Clinton Criticizes Obama for Saying He'd Meet with Troublemaking World Leaders

(CNSNews.com) - During a presidential debate in Charleston, S.C., using questions posed through YouTube videos, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) criticized political rival Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for his willingness to meet with leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea - considered by the Bush administration to be troublemakers. Obama responded by citing the importance of looking for areas "where we can potentially move forward," adding that he thinks "it's a disgrace that we have not spoken to them." Clinton said meeting with such leaders could be used by them for propaganda. "Certainly, we're not going to just have our president meet with Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez and you know, the president of North Korea, Iran and Syria, until we know better what the way forward would be," she said. But a few months ago, Clinton's message appeared similar to Obama's. During a visit to Decorah, Iowa, in April, the presidential frontrunner said her approach to foreign policy would be different than President Bush's and she "would begin diplomatic discussions with those countries with whom we have differences, to try to figure out what is the depth of those differences." Speaking at Luther College in Decorah, Clinton reportedly said: "I think it is a terrible mistake for our president to say he will not talk with bad people. You don't make peace with your friends - you have to do the hard work of dealing with people you don't agree with."