Wes Clark's response to question on Cindy Sheehan

[Adelante]

Houston, Tx.: How would you respond to Cindy Sheehan and the other family members who believe their children have been sacrificed for a lie?

General Clark: I have the deepest sympathy and empathy with Cindy Sheehan. My son served in the Armed Forces and I worried about him every day. And, I carried a burden of guilt about his service, as I am sure most mothers and fathers do. Because, after all, we either encourage them, supported them, or sustained them in making this committment to their country. My prayers and condolences are with every family who has lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan, or seen him or her come home forever scarred or crippled. And I thank them for their loved ones' service and for their sacrifice. And I understand the depth of their feelings I believe, because every American trusts our leaders to use our men and women in combat only, only, only as a last resort. And in Iraq, this wasn't the case. And we will probably never learn the full array of motives that lead our nation's leaders to take us to this war. I warned at the time that it was "elective"--we didn't have to do it. There wasn't an eminent threat. So why did we? Cindy Sheehan, every mother and father of our service members, and every American has a right to know. It was a strategic blunder to go there. Now America sees it in hindsight. But those in power have responsibilities to do the right thing, and when they don't they should be held accountable. Cindy is doing everything she can to hold them accountable. President Bush should talk to her and tell her the truth.

He was having an online discussion at WaPo.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2005/08/25/DI2005082501346.html

The discussion was based on his OpEd this morninig:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/25/AR2005082501623.html

[ewagner]

1. Yay Wes!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[pinerow]

2. dang...get off the fence...

tell us how you really feel...!!...:toast:

[wellstone dem]

33. I hate it when he

waffles like this.

[blm]

3. And Wes knows a helluva lot more about serving and guilt than the AWOL

sociopath who feels NOTHING.

[txaslftist]

4. Exactly dead-on, Wes.

[CitrusLib]

5. I just love that man.

[Adelante]

6. There's a typo in there

In 2002, he said there was no "imminent" threat.

[Pithy Cherub]

7. Wes Clark stated beautifully on behalf of Cindy Sheehan

and the countless other families of those that serve in the Armed forces. Wes spoke from the role of being the Commander that is truly responsible, the military leader who led a war effort, a father of a serving son, as husband of a wife and child that lived with his deployment and as one who has been shot himself protecting his troops. Way to go Wes, you have the moral fortitude and authority to stand up and speak out!

[capi888]

8. What a Leader Wes Clark is!

He is the Leader we need With intelligence, Compassion, and Truth! He said, since being on CNN, that this war was elective! A STATEGIC BLUNDER for sure. WKC has the plan to get us out of this mess with dignity for the Iraq People, World, our Troops, and serve our Country for "THE COMMON GOOD", for all Peoples.

[Generic Other]

9. That's a retired 4 star general standing up for a soldier's mom!

That means a lot.

:patriot:

I posted a link here:

8/26 ALL Cindy thread DAY 20
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4463506&mesg_id=4463506

[Adelante]

11. Thank you

:)

[Liberal_Andy]

10. I liked that a lot!

I'm leaning Edwards,...but I liked that a lot!

[in_cog_ni_to]

12. I love that man. I would dare ANY freeper to call HIM a "TRAITOR"

I DARE THEM!

Thank you, Wes! I expected nothing less from you. You are a wonderful man who SHOULD HAVE BEEN our President. Thank you.:hug:

[DanCa]

38. Clark Clealand 08

Cmon it's a natch.

[okieinpain]

47. traitor, why when they will just trot out the "crazy man" charge again

[stevedeshazer]

13. I'm liking Wes more and more.

Clarkies, will he run in '08?

[Adelante]

19. You know we want him to run

He's telling us to worry about 2006. It's what is most important. And he's right. I think if he sees he has the support after that, he will run.

[Ouabache]

42. putting on flame thrower protection but

I think a Clark-Bayh ticket has possibilities.
or Clark-Feingold.

[drfresh]

43. Clark-Feingold is perfect.

Just perfect. I can't think of a better ticket.

[AllyCat]

14. Wes Clark on MTP with Russert this Sunday!

And he'll be here in Madtown on Tuesday and I am so chuffed!

[FrenchieCat]

15. Great that you are

chuffed!

Haven't heard of that one before?.....but it sounds good! LOL!

[AllyCat]

17. I think it might be a horsey term we use when we're excited about

something. As in "I'm so chuffed for this horse show". Didn't even occur to me the rest of the world doesn't use it.

Oh well! I am really looking forward to seeing him on Tuesday!

[Bucky]

45. Chuffin' A, mutherchuffer!

Odd word. Makes me think of "chafed," which is a term that doesn't quite invoke enthusiasm in me.

[txindy]

16. Bingo!

:patriot:

[MN ChimpH8R]

18. The next President has quite a way with words,

doesn't he?

[Adelante]

22. Truly, perfectly worded

I was thinking, wow, this is in an online discussion, even though WaPo selects the ones that show and I guess gives him a chance to think about his response. Then I remembered he has been talking about this for weeks at different events around the country, I've heard, so it's not the first time he's articulating his thoughts on Cindy. This is the first time it's out there in print.

