Latest contender for president comes from long line of rabbis

[wyldwolf]

Raised a Southern Baptist who later converted to Roman Catholicism, Gen. Wesley Clark knew just what to say when he strode into a Brooklyn yeshiva in 1999, ostensibly to discuss his leadership of NATO´s victory in Yugoslavia.
"I feel a tremendous amount in common with you," the uniformed four-star general told the stunned roomful of students.

"I am the oldest son, of the oldest son, of the oldest son — at least five generations, and they were all rabbis."

The incident could be a signal of how Clark, who became the 10th contender in the Democratic run for the presidency on Wednesday, relates to the Jews and the issues dear to them.

Apparently Clark, 58, revels in his Jewish roots.

He told The Jewish Week in New York, which first reported the yeshiva comment in 1999, that his ancestors were not just Jews, but members of the priestly caste of Kohens.

more:
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=13221&intcategoryid=3

[The Sushi Bandit]

1. So now we have another ANTI-PALESTINIAN running??

http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=13221&intcategoryid=3

Speaking to the New Democrat Network this year, Clark said that dismantling Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat´s Ramallah headquarters was "a legitimate military objective from their perspective.

The former NATO leader also opposes any active international role in policing the West Bank until the political situation is settled, a view that Israelis — nervous at relinquishing control to foreign troops on their borders — would appreciate.

[Tinoire]

2. Israel Palestine views and the DLC

Speaking to the New Democrat Network((New Branch of the DLC founded by Lieberman)) this year, Clark said that dismantling Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat´s Ramallah headquarters was "a legitimate military objective from their perspective.

"For the Israelis, this is a struggle really for the existence of Israel," Clark said in remarks quoted on a support group´s Web site.

Clark is also tough on neighboring Arab states, expecting more from them in nudging the Palestinians toward peace.

He has said he would like to see Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in a "contact group" similar to the alliance that Serb-friendly Russia joined to force the Serbs to back down in Kosovo. He blames Saudi Arabia for allowing extremist strains of Islam to spread.

The former NATO leader also opposes any active international role in policing the West Bank until the political situation is settled, a view that Israelis — nervous at relinquishing control to foreign troops on their borders — would appreciate.
------------------------

Thank you for posting this. This is the first information on one of the most important issues of our time that I've seen posted on Clark at DU. This guy is looking more and more like Lieberman.

[KittyWampus]

8. Funny, I Never Noticed Lieberman Spotlighting Saudis...

Nor have the DLC for that matter...

But geee, Clark seems to have said in the bit that was posted that Saudi's are culpable.

[The Sushi Bandit]

12. Your welcome

Im just trying to figure this guy out.

[Eloriel]

3. He's just fulll of surprises

Isn't he?

Eloriel

[StandWatie]

4. He's just full of shit..

I've never seen anything like this, Joe is in the race, and Dean has Jewish kids so Clark and Kerry pull their yarmulke's out of the closet :crazy:

Seriously, this is the wackiest thing I've ever seen in my life.

I don't hate Kerry. I don't hate Clark (I don't think anyone knows what the hell Clark is about enough to like or dislike him), but isn't this getting somewhat insane?

[Tinoire]

6. Yesterday I had the DLC surprise yesterday ...

while digging around I found this surprising information... This after having been repeatedly assured that Clark was progressive, liberal and non-DLC.
---------------------------------------------------------------

<snip>

But members of the DLC, meeting in Philadelphia over the weekend and today for the group's annual "conversation," say they're holding their centrist ground. Their "Third Way" or "New Democrat" ideas will reclaim the White House for the Democrats in 2004, they say, as they did for Bill Clinton in his two victories.

<snip>

Despite the political focus, however, the declared Democratic presidential candidates were asked to stay away.

<snip>

The absence of candidates has hardly back-burnered the presidential race. It was still the dominant discussion in the hallways and ballrooms where the group gathered over the weekend. Center-of-the-road names like Lieberman, Kerry and Edwards were bandied about. As was a name that many participants said they were surprised to hear often: that of Gen. Wesley Clark, the former NATO commander. Clark has not declared his candidacy but has said he is considering a run. Supporters say he could go toe-to-toe with Bush on military issues.

