Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin Sides with Barack Obama on Non Use of Nukes

The highly respected Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin on Monday bated any of the Democratic presidential candidates who maintained that they will use nuclear weapons in pursuing their respective foreign policy.

Passionately speaking against the nuclear option, the Hawkeye senator pointed out that it is spineless and clueless for any president to choose to use nukes as a tool in fighting against terrorists. In his words, "[It] makes no sense," Harkin said.

Last week, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was asked if the option should be on the table, he vividly, without mixing words, told reporters that nuclear weapons should not be used in the pursuance of the nation's foreign policy.

"I think it would be a profound mistake for us to use nuclear weapons in any circumstance, especially one involving civilians," said Obama.

During the same period, Sen. Hillary Clinton, in trying to distance herself from Obama, took the opposite direction by endorsing the use of nuclear bombs in fighting terrorists and their supporters around the world.

"Presidents, since the Cold War, have used nuclear deterrence to keep the peace," Clinton maintained.

As the presidential election hits up, some candidates that are not principled in their judgment are now choosing to flip flop on major issues in the quest to appease voters who does not agree with their previous positions. Notably among the presidential candidates who are in this dilemma are Clinton and Republican Mitt Romney.

On this issue, in 2006, Clinton was asked if the president should use nukes in fighting the nation's enemies, and she said no. But now, she has evolved from being against the use of nukes to be for using nukes in fighting terrorism and America's enemies around the world.

It is worthy to note that in 1964, the Republican presidential nominee, Barry Goldwater, of whom Clinton was a foot soldiers, supported the use of nukes against the Vietnamese in jungle villages across the country. This is where Clinton's hawkish position stemmed from.

"One of the weapons we could use were nuclear weapons to defoliate the jungles of Vietnam. I could have ended the war in a month. I could have made North Vietnam look like a mud puddle," said Goldwater in 1964.

Voters reminded Clinton that it takes nukes to wipe up a village. This is to remind her that her current position on usage of nukes against another nation is contrary to her famous statement that "it takes a village to raise a child."

Harkin compared the idea of using nuclear weapons by Democratic presidential candidates as the same doctrine of the current administration. Harkin deeply advised the Democrats not to follow the same failed tack currently employed by the Bush administration -- an arrogant and rudderless policy -- which is keeping the country unsafe.

"Bush policy is you gotta big stick, use it. You use tanks and you use huge weapons and massive military to go after terrorists; it's just wrong. Not the way to beat terrorists," he maintained.

In what respected experts -- such as former White House counterterrorism adviser under Bill Clinton and George Bush, Richard Clarke -- described as "sophisticated and comprehensive counterterrorism speech," Sen. Obama gave a five points vision on how he would fight terrorism around the world.

In the speech, the Illinois senator, who was against the war when it was unpopular to do so, said he would not send troops to Pakistan unless it was the last option available to capture Osama Bin Laden and his terrorist network. He maintained that such option would arise if the Pakistani government failed to work with the United States in capturing bin Laden.

Obama also pointed that it is time to redirect the nation's focus from waging "a dump war" in Iraq and fight the al Qaeda networks in Pakistan and Afghanistan who killed over 3,000 Americans in 2001. He outflanked Bush for failing to capture bin Laden, and his top rivals who because of political reasons, endorsed and gave the president a blank check to wage a war that was not necessary.

There are only five months remaining before Iowans will cast their ballots for who will be the party nominee. It is certain that judgment, honesty and trustworthiness are core credentials that Iowans are seeking from the presidential candidates.

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