Question for the Wesley Clark supporters......

[PaDem]

can you folks tell me what drew you to Clark? This is not meant to flame or stir things up, but I never understood his appeal. For me he was a johnny come lately in the primaries who offered nothing more than a uniform. He grew on me a little, but I'd like to hear more from thoughtful supporters. Thanks.

[autorank]

1. When asked if he was a liberal, he said: "Of course I'm a liberal!"

That got my attention. Then I listened to him and realized his intellectual skill was considerable. I liked his programs a great deal and, on top of all of that, he's a fighter. I saw a C-Span follow along when he was working a crowd in NH. Someone said that the Repukes were coming after him on character or something. He said something like 'Don't worry, we'll kick the shit out of them.' Lot better than anything I've seen the party put forward in many, many a year.

[dogman]

2. Basically-Honesty & Integrity

Add those to proven leadership skills and you have something this country sorely needs and something the majority of Americans say they want.

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. (Attached to wrong post -sorry) One quote from Clark and one about him

From a talk show on NH Public Radio, fall of 2003:

"I think we're at a time in American history that's probably analogous to, maybe, Rome before the first emperors, when the Republic started to fall... I think if you look at the pattern of events, if you look at the disputed election of 2000, can you imagine? In America, people are trying to recount ballots and a partisan mob is pounding on the glass and threatening the counters? Can you imagine that? Can you imagine a political party which does its best to keep any representatives from another party — who've even been affiliated with another party — from getting a business job in the nation's capital? Can you imagine a political party that wants to redistrict so that its opponents can be driven out entirely?...it's a different time in America and the Republic is - this election is about a lot more than jobs. I'm not sure everybody in America sees it right now. But I see it, I feel it." - General Wesley Clark

Mario Cuomo on Wesley Clark:

"Wes Clark is a man of whom you can ask a question, and he will look you directly in the eye, and give you the most truthful and complete answer you can imagine. You will know the absolute truth of the statement as well as the thought process behind the answer. You will have no doubt as to the intellect of the speaker and meaning of the answer to this question....

So you can see, as a politician, he has a lot to learn."

[dogman]

14. You can join me anytime Tom.

It's all good and I know from you it'll be positive. I have one other thought that I remembered. I have followed politics most of my life but was not active since the assassination of John Kennedy. I worked on his campaign as a Junior Democrat in the sixth grade. I felt skeptical and cynical after his death. Clark was an admirer of JFK and understands what we felt at that time in America. He is able to express that and brings back a lot of pride for America that I had lost. In this time I feel that our country needs this more than ever. We need to push aside the negativity that the current administration has brought over our country, we must recapture our flag from the hypocrites who use it as a cloak to conceal their destruction of the real America. Clark knows the people are what make this country great.

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. I will share with you a post I made on DU in early Nov. 2003

First, thank you for asking. I appreciate your wanting to know. May I also suggest that you visit the Wesley Clark Supporters Group under DU Groups in the lobby here at DU. Look for a thread about Clark supporter's favorite Clark quotes. You will get a real sense for Wesley Clark if you read them.

I joined DU in October that year after lurking for a month or two. I joined the Draft Clark movement I think in late August. I think what I wrote then is a pretty good snap shot of what drew me to Clark, but I may make another post with current comments later in this thread:

Here is why I am backing Wesley Clark for President.
First because America can not afford a less than
brilliant leader, it is a very complex and
dangerous world right now and the stakes could not
be higher. We need the absolute best talent this
country can offer for President. Wes Clark has
mastered every endeavor he has tackled. Time and
time again, Clark rises to the occasion. Read about
his personal history if you have any doubts on
this. We can pretend we are voting for policy
positions and/or a platform, but the only thing we
will truly decide on is the person we will place in
office. For me it is more important to pick the best
person for the job, than the most finely reasoned or
original policy initiative. Sometimes the most
critical position is the one that will need to be
taken on an issue that hasn’t yet fully surfaced. 9/11
and the proper response to dealing with it
was not a campaign issue in the 2000 election.
Neither was job loss. Pick the best leader and fight
for the best program, that’s honestly how I see
it. Here is why I feel Wes Clark is the best leader
now for America.

We need someone who understands that it is always
the soldiers who win a war, not a privileged elite.
The welfare of our nation is dependent on the
welfare of our average citizens. Clark truly
understands that. The military functions with that
understanding more so than any other major institution
in America. Be all that you can be is an Army slogan,
but it is not just a cliché. Leave no one behind is
actually practiced on the fields of battle at high
risk and at great cost. Compare that to typical
corporate values. And it's personal for Clark, not
just a sound bite. He was awarded medals for his
courage in Viet Nam, and he risked his life
again, under combat conditions, in Yugoslavia trying
to save the lives of fellow Americans who died in a
crash on a mountain road. We need a President who asks
what he can do for his country, not what his country
can do for him. With his obvious
abilities and capacity for accomplishment, Clark
could have devoted his life to self enrichment;
instead he devoted it to defending his nation.

The institution Wesley Clark served in, the U.S.
Army, prides itself on discipline, following through
and following orders. These are the values and
priorities that conservatively oriented people
understand and respect. Yet Clark is the rare
exception, the one who takes what is best from inside
a box and then transcends the box. I have never heard
anyone more passionate in the defense of the First
Amendment than Wesley Clark. He doesn't semi
dismissively call dissent our right as Americans, he
calls it our obligation, essential to maintaining the
democratic life of our nation. And because of his
service to the nation in the military, many people
are open to listening to him say it who would never
listen otherwise. Other candidates, like Kerry, might
be able to partially neutralize the "patriotism"
advantage that Republicans tend to have when they
routinely monopolize the flag, but Clark goes much
further. He redefines patriotism in a fundamental way
so that suddenly it's those who stifle and distort
open and honest debate who are putting our country at
risk, not those who seek honest debate on important
questions.

Electing Clark is about much more than defeating
George Bush, (not that more is needed). It is about
restoring the basic contract between citizens and
their government to the ideals we were taught in
school. Government exists to serve the people, not
enrich the powerful. Citizens have the right to the
information they need to inform their decisions, not
government having the power to suppress information
that makes their governing more difficult. It is
precisely Clark's outsider status to the political
process, I feel, that has preserved his idealism
regarding it. We know he can negotiate complex
issues, we saw that in the Balkans, but Clark has
never comprised his core civic values. As a result I
think he would govern as one of the least
corruptible Presidents in American history. Wesley
Clark has served his country honorably and kept his
personal commitments. He truly believes in the
concept of personal accountability. I saw him speak
on this, it isn't a sound bite, that's who he is.

Then, after the above, you can move onto the fact
that Wesley Clark is already a known player on the
international stage, who respects international
institutions and the importance of having allies.
Very little if any on the job training will be needed.
After 3 years in office Bush is nowhere near as adept
at mastering the essential international
skills that Clark has already mastered. Domestically I
think it is ultimately an advantage to the American
people that Clark entered this race without a truck
load of finely detailed domestic policy initiatives. I
have learned enough about him to feel confident in his
overall social priorities. Clark is freest to seek the
best ideas available to confront the problems facing
the nation, and use the ones that fit best. He isn't
locked into unwieldy positions by virtue of prior
stands and unholy political alliances made. Having
said that I feel fine about almost all of the
positions Clark has taken. He is a progressive
Democrat who fought for affirmative action. He
strongly believes the tax burden should fall lightest
on those least able to bear it. He is firmly pro
choice. He calls the U.S. Constitution and the
environment the two most important legacies we can
leave behind for the generations that will succeed
us. You can find out more about his policy positions
at his official campaign web site, clark04.com so I
won’t use more space here.

You will notice that I will now only barely touch on
the supposed pragmatic reason why Wes Clark should be
nominated, his electability. Wes Clark can neutralize
Bush’s super patriotic fog machine, he can appeal to
independents and Republicans of integrity, and he can
be competitive in Southern states, forcing Bush to
allocate campaign resources, depriving his of a free
ride. Bush will be put on the defensive by Clark,
forced to fight for votes from even white male
southerners and Veterans. That’s all I That’s all I
will say about voting for Clark for pragmatic reasons,
because I don’t believe Clark is the
pragmatic choice, I think he’s the right choice.

I know some progressives within the Democratic Party
are simply uncomfortable about voting for a General
for President. To which I simply say, get over
it. It likely would have been among my proudest
moments as an American had our Armed Forces intervened
in Rwanda to stop the genocide that resulted in the
death of millions. General Clark strongly advocated
for U.S. military involvement in Rwanda at the time
but failed to win the support of the Pentagon for what
was an inherently humanitarian
mission. Kosovo was a just war, and Clark advocated
that it be fought in a manner that would lessen the
danger to civilians even if it put U.S. forces at
somewhat greater risk. Again he was over ruled on
that matter. In a world where we must have a
military, I would welcome Clark as its Commander in
Chief.

In short I trust Wes Clark to always realize that real
war is hell, to be avoided whenever rationally
possible, and that his working definition of the
special interest group he is beholden to is simply the
American public. I trust in his ability to understand
complex situations, and his willingness to work hard
to get things right. I trust in his sense of what
America is, and what it should be. I think Wesley
Clark has the right character, and the right
experience, to lead our country now. Others have
said this about him and I think it is absolutely true:
Wes Clark, All Patriot, No Act.

[autorank]

17. Extremely well said.

[Maestro]

58. Wow!

I am Clarkie and I couldn't have said it better so I am cutting and pasting this with due credit to you. If anybody else asks why I am Clarkie, your post will appear. :)

[Totally Committed]

99. YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What Tom Rinaldo said (....awesome, Tom!)

Wes Clark will be an extrordinary American President.

TC

[Clarkie1]

103. Tom, that is very well expressed. Thanks for posting this!

You put into words what I have felt ever since the primaries:

"We can pretend we are voting for policy
positions and/or a platform, but the only thing we
will truly decide on is the person we will place in
office. For me it is more important to pick the best
person for the job, than the most finely reasoned or
original policy initiative. Sometimes the most
critical position is the one that will need to be
taken on an issue that hasn’t yet fully surfaced."

Absolutely. There wasn't much policy difference between Edwards, Dean, Kerry, and Clark, and where there was I favored Clark's approach, which usually tended to be more liberal, realistic, and open-minded.

We need to elect leaders, not policy. Leaders who share our values and know who to lead, deal with the unexpected, and think outside the box. The rest will follow.

[Lefty48197]

4. He ran one of the most successful military campaigns in world history

For such a long time I waited for our government to do something about the butcher of the Balkans. When we finally got involved, I think we were successful beyond anybody's wildest imagination.
I also thought that Wes' military prowess would play very well before voters in the "9-11" era.

[Adelante]

5. Sure

Initially, I wanted a president who could be a real commander-in-chief since we are in wartime. I thought national security was the going to be the underlying issue of the '04 election, which turned out to be the case, and I thought Wes Clark was the one who could draw enough voters from across the political spectrum to beat Bush at his strong point, which is national security (why I don't know), past the point of where election fraud would have its intended effect.

That was only the start.

As I grew to know Wes Clark and understand his world view, I saw he is much, much more than a general, and has a full grasp of both foreign and domestic policy issues, with an absolutely liberal outlook. Aside from wanting a commander-in-chief, I wanted a president with a brain, yet someone who could articulate complex ideas plainly to Americans of every background. I also wanted a president who was respected in the rest of the world. He has stature and sophistication combined with a generous and caring spirit. He's like a boy scout in some ways. He really believes in public service and just plain doing good. I truly admire the man.

