As a WesWinger, I'm digging all of the love Wes has been getting, but. . .

[wndycty]

. . .I would prefer to wait until Wednesday, November 8, 2006 to talk about his 2008 prospects. Hell those of us who would like to see Wes get the nomination in 2008 know that the best way for that to happen is for us to back as many winners in 2006 and then use that experience, those contacts and resources to help Wes in '08!

[dogman]

1. Your right, but after seeing the Real SOTU it's hard not to dream.

What could have been! But back to your point, I think most are aware of '06 but until the Primaries are over it's hard to get a direction. At least Wes is out working hard for candidates and is committed to that cause until after the '06 election. He has said many times that no matter who is President, that person will need all the support in Congress they can get.

[wndycty]

3. We think a like. . .

:kick:

[wndycty]

5. I did not get to hear him earlier in the week, I'm just now listening. . .

Damn, damn, damn!

[mdmc]

2. I hear you. Lets talk about his prospects for helping in 2006!

Gore, Dean, Edwards, and Clark are not running for anything in 2006. We need 16 seats to take the house. These four guys, plus maybe Bono from U2, are going to swing the revolution into high gear.

[wndycty]

6. The more he helps get elected in 2006. . .

. . .the better off he is in 2008, whatever I can do to help in that matter count me in!

[Adelante]

12. Wes's prospects for helping?

He's been helping. California this week, Texas last week, before that New York. That's this year so far only. Last year he campaigned for Dem candidates or raised funds in Florida, Wisconsin, Virginia, Ohio, Arkansas, Minnesota, and New York.

Here's the PAC he's heading for Democratic veteran candidates:

http://www.iavapac.org/

And he has to make a living in between. The man never sleeps, I think.

Not to mention state party fundraisers and other Democratic Party work.

This was just in 2005:

-Alabama Democratic Party Rally, Birmingham
-Alabama Democrats/Grassroots dinner at Doe's in Little Rock
-Alabama House Democrats Dinner, Keynote, Birmingham
-Arizona Democratic Party Press Conference with Veterans
-Arizona Democratic Party "Democratic Vision" Speech
-Arkansas Democrats Khakis & Catfish event
-Annual Wisconsin Corn Roast at the La Crosse County Fairground, West Salem
-Association of State Democratic Chairs Quarterly Meeting Reception with Chairman Dean, hosted by General Clark, Little Rock, Arkansas
-Audio message for Maine Democrats re Muskie Lobster Fest 8/7
-California Democratic Party Convention
-Clark County Clinton Day Dinner, Arkadelphia AR, Keynote Speaker
-Congressman Charlie Rangel's 75th Birthday Gala
-Dallas Democratic Forum, Texas
-Democratic Activists Lunch, Mason City, Iowa
-Democratic Activists Meeting, Emmetsburg, Iowa
-Democratic Party Evaluation and Strategy Retreat, Williamsburg VA
-Democratic Party Memorial Day Radio Response
-Democratic Party Radio Address on Iraq
-Democratic Party of Arkansas 2005 Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner
-GOTV audio message for Paul Hackett OH-02
-Iowa Democratic Party fundraiser, Okoboji, Iowa
-Iowa Democratic Party fundraising breakfast, Decorah
-Iowa Democratic Party fundraising breakfast, Sioux City
-Jimmie Lou Fisher Campaign Debt Payoff Fundraiser, Little Rock, AR
-Lea County Democratic Party headquarters, Hobbs NM Groundbreaking ceremoney
-Maine Democratic Party Ed Muskie Annual Lobster Festival, Brunswick ME, Keynote Speaker
-Manchester City Democratic Committee Annual Flag Day Dinner, NH, Keynote speaker
-New Mexico Jefferson Jackson Dinner - keynote speaker
-Oklahoma Democratic Party reception/fundraiser, Keynote, Stillwater, Oklahoma
-Online fundraising for Jim Pederson, opposing Arizona US Senator Jon Kyl
-"Path of a President" Dinner, Clinton Presidential Library, Little Rock - keynote speaker
-Payne County Democrats fall celebration, the Brayfest, Stillwater, Oklahoma
-Radio Interview, KPCC Radio (NPR Affiliate), "Air Talk" with Larry Mantle; "The Future of the Democratic Party"
-Wisconsin Democratic Party, Fundraiser luncheon, Madison, Wisconsin
-Wisconsin Democratic Party, 4th Annual Corn Roast, West Salem, Wisconsin