[jokerman93]

20. Let's hear it for the general!

He was my choice in the primaries. I contributed to his campagn and I'd support him if he ran again.

[wiley]

25. A leader who tells the truth

and knows the true costs of going to war. Integrity. Intelligence. Humility. How can anyone dislike the guy, even if they don't agree 100% with what he has to say?



:patriot:

[Kahuna]

21. U WES A!!! U WES A!!!!

:bounce: :bounce:

[DoYouEverWonder]

23. This is why

he didn't lose a single US soldier in Kosovo.

[Texas_Kat]

24. That's the Wes Clark we know

Gracious, compassionate and sincere.

[roguevalley]

26. he's a good man. I took a pen to the Clark 04 sticker on my car

its now Clark 08

My mom never put a sticker on her car in 74 years but the Clark 04 one on it now. Bless her. Bless Wes Clark.

RV, who will mud wrestle in the nude to be a super delegate for him in 2008

[Just Me]

27. Well, millions of Americans had foresight about an aggressive war on Iraq.

Millions of Americans marched several times BEFORE the war that WE KNEW was going to be INEVITABLY waged. Tens of millions of people around the world held peaceful protests against this war.

I genuinely appreciate General Clark's words to those who are NOW digesting this war, in hindsight. But, I must say that, I wish he would acknowledge the tens of millions of us who were subjected to insult and revenge and assault and dimunition,...for our foresight on this war, which has proven to be CORRECT.

[Adelante]

28. Jealous of Cindy?

This vitriol can't be aimed at Clark who is NOT only NOW digesting this war, in hindsight.

Get a grip.

[Quixote1818]

35. Did you forget when Clark stood up for Michael More when he

ripped Bush at the academy awards just after the war started???? You know, when their was silence at the Awards and Moore felt alone in the universe. Wes Clark was one of the ONLY people who had the COURAGE to back up Michael Moore at that time.

Thats what initially attracted me to Wes Clark. He was sticking up for the millions of Americans who had foresight about an aggressive war on Iraq. Where have you been?

[FourStarDemocrat]

46. Well, someone has to speak to those who've recently had their eyes opened

It's not Clark's place to acknowledge the anti-war movement that was there from the beginning. His mission is to articulate and then push for a much better and coherent plan than what this miserable administration has, to somehow build a success out of this mess and eventually extricate our forces from it.

[David Zephyr]

29. Address him correctly: President Clark

n/t

[nevergiveup]

30. Bravo!

Finally a prominent Democrat has stepped to the plate and supported Cindy. Kerry, Kennedy, John Edwards, Feingold, Boxer, Obama, Clinton, Carter, Gore, Dean and others must be feeling a little foolish. I stand corrected if any of these have given their support to Cindy.

[Laurab]

36. Ditto...

I just finished posting in another thread about the deafening silence from the dems, at a time when they should be speaking out the loudest. And I consider myself a Kerry supporter, and don't know all that much about Clark (except that he has quite the fan base on here). THIS is what the dems need to be doing, and they need to be doing it NOW when * is sinking. It was a pleasure to see this. I DID get an email from Boxer, mentioning her support for Cindy, and Feingold and someone else are sponsoring some type of withdrawal plan, but, aside from that, I've heard NOTHING from the dems (except Conyers of course). They should ALL be speaking out now, and offering suggestions and solutions, and of course, a bit of constructive criticism aimed at the present regime. If Clark steps up to the plate and does what needs to be done, he may have another fan here.

[Historic NY]

31. I want a Clark/Edwards or Edwards/Clark ticket in 08.....

seems these 2 are the only ones that can really connect with real people.

[wellstone dem]

32. what a good man

I wish we'd seen more or him in '04

[Quixote1818]

34. That answer was expressed perfectly. Man did we miss out

by not electing Wes Clark! I actually thought the first part of the answer showed what a kind, empathetic, loving person Wes Clark is. That was why I was so excited about his campaign. He has the insight and kindness rarely seen in a politician, right or left.

[DanCa]

37. The general is ready to lead us in a ground war against the rethugs

Go wes go

[oasis]

39. I'll be watching for Wes on Sunday's Meet the Press. He'll support Cindy

on national T.V..

[FourStarDemocrat]

44. I know, it's going to great to see..

He hasn't been on there for a long time. He'll probrably get the chance to articulate his strategy for extricating ourselves out of the mire that we've descended into with Iraq, that has been published in the Washington Post this week.

[ismnotwasm]

40. Whoo hoo!

One From the hip.

[KT2000]

41. Go President Clark!!

I can't wait!

[TacticalPeek]

48. Nobody does it better.

"Our policies are at a turning point in Iraq. And, if we can't construct a strategy for success, then we are going to have to lower our sights even further and that won't be pleasant. Our country needs the understanding of our electorate and the guidance you can give to our elected officials in this time of peril for America."


I can think of several elected officials I'd like to give some 'guidance' to.

[Shredr]

49. I love Wes Clark!