Swett: Clark Knew Facts of Iraq Resolution

[flpoljunkie]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3306270,00.html

Friday October 24, 2003 10:46 PM

By NEDRA PICKLER

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - One-time House candidate Katrina Swett said Friday that Democratic presidential hopeful Wesley Clark appeared completely familiar with the Iraq resolution when he advised her to support it.

Swett, national co-chair for Clark rival Joe Lieberman, disputed Clark's claim that he didn't know what was in the measure when counseling her last year.

Clark, a retired Army general, now says he would not have voted for the resolution that authorized President Bush to launch military strikes against Iraq. But that's not what he said a year ago as Congress was debating the issue.

On Oct. 9, 2002, Clark was campaigning with Swett, a Democrat who was running for Congress in New Hampshire. He told an Associated Press reporter that day that although he was concerned about the country's move to war, he supported the resolution and would advise Swett to vote for it if she were in Congress.

more

IMO, this continues to be an issue for Clark. Perhaps his campaign made a mistake in insisting that he refute the statement he made in the first day of his candidacy that he would have voted for the Iraq resolution--as it keeps coming back up.

After all, Bush acted in bad faith re the Iraq resolution, insisting that war would be his "last resort" and failing to exhaust all diplomatic means as required in the resolution.

[bluestateguy]

1. Let me get this straight

A failed congressional candidate who is the co-chair of a failing presidential candidate who bought all of *'s lies leading up to the war is now asking us to take her seriously.

[dfong63]

4. why not, if you're taking seriously -

A failed congressional candidate who is the co-chair of a failing presidential candidate who bought all of *'s lies leading up to the war is now asking us to take her seriously.

why shouldn't you take her seriously, if you're taking seriously the candidacy of a man who never ran for public office before, and now wants to be the president having NO electoral experience? at least she has some political experience.

why shouldn't you take her seriously, if you're taking seriously the candidacy of a man who for months refused to say he was a democrat, yet now wants to be the leader of the dem party?

why shouldn't we take her seriously, obviously Clark did when he endorsed her and gave her advice. advice which now conflicts with the way he says he "would have" voted.

or, if you like, suppose Swett is just wrong, and Clark really didn't know what was in the bill. then why the F*** was he going around advising people on how to vote on it? if he didn't understand it, he should have kept his mouth shut.

this does look bad for Clark. once again, he's all over the map.

[leetrisck]

2. Not an issue in my mind

It's only an "issue" for whoever wishes it to be an "issue" so if it is an "issue" for some and not an "issue" for others, then I suppose it will be an "issue" for those who want an "issue" to discuss with Clark. Think there are more important "issues" - such as getting rid of Slimy Shrub.

[childslibrarian]

3. Just give this a break...

Just drop this post...

[dfong63]

5. hey, real strong argument you got there - "just give this a break".

sorry pal, Clark has gotten enough breaks already. he's screwed up too many times. if you want to give him a break, fine, but this is the big leagues, and if Clark needs people to give him breaks all the time, then he's not presidential material.

[annxburns]

6. Swett is for Lieberman ...

.... Look Swett if for Lieberman, she is his campaign co-chair. Clark WAS NOT in congress. He did NOT have access to all the information they had. You can knock Kerry and Lieberman for supporting the resolution, that was their responsibility. Frankly, Kerry's position doesn't bother me - he didn't think Bush was as big a bonehead as he turned out to be - that's fine. I accept that. Tonight on Hardball, Tweety backed up Clark in that he had grave doubts about the war when the resolution came up. Apparently he had talked to Matthews during this time in Dublin.

[w4rma]

7. What kind of response is this from the Clark campaign?

``We're not going to sweat what an avowed Lieberman supporter says about our candidate,''

I can't take this response to others to defend Clark with. Is he going to repond to Bush's attacks with, ``We're not going to sweat what an avowed Republican says about our candidate,''

Well, on the positive side, with responses like that it's not likely that he'll win the primary and beat the physician and former governor from Vermont who I am supporting for President. On the negative side, I'm getting a little worried about Clark's capability to deflect and handle attacks as a VP candidate, also.

I *really* like this guy, but how does he and his campaign think that they'll win the *presidency* responding to attacks with a dismissal of the messenger? This the biggest election for the most powerful position in the *world* that we're talking about.

[annxburns]

8. He has been a lot tougher on Bush ....

.... than any of the dems. Look for Lieberman to go after him at the next debate, though. Frankly, I don't think Clark is going to be anybody's VP. I just don't think he would like the VP position. Same for Dean - I can't see him as anybody's VP. The are too strong in their own personalities. If Clark doesn't win the nod, he would probably make a good Sec of Defense or he could run for another office and take another run at the White House in 2012.