<snip>
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/6400042.htm

Another article about this same fabulous meeting in Philly:
Centrist Dems weigh Dean dilemma

“The main theme of the next election is going to be national security,” said Chris Kofinis, a political consultant who attended the DLC gathering and is advising the campaign to draft retired Gen. Wesley Clark as the Democratic candidate.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/945273.asp?cp1=1

More info? You can read Dr. Chris Kofinis' (you know that same DLC consultant mentioned above) PDF Analysis of Zogby Poll Commissioned by DraftWesleyClark.com

Pictures? Looks like everyone had a great time at the New Democrats' Annual Meeting (Photos here)

If you want to listen the 2 hour speech (followed by DLC Q & A) he gave at the New Democrat Network Annual Meeting in DC: (Lieberman & Graham were also present) http://video.c-span.org:8080/ramgen/kdrive/c04061703_newdemocrat.rm

Excerpt, if you don't have 2 hours to listen, here: http://manatt.net/clark.ram

And just to avoid a bunch of inane posts saying that NDN is not DLC- here goes:

DLC AND NDN
Two acronyms that junkies know and that Democratic candidates hear in their sleep. The Democratic Leadership Council, chaired these days by Sen. Evan Bayh and run for 17 years by its founding director, Al From, is the spawning ground of moderate “Third Way” thinking in the party. Bill Clinton was chairman when he launched his own presidential bid in 1991. The New Democratic Network is the DLC’s overtly political cousin, run by an operative named Simon Rosenberg. It doles out cash to candidates and, increasingly, supports independent spending efforts.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/834591.asp?0bl=-0&cp1=1

More about the NDN:

Centrist Democrats launch new agenda
By Hans Nichols

The centrist New Democratic Network (NDN) unveiled a new six-point agenda yesterday that it says can serve as a blueprint for making the Democratic Party the governing force in American politics for the next generation.

<snip>

Several announced and potential Democratic presidential candidates addressed the gathering at a Capitol Hill hotel, including Sens. Joe Lieberman (Conn.) and Bob Graham (Fla.), as well as retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark. Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) addressed the convention by phone, and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean sent a video greeting.

<snip>

Rosenberg explained in the interview that the network’s revamped agenda and new strategy are the beginning steps of “a 10- to 45-year” plan to elect centrist Democrats to local, state and federal offices.

http://www.hillnews.com/news/061803/centrist.aspx

----
About the NDN


The New Democrat Network (NDN) is one of the nation’s most influential political organizations.
NDN promotes a new generation of leaders who advocate economic growth and fiscal responsibility, strong American leadership in world affairs and world markets, a smaller, smarter government, and a progressive approach to social issues that respects family, faith, and community.

<snip>

NDN is led by NDN President Simon Rosenberg, with advice from NDN's Advisory Board, a group of leading New Democratic thinkers and strategists. NDN’s Advisory Board includes former Democratic National Committee Chairman Joseph J. Andrew, pollster and Latino electorate expert Sergio Bendixen, former Army Secretary Louis Caldera, former Member of Congress and Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Vic Fazio, former Member of Congress and Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council Dave McCurdy, former White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry, former White House Chief of Staff Mack McLarty, and former Federal Trade Commissioner and White House Cabinet Secretary Christine A. Varney.
------------------------------

Want to know who founded the NDN?

The NDN was founded in 1996 by Senator Joe Lieberman, chairman of the DLC. "NDN acts as a political venture capital fund," a special type of political action committee among political action committees. NDN raises PAC money from many sectors, which they then distribute to their top federal candidates -- Lucas received $10,000 from them. NDN also provides a mechanism for fat-cats to donate directly to candidates without worrying about all those pesky Election Commission limits. Clinton campaign aide, Simon Rosenberg, is now NDN's President. Joe Lieberman is chairman.

The DLC does the same thing, actually. But, by forming the NDN, the DLC contribute more than twice as much to favored candidates.