This doesn't mean there is not a point or two where we diverge in our thinking, but I can live with that, because I know his heart is in the right place.

If you would like to know more about my early thoughts on Wes Clark, you can read more here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/04/01/19_clark.html

Thanks for asking :hi:

[Sparkly]

7. For me, it was in stages

First his appearances on CNN. When rumors started that he might run as a Democrat, I was excited about his (I know this is now a bad word here) electability. What a perfect candidate to take on and show up George W. Chimp! So I wrote a letter for the draft movement but wasn't really involved more than that.

Then I saw an early townhall appearance in New Hampshire, and I was stunned by his intellect, the way his mind gets around a question, the knowledge he has about the full range of issues, and the direct honesty of his answers. His thinking reminded me of Clinton, not so much in the thoughts themselves, but the full thoughtfulness of the answer, unrehearsed -- approaching the subject and the question not in a scripted way, but in a way that sort of comes at it from one angle, then approaches it in a different light for comparison, then considers another facet that impacts it, then circles back around to the summarized answer, and you understand all that thought and insight behind it.

Subsequent interviews, townhall appearances, his policy papers, his writings, his background, his choices through life, his manner, his heart -- a four-star general tearing up discussing the American dream -- all convinced me further that he's a truly extraordinary person.

You might also be interested in Michael Moore's words about him if you haven't read this already.

http://clark04.com/moore/
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?messageDate=2003-09-12

[wesrose]

78. For me, it was that way too. I eyed him and what he was about,

but I was a little taken back by the military thing. After I heard him speak, however, I was totally taken in. He is the real thing. I have been following him and right now I think he is keeping his options open.

[Sparkly]

81. "taken back by the military thing" -- I understand that

See Mz Pip's and my exchange a couple of posts down. :)

[BootinUp]

8. I could tell he was motivated

to really help our country, and not so much because he is fascinated with politics or needed a job in politics.

On top of that, he has real leadership qualities, and the intelligence to guide us through this difficult time. He won't be willing to give up our civil liberties in the name of terrorism. His platform was so in-line with my thinking as a life-long democrat, on the economy, national security/foreign policy, healthcare, you name it.

He can beat the repugs. He knows how to make democratic issues sound more patriotic. Using clever new phrases he advocates our issues, and belittles the republicans. He appeals to moderates in both parties, yet has a surprising liberal stance on the issues.

It was watching his video interviews from the summer of '03 before he announced, that convinced me he had the best shot in the general election.

How's that for a start. I'm sure others can add lots more. :)

[Mz Pip]

9. Saw him on MTP

in June 2003 and was very impressed with his knowledge, his intellect, his ability to speak clearly and with conviction. Then a few weeks later I had the opportunity to hear him speak at the San Francisco Bar Association luncheon. That pretty much did it for me.

He may have entered the political arena somewhat late, but that had a certain appeal to me. We have election after election of career politicians and although Bush was not a career politician he certainly came from that background. Being an outsider was a plus for him and I thought that it was a plus for Clark. Except Clark was about 10 times smarter than Bush.

The primaries didn't go his way. The decision to pull out of Iowa turned out to be a mistake, but Dean, Kerry and Edwards had been on the ground for months and playing catch up would have been hard in that setting.

Honestly, I would not have predicted 10 years a ago that I would have been supporting a career military man for president but he impressed me enough to break though all the negative opinions I had of someone who would spend 30 years in the Army.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Sparkly]

10. I find myself nodding and agreeing with everybody else's posts

but just wanted to chime in on the disbelief that you could support a career military man -- me too! I never would have imagined it, ever. My background is so far from military it couldn't be any farther. Watching Clark, learning about him, and supporting him made me realize all the stereotypes and assumptions I had about what a "military man" is, AND about what a "president" can be.

[Mz Pip]

16. I kind of like it

when I am forced to let go of long thought stereotypes. Clark did that for me, too.

I had friends that couldn't get past the "General" part. "Why should we have a General for President?" Sort of like "Why should we have an ax murderer for President?" Well, he happened to have the most comprehensive grasp of geopolitics that I'd heard. I actually learned things from him and he motivated me to read up on the history of the region we were invading.

Then I read Eisenhower's farewell address. Sobering words, indeed - from another military man, no less.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[bobbieinok]

11. read a bit here about him; then attended his appearance in Tulsa

civil rights is my major issue......Clark said he'd spent years in the military where all races had to work and live together....the most integrated part of US society....he knew how that worked and would work to make it work in the rest of US society

[Adelante]

12. Something Wes said

"There is one thing the opponents of affirmative action have never wanted to admit: it works."

I was also very impressed when I heard he had joined in an amicus brief in the University of Michigan affirmative action case.

[MontecitoDem]

13. I was there in Tulsa too

Volunteering for the AZ campaign from California. What a wonderful speech he gave that night!

I agree with you - when he spoke about how the military puts people of all races together, dependent on one another, and how important it is to bring that to our society as a whole, I was thrilled. I mean, I didn't hear too many folks talking about race in the primaries. And it's something we've all been ignoring, from my perspective.

I also liked when he spoke about caring for the environment being a "family value."

What was that crazy place called? some guy in a western outfit was cracking a whip at us when we arrived.

[KittyWampus]

15. He Is Scary Smart Without Being Scary. He Can Explain Complexities

to regular folk.

[TeacherCreature]

51. Why do you find smart people threatening (scary)?

I am interested in why someone would explain being very intelligent as scary. I have heard people express this sentiment before and have never understood that thinking.

on edit: typo

[FrenchieCat]

70. Because it is an intelligence that the GOP fears the most....

That phrase was first quoted in a Salon article.

Because Clark is someone who can seak the Democratic language using the Republican's own buzzword when talking to "them".

A Democrat who can stir the remaining vestige of patriotism remaining in Americans of all stripes....including those who tend not to vote Democrat.

A man who can tell you what is going to happen before it happens, Which is why he knew at the time, while it was happening that Rwanda was an issue that America should have halted; knew in 2002 that Iraq was a PNAC plan and not much else; knew that defending Michael Moore's right to speak was essential at the time that he did it on National Teevee; knew that Iran would be next on the agenda; and knew before most that the 2004 election would hinge on National Security and values (that's why those were his points on his stump speeches prior to other Dems). Not only did he know these things, but he articulated those issue at the time (and timing is everything).....while many ridiculed and poo-pooed him, in each case.

That's why he was able to give us the visualization of Bush "prancing" on the Aircraft carrier....(kerry borrowed the quote, but Clark originated it)

and the Bush Deserter flap in January '04.

and the scripture quotes in early in the primaries,

and the Accountability demands on Bush and his cohorts in February '04.

Ask him what he knows now.....and he will tell you.

[Clarkie1]

18. PaDem - This topic has been covered extensively, click on this link!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1517151&mesg_id=1517151

[Clark2008]

19. Integrity, grit, determination, full of real values and not a bad-looking

man.

I watched him in Kosovo - didn't get to see too much of him when he was doing duty for CNN, but I heard him on Meet the Press and fell in love, instantly, with his intelligent understanding of the world outside of the USofA.
When Tim Russert mentioned the Draft Clark movement, I spent the rest of that summer Sunday searching and studying Clark's positions. By that evening, I was hooked and signed the draft.
I've not turned back and he's never let me down.

[sybil]

20. Party Elder summed it up in the primaries...

...better than I ever could:

Mario Cuomo said, "Wes Clark is a man of whom you can ask a question, and he will look you directly in the eye, and give you the most truthful and complete answer you can imagine. You will know the absolute truth of the statement as well as the thought process behind the answer. You will have no doubt as to the intellect of the speaker and meaning of the answer to this question....So you can see, as a politician, he has a lot to learn."

"...he has a lot to learn." Well of course, Wes being a quick study, that's no longer true.

It's really about one man's integrity. Example:

Wes Clark was the first Dem candidate in the primaries to voluntarily make all of his records accessible to the public. All of them. No one challenged him to do this, and to the best of my knowledge, he was the only candidate to make his life an open book.

[Clarkie1]

22. Hi there Sybil

That quote expresses powerfully why Clark inspires me as well. I recognized that about Clark right away. There are so many great Clark quotes, but that's my favorite quote about Clark!

-PC

[sybil]

24. Hi Clarkie1

One of my favorite Wes quotes:

"Freedom and dignity spring from within the human heart. They are not imposed. And inside the human heart is where the impetus for political change must be generated."



Statements like this one should ease the minds of those who would NEVER consider voting for a General lest he be a HAWK.

Nothing could be further from the truth - Wesley Clark reveres life.

[FrenchieCat]

38. That's my favorite as well...

But then, there are so many good ones!

[trillian]

21. His honesty!

I have to admit I had become very jaded about politics and politicians before Clark.

I was first drawn to him simply because of his electability. I didn't think any of the other candidates could beat Bush. But a 4 Star General, that was a different story.

I started to read all I could about him and when I read his 100 Vision, I was hooked.

What finally made me a rabid Clarkie was watching his first Town Hall meeting in NH. He was such a natural. He was thoughtful, engaged, obviously brilliant but not in an obnoxious way. He could explain the most complicated issues so even I could understand.

I was actually lucky enough to meet him and what struck me he was so absolutely genuine.

[Jai4WKC08]

23. Initially competence, later character

I first signed on to the Draft Clark movement knowing little about the man except by reputation. I knew he had been a hyper-competent commander. And the way BushCo was fucking up in Iraq and against terrorism was literally making me sick, so I was actively "candidate shopping." While I respected many of the candidates running before Clark entered, I just didn't think any of them could challenge Bush on national security and I knew that would be critical to winning the '04 GE.

But after I started listening to him speak, and reading more about his background, talking to people who knew him personally and in many cases had served with him, I realized that this was the man who could be one of the greatest presidents of all time. I know that sounds like hyperbole, but it's what I believe.

Clark has an incredible intellect and depth of knowledge on so many different subjects, and an almost inate ability to cut thru to the heart of any problem, and yet understand it in its full complexity, to know what's critical and what's just bullshit, to look over the horizon and see long-term implications. He "gets" the vision thing.

But more important, he has heart. He cares. About people, this nation, the world. He has what Sy Hersh called "a great streak of integrity" -- he looks you in the eye and you know he's giving it to you straight. And he has the courage to accept whatever risk to himself that's necessary to do what he thinks is right, whether it's bucking the Pentagon to save a million lives in Kosovo, or rapelling down a hillside amid mines and mortar-fire to save a handful of folks trapped in a burning French APC. Or to take on the Karl Rove reputation-destruction machine to try to put this country back on course. And he's one tough motherfucker.

Yeah, issues are important. And for me, Clark comes down on the right side of just about every issue that's important: an internationalist foreign policy, civil rights and liberties, protecting the environment, personal choice, fiscal responsibility, educational opportunity. But what I've been most impressed by is his grasp of the bigger, more fundamental issues: the very nature of our democracy, the role of the individual in society and the responsibilities of our government to the people. He KNOWS that we're in grave danger of losing precisely what America is all about.

Clark is the first presidential candidate I ever thought was worth working for, donating money to, or making any kind of personal sacrifice for. The rest are just politicians--some better than others, some a helluva lot worse. But none have ever inspired me the way that Wes Clark does.

[FrenchieCat]

25. A poster up above provided you with a link to read,

and if you didn't click on it, you should. My post is the first one.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1517151

I will add that Wes Clark far transcends mere elementary party loyalty and is interested in what is best for all Americans as well as for the world.

