In what might be perceived as a duck for political cover after the Mark Penn controversy, Hillary Clinton today called for Bush to boycott the opening ceremony of the Olympics. She cited China’s crackdown on Tibetans and failure to speak out against genocide in Darfur. “These events underscore why I believe the Bush Administration has been wrong to downplay human rights in its policy towards China,” she said.
Though her qualms with Bush are valid, why didn’t Clinton say the same thing about her husband ten years ago? In 1997, Sen. Russ Feingold (but not Hillary) criticized Bill Clinton for failing to press China to end the repression in Tibet. Soon afterwards, the Clintons, with the support of Republicans, pushed to end the policy of reviewing China’s human rights record when making decisions about trade relations.
Given that the Penn fiasco also involves an international trade deal, Clinton’s new position on the Olympics–however well-justified–looks like an effort to reassure her blue collar base. Will she go so far as to say liberalizing trade relations with China without any major human rights conditions was a mistake? It’s certainly a more important question than whether to boycott a sporting event.