Progressives warn Hillary Clinton to toe the anti-intervention line

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may have scored a few points with her followers for blasting President Obama’s foreign policy mantra — summed up in the White House catchphrase of “don’t do stupid stuff” — but progressives aren’t amused.

A handful of them have responded to her critical interview that hit at Mr. Obama in The Atlantic with a few sobering words of warning for her: Be careful at voting time, Politico reported.

“She basically seems to be taking positions that are very similar to the vision of America’s role in the world that [in 2008] Democrats rejected,” said Michael Cohen, a fellow with the politically progressive Century Foundation, Politico reported. “[That] was out of touch with Democrats in 2008, and it’s out of touch now.”

Liberal writer Joan Walsh took an even blunter tone.

“Clinton may think she can write off the anti-interventionist left — again — and win the White House this time,” Ms. Walsh wrote in a piece at Salon.com. “But she may find out she’s wrong this time, too.”

Meanwhile, Glenn Greenwald, the reporter who brought former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden’s whistle-blowing allegations to light, tweeted: “[Clinton is] demanding more militarism and violence.”

Among Mrs. Clinton’s published statements in The Atlantic was her assessment of Mr. Obama’s reluctance to provide support at an early stage to Syrian rebel fighter as a “failure,” and her mocking of his “Don’t do stupid stuff” style of foreign policy as something that is “not an organizing principle.”

Some say her words — while truthful to even many Democrats — were nonetheless disloyal.

“My understanding is that there’s political unity in her bad-mouthing the president now,” said Ian Bremmer, the president of the Eurasia Group, in Politico reported. “But it’s bad for foreign policy. It is disloyal. … When Hillary does it, it’s a bigger deal. It does more damage.”