Clark - "I never gave a penny to the Republican party"

[Clark Can WIN]

That and TONS of great stuff from General Clark in a really great NHPR interview with Laura Knoy. Lot's about Kosovo, his service in Vietnam. The little nugget that Republicans care about weapons, Democrats care about people. Good stuff.

Including the fact that after giving up on being an astronaut (nearsighted), he was torn between going with the career track or.................. becoming a theoretical physicist.

http://www.nhpr.org/view_content/5339/

[3CardMonte]

1. Never?

I find this hard to believe. Maybe he is correct on a technicality. Possibly he never wrote a personal check to the GOP, but I see no difference in that and attending, and speaking at GOP fundraisers.

[FrenchieCat]

18. This is what wes said in 2001...at that fundraiser....you guys have to...

start reading, and stop talking.

clark's lincoln day speech:
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110004065

two paragraphs up from the maligned "praise" we find this:
------------------------
But we're also extremely vulnerable. Our economy--we're using three times--we've got three times as much foreign investment as we're investing--capital flow--as we're putting out there. They're investing here because they believe in us. We're using energy like it's going out of style. We're using five to eight times as much energy per capita as people in the rest of the world, twice as much as even the Europeans. We're vulnerable to security threats--everything from terrorism to the developing missiles that are--we know rogue states are developing to aim at us.

And so I think we have to have a new strategy, and we have to have a consensus on the strategy, and we have to have a bipartisan consensus, and politics has to stop in America at the water's edge. We've got to reach out, and we've got to find those people in the world and share our values and beliefs--and we've got to reinforce them. We've got to bring them here and let them experience the kind of life that we have. They've got to get an education here. They've got to be able to send their children here. They they've got to go home. And they've got to carry the burdens in their own lands, and to some extent we have to help them.
----------------------------
notice that in the frist paragraph clark talks enviromentalism to a republican audience.
also note the warning about terrorism pre-9/11.
notice in the second paragraph he talks about bipartisanship, and reaching out to the world community. two traits that he shares spot on with his positions today.

here is the full paragraph of contention:
------------------
You see, in the Cold War we were defensive. We were trying to protect our country from communism. Well guess what, it's over. Communism lost. Now we've got to go out there and finish the job and help people live the way they want to live. We've got to let them be all they can be. They want what we have. We've got some challenges ahead in that kind of strategy. We're going to be active, we're going to be forward engaged. But if you look around the world, there's a lot of work to be done. And I'm very glad we've got the great team in office: men like Colin Powell, Don Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Condolzeezza Rice, Paul O'Neill--people I know very well--our president, George W. Bush. We need them there, because we've got some tough challenges ahead in Europe.
----------------------
notice he says he is glad to have them in office for the challenges ahead in EUROPE! obviously they have failed in holding europe to our cause.
also notice how the core of his new american patriotism is taking shape with the "be all you can be" remark.

in the next two paragraphs he further defines the european challenges:
-------------------------
We've got a NATO that's drifting right now. I don't know what's happened to it. But the situation in the Balkans where we've still got thousands of American troops, it's in trouble. It's going downhill on us as we're watching it. Our allies haven't quite picked up the load on that. But our allies say they're going to build a European security and defense program with a rival army to NATO. Well, I think it's a political imperative that they do more for defense, but I think we have to understand that that linkage between the United Sates and Europe, that bond on security, that's in our interest.
Look, in politics they told me--I don't know anything about politics now, I want to make that clear. But they told me--I read, do my reading in Time magazine and so forth. And they said in politics you've always got to protect your base. Well, for the United States, our base is Europe. We've got to be there, and we've got to be engaged in Europe. And that means we've got to take care of NATO, we've got to make sure the Europeans stay in it, and we've got to stay with the problem in the Balkans, even though we don't like it. We will get it resolved, and we'll help bring democracy and Westernization to those countries there.

[3CardMonte]

24. And this has what to do with

his claim that he "never gave a penny to the republican party"?

I stand by my post.

[SaintLouisBlues]

27. You posted fundraisers, as in more than one.

Wrong. Stand by that.

