General Clark Edges Closer Toward Entry Into Campaign (ADD'L INFO)

[DoveTurnedHawk]

<Clark> criticized the Bush administration, saying it should have appealed to the United Nations for help in Iraq long ago, lamented the United States' loss of jobs and framed what he said he saw as the issues in the coming presidential election.

<...>

And, weaving the themes of his military service and his vision for the country together, he said: "I fought for the right of people to disagree. I fought for the right of people to protest. I fought for the right of people to question the president, and not just to question, you know, what did he eat today and how far did he run."

"I fought for the right of privacy," he went on. "I fought for freedom from government intrusion of our personal lives. I fought for the belief that every American is a human being who is worthy of respect and who should be treated fairly and equally, regardless of race, religion, creed, sexual orientation or any other discriminating factor."

General Clark spoke of experiences leading the campaign in Kosovo, did an uncanny impression of Slobodan Milosevic, the former Yugoslav president, and praised former President Bill Clinton, a fellow Arkansan and Rhodes scholar, as a "tremendous leader."

He was received enthusiastically by the Oxonians, including some who said they were Republicans. Outside the forum, several groups that have been trying to draft General Clark to run for president handed out fliers and Clark candy bars.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/04/politics/campaigns/04CLAR.html?ex=1063252800&en=37ba5e8870f5874a&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

DTH

[DoveTurnedHawk]

1. How About Those POSITIONS, Huh?

He sure is sounding like a PROGRESSIVE to me!

DTH

[Rowdyboy]

3. While I officially remain a Graham supporter....

he isn't gaining any traction, despite his best efforts. If his fundraising stays flat, Wes Clark may very well end up my candidate.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

4. Hope To Have You on Board, Rowdyboy!

Clark would be lucky to have you as a supporter!

DTH

[Dookus]

8. me, too...

I really thought Graham had a shot, and I was rather fond of him. But he does seem to be going nowhere, unfortunately.

But I announced about a week ago that Clark is my candidate (although I have yet to receive a thank you card from him for my powerful endorsement).

I think a Clark/Graham ticket might be powerful. Could carry Florida as well as a lot of middle toss-up states (PA, OH, MI, etc.)

[Kahuna]

13. It's a natural transition for Graham supporters to migrate..

to Clark when if drops out. Sadly, Graham, who I really think is the best man for the job, who I have supported and will still support if Clark doesn't run, isn't glamourous enough for Democrats to consider. Well Clark IS glamourous and embodies many of Grahams qualities if not his experience.

[BelgianMadCow]

19. the things he says he fought for are progressive,

But these sentences make me wonder : "Can I see the bills you have proposed?" It makes him sound like a politician who has fought many wars on issues. Or is he inferring that the war in Kosovo makes him a warrior on these issues?

Please, please, this is just the way it comes across for me, I rather like Clark as a person, and would like to see him take office. I just don't think a general is the most logical (in the eyes of the world, not US alone) choice as President of a country that urgently needs to tone down it's warmongering attitude. And no, I did NOT just say Clark is warmongering :-)

peace

on edit : seen through US eyes, given the considerable danger the insane Bush* policies have brought to his people, it mat be a wise idea to have a general in command. The US may have made itself a target for a long time. It is so sad to see how so much of the mess predicted on DU, actually happened in Iraq.

[disgruntella]

2. whether clark runs or not

I'm glad he's out there as an antidote to people who equate being in the military with unquestioning support the policies of the Bush administration, and conservatism in general for that matter.

(And I used to be one of those people -- until I actually met and listened to people who were in the military. Of course there are conservative Bush zealots in the military, but not all of them.)

[IndianaGreen]

5. I am waiting for the "closure" that Clark spoke about

The Lubavitch are still waiting for the Messiah.

[Dookus]

9. well...

the rebbe is dead and probably ain't coming back.

You'll know soon enough about Clark's intentions. But feel free to keep boosting your post count until then by saying the same nonsense in every thread that has "clark" in the title.

Doesn't it ever get boring?