SHIVER

[cosmicdot]

10. sure like to know how Simon Rosenberg got from point A to point B

so they describe him as "an operative"

the only thing I know of him, whomever he is, is that he was a Crown Fellow at the right-wing Aspen Institute (that was from sleuthing)



Simon B. Rosenberg, President and Founder, New Democrat Network, Washington, DC Founded in 1996, the New Democrat Network acts as a political venture capital fund, working to develop a new generation of modern Democratic leaders eager to tackle the emerging challenges of the 21st Century and the Information Age. Under Rosenberg's direction, NDN has become a potent national political force, raising over $10 million, helping elect 46 new Members to Congress and building the House and Senate New Democrat Coalitions into the largest caucuses in either chamber. Widely viewed as one of the nation's top political strategists, Rosenberg and his work have been featured in several books and articles and two well-known movies about the 1992 campaign, Feed and War Room. Rosenberg is a 1985 graduate of Tufts University.
http://www.aspeninstitute.org/index.asp?bid=459

Trustees range from Henry Kissinger to Jack Valenti to Fred Malek to David Koch
http://www.aspeninstitute.org/index.asp?bid=1221

[cosmicdot]

11. Wes hangs with the movers and shakers

http://www.ceoleadership.com/conferences/previous/Manhat/content.html

~snip~

THE CEO LEADERSHIP SUMMIT, MANHATTAN
2001: What HAL Didn't Know

SESSION #1
Who Controls the Tribal Club? Unexpected Tools for Winning Global Competition
Peter D. Bell, CARE
Stephen Berger, Odyssey Investment Partners
Ashton B. Carter, Harvard University
Wesley K. Clark, US Army (Ret.)
James E. Copeland, Deloitte & Touche
Richard W. Edelman, Edelman Public Relations WW
Jeffrey E. Garten, Yale University
Jean Gaulin, Ultramar Diamond Shamrock
Robert J. Genise, Boullioun Aviation
Rajat K. Gupta, McKinsey & Co.
John Hancock, MFI Furniture Group
James P. Kelly, United Parcel Service
Jeffrey P. Koplan, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Philip Lader, US Ambassador to the United Kingdom
Bernard Marcus, The Home Depot
John Nolan, United States Postal Service
Michael Posner, Lawyers Committee for Human Rights
James D. Robinson III, RRE Investors
Stephen A. Schwarzman, The Blackstone Group
John F. Ward, Russell Corporation
Erik Vonk, Randstad North America
William D. Zollars, Yellow Corporation


Respondents
Charles M. Elson, University of Delaware
Vijay Govindarajan, Dartmouth College
Samuel L. Hayes III, Harvard University
Marshall W. Meyer, University of Pennsylvania
S. Prakash Sethi, The City University of New York


SESSION #2
Who Is Really Your Business Partner?
What More Does HAL Need to Know about Us?

Adam M. Aron, Vail Resorts
Sue Bailey, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Michael Beindorff, PlanetRx.com
Candice Carpenter, iVillage
James K. Clifton, The Gallup Organization
Shelby Coffey III, CNNfn
John M. Cook, The Profit Recovery Group International
Mac Crawford, Caremark Rx
James W. Down, Mercer Management Consulting
John H. Eyler Jr., Toys "R" Us
A.D. Frazier, INVESCO
Vinod Gupta, infoUSA
George R. Hornig, Credit Suisse First Boston
Don W. Hubble, Angelica Corporation
M. Christine Jacobs, Theragenics Corporation
William L. MacDonald, Compensation Resource Group
Edward J. Mathias, The Carlyle Group

~snip~

I know I know more 'guilt thru association'

who is HAL?

[librechik]

5. OMG--I can just imagine what our friendly fundies will do with this

"rapture" paranoia anybody?

:tinfoilhat:

on edit: a Roman Catholic, eh? Did he convert to his wife's religion? What is his position on abortion?

[Starpass]

7. psst-have you found out what are in those Dean sealed papers yet?

Inquiring minds want to know......gees,how much could you fuck up or dirty deal in a little state like Vermont. Has to be BIG...don't you think??? And I'll bet Dean will be dragging his wife to every Jewish event held in America...correct???

[goobergunch]

9. Who cares who a candidate's ancestors are?

As long as they didn't help the candidate get positions that a normal person of his/her caliber couldn't, it really doesn't matter IMHO.