Clark is an intelligently tough, pragmatic, analytical leader, while remaining likeable and humble. He's an intellectual southerner that has traveled the earth and yet is able to offer that sincere "down home" gut feeling that connects with so many Americans. In many ways, he reminds me of Mr. Smith who went to Washington, because he believes in doing what's "right", won't mince words, and doesn't feel the need to be politically calculated. Instead, he projects a decency that makes one want to protect him, until one realize that all the while, he was protecting you.

Another of his great gifts--Wes Clark will tell you what "it is" before "it is"--a true sage!

Plus, I like his policies...and some were truly innovative...cause he is not restrained by the politician's box. Here's an article that compares Wes Clark's Democratic bonafides to the other candidates, shortly after Clark left the primary race:
http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2004/02/18/opinion/myers.html

Whether it's by walking the walk , or standing when others are sitting, Wes Clark can truly make one feel proud of being an American....(and Lord knows how badly we need that).
--------------------------
Waiting for the General
By Elizabeth Drew
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/16795
Clark displeased the defense secretary, Bill Cohen, and General Hugh Shelton, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, by arguing strenuously that—contrary to Clinton's decision— the option of using ground troops in Kosovo should remain open. But the problem seems to have gone further back. Some top military leaders objected to the idea of the US military fighting a war for humanitarian reasons. Clark had also favored military action against the genocide in Rwanda.

http://www.crookedtimber.org/archives/001104.html
Clark was almost alone in pushing for a humanitarian intervention in Rwanda.

Pulitzer award winning Samantha Power for her book "A Problem from Hell" : America and the Age of Genocide
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/006054164...
endorsed Wes Clark http://www.kiddingonthesquare.com/2003/12/redeeming_wes...
The following excerpts from Power's book give the details. The narrative surrounding the quotes was written by another person commenting on the book. Note especially Power's last comment below on Clark's pariah status in Washington:

General Clark is one of the heroes of Samantha Power's book. She introduces him on the second page of her chapter on Rwanda and describes his distress on learning about the genocide there and not being able to contact anyone in the Pentagon who really knew anything about it and/or about the Hutu and Tutsi.

She writes, "He frantically telephoned around the Pentagon for insight into the ethnic dimension of events in Rwanda. Unfortunately, Rwanda had never been of more than marginal concern to Washington's most influential planners" (p. 330) .

He advocated multinational action of some kind to stop the genocide. "Lieutenant General Wesley Clark looked to the White House for leadership. 'The Pentagon is always going to be the last to want to intervene,' he says. 'It is up to the civilians to tell us they want to do something and we'll figure out how to do it.' But with no powerful personalities or high-ranking officials arguing forcefully for meaningful action, midlevel Pentagon officials held sway, vetoing or stalling on hesitant proposals put forward by midlevel State Department and NSC officials" (p. 373).

According to Power, General Clark was already passionate about humanitarian concerns, especially genocide, before his appointment as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO forces in Europe.

She details his efforts in behalf of the Dayton Peace Accords and his brilliant command of NATO forces in Kosovo. Her chapter on Kosovo ends, "The man who probably contributed more than any other individual to Milosvevic's battlefield defeat was General Wesley Clark. The NATO bombing campaign succeeded in removing brutal Serb police units from Kosovo, in ensuring the return on 1.3 million Kosovo Albanians, and in securing for Albanians the right of self-governance."

"Yet in Washington Clark was a pariah. In July 1999 he was curtly informed that he would be replaced as supreme allied commander for Europe. This forced his retirement and ended thirty-four years of distinguished service. Favoring humanitarian intervention had never been a great career move."


Samantha Power's comments on Wesley Clark at the December 17, 2003, press conference in Concord, New Hampshire after the General's testimony at the Hague .

"Good afternoon. It's a real honor for me to be here with General Clark, and with Edita Tahiri. My name is Samantha Power. I spent about seven years looking into American responses to genocide in the twentieth century, and discovered something that may not surprise you but that did surprise me, which was that until 1999 the United States had actually never intervened to prevent genocide in our nation's history. Successive American presidents had done an absolutely terrific job pledging never again, and remembering the holocaust, but ultimately when genocide confronted them, they weighed the costs and the benefits of intervention, and they decided that the risks of getting involved were actually far greater than the other non-costs from the standpoint of the American public, of staying uninvolved or being bystanders. That changed in the mid-1990s, and it changed in large measure because General Clark rose through the ranks of the American military.

The mark of leadership is not to standup when everybody is standing, but rather to actually stand up when no one else is standing. And it was Pentagon reluctance to intervene in Rwanda, and in Bosnia, that actually made it much, much easier for political leaders to turn away. When the estimates started coming out of the Pentagon that were much more constructive, and proactive, and creative, one of the many deterrents to intervention melted away. And so I think, again, in discussing briefly the General's testimony, it's important to remember why he was able to testify at the Hague, and he testified because he decided to own something that was politically very, very unfashionable at the time."

http://www.kiddingonthesquare.com/2004/01/the_subtle_ar...

[RafterMan]

26. I learned something every time I heard him speak

For the most part I watch enough news so I know what answer-sets are in the discourse and support people who hew to the lines I best agree with.

Clark's analysis is often outside of these well-worn lanes, and often allows me to see issues in a new light. This talent is rare, precious and needed in the age of Crossfire-style politics.

[ClarkUSA]

43. Me too

There was no soundbite grandstanding that is so common with career politicians who know how to play to the cameras.

[tishaLA]

27. I wasn't part of the Draft Clark Movement

but I wish I had been. In fact, what I knew about myself was that I was a loyal, liberal Democrat but not much more. Going into the political "high season"--beginning around November or so--I would have voted for any Democratic candidate without many problems.

But Wesley Clark stood out for me for a number of reasons. I had never really liked Generals before, or the rest of the military for that matter, because they aroused suspicions about warmongering, hierarchies, and a dearth of intelligence. Silly prejudices, as I know now. But I had grown up with a fever for people like Jesse Jackson, Ted Kennedy, and Paul Simon--people who talked with complexity about issues like race, poverty, and the downtrodden with intelligence and passion. How could a General ever do that?

But then I listened to Clark, largely because of the Clark supporters on DU, and I started to see the importance of his message, its liberalism, and the character of the man delivering it. A few weeks before the NH primary, I was fully hooked. He spoke bluntly and he made mistakes. He "spoke truth to power," as I knew he had when he had been one of the powerful. He followed his moral compass as he tried to make his way through the political labyrinth. He is not a perfect man, but he is one of the good guys. One of the best guys.

I only now realize you asked to hear from his thoughtful supporters. I am not one of them, unfortunately. I am just one of his supporters, and a fairly mundane one.

[Crunchy Frog]

29. I think you're very thoughtful Tisha.

and I that was a very thoughtful post. Please don't sell yourself short.:)

[Crunchy Frog]

28. Thank you for the question. I'll try to give a

reasonably succinct and coherent answer.

I've been a lurker on this site since March of 2003, when the war was starting. Having been somewhat apolitical up until that time, that was when it really hit me how catastrophically awful Bush was, and how critical it was that he be gotten out of office.

I felt a great deal of dismay as I surveyed the crop of Democratic candidates. None of them really looked to me like they were likely to be able to beat Bush. I ended up choosing Dean to support because at least he had some fight in him, and a willingness to call Bush out on his crap. However, when I watched him at a town meeting on C-SPAN, and saw him in the early debates, my feelings of dismay continued.

At that time, I began fantasizing about what my ideal presidential candidate would look like. I also began reading on DU about a movement to draft a retired 4 Star General named Wesley Clark. I began reading little bits and pieces about him that had me intrigued, but I was sceptical that he would actually join the race, and unwilling to emotionally commit until or unless he did.

It was only after he finally declared that I started really watching him, listening to him, and learning about him.

At the first town hall meeting that I watched on C-SPAN, I thought he was just incredible. I saw him really listening to people, really connecting with them. I saw a man who was exceedingly knowledgable, informed and compassionate.

I knew that when he had been younger, he had voted for Republicans and was concerned as to whether he really shared my progressive values. For that reason, I paid especially close attention to the sorts of people who were endorsing him. I saw alot of outstanding progressives who I really respected, giving him their endorsement. Such people as Michael Moore, George McGovern, Charlie Rangel, the cofounder of Earth Day, various Native American organizations.

Among the things that really impressed me about him were his willingness to hold the Bush administration accountable for not preventing 9/11, his consistent and strong position that we should not have gone to war in Iraq, the fact that he talked openly about PNAC and their agenda for world domination and endless wars in the Middle East. I felt that he could speak about these things with greater authority than anyone else, because of his unique history and background. I watched him on TV and saw how he was able to smack down the media whores. I also saw him reframing, before the word was in vogue. I saw him talking about all of the traditionally progressive values, and talking about them in terms of their being family values, religious values, and patriotic values. It felt so good to hear someone taking those words back from the Republican right, and infusing them with our own progressive meaning.

I won't lie to you. The biggest thing that drew me to him initially was the belief that he could beat Bush. I knew that this election was going to be about national security and terrorism, and that a recently retired 4 Star General could trump all of the Republican's percieved advantages there, and kick Bush's ass. I could also see that he had the attributes of being Southern, and having a moderate appearance that could attract the voters we needed, without compromising our values. I could see that his background and qualifications would enable him to deal with the global complexities that Bush would be leaving behind.

My support was initially pretty pragmatic, but it soon became alot more than that. I really felt that he had the potential to realign this country politically, sort of like Reagan in reverse, and to end the toxic polarization that has been plaguing our society.

That, in a nutshell, is what drew me to support Wesley Clark. I dearly wish he were settling into the White House right now, but I am also hopeful that it might still happen in the future.

[ClarkStalker]

30. radiates goodness

I had no interest or enthusiasm for anybody already in the race. Kerry and Gephardt put me to sleep. Dennis was a lost cause. I liked Dean's fire but never thought he stood a chance...and he just is unappealing in almost every other way. I watched Clark on CNN as the war began and knew I loved every brilliant thing that came out of his mouth. Add to it that he's better looking than any of the others...and I thought, man, that and his incredible resume is exactly what we need to beat Dubya's lying liar Rove driven machine.

Clark is the only candidate that has ever inspired me to get involved in a campaign. First time ever for donating to a campaign or political party. It was a combination of hating Bush and knowing Clark had what it took to beat him.

Marion Berry of AR expressed it well...you listen to Clark and you know he is in the race for the purest reasons...because he loves this country and feels duty bound to serve. His whole life is exemplary and he radiates goodness in a way the the others just don't.

[Tom Rinaldo]

31. This may have been what sealed the deal for me

CLARK ON SCARBOROUGH 9/11/03

SCARBOROUGH: "General, you, of course, sir, have served this country proudly in times of war, in times of peace. I know you were listening to General Al Haig’s words earlier about the importance of everybody lining up and supporting the president in a time of war. Do you take issue with anything he said?
CLARK: Well, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with dissent. In fact, I think it’s important in time of war. It’s one of the things I fought for during the Vietnam War.
I fought for my people who were in uniform over there serving their country. But I also fought for the right of people to take to the streets and protest that war, because I don’t think you can stop democracy because the country is under challenge. When the country is under challenge, I think you need democracy. You need to hold on to your fundamental values even more strongly.
If you take the position that General Haig gave-and I have the greatest respect and admiration for General Haig-he was my boss. And I learned a tremendous amount from him. And I think he has been a fantastic leader and made a great contribution, and still making it to this country.
But that having been said, I just couldn’t accept the idea that, if you have a different idea, you can’t express it publicly, because that leaves all of the authority and all of the challenge within the administration. Does it mean there shouldn’t be an election when there’s a war? And if it’s a war of indefinite duration, should we give up our democracy?
Look, we did this during 2002 in the election. We went into and supported a congressional resolution to go into Iraq. I was one of the skeptics. I doubted. I couldn’t quite see the evidence that compelled it. But, OK, we all went along with it. It turns out that there wasn’t an imminent threat. At least, no evidence has been produced to suggest that. It turns out that the operation was not planned effectively. It turns out that dissent, questioning, open challenge, would have produced a stronger, more effective operation, might have saved lives, would have certainly saved our fortune, and would have helped this country to be successful.
And so I think the dissent and criticism can have a very constructive purpose. And, indeed, it’s essential in a democracy to do that."

This interview took place during the height of the patriotic war furor, when most of the country was nodding their heads to "Mission Accomplished. When Clark said "But, OK, we all went along with it." he is speaking about us as a nation though he noted he personally took issue with that decsion. Clark always knows how to reach out to a cross section of listeners, makes them feel included, makes them feel respected as patriotic American's, and then he hones in on the truth and what really matters and what is essential to preserving what is best about America. It is so damn effective, and he often is the only one speaking about the largest of issues, the essence of democracy, the meaning of patriotism, the accountability of leaders, etc.

[GiovanniC]

32. There Are a Lot of Reasons

Impressive resume, great intellect, et cetera. The military experience, the economics experience, his executive experience, his diplomatic experience. All great stuff for a president.

Enough to make me vote for a guy for president.

But the reason that I REALLY, REALLY, STRONGLY support Wes Clark can be summed up in this statement: Wes Clark can answer a "yes or no" question with a "yes or no" answer. For example, in a recent Hardball interview, Chris Matthews asked Clark if he supported Gonzales for Attorney General. Most politicians would have hemmed and hawed, choking out a cloudy response that left you still wondering where they stood. But not Clark. Clark was shaking his head before the question was even finished, and as soon as Matthews finished asking, Clark gave a firm, "Nope." And then launched into a strong and succinct indictment of Gonzales and the policies he implemented as White House Counsel.

Most politicians want to leave you guessing about their positions on issues in order to avoid antagonizing either side. Wes Clark gives you his position and then convincingly persuades you to embrace his position as the best one. That's the mark of a LEADER.

[moggie12]

33. That's what I like about him, too

There's never any question where he stands -- no pussy-footing around, he just says what he means and that's that.

I put a post on DU last night asking people to e-mail Joe Scarborough -- that creep had the audacity to say that Clark is "comforting terrorists"!!! Please see the post and e-mail Scarborough if you have time:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1548102

[Tom Rinaldo]

34. One more thing. I wrote this on 2/10/04 summing up my gratitude

to Wesley Clark for his courage passion and wisdom in the campaign. It was the day of the Tennessee primary, the media still was downplaying Clark and I feared he might be eliminated that day from contention. Actually he finished a respectable third with well over 20% of the vote, but Clark saw the handwriting on the wall, he would not rally enough to overtake Kerry, so he withdrew and a day or two later he moved to close ranks around KErry with an endorcement.

But when I reread this piece now I am struck by what followed in the summer and the fall and by how absolutely right Wesley Clark was all along about what Democrats needed to do to defeat Bush:

"Only Clark Could Shred Bush

Today I will be making calls to Tennessee, but before any votes are counted, there is something I wanted to say.

If the Democrats win in November, with or without Clark as our nominee, it will be because of the hard efforts made by many people, including all of our potential candidates and all of their supporters. Bush WAS a popular President. All of us, working together (intentionally or not) have changed that.

There is something unique about Wesley Clark however, and he has already made an irreplaceable contribution toward bringing down George Bush. Listening to Bush on Meet The Press it was starkly clear that Bush will run as a War President. When Bush boasts about anything, it is about his fighting Terror. When Bush is faced with any failure of his domestic and economic policies, well that is because of the Terror, and his need to fight it. That has been Bush's script. That, and wedge issues, is his whole play book actually. Don't blame me, blame Osama Bin Ladin, and aren't we proud to be Americans?

Clark looks Bush straight in the eye, says I dedicated 34 years of my life to defending America, and then he blames Bush. Clark blames Bush for not having the country prepared to confront the threat of Osama Bin Ladin before 9/11. Clark blames Bush for not organizing the sympathy of the world into a coordinated international strategy to confront Osama Bin Ladin. Clark blames Bush for not following through and concentrating and GETTING Osama Bin Ladin. Clark blames Bush for giving Osama Bin Ladin fertile new recruiting ground throughout the Arab world by invading Iraq. Clark blames Bush for botching the Iraq invasion aftermath. Clark blames Bush for overextending and pinning down our military, and threatening the viability of our National Guard. Clark blames Bush for needlessly putting our Sons and Daughters in harm's way. Clark blames Bush for squandering 150 Billion Dollars in Iraq when we have urgent unmet Domestic needs at home. Clark blames Bush for subverting our very democratic process in an attempt to manipulate a pre conceived War agenda down the throats of the American people. Clark blames Bush for being a TERRIBLE War President, and there goes the entire rational of the Bush Presidency.

There was no one else in the Democratic Party with the clear stature and authority to so thoroughly tear Bush down as a War time President, than the former Commander of NATO; retired Four Star General Wesley Clark. There was no one else with the experience needed to speak clearly and directly to the American people and so thoroughly call George Bush's bluff. Rumsfeld has been shrunken from the swaggering Grim Reaper, to a withered pile of dust. Chaney is cowering in an undisclosed location, and Bush looked like a total idiot trying to answer Tim Russet's questions about how and why he took the United States to war. Many people contributed to this turn around, but Wes Clark was the man.

Early in this campaign season, many accused Clark of being a one trick wonder. The public Backed Bush on Iraq, he brought Turkeys to our troops, they CAUGHT Hussein for God's sake. Democrat's have to talk about the economy. Well the truth is, Democrats for the most part all agree about the economy. We will carry that issue into the Fall with whoever our nominee is. So much of what has passed as a campaign this year has actually been one long screen test, to see who could best deliver the best anti-Bush one liners about the economy. But Bush was always running as a war time President. 9/11 was Bush's teflon, and Wesley Clark shredded it. Sure, other Democrats have been highly critical of Bush over Iraq, but it usually came down to either; "Bush abused the public trust", or "I never trusted him in the first place." Clark has been the heavy hitter. Clark was the one who kept explaining exactly what should have happened instead and all the reasons why. Clark is the one who had the specific proposals for what could and should be done now. Clark had the global vision for America's security in today's world, he was the in house expert for the Democratic Party on the issues of war and peace, and Clark shredded Bush on it, relentlessly, Turkeys or no Turkeys, Hussein or no Hussein.

And now the Democrats are starting to reap the rewards, and Kerry has stepped forward to gather the bouquets. Dean sounded the alarm, Clark made the case, and Kerry is taking the credit as the experienced war veteran who can take it to George Bush.

Well there is another experienced war veteran in this race, and he already took it to George Bush. Clark stripped Bush Bare on War and Peace. He took him down for all of us, and now Bush is looking vulnerable. Thank you General Clark, your country AND your Party needed you, and one more time, you didn't let us down."

[xkenx]

35. Very Briefly,

because Wesley Clark has inspired me like no one since Bobby Kennedy.
Those of you old enough to remember Bobby Kennedy will understand the analogy.

[Dread Pirate KR Read]

36. Me'First post , ..Arrr!

Ah'hoye Thar! ~=];/

Clark be one man who'd look me at me'good eye, ...and I's see more truth in his words than DEM'others, who reflect it back with their empty promisezz o'gold.

An Independent fer'most o'me'politicking life, I now fight aside a leader who for over 30 years,...had fought for me. So, I stand with the General ...and even the Lady Boxer too, they be hearty souls who confront the neocons, damned scallywags all!

"More Democracy, and less hypocrisy" shall be this Party's call. So in battle, it'll be the General this ally shall campaign in open blogosphere for! And I'll aims squarely at those neocons who preach "GOP's Will Be Done" for their Republican drones,... and a Flag that's no more. It's they who hijacked this land; and desecrated our Constitutions' code!

Aiye! It's Clark/Boxer who'll reclaim America's flag! They be brave DEMOCRATS who fight like pirates,... with a true patriots soul! It be their leadership that I surrender me'flag...and me'sword! ...for the country, once adored...

Aiye!!

[FrenchieCat]

37. Wow.....loved how you wrote that....Pirate poetry no less!

Welcome to DU and I welcome your wonderful first post.
Ya Go!:headbang:

[sybil]

39. Aye matey!

Once a knight always a knight!

"It be their leadership that I surrender me'flag...and me'sword! ...for the country, once adored..."

[sybil]

40. Pirate poetry noblesse!...no less!

[Crunchy Frog]

44. Hello Pirate! Welcome to DU.

Love your first post.:hi:

[ClarkUSA]

46. A hearty welcome, Matey ...nice prose

That deserves to be saved somewhere

[newyawker99]

59. Hi Dread Pirate KR Read!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Dread Pirate KR Read]

60. Here's ta' Clark!

and be that Bicardi or Sammy's lager, ...

...Cheers me'dears! :beer:

[melnjones]

41. There's so much to write here...

Why do I support Clark? Well, I was kinda a dormant Deanie before Clark entered. I didn't even know who Clark was, but saw in the paper that he was a presidential candidate and would be speaking about 2 hours from where I live at a University. I went with a couple friends, and was forever changed. That sounds dramatic, but it's true. I was really apathetic about the elections up until that point and had basically lost hope in our government system. I love that Clark is fiercely patriotic, something that the republicans seem to think they and they alone own. I love his openness in his religious faith- he's open about it, but doesn't preach or push it in anyone elses face or downplay other faiths like GWB does. Clark talks about his role during the genocide in Rwanda- I'll never forget what he said. It was basically that yes, he did his "job" in his military role during that time, but sometimes just doing your job isn't enough. It takes a humble man to say something like that. I admire the work he did in Kosovo, as he wanted to keep Rwanda from repeating itself. He ran NATO operations well in Kosovo, despite at times not having full support from some American leaders. My understanding was that he wanted some aspects of combat to be done differently to reduce the risk of civilian deaths, but he never got consistent support from the administration (someone correct me if I'm wrong on this). He has amazing experience with domestic issues from his service in the military, where he was over the housing, healthcare, education, etc of thousands of families that had one or more persons in the army. Clark lived a modest life. I don't believe he even made near $100,000 until after he retired from the Army, which was not very long ago. In fact, for most of his life he survived on a fairly meager income and raised a family. He has shown amazing bravery and selflessness on the battlefield, and brought home the injuries that came with it. He speaks what he believes even if it's not popular. More than anything, though, he's a man who in my mind isn't just an example of supporting liberal ideals. He is a man who lives a life of such integrity that it encourages me to do the same. Do I admire him? You bet. He is an honorable man, a respectable man, an educated man, and a humble man, which is why I worked for his candidacy in 2004 and will do the same, God-willing, in 2008.

[incapsulated]

42. At first...

I knew him from the Kosovo war. It was something that I was very emotional about, and was proud of what we did there, and Clark was a bit of a hero to me because of that.

Then, I watched him on CNN and was impressed by his obvious intelligence and likable personality. He seemed more like a professor or something to me than my (admittedly limited) idea of a 4 Star General.

