Clark on Countdown: "I would suspect that this is all a political game with Karl Rove."

[calteacherguy]

Sen. Hillary Clinton (on tape): In fact, I asked the Pentagon a simple question, "Have you prepared for withdrawing our troops?" In response, I got a letter accusing me of being unpatriotic, that I shouldn't be asking questions.

<end video clip>

Keith Olbermann: You know a little bit about this delicate balance between military and civilian power. Undersecretary Edelman said Mrs. Clinton's questions reinforced enemy propaganda. Mr. Gates disassociated himself from that statement today. Why does Mr. Edelman still have a job working for Mr. Gates?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: It's a very good question, because it was very bad judgement what he sent forward. I imagine that that letter was approved. It was probably coordinated through the Pentagon with the White House because of Senator Clinton's profile. So, I would suspect that this is all a political game by Karl Rove and, and the establishment in the White House as to how to handle the, the Democrats' approach.

Keith Olbermann: The Defense Secretary says he is planning a drawdown, but he's still not giving up any information until General Petraeus makes his report in September. From a military point of view, is that actually good policy contained in there.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, the policy is what he's doing inside the Pentagon. If, if I were Secretary Gates, I'd be consulting with the Congress. I'd be trying to work with the Congress instead of making enemies of the Congress regardless of whether they were my party or, or the other party. And my experience in the Pentagon when I was on active duty is that's what we did. Whether the Congressmen and Senators were Republicans or Democrats, it didn't matter. We wanted support and understanding. I don't understand why Senator Clinton's questions weren't answered in the first place. Why wasn't she invited over for breakfast with Secretary Gates. That's the way it's normally done. They discuss these things privately. There's an understanding that you don't reveal the sensitive data. Senator Clinton could've said, 'Of course the Pentagon's doing its proper planning looking ahead.' Everything could've been okay. So, you have to ask yourself, well, this is a political quarrel. Who wanted such a quarrel? Only the White House.

Keith Olbermann: General Clark, let me turn from this story. We expected to spend all of our time with you tonight talking about this, but there have been two developments in the Pat Tillman story - a fiasco,here's not other word for it now - and this awful report tonight. Parsing through these documents obtained by the Associated Press that indicate that Army investigators were denied permission to see whether or not Pat Tillman's death in Afghanistan as an Army Ranger was a deliberate fragging, was a case of murder, even though the shots were seemingly so close together in his head that they, they looked to the doctors on the scene that they might've been fired from only ten yards away. Not only was there access denied here, but the Army lawyers were congratulating themselves in e-mail traffic from keeping this from becoming a criminal investigation. Do you think this case is still wide open?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Absolutely, and it should be. The, the evidence of some problems is very, very clear. Mary Tillman and the Tillman family have been incredibly courageous in pursuing the truth in this, and the truth is not yet out. If there's even a hint that there was something like a homicide or a murder in this case, it should've been fully investigated and proved or disproved, and we don't really know how far up- Was it the Secretary of Defense's office? Was it the White House? Where did the idea that you shouldn't give any indication of what happened to Tillman. 'Just go ahead and go through with the burial ceremony. Give him the Silver Star.' Where did that- where was that idea blessed? You can be sure that that idea did not originate or stop at the Two- or Three-Star level. That was- someone approved that all the way to the top, because Pat Tillman was a political symbol used by the administration when it suited their purposes.

Keith Olbermann: Well, we have assumed from the beginning that that was exactly the scenario that this possibility that his, his death from friendly fire would, would somehow effect, in some way that neither of us able- ever been able to understand, somehow effect people's appreciation for his patriotism and sacrifice. Does it not begin to look more and more like that, that we were going the wrong direction in this, that they were not trying to protect something, something slightly negative from coming out, but in fact coming- protecting the accusation that his mother has made and has not gotten a lot of attention to that, that perhaps he was indeed murdered? Were we, were, were we actually underestimating what was being covered up here?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: It's very possible. We, we just don't know, Keith. I think the responsible thing for the Pentagon to do and for the Congress to do is to demand that the investigation be reopened and people all the way up the chain of command to the very top discuss what happened, when, why, we get to the facts about why the, the murder charge wasn't fully investigated. I looked at some of the investigations. I looked at the tape. I looked at the rerun of the scene. I've met with the Tillman family. And honestly, the distance, even in- the investigators said that the shots were fired at less than a hundred meters, and okay the light was failing, but he had a clearly recognizable silhouette. His weapon was clearly visible - the type of weapon. It, it ,it's, it's really hard for people to understand this. The investigation needs to be reopened and followed through to its conclusion.

Keith Olbermann: As opposed to the ruling today that a Three-Star General is likely to be demoted, and other officers will be admonished. And that's it so far.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Yeah.

Keith Olbermann: General Wesley Clark, former Supreme, Supreme Allied Commander of NATO in Europe, our great thanks as always for being with us, Sir.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Thank you, Keith.

www.securingamerica.com

[lvx35]

1. I hope there is a high up place for Clark when we take the presidency in 2008. nt

[phillysuse]

4. How about President?

Clark has experience and wisdom that Hillary, Obama and Edwards are all lacking.

[lvx35]

5. I would love it. It would have been great to see him in those youtube debates. nt

[Robbien]

2. Everyone knows why. She is not a GOPer

All GOPer congresscritters were invited for the breakfast. Dems were told their invite was in the mail.

[radfringe]

3. I said to my partner last night

that I wouldn't be surprised if there's a list of names sent to all departments to notify rove if any of them contacts the departments

and not to respond to anything until they hear back from rove or one of his minions