[3CardMonte]

28. It is my understanding

that Clark has attended and/or spoke at more than one GOP fundraising event. Until I am shown to be wrong, and that he has only attended and/or spoke at a single one I will continue to stand by my post.

[Clark Can WIN]

30. Ah, but when you just throw unsubsatiated pure SHIT out there

and don't have the info to back it up, you get the fan effect. Unless YOU can back it up (since you're the one who threw it out) it's meaningless.

[3CardMonte]

31. For the time being

lets reduce my statement to Clark attending/speaking at a SINGLE GOP fundraiser. Ok. Now, how does that square with statement?

[Clark Can WIN]

33. Your statement was pointless, he did not dispute speaking at one

Or attending one. He said he never gave a penny to Republicans.

Now if you want to go with him speaking as a contribution, you'll also have to consider the LLLOOOOONNNGGG list of things he said at that function they DID NOT want to hear. So that would kind of fall under the "throw in a nickel take out a dime" catagory.

Like I said pointless.

[DealsGapRider]

2. BFD.

He practically deep-throated Bush in front of the camera in 2002. Are we supposed to be impressed that he never gave money to the Repugs?

That's like when Chris Rock castigates men who proudly proclaim that they've never been to jail. As Rock says, "That's what you're supposed to do!"

Are we, um, setting the bar a little low?

[Clark Can WIN]

3. I'm glad you took the time to listen

before you launched your attacks. Of course you probably read the ENTIRE transcript of that speech as well. Because someone like you wouldn't accept quotes out of context without examining the full truth just because it might fit your agenda.

:eyes:

[cally]

4. We are not

I understand that you do not support him. Fine. Some of us made the decistion to support Clark with lots of thought, information, analysis of the where politics are now. I acknowledge that Clark made a stupid speech in 2001. What his actions are and were sway me much more. I see him as a person who can address many issues that the repukes raise with the protection of the military background. He also has the intelligence and winning smile to get elected.

[Donna Zen]

7. So what is the difference

Between lying out of ignorance or by design? And does the resulting character damage differ?

[returnable]

8. Post deleted by me

I'm taking my own advice and Moving On.

[DealsGapRider]

11. Dennis Kucinich is NOT my man.

Let me be clear about this: I think he is an embarrassment to our party. He's the kind of guy who drives centrists and independents fleeing from the Democratic Party with his radical views, venomous rhetoric and kooky ideas.

I'm for Dean (I think), a true centrist with a solidly progressive, compassionate anchor.

[Julien Sorel]

14. Compassionate centrism?

I'm for Dean (I think), a true centrist with a solidly progressive, compassionate anchor.


Dean is so incredibly unsympathetic that you feel obliged to stick the word 'compassionate' in there?

[DealsGapRider]

16. Are you asking me a question? I don't understand your post.

Yes, I think he's a genuinely compassionate man. I think it is his fundamental human decency that compelled him to support universal health care in Vermont, recognize civil unions, etc. Do you not agree?

[Julien Sorel]

17. I think any Democrat would have supported those things.

I simply find your word choice unusual. The Republicans have an agenda that is so people-unfriendly that they have to try to hide behind the phrase 'compassionate conservatism' as a smokescreen, and here we have a Democrat with a Republican-like aversion to public spending, and you use similar language to what Republicans do to describe the guy. Things like that stand out to me.
:shrug:

[DealsGapRider]

21. I think you're reading too deeply, deep thinker.

Dean's compassion stands out to me, so I chose to highlight it as one of the qualities that attract me to him.

Democrats might nominally stand for all those things, but the other candidates don't telegraph genuine concern for dispossessed people the way Dean does (at least to me). Even Kucinich doesn't convince me that he's really for the working poor. Rather, I think it's his hostility to the fundamental concept of profit that motivates him, not his concern for people. Dean is someone who tirelessly fights for poor people, yet who was friendly to business in Vermont. That's what Democratic centrism is all about.