When the primaries rolled around, all I wanted was, desperately, to win. Dean's expression of defiance effected me, but I was sure that this election was going to be all about and the war and National Security. I was nervous about his lack of experience in that arena. Kerry didn't excite me, and I was afraid he wouldn't excite anyone else.

When I heard that Clark was considering a run, honestly all I thought was: "YES, he can win!"

Once he entered the race, I really started to learn about the man, and was increasingly impressed with his intelligence, thoughtfulness, depth and liberal beliefs. His positions, and the papers that he wrote defining them, reflected a solid, liberal to moderate platform that I was completely comfortable with. Some of his statements and positions surprised me because of their honesty and fearlessness. I was no longer just supporting him because I thought he simply had the best chance in a national election, I honestly admired and genuinely liked the man.

I never believed I could "fall in love" with any candidate for office, not at this stage of my life, not anymore. But Clark, because of his honesty, his integrity and his mind, just disarmed me and my cynicism melted away. He was genuine, to anyone who followed him closely, with an open mind. I trusted him. To some, this appears to be some sort of adolescent hero worship, but to many of us, this came as a complete surprise, and reaffirmed our political idealism. For that alone, Clark's run was a success, regardless of the outcome.

[Tom Rinaldo]

45. How Backing Wes Clark has Changed Me

I find that many of the most committed Clark supporters started out being interested in Wes Clark for very pragmatic political reasons but ended up loyal for life to him for deeply idealistic reasons. As a group you will find many recovering cynics among us, pragmatic cynics who realized that we could not afford to stand back any longer while a hard right Republican junta stole America away from us. We were looking for someone with the right stuff to beat Bush, someone we thought average Americans would respond to. I would never have considered supporting a General if it weren't for that reason, and that is how I started out viewing Clark, as a General who seemed sensible and intelligent enough that people could feel secure voting Bush out of office during a time of war.

So I understand it when people don't "get" Clark right away. I didn't either. Because I viewed electoral politics as a cynical endeavor I wasn't looking for a candidate to fall in love with, just someone who could win who I thought I could at least tolerate. The last time I actually felt idealistic about Presidential politics was when Bobby Kennedy ran for President. That was a long time ago.

Probably if I had been less cynical about politics I never would have considered Clark. I would have gone looking for a man with a life story I could more easily relate to, someone who frequently opposed the military probably, someone who had cast some courageous votes on issues that mattered to me perhaps. Certainly not someone who recently retired from 34 years in the Army. But I wasn't being idealistic, I was being pragmatic, I badly wanted to win. So I looked into this General, Wesley K. Clark. I thought it would be hard to get excited about Clark. I thought I might be embarrassed admitting to my typically radical friends that I was backing a General for President. I was never so wrong in my life.

The first real clue came when I went to the Draft Clark web site and started reading hundreds of letters that were being sent to Wes Clark from all across the country begging him to run. I found myself crying at times while reading some. I couldn't type cast the type people who were writing to Clark. There seemed to be nothing that they had in common except their sincerity and fears, fears for our future, fears for their children. But the fear weren't about terrorists, the fears were over the actions of our own government. And it wasn't just Democrats writing. Time and time again I read, "I'm a Republican but I would be honored to support you".

Yet it wasn't just moderates and conservatives writing either. There were a whole lot of Liberals, Radicals, environmentalists and peace and justice activists begging Clark to run also, and they weren't sounding cynical and pragmatic, they were sounding honest and passionate about their reasons for wanting Wes to run. They were sounding the way I started sounding a few weeks later. They just happened to discover Wes Clark a little sooner than I did, and they already had a grasp of who he really was.

A piece like this is hard to write because it does come from my heart and it does flow from my ideals, but you don't know me, we haven't met. I was fortunate enough to meet Wesley Clark soon after I decided to support him. Clark was speaking at a relatively small fund raiser in New York City that I went to. I stood near him and there is something special about being able to do that of course, with anyone who commands attention, but it was so easy with Clark to sense his candor, to hear his honesty, and to see the sincerity in both his comments and his smile. So what, I could have said, there are a lot of good people in the world. In a way I did say exactly that to myself, and that was my cynicism falling. I saw Wes Clark as a good man, not just a General who frightened Americans might vote for.

The more you are exposed to Wesley Clark, the clearer that becomes. He is a good man. He is an honest man. He is an honorable man. He is also unbelievably brilliant, and thoughtful also, and the two are not always combined. There is no arrogance in Wesley Clark, though there is a strong sense of purpose and deeply held convictions. All of that quickly becomes clear if you spend any time around him, or even if you take the time to read much of what he has written. His warmth though really comes across in person. He loved being with us on the campaign trail.

When it was over, after Clark withdrew from the Presidential race, many of his supporters, especially those of us who worked to draft Clark, had pangs of guilt. What had we dragged this good man through who had already devoted his entire life to his country? It got ugly at times as we all know, and in Clark's case the Republican attack dogs were on him from day one, because they feared him. They went right at his character, at his honor, at his accomplishments. These are all things that mattered greatly to Clark, and they tried to tear them down, they and their media jackals. I can't tell you how often Clark supporters wondered were we wrong to call him out of retirement to put him through this. Honestly, our guilt clouded our vision of the warrior in Clark, the fighter for whom service was a higher calling than comfort. Clark's reaction to the entire experience was to thank all of us for allowing him a rare opportunity to have his voice heard in the debate on the issues he deeply cares about. So much for guilt, he didn't miss a beat. Within days Clark was back on the trail fighting just as hard against George Bush and his failed policies on behalf of John Kerry as he had for himself.

Clark is a four star General. He is not intimidated by his enemies and he was not intimidated by Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld AShcroft and PNAC rolled together. He directly called them out, time and time again, and that type of boldness, that type of focus, is inspirational once you tap into it. By now we who are his close supporters will follow Wes Clark anywhere. We trust him with our eyes wide open. He is a true leader, and yes he is a true hero. Clark's life story is one of triumph against challenges, of perseverance against obstacles, and of courage under fire. It is worth looking into.

You notice I have not said a single word about any of Wesley Clark's positions and policies. Sure I studied them. I studied them when I first looked into supporting Clark, and I studied them again when it came time to explain and defend them. I was amazed at how much I strongly agree with them, to tell you the truth. I suppose that's a hangover from my initial knee jerk reaction to backing a career military officer. But you know that simplistic prejudice, because now I see that it indeed is what it was, has mostly dissolved now, and I thank Wesley Clark for that also. So yes I like where Wes Clark stands on the issues, but I love how Wes Clark stands for what he believes is right. And almost always I agree with him on that, but even if I don't I never doubt that Clark is saying what he really believes when he explains his position, and knowing that is a real liberation, freeing me from another shred of my cynicism.

But here is the greatest gift my involvement in Wes Clark's campaign has given me. I have my idealism back. I have pride in my country again. Not blind pride, I still see the stains on our past and the sins of our present. But I believe there is a revolutionary, multi cultural spirit in America that we can draw on, that we can build on to correct some wrongs and promote some good. And we can do that under an American flag because the Republicans don't own it. Clark is very clear on that. This is our country too, we can love it and we can embrace the aspects of it that we seek to strengthen and are proud of, and work to change the rest. It took a patriot like Wes Clark to help me understand that I am a patriot also. Our nation was founded by radical patriots, and there is much work left to do.

[Texas_Kat]

47. Thank you Tom, from another former political cynic

As a political staffer in an earlier life, I earned my cynic's badge close up. But that's a story that would take my post in a completely different direction, so I'll save that for another time.

Everything you've posted so eloquently could have come from my heart. AND I have another, completely selfish, personal reason.

My son decided long ago that he intends to make the military a career. This kid is not a gung-ho shoot-em-up type kid, but one that turned down a nomination to the Air Force Academy because he so adamantly opposes the way the leadership has dealt with women's issues there. A kid who is a 4.0 honors scholar and is majoring in political science and international affairs. A kid who is a Democrat through and through and values the leadership in a military that is based on a meritocracy.

My selfish, personal reason: I would trust Wes Clark with my son's life.

Wes Clark is a man who understands the value of each and every life and what a tragedy it is to lose even one. He understands that every action he takes has consequences. Wes has used his talents, his skill and his conscience to make sure that every decision he makes guarantees the best outcome with the least cost in lives and heartache. Tirelessly, sleeplessly and with unfailing courage and unceasing care.

Oh, there are a lot of politicians that I might vote for, but there are NONE that deserve to make the decision about whether my son lives or dies.

Except Wes Clark.

Because you see, I think he may be the only one out there that values my son as much as I do.

[Tom Rinaldo]

48. I can not imagine a more powerful reason than the one you closed with

I would love to hear your political stories some day. There is a whole lot of "sausage making" in politics. One has to have those skills to succeed but so often Wes taps deeper.

But your feelings about your son and the way you just expressed them absolutely blow me away. He seems like such a fine person. You have every reason to be proud. I can see what you see in Clark.

[Donna Zen]

49. Florida 2003

"I am not a politician; I am a soldier and you have my word." ~Wes Clark

Tears in my eyes Texas_Kat--well said. In NH there was a retired officer who was working for Clark. The man claimed that he had never been very political before, never actively worked for anyone. His son, a Marine, was scheduled for a second tour of duty in Iraq. He said that Wes Clark was the only person he would trust with his son's life.

My reasons for supporting Clark have little to do with the military, although, many times I've cried that cruel fate has put these greedy basterts in charge of the lives of young men and women when living in the same country, we find Wes Clark, someone who actually cares and knows what he is doing.

Anyway, I'll try and post later.

[mattclearing]

50. I asked a version of this question recently, and...

...let's just say I'm converted. I'm still a Dean man, but Clark would be a great President, and I'm sure a great Presidential candidate, should he try again next time.

[Adelante]

61. Thank you for letting us know that

Very kind of you :hi:

[TeacherCreature]

52. I was drawn to his liberal talk for a time

I think the laundry list of liberal ideas was part of his appeal. I think people believed they could have the best of both worlds, both military and liberal. We will never know how he would actually have governed. We shall never know it that is a fortunate or unfortunate fact.

[Dawgs]

53. It was the way he explained religion...

He spoke simply, plainly, but with a great point. I believe it was an interview on AAR. He said that Democrats are just as religious as the right, but our values are more Christian.

