75 if not less? I mean, here we are fighting for them and why can’t they give us FREE gas for our military missions protecting their country? We give, give, give and when does America get anything in return fron those that we help?
She voted for this war. OBAMA 08′
Sadly Clinton is correct. As I sat in Iraq for fifteen months I used to scream at my computer whenever I would read Mcain or Bush talking about “the troops want victory”……..”WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, TELL ME WHAT YOU MEAN AND WE WILL DO IT!” But that question was never answered. The US military can do anything, but what it cannot do is make other people do the right thing…even through violence.
Obama would probably just studder and fumble around with out Hilary to answer first.
I think Hillary is correct!!!! In all Aspects.
As for Obama—- He is just now GETTING what Wright has been preaching
I
I don’t think America needs ANOTHER slow thinker !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, frankly, there is nothing “left” to be achieved by a Clinton Presidency either.
Hillary says there is “no military solution”
Well, I guess all is lost then. You certainly can’t have a political solution with someone who wants you dead.