[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 12 (Wednesday, February 9, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 9, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
             THE PRESIDENT IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK IN BOSNIA

  (Mr. MAZZOLI asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MAZZOLI. Mr. Speaker, I start today with two premises. One is 
that President Clinton does not need me to defend him. He is eminently 
capable of doing that himself.
  The second premise is that editorial cartoons, by their very nature, 
are meant to cut to the quick. They are not meant to be subtle or 
nuances. But having said that, I rise today to offer a few words in 
defense of Mr. Clinton concerning today's Herblock cartoon in the 
Washington Post.
  The cartoon first states Mr. Clinton's quotes concerning Bosnia, 
which are to the general effect that until the people stop killing one 
another, bad things will continue to happen over there. But if you 
trace the history of that area, that is true because conflict goes back 
to that between the Ottoman Turks and the Austro-Hungarian Empire 500 
years ago.
  Then Herblock continues by putting words into the mouths of former 
Presidents by using their quotes and paraphrasing them, President 
Jefferson, the two Roosevelts, and President Kennedy. The effect of all 
this, Mr. Speaker, is to make President Clinton appear to be weak and 
vacillating and even timorous as Bosnia.
  Now, I disagree with President Clinton with regard to the handling of 
Somalia, but I agree with him that we need to be cautious and 
circumspect before being drawn into a battle in Bosnia.
  So I think the President is on the right track.

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