[xkenx]

54. Let's Keep This Going

Forever, or at least until Wes Clark is sworn in as POTUS Jan.20,2009

[trillian]

55. He instills great loyalty in those who know him.

Clark supporter feels called to duty
General made believer of wary aide
Thursday, November 27, 2003
By ANNMARIE TIMMINS
Monitor staff
________________________________________
As a junior Navy officer, Eric Massa had no choice the first time he went to work for Gen. Wesley Clark in 1996, as Clark's assistant in Panama. The Navy set up the interview, and Massa hoped to mangle it with blunt honesty.
"I didn't want the job, and I told him so," said Massa. "I was afraid of working for a pompous moron, of which there are several wearing stars. I had worked for senior officers who didn't care about people, and I didn't want to do that again."
It turned out Massa and Clark had something in common there, and Massa spent the next four years attached to Clark, first in Panama and then in Europe, during Clark's stint as supreme allied commander in Europe.
When Massa left Clark in 1999 it was under protest and only because Massa had been diagnosed with advanced cancer. Now, years later, Massa - recovered and retired from the Navy - is working for Clark's army again, this time as a campaign staffer trying to get Clark elected to the White House.
Massa wasn't looking for the job this time, either. Clark asked him to come on board after learning a month ago that Massa had "involuntarily resigned" from his government job at the urging of Republican bosses. They were upset that Massa had visited Clark at a Democratic campaign event.
"They said I was a political liability and that if I liked Wes Clark so much I should go work for him," Massa said. A lifelong Republican, Massa just re-registered as a Democrat. Massa is the son of a Navy man, and as such grew up outside America and with a respect for the military. The family came to the United States when Massa was 16, and after graduating from high school in Louisiana, Massa attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.
In all, Massa spent 25 years in the Navy, 16 of them on sea duty. In the mid-1990s, Massa's commanding officer told him it was time to decide how he wanted to fulfill his joint duty, a requirement for officers to spend part of their service with another branch of the military.
When Massa said he wanted to do something out of the ordinary, he was told an Army general by the name of Wes Clark was looking for a Navy aide. All he knew about Clark was that he had stars on his Army uniform, and that didn't carry much weight with Massa.
Their 50-minute interview, however, convinced Massa to withhold judgment.
"He had questions I didn't expect from a military man," Massa said. "He asked me if I was familiar with Greek literature, if I read Homer, what I thought about the Illiad.
"And the last 20 minutes were devoted to people questions," Massa said. "He asked me what I would do if a young soldier came to me and told me his wife had died. Or a homosexual soldier told me he was being harassed. His whole thing was treating people with dignity and respect."
Three hours later, Massa was on a plane with Clark to Panama, where Clark was commander in chief of the U.S. Southern Command. Massa described his job as Clark's executive assistant and deputy chief of staff.
Once there, Massa asked Clark what the Homer question was about. Massa remembers the answer: "He said he was looking for someone who was well-rounded enough to talk about issues beyond military terms."
For about 13 months, Massa shadowed Clark, keeping notes of his meetings and drafting follow-up letters to the people Clark had met. Massa said Clark forbade his staff to begin any of his correspondence with "I" because Clark wanted the emphasis on the recipient, not himself.
________________________________________
A show of support
When Clark was promoted to supreme allied commander in Europe in 1997, he asked Massa to stay on and be his advance man. Massa agreed and moved his wife and kids, who had been waiting for him back in San Diego, to Brussels, Belgium. After Clark arrived, Massa was again a close assistant and became one of Clark's main liaisons to Washington, D.C.
Massa had every intention of staying in Europe as Clark's assistant until he got sick in late 1999. He hadn't recovered from running a half-marathon but chalked it up to the flu. He blew off a doctor's appointment his wife had made for him, thinking he'd work it off.
On Nov. 9, 1999, Massa looked up from his desk to find Clark standing there. Clark told Massa that his wife had called worried about his health.
Clark had arranged another doctor's appointment for Massa, and when Massa protested, Clark gave him the only direct order Massa recalls receiving in four years. "I think we have lost the fundamental relationship between a four-star general and a Navy commander," Clark told him. "You will go to the doctor."
The doctor diagnosed Massa, who had never smoked, with advanced lung cancer and gave him four months to live. Clark cut through red tape to get Massa and his family back to the United States for treatment.
Just before Massa left, Clark convened the staff and tearfully awarded Massa the Legion of Merit medal for his work. Clark had received the same medal in the 1970s when he was a speech writer for the then-supreme allied commander.
It's one of the few times Massa saw Clark cry.
"Everyone thought that was goodbye, that I was dying," Massa said.
Back home in San Diego, doctors were more optimistic and diagnosed Massa with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, not lung cancer, and began aggressive treatment.
Unknown to Massa, Clark had a soldier tracking Massa's surgery. As soon as Massa came to in recovery, staff told him he had a call. It was Clark. At the time, he was overseeing the bombing of Kosovo.
________________________________________
A different kind of service
Massa retired about three years ago; he waited so that the last thing he did in uniform was attend Clark's retirement. Now he's living in a hotel in Manchester, trying to avoid a fast-food diet and bringing his family in from New York when he can.
He talks wistfully about the job he lost to get here. Massa was in Washington overseeing part of the Navy budget as a member of the House Armed Services Committee. His departure was reported by the press and has since become fodder for online political sites.
But he doesn't regret where it got him. On the trail, Massa is helping get Clark the veteran vote - and whatever else needs doing.
"If Wes Clark asked me to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge, I'd ask him if he wanted it done in the summer or the winter," Massa said.
________________________________________
(Annmarie Timmins can be reached at 224-5301, ext. 323, or by e-mail at [e-mail].)
Thursday, November 27, 2003

[trillian]

56. And this:

I must move on to other matters as I have more tasks at hand and because you don't know me well enough. When I tell you Wes has no personal ambitions, any greed, or a scintilla of avarice, you have no basis to believe or trust me.

Yet I have known Wes for 40+ years, have borne the brunt of Wes' criticism for acts as mundane as cutting Sunday Services, have heard his response as to why anyone would tell of a marriage when to do so resulted in his being drummed from the Corps, offered Wes a major banking house partnership at age 31 when he was working in the White House and getting less-favorable offers from others, and witnessed Wes staying the course in the military, not for personal gain or fortune, but because we the people and our nation need leaders such as Wes Clark at a time when we seem to have none. His actions today are for the same reasons alone.

I've not questioned Wes on this latest allegation and won't have the chance before the campaign is decided, but as every other allegation, and those yet to come, are so contrary to Wes' life-long character and actions, it's not a matter of choice for me to believe or not (even as all the others have been proved false), but it is a matter of fact and record that Wes has not a spec of deceit or dishonesty in the fabric of his soul or the ability to exhibit or express anything of the kind. If anything, Wes comes off as an egg-head in the rather straight-forward, precision of his answers (yes, even the first one on his first day when he gave a short-hand response to a question that needed a whole lot more), reactions and responses to those who have dissembled at best and expect others to do the same.

If you can tell me you know John Kerry or any one else as well and can say the same, I'll admit we have a draw and two men are equally unique.

If you can't, and should Wes' message not be heard, should Bush remain where he is after November 2, I pity us all. Wes will move on as he has always, seeking to create security for Gert and now Wes III, but not ever forgetting or even stepping away from service to our nation.

If you've read this far, please don't think I am some old fool; I've been with, seen, and experienced the most incredible life that is Wes Clark's from up close and personal. He's stayed with me long after I'd disappointed him by my own displays of avarice, cunning, and greed more times than I care to remember, all of which are so incredibly absent from his being.

Wes is no savior, far from it. But Wes does have a singularly unique ability that I've seen for all these many years to influence if not direct outcomes that encourage success in others.

But now I'll rest my case with and allow history to draw its own conclusion

Good luck to us all. Peter Sheridan

[trillian]

57. And this:

Supreme Allied Commander, Europe Best of Blogs: · Remove from Hotlist
By cris
Posted to cris's weblog (Firsthand Accounts) on Tue Nov 18th, 2003 at 06:51:17 PM EST

The Man for all Reasons

If you are lucky, once in your lifetime a truly exceptional person will cross your path. I met and know such a person: General Wesley Clark. For three years, I had the privilege of working for General Clark when he served as Supreme Allied Commander-Europe. I can attest to the fact that he is a general's general and a soldier's general.

I first met General Clark in June 1998 on a special assignment in Maastricht, Belgium, in support of General Hugh Shelton. I was immediately struck by two things. First, although General Clark wore the uniform of a four star General, he spoke as though he were a polished diplomat. He seemed comfortable in both worlds - as a General and as a spokesman for NATO.

The second thing I noticed was the way he treated his subordinates. He treated everyone equally, regardless of their rank, and he listened - really listened - to what people had to say. And the General's security detail clearly loved working for him. This is not common; most security guys don't get to know their principals on a personal basis.

A year later, I got a call from my assignment officer. He told me I could either work at the Pentagon for the Secretary of Defense, or I could work for General Clark. After my memorable first encounter with him, there was no question what I would do. I said that I wanted to work for General Clark.

In the weeks before I arrived at SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe), I thought that I would be the "token Hispanic." When I arrived, I quickly found out that I was mistaken. I had never seen so many minorities working in any high-powered setting. I learned that it was because General Clark values diversity and wants to give everyone a chance.

And from the moment I arrived, General Clark and his wife did everything they could to make me feel welcome. My first assignment was to take the General to his quarters and then to a dinner engagement with NATO officials. After the event, the first thing General Clark asked me was whether I had gotten anything to eat. To most four-star generals, security is an instrument. With General Clark, it was a different story. He always treated his staff like family.

During the war in Kosovo, I saw how deeply compassionate General Clark is. He worried about the pilots who were out on night missions, and he would not go to sleep until he knew the last pilot had bedded down. Instead, he would work in his study, going over the latest intelligence reports and providing updates to the alliance and officials back in Washington. When he finally went to bed, it was only for two hours, and more often than not, he would be awakened by calls. His instruction to me before going to bed was: "Cris, push every call through." No rest for the General.

In fact, I don't think anyone in the U.S. armed forces worked harder than the General. His superiors in Washington, DC knew this. They would often preface their calls by saying, "Don't wake General Clark." All of us who worked for him were amazed by his constant upbeat tempo and energy. We wanted to do everything possible to take care of him because he was doing so much for America and NATO.

And no matter how pressing a situation became, General Clark always stayed calm. I recall when an F-117 went down - the only plane to go down during the entire campaign. In contrast to other officers I knew who would explode in tense moments, General Clark remained calm and efficiently took the necessary steps.

I don't think anyone else could have done what the General did at NATO. For anyone who thinks that was a small accomplishment, just get nineteen friends together for dinner and try to pick a restaurant as a group. General Clark took nineteen countries and built consensus through dialogue. He gave Milosevic a chance, and then took action only as a last resort.

General Clark is an extraordinary leader. People trusted him because they knew that he was honest and a straight shooter. And there was no mincing words with him. He always wanted to hear the truth. You didn't put things off. He wanted to know what had gone wrong so that he could make corrections and get back on the right track.

But most of all, General Clark is loyal -- loyal to his country and to the United States Army, the organization that brought him up from West Point cadet to Supreme Allied Commander. I have worked around a lot of generals, and I can say that the Boss is one of the best I've ever worked with. He cared deeply about the soldiers he led, treated all of us who worked for him with the highest respect, and served his country with dedication, courage and honor.

Front the right front seat

Cris Hernandez Jr, Chief Warrant Officer (Ret)

Former Personal Security Officer to the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

Casa Grande, AZ


Please give finanical support to my boss! America you are making an investment to your future!

[mdmc]

62. Most of the Clark supporters that I know liked the fact that he was

not another rat worm politician.

[Tom Rinaldo]

63. LOL. If I had to boil it down to 5 words, those do just fine n/t

[mdmc]

93. And do you like Clark?

:hi:

[Bonobo]

64. I felt if a General undergoes a conversion, it is a real thing.

Brainwashed by the military culture most of his adult life, if a man like that can undergo a conversion, I believe it is the real thing. The result of a great deal seen and a great deal thought over. My two cents.

[wesrose]

77. I agree.

He's a face-to-face kind of guy.

[robbedvoter]

65. A general calling himself a liberal, exposing PNAC, W's 911 liability

trying to convince Congress to vote against IWR, representing the "less-than-middle-class" people - and proving himself head and shoulders above all re: competence, courage, honesty....
And that BEFORE I got to know him personally.