[Julien Sorel]

25. I've never seen anything particularly compassionate

about the guy, but I suppose it's a case of beauty being in the eye of the beholder. I also don't see where Dean has 'tirelessly fought for the poor,' given his record of cutting public spending in Vermont, and some of his choicer comments about welfare and medicare, and his desire to balance the federal budget without reducing military spending.

Dean, more compassionate than Kucinich. Yep. I think I have it now.

[SahaleArm]

20. Why is it when talking about Dean...

his supporters claim two things, healthcare, most of which was federally funded, and civil unions, which he signed after the supreme court forced the issue. Dean was a pro-NAFTA, anti-medicare, DLC governer. Why doesn't Dean run on the platform that got him to the dance?

[returnable]

22. Apologies...

...on linking you to DK. I just glanced at your tag and didn't read it completely.

My bad.

[charlie]

13. Don't try to foist that nasty twit on us

DGP is deeply offended that Kucinich exists, let alone is in the race. Dean's his guy.

[FrenchieCat]

15. You mean when he gave Bush some due for afganistan????

Do did they all:

My research shows that the following was said by the following candidates, of course I am not going to provide the context, so that I may be elevated to the techniques a la Drudge:
Howard Dean
May 22, 2003
Here is a quote from Howard Dean, praising George W. Bush's war in Afghanistan.
I supported the invasion of Afghanistan and the elimination of the Taliban. I thought that group was a clear and present danger to the United States, and I supported what the President did.
--------------------------------------------------------
Joseph Lieberman
January 2002: praising George W. Bush's war in Afghanistan.
America’s great military strength, including particularly the precision air attack and special forces capabilities built up by President Clinton during the 1990s, and commanded so well by President Bush over the past year, has been stunningly impressive in this war to date.
http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/lieberman/lieb011402sp.html
------------------------------------------------
Dick Gephardt
June 2002
foreign policy speech from June 2002 where he expresses agreement with Bush foreign policy, and discusses some success in Afghanistan.

“We must be prepared to build alliances in regions that flare up unexpectedly. Afghanistan is the best example of this today. The Administration deserves credit for the military victory there. http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/gephardt/geph060402sp.html

[NewJeffCT]

5. speaking of astronauts

I heard some Republican criticize Clark for an old quote where he said that he thought someday, mankind would be capable for faster than light travel saying that it flew in the face of physics & Einstein...

They'll jump on anything, eh?

[3CardMonte]

6. Time travel

did't Clark make some assinine comments about using time travel to fix things in the not so distant past?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

10. Gross misrepresentation

What he said was he believes that, at SOME point in time in the future, mankind will be able to do FTL travel.

[w13rd0]

19. I know...

...that really hacked me off. As a scifi and science buff/fan, I found their ridiculous twisting on that pretty offensive. Clark said that he believes in mans ingenuity and has hopes that mankinds ambition might one day make faster than light travel possible. Some jackass reporter recalled a science friday film he saw from 1972 and proclaimed "Clark wants to time travel!," once again demonstrating that dumbasses see only what they want to see and hear only what they wish to hear. They did the same thing with Dennis Kucinich's proposed legislation on banning space based military platforms. I like people that seem to do a little dreaming inbetween their doing. Heck, I hope to be able to go live on a retirement community on Mars.

[charlie]

23. Yeah

Clark will cheerily admit that the idea of FTL travel fascinates him and he'll talk with anyone anywhere about it, including times that it's come up in meetups. It's one of the things he's geeky about, not something that he'll try to divert national resources into. The slant from the Wired article I read was that the General had some sort of moonbat passion that made his handlers nervous, blatantly stupid spin.

[Renew Deal]

29. "retirement community on Mars."

Me too my friend. Me too.

[Renew Deal]

26. Are you a freeper?

You sound like one. And after 12 posts??? Hmmm

[SaintLouisBlues]

32. More right wing talking points, eh monte?

Your user name is appropriate.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

9. They should read "Hyperspaces" by Michio Kaku

(here) or The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene. Clark seems like the kind of guy who has those on his shelf.

[SammyWinstonJack]

12. Listening to it now.

It is good stuff.