VOA常速英语2008年-Clinton, Obama Question Each Other's National S

By Cindy Saine
Washington
06 March 2008

Democratic Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are attacking each other on their foreign policy and national security credentials¹, as both candidates brace² for a long and grueling battle for their party's presidential nomination³. Senator Clinton met Thursday in Washington with a group of military leaders who are supporting her campaign to discuss Afghanistan and other national security challenges. VOA Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from Washington.

Senator Barack Obama says his rival, Senator Clinton's "very negative attacks" played a role in Clinton's election wins earlier this week, wins which have pumped new life into her faltering⁴ campaign.

The 46-year-old senator from Illinois stressed that he still leads in the all-important overall delegate count, and targeted Senator Clinton's claim that she is more experienced on foreign policy because of her eight years in the White House as the wife of former President Bill Clinton.

"Was she handling crises during this period of time? My sense was 'No'," said Barack Obama.

On Thursday, Senator Clinton held a meeting with retired⁵ generals, admirals and other military officers in Washington, who said they are supporting her because of her foreign policy and national security experience. Clinton had words of praise for her Republican opponent, Senator John McCain for his national security and foreign policy credentials, but took a hard swing at Obama.

"Look I have said Senator McCain will bring a lifetime of experience to the campaign, I will bring a lifetime of experience, and Senator Obama will bring a speech he made in 2002," said Hillary Clinton.

Clinton referred to a speech Obama made in 2002 opposing any U.S. invasion of Iraq. He often cites his opposition⁶ to the Iraq war as proof that his judgment⁷ on life and death security matters is better than Clinton's, who voted for a resolution authorizing⁸ military action against Iraq.

Clinton told the military leaders if she is elected president, she would pay a lot more attention to Afghanistan, calling it the "forgotten frontline" in the war on terror.

"Today I am announcing a new strategy, one that is both smart and tough, that uses all of the tools in our arsenal⁹ to win the war in Afghanistan," she said. "We can no longer relegate¹⁰ Afghanistan to the bottom of our priority list."

Clinton said she would ask the United States' NATO allies to take greater responsibility for training the Afghan National Army, and hold a summit level meeting to revitalize international support for Afghanistan's long-term reconstruction¹¹. She said she would also end what she termed President Bush's "one dimensional" Pakistan policy.

1 credentials   

n.证明，资格，证明书，证件

参考例句：

• He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
• Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。

2 brace   

n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备

参考例句：

• My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
• You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。

3 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

4 faltering   

犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的

参考例句：

• The economy shows no signs of faltering. 经济没有衰退的迹象。
• I canfeel my legs faltering. 我感到我的腿在颤抖。

5 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

8 authorizing   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Letters of Marque: Take letters from a warning friendly power authorizing privateering. 私掠许可证：从某一个国家获得合法抢劫的证书。
• Formal phavee completion does not include authorizing the subsequent phavee. 阶段的正式完成不包括核准随后的阶段。

9 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

10 relegate   

v.使降级，流放，移交，委任

参考例句：

• We shall relegate this problem to the organizing committee.我们将把这个问题委托组织委员会处理。
• She likes to relegate difficult questions to her colleagues.她总是把困难的问题推给她同事。

11 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。