[A Brand New World]

66. Honesty, Integrity and Intelligence. Three things sorely missing

in the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

[xkenx]

67. NOT SINCE BOBBY KENNEDY

has a public figure inspired me like Wesley Clark. 'Nuff said

[xkenx]

68. Debunking the Republican Myth

Imaging what McGovern would say about him:

"Today, I am proud to stand here this morning and announce my support for a true progressive, a true Democrat, and the next president of the United States.

A man whose progressive policies on education, taxation, health care are in the finest tradition of the Democratic Party.

A man whose ideals, decency, and compassion are in the great tradition of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, and Bill Clinton.

A man whose life's work and devotion to America will serve as a beacon to our young and give pride to us all.

That man is Wes Clark - and he will lead our party to victory in November. "

http://www.clark04.com/press/release/193 /

Who'd have known that McGovern was a crypto-Republican stealth candidate all this time?

Shocking, shocking.

[dogman]

71. Not just a General.

He is an environmentalist who was endorsed by former Senator Gaylord Nelson who helped start grassroots support that resulted in Earth Day. Clark received an Audubon award for protecting a bird species from construction on a base he commanded. He learned to love the environment while still a boy in Arkansas. Many of his values developed at a young age and live in him today.

[stackhouse]

69. i love wesley clark!!!!!!!!!!!

january 20th 2009
"I Wesley Kanne Clark do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States so help me God."

[ZootSuitGringo]

72. I am a Newbie here

And this thread has pretty much convinced me that Wes Clark is a pretty amazing dude and a real Democrat. I was kind of skeptical of him during the primaries, and voted for Kerry.

Where can I look at his position papers from the last campaign?
Are there any of his speeches that Clark supporters would recommend?

I was for sure Kerry was going to win the election, so I didn't do much about it, except to vote. Now I know better.

[Sparkly]

73. Hi and welcome!!

Here's a start:
http://clark04.com/issues/
:hi:

[ZootSuitGringo]

Thank you

I have to prepare myself for the elections of 2006 and 2008. I am tired of getting beat without even trying. Looks like I am going to have to get into the trenches early.

[FrenchieCat]

85. Welcome ZootSuitGringo!

This Democratic Party needs all of the fighters that it can find....and yeah, the 2006 and 2008 trenches is where you'll find me...again!

Great to have you on DU, and glad you like the General. He's great at inspiring others.....which is how he rosed through the ranks to become a General.

Just understand that he's a fighter...and no matter how hard the media attempted to declaw him during the primary (he is fading, they announced in early November, late November, early December, Mid January, during the debates, and in many editorials), the man still outsmarted the media Presstitutes and did a great job considering pundits ignoring him as part of their "to do" list! But with more time, and more Clarkies, Wes Clark will have America hear him out. Ya know that's why the media tried to ignore and/or smear him, doncha? Cause they knew that if people got to really hear what he had to say, got to know what he represented (the best in America)...he would have very well dethroned the GOP trolls currently sitting in our White House! He can still do this. All he needs are those who know who he is and what he is about walking points.

Clark is someone that none of the GOP powers-that-be would expect or want rising from our ranks....a great leader who can kick ass in National Security and explaining Democratic principles to their rank and file. The RNC and the media were and are betting against it, as they take for granted that Democrats are not that smart about winning. They bet we would be afraid to put up a real intellectual fighter that also happened to big a great military strategist. They think that they have the Democrats pegged down tight, exactly in the box they want them in. That Democrats would never do such a thing as unexpected as nominating a General...cause it seemed so obvious. They never expected to see Clark rise from our voices. The media brought him down last time....but we can make him rise back to the top....where he belongs!

Who needs a politician when we can have a real leader, with balls, no less?

[wesrose]

75. He gives me an orgasmic heart attack.

I'm new too, but I've lurked for a long time. There are lots of l
links.

[Donna Zen]

79. media clips

http://www.u-wes-a.com/mediaclips-post.html

[Crunchy Frog]

87. Welcome to DU ZootSuit!

Another good place to get information on Clark is this forum on DU for Clark supporters.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=235

You can't post there unless you're a contributor (you get a little yellow star when you make a donation), but you're free to lurk there to your hearts content. I also join the other poster in urging you to check out the videos on this site,

http://www.u-wes-a.com/mediaclips-post.html

[JunkYardDogg]

74. Clark's a Straight Up Dude Mo'Fo'

I read about him 'way before I heard/saw him
He's the real Deal
He's the only Dem I liked
and I'm real hard to Please



Zoot Suit Gringo
Christ- I thought I had a good Nom de Guerre
Welcome

GRRRR!!

[serryjw]

76. I listened to him at the NDN dinner

on cspan on 6/17/03........I was hooked
http://www.c-span.org/search/basic.asp?ResultStart=31&ResultCount=10&BasicQueryText=wesley+clark+&

[Phoebe_in_Sydney]

80. My support stemmed from pragmatism originally ...

Without going into too much detail, in the lead up to the Iraq War my job involved extensive monitoring of international media and I became increasingly convinced George Bush was up to no good with his invasion plans.

Whatever way I looked at the evidence being presented I couldn't see that the planned invasion was justified. It was not a reasonable or even strategically sensible response to 9.11 and it seemed the media in most of the world, except the US, was prepared to say as much.

For the first time in my reasonably sheltered life I became frightened of a government. I never worried about the Soviets, China, or anyone who was running my country, Australia. But after researching the PNAC, I became seriously concerned about what was happening in the US. I decided, that, for the first time in my life I'd get politically active.

Not being an American citizen I knew this wouldn't be easy, but I decided the internet would at least allow me to communicate with people in the US who did get to vote. What the US needed, I reasoned, was someone who'd beat Bush in the 2004 election.

My political journalist friends all said it was a folorn hope. "They'll never oust a President in wartime, especially after 9.11," was the familiar refrain from these people who'd been following politics for years. I scanned the field of likely candidates in 2003 and came away disappointed. I knew a guy called Howard Dean was speaking out against the war, but if it was going to be difficult to oust a sitting president in wartime then there was no way a doctor who'd been governor of a tiny state was going to do it.

But then I heard that a retired General who'd been head of NATO was speaking out against the Iraq war and was considering running for the Democratic nomination. "If they're in the middle of a war, maybe Americans will throw Bush over for an experienced general" I thought.

Expecting the worst in terms of other policies (he's a general, he'll be anti-choice, anti-gays, anti anything progressive) I went on line to find out who the hell Wesley Clark was.

I couldn't believe what I found: Rhodes Scholar, with Masters in Politics, Economics and Philosophy, top of his class at West Point, extremely liberal policies on all the other issues that mattered to me. And I even remembered being impressed with him during the Kosovo campaign. Same day my daughter got an email from Michael Moore urging this very same General to run.

He was the one, I decided. But I had no idea how passionate I'd become about this man. I watched his Town Hall meetings on C-Span, read his policies, transcripts of his stump speeches, the Esquire feature:

www.esquire.com/features/articles/2003/030801_mfe_clark_1.html

The Rolling Stone interview:

www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/5937568?rnd=1107314736060&has-player=true&version=6.0.8.1024

got his book "Winning Modern War" and talked online to the people who were supporting him. He was perfect. So intelligent. So driven by the knowledge that somebody had to stand up to the maniacs in power. So fearless. So not needing the ego gratification of being elected to the Presidency. I started having flashbacks to my teen crush on Bobby Kennedy.

I still can't believe you guys had a candidate tailor made for the job at hand and you didn't put him up against Bush.

He was the one who had the ammo. He knew how dumb the whole Iraq misadventure was. He even started asking questions about 9.11 when no-one else would. I still remember when he first started suggesting the Bush Admin had enough advance warning to have done more than they did to prevent it, bloggers went hysterical saying he'd gone too far. Well, as more info came to light it did indeed appear the Bush admin sat on their hands before 9.11 and on the day.

Sure he wasn't a polished political performer, but that made him more honest and less cliched, I thought. You know the frustrating thing? The audition has so little to do with the actual role when it comes to deciding who'll be POTUS. The stuff he got criticised for was so trivial, and the media played silly gotcha games instead of actually finding out who this man was and what he'd done in his life.

Even so he learned so fast. By the time he spoke at the Dem convention less than a year after becoming a politician, I thought he showed he'd mastered almost the whole range of skills needed to campaign. His appearances in the media since have confirmed it.

He learned a little too late for 2004 but you guys are going to be in even more need of a foreign policy genius in another four years. And this time he'll go into the contest knowing exactly what it's all about -- rather than standing up just because he knew something had to be done urgently.

[EC]

82. He was more than an uniform....he was a Rhodes Scholar - worked his

way up through the ranks himself and quickly, (had no legacy like *) was an economics professor, stopped a genicide...do you need more? You are on a computer, the information is there, look it up....

[tokenlib]

83. The GOP's worst nightmare...

A military man--who "takes it personally" when the veterans are treated like crap and don't get the health care they deserve from the VA. A Southerner with progressive views who will not be "bullied" by the liberal label. Clark's positions on the environment, taxation, health care are in line with traditional democratic values. Clark has a personal faith that informs and guides him--but is not flaunted. And he nails the holier-than-thous --in the sense of setting them straight--on their family values as well as anyone. He knows that enabling a family to survive economically is a family value.

Also, Clark knows what we need for a strong defense--and he knows what we don't need for that defense. When Dennis Kucinich talks about the waste in the military budget---Wes Clark is the guy who could do something about it as president. And we have needed someone like that for a long time.

[FrenchieCat]

98. Yep....

I have always wanted us to look closely at this humongous amount we spend on "defense" and cut the shit out of it! A Democratic President could not do it. A Republican President won't to do it.

Clark could.

That might be the answer to so many of our problems! An educated intellectual militarily experienced type reshuffling to really pay for what we should....get rid of what we really don't need.

Hope it happens!

[MontecitoDem]

84. This is fabulous - have we ever had such a positive thread on DU?

It's great to hear all the praise for Clark without all the usual attacks. WoW! Thanks you guys,

:toast:

[tishaLA]

89. I agree

It's a beautiful thread. No bashing of anyone else, just a celebration of a wonderful Democrat.

[KT2000]

86. He talked about the assault

on our Constitution with the Patriot Act; he talked about fairness; he talked about health insurance for all; he talked about Iraq and told the truth - he pointed out the lies being spun by the administration; he talked about the future of our economy - the fact that the consumer base was shifting overseas.
He has a grasp of histor, realistic appraisal of the present and offered hope for the future.
He championed what I love about this country - the Constitution and our possibilities for being better people.

[Hissyspit]

88. Who was the general who made the character assassination of Clark?

Said he wouldn't vote for him because of something he did once, but refused to say what it was. Don't remember who it was, but it was slimy as all-get-out to attack Clark that way - as bad as an anonymous letter. I've been trying to remember for a while.

[RafterMan]

90. Hugh Shelton -- "Character and integrity issues"

He was working as a consultant for another candidate at the time, backed off saying it was "just politics" when Milosovich asked him to testify about it in the Hague, and had a long-time and well-known feud with Clark about the chain of command for the head of NATO (Shelton didn't like that he reported directly to the President as well as up through the Pentagon).

[Justice]

91. His Character, His Path Through Life, His Example, Gave Me Hope

I read about him, and was in the crowd on his first trip to NH after declaring his candidacy. One of the comments made about him at the time was that he was the President you dream about as a kid.

I saw him (and see him) every chance I could/can. I read everything about him/by him. He oozes integrity and responsibility. It is so refreshing to see. I recall one early interview with Josh Marshall that impressed me great. Very complex stuff, yet remarkably clear and understandable.