Congressional Events in 2005:

-Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference, Washington DC
-Congressional Candidate Boot Camp, Guest Speaker, Phoenix, AZ
-Congressional Mission to Haiti; UN Peacekeeping Reform Study Group
-DSCC Petition: Demand Accountability Past and Future on Iraq
-Democratic National Security Advisory Group Report
-House Armed Services Committee Testimony on leadup to Iraq War
-House Democrats' GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century Announcement Forum
-'Out of Iraq' Congressional Caucus, Washington DC
-Petition: GI Bill of Rights
-Senators' Democratic Policy Committee lunch, guest speaker
-UN Task Force Congressional Hearing Testimony

[mdmc]

16. I only meant "prospect" in that the election hasn't been held yet

I know Gore, Edwards, Dean, and Clark are working their buts off.

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. Politics is three dimensional chess

But Clark is doing exactly what you so clearly point out is needed. This is what he is up to today:
"Take Back the House with General Wesley Clark, Stephanie Miller of LA's Progressive Talk AM 1150, & Democratic Congressional Candidate Francine Busby

Unite with fellow Democrats to Turn the House Blue

At a FREE rally on February 4th General Wesley Clark will inspire the troops and lead the charge to take back the House of Representatives in 2006! We are bringing Democrats together from all over Southern California to support Democrat Francine Busby, who is running for indicted Republican Duke Cunningham's old seat (CA-50) in a special election April 11th..."
http://securingamerica.com/node/556


Being brutally frank, all of us here are at best pawns in the game. But, literally, pawns ARE still players. We are on the board if we want to be, and we have roles to play. Clark is doing everything that he can to make sure that his core supporters stay involved in the elections that matter between now and 2006. I put a lot of time into helping Tim Kaine, for example.

Having said that however, the way the Presidential race is now run, waiting until 2007 to advance the potential merits of a potential candidate is almost a certain way to ensure that that candidate will not seriously be in the running. All of the major potential players for 2008 are already putting their chips in a row. They are accumulating political IOU's, they are assembling war chests and/or pledges, they are talking to if not already hiring staff experienced in Presidential campaigns, they are showing up in all of the early Primary States, etc.

More relevant to us here though, they are all courting "a buzz". That is part of the current game. Making sure their name gets mentioned every time people speculate on who will run in 2008. And all kinds of people speculate on that all of the time. The Main Stream Media certainly does. Nowadays they have incorporated various versions of "blog watches". They literally talk about what we are talking about at places like this.

You know that this flurry of Clark threads in the wake of what I believe was really a great speech by him, is not unique to DU Candidate discussions over the last few months. Granted, 10 months ago it was lopsided on DU, with many more threads about Clark than most leading Democrats. It's not like that anymore and hasn't been like that for a long time. In fact, until this week, threads about Gore and Kerry way outnumbered Clark threads, and threads for Feingold and Warner may have also, not to mention the steady stream of Edwards threads as well.

So I am trying to keep some type of balance personally. Until this week I started very few Clark threads on DU this year, and I stay involved with other issues. But I do understand that in all too real a sense, "out of sight is out of mind", and I do not want traditional power brokers to be the only ones getting to influence who I will have a chance to elect in 2008.

edited to add Warner's name to the list above

[wndycty]

7. Very good observation

:kick:

[Adelante]

8. Did you see this, wndy?

This is the most important:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x321522

But I don't know what brings on all this lovin' - I swear, half these threads were started by people I didn't even know were Clarkies, if they are :shrug:

It's a wonderment :)

But after a month of Gore and two weeks of Kerry, it feels pretty good to have a day or two.

You sound just like Wes with that 2006 lecture, though.

[FrenchieCat]

9. You see, the Right Wing Media has already started to question

Clark's credibility (as is the title of that Thread WesDEM linked you to) in order to lessen his influence over the 2006 elections. He is the chair of the PAC to help fund Democrat Vets running for various offices in 2006. Because the majority of these Vets have very little personal fortune, it is imperative that money be raised for many of them. Considering that Wes Clark was the first General to run for office on the Dem side, and that his former assistant, Eric Massa, was the first Vet toss his hat in for the 2006 congressional races, the Pugs have a certain interest in discrediting General Wes Clark.

Soooooo, Wes Clark is all about 2006....and those that seek to quiet him are not!

Read this!

