Clark Communications Director questions John Edwards retaining Hugh Shelto

[robbedvoter]

Clark Communications Director questions John Edwards retaining Hugh Shelton.
http://clark04.com/press/release/071/
Honorable John Edwards
Edwards for President
PO Box 300034
Raleigh, NC 27622

Dear Senator Edwards:

I'm simply astounded that you have retained General Hugh Shelton as an adviser to your presidential campaign. This choice undermines the spirit of civility that you have urged your fellow candidates to uphold. Just this September, you said: "We need to be really careful that our anger is not directed at each other." Maybe you should share that advice with your own campaign team.

General Shelton has engaged in precisely the type of politics as usual mud-slinging that you profess to abhor: he initiated what has become a smear campaign that the Republicans have gleefully taken up. And his character assassination was the worst type: General Shelton leveled charges about "integrity" and "character," and then refused to back up his charge with an ounce of evidence or a shred of substantiation. Attacks like these have no place in campaigns, or in any public discourse. You should insist that General Shelton either repudiate his attacks or come forward and provide proof for what he said.

Your association with General Shelton is also curious given your position of support for the war in Kosovo. As you know, by waging war against Slobodan Milosevic in Kosovo, we saved 1.5 million Albanians from ethnic cleansing, all without losing a single American life. Have you changed your mind about this operation? Do you now think we should have refused to stop the genocide and given Milosevic free reign in the region, as your adviser apparently believes?

By associating with General Shelton on this campaign, you seem to have given in to the negative politics that you say you have risen above. I hope that throughout the campaign you will maintain the high level of dialogue that you have insisted on for others and that you will address this matter promptly.

Sincerely,

Matt Bennett
Communications Director

[robbedvoter]

1. And here's Edwards response

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/11/11/national1729EST0648.DTL

North Carolina Sen. John Edwards has gotten advice on foreign affairs from Shelton, a North Carolina native, but has not been endorsed by the retired general, said Edwards spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri.

Palmieri said Shelton "has been an adviser to Senator Edwards for years, prior to his becoming a presidential candidate. They are both from North Carolina and have been friendly for years."

She said Shelton has not endorsed Edwards and advises him on nonpolitical matters, just as other experts -- like former Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and former national security adviser Sandy Berger -- have advised Edwards and other candidates.

[AP]

6. I'd like to see Edwards disassociate himself from Shelton's attacks

on Clark.

I really think Shelton's smearing of Clark and the way the media played it up has been a real low point of the campaign, and regardless of whom you support, you have to call out the media whores. And obviously Shelton was doing it to help Bush (which is why the media made such a big deal about it).

Edwards has nothing to lose with a gently worded statement saying, in a way that doesn't jeopardize whatever friendship he has with Shelton, that he commends Clark for his service, and that he doesn't accept Shelton's characterization of the events relating to Clark's termination which were the subject of such excessive media attention, etc.

I suspect Edwards is alread on record praising Clark for the matters similar to the ones over which Shelton has criticized Clark.

[KittyWampus]

7. Edwards Reply Was Really Civil

I like the way southerners square off (I say in a lighthearted way) :)

[dfong63]

2. so, how much "civility" does it show, to bomb hospitals and tv stations?

[leetrisck]

4. Do you mean Shelton did that?

Just thought I would ask.

[Cocoa]

3. those attacks on Clark are a low point in this campaign

I was sure at the time that Shelton and the other generals were going to give details about their charges, but no, they left them as unsubstantiated smears. Makes me think they're the ones with the character problems.

[Khephra]

5. Can someone give me the background on Shelton?

I may be up on a lot, but I don't know a thing about him.

Or I've forgotten. That's also possible.

[Whoa_Nelly]

8. Apparently, Shelton has a personal prob with Clark

so, Clark, no doubt, has a personal prob with Shelton.


Frag Officer
Hugh Shelton smears Wes Clark.
By William Saletan
Posted Monday, Sept. 29, 2003, at 3:20 PM PT


I have a problem with Wesley Clark's former boss and current bad-mouther, Gen. Hugh Shelton. The problem has to do with Shelton's integrity and character. Let's just say that if Shelton runs for office, he won't get my vote.

A couple of weeks ago, Shelton, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was asked at a forum in California, "What do you think of Gen. Wesley Clark, and would you support him as a presidential candidate?" Shelton replied, "I've known Wes for a long time. I will tell you the reason he came out of Europe early had to do with integrity and character issues, things that are very near and dear to my heart. I'm not going to say whether I'm a Republican or a Democrat. I'll just say Wes won't get my vote."

more...
http://slate.msn.com/id/2089014/

And here:

<snip>
"What do you think of General Wesley Clark and would you support him as a presidential candidate," was the question put to him by moderator Dick Henning, assuming that all military men stood in support of each other. General Shelton took a drink of water and Henning said, "I noticed you took a drink on that one!"

"That question makes me wish it were vodka," said Shelton. "I've known Wes for a long time. I will tell you the reason he came out of Europe early had to do with integrity and character issues, things that are very near and dear to my heart. I'm not going to say whether I'm a Republican or a Democrat. I'll just say Wes won't get my vote."

more...
http://www.losaltosonline.com/articles/2003/09/23/news/community/news01.txt

And here's his bio:
http://speakerseries.com/spk2003/shelton.htm

[tsipple]

9. I Figured Clark and Edwards Would Come to Blows Soon

Only one of the two will survive South Carolina to become the anti-Dean, if this nomination fight runs according to script. It was only a matter of time before Clark and Edwards started debating one another, at least. Each one's big tactical problem is the other.

[PurityOfEssence]

11. That's why Mark Fabiani upstaged Edwards' announcement

Yes, it's obvious that they both draw much of their support from the same region, and this was inevitable.

This hardly sounds like dirty pool from Edwards, especially in light of his reply, but then again, I'm an Edwards partisan. Although Edwards didn't address the statements directly, he also didn't use them or threaten to. Perhaps it's just as he said: an ongoing relationship in a consultation mode.

I think your take is a healthy one: a sense of inevitability.

On the other hand, I think the Clarkies are trying to make hay to claim this isn't fairplay. They've been pretty "businesslike" with their positioning themselves.

[stevedeshazer]

10. Dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=213582

[VolcanoJen]

12. Dupe.... locking.

Please continue discussion in the earliest LBN thread on this topic, which can be found here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=213582

Thanks!
VolcanoJen
DU Moderator