Yesterday, a friend who also thinks highly of him told me she still wears the four star gold pin we both bought during the campaign b/c she was so moved by Wesley Clark. We both have great hopes for 2008.

I have a poem at my desk that I've read is Wesley's favorite poem "you are the product of yourself" It is not about bragging, it is about working hard and not relying on luck or perhaps connections.

[ICantBelieve]

92. At first, it was the uniform...then, it was much, much more...

I first fell for Clark while watching him on CNN during the start of the Iraq War. We flipped channels and I'd noticed that Clark was the only "old military guy" who seemed to not be gung-ho about the war. Then, one day, the host of the show asked him if the rumor was true that he was running for President. Clark gave his rule-nothing-out type answer. I thought, "How odd, why would someone challenge Bush in the primaries?" Then it occurred to both my husband and I simultaneously--he's a Democrat!!! I got up and did a happy dance. We could actually BEAT Bush with a retired 4-star general!

Time passed... I contributed a little money to the DraftClark movement and signed a petition... I remember discussing it with my friends and thinking, "I really like Dean, but I think only Clark could beat Bush." For that reason, I picked Clark.

Well, then I went to clark04.com and started reading up on him. I think the first thing I read was his GLBT statement--because I was worried what a military guy would say--where he said that "Don't ask, Don't tell" should be abolished... because it didn't allow people to serve as who they were. HOLY sh*t!!! This guy isn't just a Democrat! He's a liberal, no, wait, he's a LIBERAL!!! OMG! How could the Democrats get so lucky? Here we have a retired 4-star general, who won the last war, and he's a freakin' LIBERAL!

At that point, I joined his website and the Clark Community Network with the handle icantbelieveimvotingforageneral. I sent a note to all my fellow Democratic friends, including my siblings, saying that I'd decided to support Clark in the primaries. My brother emailed back that because of my note, he'd decided to look into Clark and now he couldn't stop reading about him; he too was "addicted" to Wes. My sister emailed back and asked why I'd chosen Clark. I told her, "He's smart. I'm smart (editorial note--I am pretty smart, but for some reason, my sister thinks I'm REALLY smart). He's smarter. I think it would be AWESOME to have a President who's smart enough and experienced enough and LIBERAL enough that I don't have to worry that he's doing the righ things."

I was still a bit worried though. Afterall, I couldn't believe I was voting for a general. Each and every time I thought "Hmm... here's a litmus test of mine that Clark might not pass," he surprised me by being LIBERAL. In fact, the more I got to know him, the more I liked him, the more I realized that he was a better LIBERAL than I was. He wasn't further left than me or further down than me (on the two axis scale); he wasn't MORE liberal than me. He was a BETTER liberal than me. He actually BELIEVED IN GOD and was for a clear separation of church and state. He actually LIKED GUNS and was for gun control. He actually made his career out of the military and was for peace. Being a liberal for me was easy. It fits my lifestyle. I'm a typical liberal--athiest, terrified of guns, peacenik. But Clark, he's none of those things, and yet, he's all of the things liberals are.

See, that's when I learned that being liberal means being open-minded. It means being open-minded enough to see the other side and adapt intellectually to what's important and what's not. It's about being able to fight for your interests without being stuck to your positions. I still keep "ICantBelieve" around because it really was a funny handle; however, I no longer have any trouble with the fact that I'm supporting a general. In fact, I now wonder how I could have been so closed-minded to think that all military people were hawks and conservatives.

Sometimes people think we Clarkies are a cult or are cliqueish. It's not true. We just see our candidate as more than someone to get elected. He's a leader and a teacher. Whether he runs in 08 or not, whether WesPAC takes off this year as we expect it to or not, whether Wes Clark drops off the face of the earth tomorrow (God forbid!) or not, and I'd still be a much BETTER liberal for having known him.

[Coexist]

94. I had heard of Clark (barely) until I saw him on the cover of a magazine

- The Advocate.

How much respect do you have to give a person who says (metaphorically, by doing something so out of step for a military man)

This is what I believe. Accept it if you will. I will not hedge like a politician. I have faith in myself as a man to do what is right, not what is politically expedient (and mean it, unlike *.)

That kind of strength runs deep. I read that article, then I read more and more about him. My respect and admiration for the man continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

[xkenx]

95. Maybe

we can keep this thread going until Wes Clark is sworn in as POTUS on January 20, 2009. Glad to see that so many are finally seeing what a national treasure we have in Wes Clark.

[Coexist]

97. LOL! I pity the Clark supporter with dial-up after the thread

goes over 10,000!!!!

[sampsonblk]

96. Competence, Courage and Integrity

Wes knows fighting, and he knows the international issues that are most important for today. Unlike all the other candidates, he isn't weak on any one of them.

Since I figured the election would hinge on those issues, I chose Clark.

His domestic policy is shaky though.

[dogman]

100. I would hope you meant was not is.

I liked his Income Tax reform, his healthcare initiatives, his environmental policies, and his employment plans. He started shaky on these things but had them posted within a couple of months. Not bad for someone entering so late and more concise than some who had been running for some time. Some of his ideas seemed to show up in the K/E campaign later. I hope you will choose him again if he chooses to run again.

[FrenchieCat]

106. I found his domestic policies great.....

once he developed them. Remember that the others were politicians already...so they had had staff and policy papers ready to go. Clark started from scratch...and yet, this was what was written about him and his "Domestic" policies:

...what defined Clark as a Democrat was not longevity of membership but fidelity of principle. There was a time when tax fairness virtually defined the Democratic Party. It no longer does. The party is so wired into corporate corruption that it is a betrayal of everything for which it once stood. If a Democrat steps out of line long enough to support the poor and middle class, she or he is likely to be attacked by "leaders" like Joe Lieberman, who last year attacked Al Gore for Gore's halfhearted economic populism.

Clark tried to reverse that. Where other candidates tinkered with tax "reform" (every screwing of the public in the last 40 years has been done in the name of tax reform) he proposed a bold stroke to "restore progressivity to the tax system. "A family of four with an income of up to $50,000 a year would have been exempted from the income tax altogether. A single parent with one child making up to $28,000 a year would also have been exempted (with a sliding scale to cover other circumstances).

The revenue lost would have been recovered by reversing the trend of cutting taxes paid by the rich. Clark would have increased taxes on the one percent of taxpayers at the top.

This was, indeed, a restoration. When the income tax was created in 1913 under grass roots pressure for a fairer form of taxation, it was assumed the income tax would be progressive - taxing the rich more heavily than the poor. And that's the way it started. In 1913 single people making $3,000 a year and married couples making $4,000 (a figure equivalent to $58,000 in 1994 dollars) a year were exempt from income taxes - they didn't even have to file a return.

Then the wealthy, their lobbyists, and their accountants went to work. Congress started chipping away at the progressivism of income taxes through loopholes, deductions, indexing, exemptions, and all the other parlor tricks that have changed "income tax" from a popular mechanism for fairness to a despised expletive. And the Democrats have been chief conspirators. In the past 40 years, during which Democrats were usually calling the shots in Congress, the top tax rate has been lowered repeatedly and special interest tax breaks handed out to Democratic sugar daddies.

But even that isn't the real story. The tax rate is irrelevant. The top tax rate can be a confiscatory 100 percent and the rich would end up paying little because of all those parlor tricks. And because of the Democrats' leadership against the poor (and their collaboration with Republicans in years of GOP congressional majorities), the debate on tax measures is always unbalanced and lopsided because today's counterfeit Democrats have lost their predecessors' skill and deftness in taking on the big boys.They inevitably cower before Republican claims that by asking for fairness, the Democrats are engaging in class warfare.

The two-time Pulitzer winning investigative reporters Donald Barlett and James Steele, who specialize in exposing the soak-the-poor-and-middle-class features of the tax system, have made a career out of bringing these tawdry mechanisms to light. "Over time, much of the debate concerning tax rates would boil down to two phrases," Barlett and Steele have written. "Tax legislation that would increase the rate on the wealthy was called 'class welfare.' Tax legislation that would reduce the rate on the wealthy was called 'tax reform'."

The way the Democratic Party has been gelded by power and money can be seen in a tax break written into the Internal Revenue Code for a company incorporated here in Nevada. The code exempts from taxation much of the income of any company "which is part of an affiliated group which files a consolidated federal income tax return, the common parent of which was incorporated in Nevada on January 27, 1972 ..." There's only one company in the world that fits this description - Cantor, Fitzgerald and Company Inc., a corporation which (get this) helps other corporations avoid paying taxes. The language in the tax code was tailored specifically to benefit this one company, and a Democratic senator, Pat Moynihan, sponsored it. (We have Barlett and Steele to thank for bringing this to light. Reporters used to do such reporting all the time. Now we cover "news you can use" and dangerous Super Bowl dancers.)

Or there is the fact that the earnings of stock market shares are taxed at a 14 percent rate while the earnings of savings accounts are taxed at a 28 percent rate.

The tax code is shot through with these kinds of loopholes, thanks to the Democratic Party, which in the war on the poor has gone over to the other side, rejecting the view that money made by money should be taxed at the same rate as money made by workers.

Remember that this fall when we see the imitation Democrats chasing after corporate campaign "contributions" while trying hard to forget Wesley Clark, who made the mistake of reminding them of what a real Democrat represents.
http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2004/02/18/opinion/myers.html

[Phoebe_in_Sydney]

107. One of my favourite Clark answers was

... in response to a question he was asked about his tax plan when campaigning. Someone asked how he was going to sell his proposed tax increase to the top 1% of earners.

He smiled and said "I'm going to ask them to be patriotic".

Classic Clark sense of humour. I didn't mention that's another thing I liked about him. :-)

[yebrent]

101. 100 Year Vision

I echo the experience of never expecting to support a General for much of anything. "Republicrats" was a common word in my vocabulary up until the fall of 2003 at which time I registered for the Democratic party. I was a supporter of the Greens and Libertarians for many years, liking some of what each had to say, and disliking a lot.

I first heard of the General was from his CNN commentary on the run up and during the first stages of the Iraq invasion. He seemed honest and was one of the few people on TV sharing intelligent concerns about the invasion. I later saw a Hardball appearance and learned of the Draft Clark movement. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about him and the movement.

After he announced his candidacy, I checked out his website and was extremely surprised to see a link to Wes' "100 Year Vision". Never had a seen a politician speak or write in those terms. I have studied indigenous cultures, and it was the closest I've seen a politician mirror the idea of thinking ahead at least 7 generations. I was very impressed and have not been disappointed by the General since.

I met him once in person on Super Bowl Sunday 2004 while volunteering in Flagstaff Arizona. He was every bit impressive and sincere in person as I had seen on TV. I can’t wait to help the General take back our Country

[FrenchieCat]

105. Welcome to you...

and what a FINE post your first one is! Congrat!:hi:

[OnionPatch]

102. Autorank said it

When he came out on Real Time talking about liberalism and how it was a GOOD thing, and that America was a liberal country, that about did it for me.

He strikes me as a very intelligent man and he certainly has the credentials and achievements to earn that assumption. (Unlike some people, I like the leader of the free world to be a highly intelligent and educated person.) I also really like the idea of a military leader being liberal! I would trust a liberal more not to misuse our military power.

My final reason for liking him, though, is probably unacceptable or unreasonable to some people. What it is, is that I just feel he's a good and honest man. I get that impression from him very strongly and over the years I've come to trust my sixth sense.

[xkenx]

104. Wes Clark

A National Treasure