I don't know how Clark is going to do - but I like him. Even him trying to figure out how to run a presidential campaign is kinda endearing and stupidly brave. If he doesn't get up the learning curve fast enough - I hope he stays around. Real asset to this party.

[mot78]

9. Exactly

and there's no way that Clark should/would accept being Veep to a guy who called him a Repuglican.

[mzmolly]

14. Why, he shouldn't be too offended. He was a Republican.

:shrug:

It may not be a bad word as far as a former Nixon, Reagan, Bush voter is concerned. ;)

[DJcairo]

10. Clark's position is the same as Kerry's

But he's being pressured by his knee-jerk, anti-war internet supporters and Hollywood liberals, who thought he was an "anti-war" general, into a position that he doesn't actually believe. Just one more case of Mountain Dew drinking internet junkies, mis-understanding, and mis-representing political candidates. What I wonder is, whoever let these people use computers?

[union_maid]

11. This is kind of silly for a Kerry supporter to bring up

Clark took a pass on the easy points against some rivals early in the campaign, and put himself in their position. That kind of honorable behavior is probably a mistake in a campaign, but wouldn't it be nice if Clark managed to prevail and raise the standard a bit? He goes after Bush because he believes that Bush is all wrong, all the time, or as good as. He probably doesn't believe that any of the Democratic candidates would have made this mess, so he doesn't bash them on it. That's class. Kerry has his own problems with his vote, although I never held it against him. Like Clark, I think Kerry was between a rock and a hard place on that.

[Tinoire]

12. Clark isn't fooling anyone except people who felt just like him

and are now trying to convince everyone that they were against the war all along also.

The few Liberals and Progressives who were attracted to Clark have seen exactly what he is and what kind of hawks, ex-Republicans, Reagan Democrats and Conservatives are supporting him.

Thank you for posting yet another article that is confirming and completing the picture for us.

The Clark campaign miscalculated big-time when it thought Leftists would buy the sudden, hurried, metamorphoses of disillusioned Reagan/Bush supporters.

[FrenchieCat]

13. Let get into the time machine and travel back to 10/09/02, shall we?

It appears, according to this article that was written at the time, that Clark is and has been consistent.

His skepticism and criticism of the manner in which Bush handled the prewar debate, although done in a diplomatic manner, is apparent nevertheless.

Clark clearly said on 9/18/03 that he would have voted for the resolution (what the press is still calling his flip/flop on the war)
to give bush ammunition to go to the U.N.
but not to go to war.

So WHY IS THIS BREAKING NEWS???????

Wednesday, October 9, 2002
Retired Gen. Clark supports Swett, raises concerns about Iraq policy
By STEPHEN FROTHINGHAM

Associated Press Writer

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Retired U.S. Army Gen. Wesley Clark said Wednesday he supports a congressional resolution that would give President Bush authority to use military force against Iraq, although he has reservations about the country’s move toward war.
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He said if she were in Congress this week, he would advise her to vote for the resolution, but only after vigorous debate.
-----------------
The general said he had no doubt Iraq posed a threat, but questioned whether it was immediate and said the debate about a response has been conducted backward.

"Normally in a debate, you start with a problem and consider possible solutions. Instead, the president has presented us with a solution before the problem has been fully articulated," he said.
------------------
"As far as the information we have now shows, there are no nuclear warheads on missiles pointed to America," he said. "You can’t wait 10 years to act, but there is time on our side."

He said al-Qaida remains the largest terrorist threat against the United States, and the connection between al-Qaida and Iraq is unclear.
-----------------
After endorsing Swett in Nashua, he visited Manchester West High School and reassured history students that the threat of terrorism should be kept in perspective.
http://www4.fosters.com/election_2002/oct/09/us_2cong_1009a.asp

[FrenchieCat]

15. Also Picked up on this little Blurb.......about Nedra Pickler...

Howard Dean: "The liberals hated me" (AP/Nedra Pickler pimps for Dean)
Associated Press ^ | July 10, 2003 | Nedra Pickler
Posted on 07/11/2003 6:01 AM PDT by nwrep

Some Moderate Democrats Like Howard Dean
By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - He's known as the anti-war candidate whose appeal is to the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, and some Republicans say if Howard Dean gets the nomination, President Bush (news - web sites) will be a sure bet to win a second term.

Not so fast, say some moderate congressional Democrats who would be affected if Dean is at the top of the ticket. He also supports gun rights, the death penalty and a balanced budget.

Republicans and even some moderate Democrats have portrayed Dean as the next George McGovern, who won the 1972 Democratic nomination by appealing to anti-war liberals only to get trounced by a sitting Republican president, Richard Nixon. But behind Dean's liberal image is his record as Vermont governor of reforming welfare, slashing state spending and cutting taxes for businesses.
http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/944218/posts