A year ago discussions of the Bush administration contemplating the use of nuclear weapons in Iran filled the newspapers. Senator Hillary Clinton said the following when asked for her take:

“I have said publicly no option should be off the table, but I would certainly take nuclear weapons off the table,” Clinton said. “This administration has been very willing to talk about using nuclear weapons in a way we haven’t seen since the dawn of a nuclear age. I think that’s a terrible mistake.”

Clinton publically scorned Sen. Barack Obama for saying “There’s been no discussion of nuclear weapons. That’s not on the table,” when asked if he would use nuclear weapons to fight al Qaeda in Pakistan & Afghanistan.

Clinton’s spokeperson drew a difference between the remarks:

“She was asked to respond to specific reports that the Bush-Cheney administration was actively considering nuclear strikes on Iran even as it refused to engage diplomatically,” he said. “She wasn’t talking about a broad hypothetical nor was she speaking as a presidential candidate. Given the saber-rattling that was coming from the Bush White House at the time, it was totally appropriate and necessary to respond to that report and call it the wrong policy.”

My personal take? I think its time for the candidates to heed the advice of the State Department and keep specific military plans to themselves. Clinton continues to say the campaigns should not engage in hypotheticals. Well, good, don’t engage in them and we won’t keep running into problems.

The democrats think they are going to have an easy time this election season but the republicans are ready to hit them on two specific fronts. Defense & Taxes and so far the democrats are giving them a lot of ammunition.