[IndianaGreen]

11. What gets boring is all these people waiting for a knight in shining armor

There are no knights, and there is no shining armor. If Clark actually takes the plunge, which I seriously doubt, he will have to answer questions about his role in the Balkan war. While I don't see Clark as the war criminal that Tommy Franks is, there are many others who have serious issues about our bombing of Belgrade, including the TV station and the powerplant that provided electricity to heat Serbian homes (and it was winter!). These are war crimes!

[DoveTurnedHawk]

12. No, They're Not

These are war crimes!

If they had been war crimes, they would have been indicted by the UN by now.

Infrastructure can be legitimately targeted under the Geneva Convention.

DTH

[IndianaGreen]

16. NATO accused of human rights violations in Kosovo War

NATO accused of human rights violations in Kosovo War
By Mike Ingram
15 January 2000

NATO's bombing of Belgrade last year has been referred to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia for legal scrutiny.

Human rights advocates accuse NATO of deliberately bombing Serbia's civil infrastructure. The executive director of the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), Kenneth Roth, said the targets chosen by NATO were "disproportionate and should be found violations of international humanitarian law".

HRW is drawing up a detailed report that will be submitted to the war crimes tribunal at The Hague. Among the examples of targeting violations it will cite are electricity grids, oil refineries and radio and television stations.

The report is also expected to attack the use of cluster bombs by US and British aircraft. At least 5 percent of these bombs failed to explode on impact, and many lie unexploded in Kosovo, where HRW say they are still killing or maiming two civilians a day.

HRW place the number of civilian Serbs killed by NATO bombing at around 600, and Belgrade claims the figure is as high as 2,000. The charges being brought forward against NATO by HRW and others serve to unravel the tissue of lies assembled in Washington, London and Brussels to justify the bombardment of an innocent population.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/jan2000/nato-j15.shtml

[DoveTurnedHawk]

18. Nice Job Only Telling the Half of the Story That Supports Your Viewpoint

After many wrangles with you, in which I've come to respect you a great deal (you convinced me that the civilian toll in Afghanistan was far worse than I had thought, and that Barak's final offer to Arafat really wasn't all that good), I expect better from you than such intellectual dishonesty, IG.

To tell the rest of the story:

"There is no basis for opening an investigation into any of these allegations or to other incidents related to the NATO bombing. There were some mistakes made by NATO, but I am satisfied that there was no deliberate targeting of civilians or unlawful military targets by NATO during the bombing campaign." -- Carla Del Ponte, who was in charge of the inquiry for the ICT/UN.

That case is closed.

DTH

[Kahuna]

14. His "closure" is putting a staff together for his candadicy.

His closure is speaking to people about financing a campaign. I could go on, but you know what he said yesterday when Woodruff asked him about his putting a staff together. He didn't deny it, did he?

[stella]

6. CLARK AND DEAN

I think these too can take dimwit Bush, the media can`t call Clark weak on defense.
Kerry is Bush like supporting this lame Iraq war saying it was the right thing to do, what a coward!

[Dookus]

10. look....

Kerry may be many things, but he's not a coward. He's not my candidate. Neither is Dean, or Kucinich, or Edwards... but I don't insult them or degrade them at every turn.

I hate that Kerry voted for the Iraq resolution. However, I also understand the political realities he faced at the time. That's not an excuse... but an explanation.

If Kerry's the nominee, I will vote for him happily. Same for Dean, or Kucinich, or Edwards, or Graham, or whomever. I'm hoping it will be Clark, though.

We really CAN support our own candidates without having to cut down the others.

[VolcanoJen]

7. I've read that Clark is quite adept at impressions....

... of high-ranking officials. I do hope he doesn't hold back; I wonder if he does WhistleAss?

Thanks for posting this... good stuff in here, DTH.

:-)
Jennifer

[Kahuna]

15. I would love to see that. Maybe he could do whistle ass on...

MTV or Letterman.

[BelgianMadCow]

17. so you have politicians on MTV ??

*stunned*
:silly:

[Donna Zen]

20. Maybe he could do whistle ass on...

Oh please...if only!

It might just be toooo easy. I'm betting there are a few close friends who have seen it and are still laughing their asses off.