The day truth broke out
2/4/2006
snip
At first glance, making the Democrats seem soft on "terrorist surveillance" looks like another winner for the GOP. For Democrats to explain that they don't oppose all eavesdropping but object to the way it was done is a two-step answer that's too complicated. It would be better to argue that Bush's NSA program has been a failure because it has threatened civil liberties and violated the law without doing anything to catch Osama bin Laden.

This would fit with the Democrats' idea of fighting fear with failure - Bush's failure. New polls show his approval ratings in the low 40s, with strong majorities believing he has failed on every score except keeping the country safe. To confront the security issue, Wesley Clark is chairing a PAC to help the nine Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans running for Congress as Democrats (versus one as a Republican). The idea is to adopt the Rovean strategy of attacking your opponent's strength.
.....
(from Newsweek opinion page
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060204/1051493.asp

IT'S ABOUT 2006 and this .... http://www.iavapac.org/ !

2006 races have begun....
http://washingtontimes.com/upi/20060126-041016-8459r.htm
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/13713466.htm
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-vets26jan26,0,5775238.story?coll=la-headlines-politics

Peace!

[wndycty]

10. It is all about 2006 and I believe that is what Wes is focused on. . .

:kick:

[kerry-is-my-prez]

11. He's gotta start raising money now for himself & for '06 candidates.

He has been raising money for several candidates running in '06.

[FrenchieCat]

13. That's exactly what is happening.....

Iraq And Afghanistan Vets PAC Raises $25k in One Week!
High-profile board members announced as well

NEW YORK – In just one week, a new PAC led by an Iraq Veteran and dedicated to electing Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans to Congress has raised $25,000, with most contributions coming on-line. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America PAC (IAVA PAC – www.iavapac.org ) also announced that former President of the Council on Foreign Relations, Leslie H. Gelb and Iraq Veteran and best-selling author Nathaniel Fick were joining the PAC’s board, which is being led by retired General Wesley Clark.

“The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans movement is on the march,” said Executive Director and Iraq Combat Veteran Jon Soltz. “Everyone told us we were nuts to expect $25,000 in one week, but we proved to them that the cause of putting Iraq and Afghanistan vets in office has wide appeal.”

“I am pleased to welcome Les Gelb and Nate Fick to our growing Board of Advisors,” he continued. “Les Gelb is one of the most, if not the most, respected minds in the area of foreign policy, and I look forward to consulting with him and learning from him. Nate Fick, like me, has been through this war. He has the ability to lay out the challenges we face in Iraq, as well as the solutions, in a very clear and understandable way. I am proud to have served with him, and proud to have him as an advisor.”
http://www.iavapac.org/press/020306release.html

[wndycty]

14. Kick

:kick:

[JNelson6563]

15. But at least you managed

to get another keep-Wes-relevant thread posted! :toast: Every little bit helps! :eyes:

Julie

[wndycty]

17. Now that is funny. . .

. . .do I sense a little bit of bitterness? LOL Is there something wrong with Wes Clark threads? I just want those who are enthusiastic about any potential candidate for president to realize that all of our focus should be on 2006. My post was an encouragement to people who like Wes (believe it or not there a more than a few of us) to put their efforts into 2006, and remind them that it is the best way to help in 2008.

[Tom Rinaldo]

18. Wes is relevant Julie. That is petty. Now if you want to argue...

...that over the top efforts are being made to keep discussion about Wes ongoing at DU, fine. Make your case. But I never saw you make that case during the months here at DU when Gore wasn't making major statements about issues, but threads about him kept popping up 5 times a day, day after day. I never had a problem with that myself, only the hypocrisy of some who always commented about multiple Clark threads but never did so about the multiple threads of Gore, Kerry, Warner, Feingold and others.

Recently, of course, Gore made very important statements which deservedly received a lot of attention at DU and that attention continues and that is great.

Clark just headlined an important event in California for Democrats that was mentioned up thread. It was well attended both by notable and not so notable people. His Real State of the Union Speech took place as the keynote for a conference where a wide range of serious players both inside and outside of the Democratic Party were present. Clark has made a number of important statements regarding both Iraq and Iran that broke new and sometimes controversial ground, but all of which have been taken very seriously in serious circles.

Clark is relevant Julie. Whether he will or will not emerge as a major contender for the 2008 Presidential election is debatable surely, and your opinion on that has just as much place here as does anyone else's, but in the meantime Democrats who are asking for his support to raise money and win elections all around the country certainly find Wes "relevant".

edited for a typo

[wndycty]

19. Thank you Tom!

:kick: