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- COVER STORIES, Page 44BILL CLINTONShifting with the Wind
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- 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:
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- 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."
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