Grumpy and Seeking Clarity
I do wish people would stop describing support of the invasion of Iraq as tantamount to support of “pre-emptive” war as a doctrine. Pre-emptive and preventive are clearly distinct from one another; the former is permissible under international law in some situations, while the latter is not. The Bush doctrine (and the invasion of Iraq) are obviously instances of that latter. When Hillary Clinton cast a vote in favor of military action against Iraq, she was voting for preventive, not pre-emptive, war.
I understand that Matt was responding to a claim by Hillary Clinton that specifically referenced “pre-emptive” war; nevertheless, noting the error and trying to clear up the rhetorical mess that the Bush administration thrust us into (I don’t doubt that they understood the distinction, and consistently tried to blur the line) would make me happy…