Hillary Sticks Her Beak In

I'll pander to anyone!

Well, that didn't take long.

Maybe Janet Reno and her crack team of super-sleuths are available.

Democrat Hillary Clinton called on Friday for an international probe of Benazir Bhutto's killing and candidates in both parties sparred over foreign policy six days before Iowa kicks off a close presidential nominating race.

Clinton, battling rivals Barack Obama and John Edwards for the lead in Iowa, questioned the reliability of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's government after opposition leader Bhutto's assassination.

"I don't think the Pakistani government at this time under President Musharraf has any credibility at all," Clinton said in an interview with CNN as she campaigned across Iowa. "Therefore I am calling for a full independent international investigation."

Considering Obama threatened to invade Pakistan a couple of months ago, calling for an investigation may be a no-lose proposition.

But seriously, Pantsuit, everyone wants to know what happened.

It's not as if you're going out on a limb here.

And tell us, how exactly would this independent international investigation take place and under whose jurisdiction?

Bhutto's killing on Thursday prompted candidates to flex their foreign policy muscles and, in the case of Clinton and Edwards, tout their experience. Several other Democrats leveled harsh criticism at Musharraf.

Muscles?

Huh?

I suffered through a couple of Democrat debates and cannot honestly recall Pervez Musharraf's name ever coming up.

Now we're supposed to take these Democrats seriously when it comes to foreign policy and the dire situation in Pakistan and the region?

Please.

At least one sober adult weighed in.

Republican Fred Thompson, a former Tennessee senator who is lagging in Iowa polls and trying to make up ground, warned against rushing to a conclusion on Musharraf and said candidates should be more "deliberate" on Pakistan.

"I don't think it would be a good idea to call for him to step down now," Thompson told CNN. "I hope that we as candidates out here don't start lobbing these ideas that get plenty of attention but are not very sound."

At this point when we have several different accounts of what happened Thursday in Pakistan, it's wholly irresponsible for presidential candidates to start sticking their noses into an investigation.

It's to be assumed the White House and State Department are fully informed of developments. Should they choose to brief top candidates, it's their choice.

At this time, however, Mrs. Clinton and the rest of the shameless Democrats ought to step back and stop being so reckless with our foreign policy.

After all, she and her husband's first and foremost priority is to "repair our image" with the rest of the world, no? How exactly will that be accomplished by making reckless statements and proposing absurd ideas as a full independent international investigation?

I'll assume some reporter might flesh this out, but word is she's not taking any questions.