Clinton hits Cruz for ‘bluster and bigotry’

“Promising to carpet bomb until the desert glows doesn’t make you sound strong, it makes you sound like you’re in over your head,” she said in a Tuesday speech in Minneapolis outlining her homeland security plan.

She added that “bluster and bigotry” aren’t credentials for leading the nation. Clinton and other Democrats have criticized Republicans for looking to ban Muslims from entering the United States.

Cruz said in December he would bomb the Islamic State “into oblivion.” Clinton’s shots at the Texas senator are significant, as they constitute a recognition of his rise into the top tier among Republican presidential contenders.

“I don’t know if sand can glow in the dark, but we’re going to find out,” he said. “And we are going to make abundantly clear to any militant on the face of the planet, if you wage jihad against the United States of America and try to murder innocent Americans, you are signing your death warrant.”

Clinton also said the U.S. must “defeat” the Islamic State, but then said the U.S. shouldn’t pursue a ground war to get there.

“We can’t afford another war in the Middle East, that’s exactly what ISIS wants from us. Shallow slogans don’t add up to a strategy,” she said.

“Many of the other candidates have said bad things about Muslims. The truth is that this plays into the hands of the terrorists. It alienates allies and mobilizes moderates,” Clinton added. “As both the Pentagon and the FBI have said in the past week we cannot give credence to that idea. This is not a clash of civilizations. This is a clash between civilization and barbarism and that must be fought.”

“We cannot give in to fear, we cannot let it stop us from what’s right and necessary to make us safe and doing it in a way that’s consistent with our values. We cannot let fear push us into our action in a way that makes us less safe,” she continued.