The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Clinton poses as strong leader in debate
She defends role during rise of IS
Hillary Clinton cast herself as America’s strongest leader in a scary world during the second Democratic presidential debate.
But at the event in Des Moines, Iowa, she found herself forced to defend her own role during the rise of the Islamic State (IS) militants.
“This election is not only about electing a president, it’s also about choosing our next commander-in-chief,” Mrs Clinton said.
“All of the other issueswe want to deal with depend upon us being secure and strong.”
Amid the backdrop of global anxiety over Friday’s attacks in Paris, Mrs Clinton found herself fending off questions about not only her foreign policy record but her economic ties.
Both Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and former Maryland governorMartin O’Malley painted the former senator from New York as a lackey for Wall Street and corporate interests.
“Let’s not be naive about it,” saidMr Sanders, noting that Mrs Clinton collected millions incampaigndonations from Wall Street bankers. “They expect to get something. Everybody knows that.”
The barbs marked a far more aggressive shift in a primary race that has so far been notable for its civility.
Democrats have spent months boasting about the substantive tone of their contest, attempting to set up a favourable early contrast with the “carnival barker” insults of the crowded Republican race.
Since the Democrats’ first debate a month ago, MrsClinton has built a lead in the early voting states.
The gains have come amid other signs the party is coalescing behind her, but the nomination fight is far from over.
In DesMoines, Mrs Clinton faced criticism of her national security record.
Mr Sanders traced the current instability in the Middle East to the US Senate’s vote, including Mrs Clinton’s, to authorise military action in Iraq in 2002.
He said that US invasion “unravelled the region”.
The former secretary of state fought back, saying terrorism has been erupting for decades, specifically mentioning the September 11, 2001, attacks.
She said the recent unrest in Libya and other parts of the Middle East is symptomatic of an “arc of instability from North Africa to Afghanistan”.
Mrs Clinton rejected the idea that she and the rest of the Obama administration underestimated the growing threat of IS.
The row revealed a foreign policy split within the Democratic Party, with Mr Sanders playing to the antiwar activists who boosted Illinois senator Barack Obama to victory in 2008.
“All the issues we want to deal with depend on us being secure and strong”