Clark Takes Aim at New Rival After Kerry Victory in Iowa

[Feanorcurufinwe]

Gen. Wesley K. Clark, who earlier this month said that the Democratic primary was "a two-person race" between himself and Howard Dean, responded to Senator John Kerry's victory in the Iowa caucuses by saying, "I don't know what to call it now."

<snip>

"Nobody in the race has got the kind of background I've got. I've negotiated peace agreements. I've led a major alliance in war. It's one thing to be a hero as a junior officer. He's done that and I respect him for that. He's been a good senator. But I've had the military leadership at the top as well as at the bottom."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/20/politics/campaigns/20CLARK.html?ex=1075266000&en=377ddfe0b1eb3b2b&ei=5062


Clark:
1/9-11 19%
1/10-12 20%
1/11-13 22%
1/12-14 24%
1/13-15 23%
1/14-16 22%
1/15-17 20%
1/16-18 20%
1/17-19 19%

Kerry:
1/9-11 10%
1/10-12 11%
1/11-13 13%
1/12-14 15%
1/13-15 16%
1/14-16 18%
1/15-17 19%
1/16-18 19%
1/17-19 20%
http://americanresearchgroup.com/nhpoll/demtrack/
http://americanresearchgroup.com/nhpoll/demtrack/demtrack04-21s.html

[incapsulated]

1. Kerry

has had his people taking shots at Clark last week as well.

It's going to be a fight, and I don't doubt it will get ugly.

It's not personal, just buisness. I like Kerry, he's my #2 choice.

[maddezmom]

4. they are both in it to win

better vetting of our candidates now, leaves less room for Rove to manipulate facts in the GE.

[JI7]

2. nothing wrong with this, clark is playing up his record

kerry does the same.

[blm]

3. exactly...their records will carry them through the day.

There are advantages for both.

However, Clark should have known by now that Kerry helped negotiate transfer of power in the Philippines and Cambodia. He also helped craft the Kyoto Protocol with other world leaders for 10 years. And the work he did to normalize relations with Vietnam is historic.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

5. Knocking Kerry as

only a "junior officer" seems kind of silly to me.

[JI7]

6. using it to play up his own service as general

but i still don't see anything wrong with it. much of politics is silly.

[funky_bug]

8. Dole got to him

He egged that statement on, telling Clark that Kerry was the general now. Clark responded, and yeah, it was snippy. I'd like to think it was geared toward Dole, but time will tell.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

10. Agreed. But if he can't keep his cool with Bob Dole on Larry King

what's he gonna do in a debate with the king of smarmy lies, half-truths and distortions, GeorgeW?

[funky_bug]

11. Kick the living

you know what out of him. He kept his cool... no shouting, just a snippy little remark... and he's got plenty of those ready for Bush the Lesser, count on it.

[Frederic Bastiat]

14. Wes can handly the press adroitly

Which is more than I can say about some other candidates.

[IndianaGreen]

17. Well, we know what Kerry will do one-on-one with Bush

Q: PATRIOT Act?

Bush: I needed it!

Kerry: I voted for it!

Q: IWR?

Bush: I needed it!

Kerry: I voted for it!

[JI7]

22. most don't care about patriot act and IWR

i think kucinich is the only one who says he opposes patriot act.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

27. What an absolutely idiotic comment.

You might want to look at what is really going on, the results in Iowa, what John Kerry is really saying, and then hopefully you will have something more insightful to add to the discussion.

[blm]

12. That's political goading. Clark will get used to it as time goes on.

He's been a target on the battlefield and came out fine.

He'll be a target on the political battlefield and he'll adjust accordingly. Dole did prick him a bit. He'll learn from exchanges like that.

[IndianaGreen]

15. Clark ate Dole alive!

But I see the Kerry supporters are still engage in their Rovian tactics and now they have Wes Clark on their sights, ready to smear him.

Clark did not vote for war like your wonder boy did!

[TacticalPeek]

25. To be fair, it could be seen as a tad snippy, as has been noted.

But in context, Clark was talking directly back at Dole's undoubtedly scripted remark about Clark being knocked down a rank by Kerry's IA win. I think the audio link among him, Dole, King etc was problematic, and Clark just wanted to make sure he wasn't letting a personal dig go by unchallenged, which is good form, IMO.

[Rich Hunt]

36. not a Kerry supporter

...but sheesh! I'm sure the man knows his policy back and forth.

My God.

I'm sorry, but I think Clark is running a terrible campaign.

Issues, my man, issues.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

40. This was in response to Bob Dole's calling him a "colonel NOT a general"

That was a well-deserved response.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

7. "junior officer"? Shame on Wes. Bullets do not discriminate by rank

Clark just lost a bunch of grunts over to Kerry. If he even had them to begin with. Damn disappointing comment by Clark. Really poor form.

[Frederic Bastiat]

9. "Clark just lost a bunch of grunts over to Kerry"

Where did you get that from?

If i'm not wrong Clark was emphasizing his foreign policy credentials when he mentioned that Kerry was junior officer, junior officers do not have any foreign policy experience as far as I know.

As for being shot and all that Clark was also wounded in combat while in Vietnam.

[IndianaGreen]

13. That's a quote taken out of context

I am happy to see who the elitist NY Times supports for the nomination, the Skull & Bones John Kerry.

Kerry got a Purple Heart for a minor flesh wound.

Clark almost died from his wounds!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

18. "It's one thing to be a hero as a junior officer"

I don't see the confusion. It implies Kerry's heroism is somehow less because he was a mere Lt.?
He did turn his boat around and back into enemy fire to rescue the man overboard. And pulled the man from the water himself.
It's elitism by Clark.

[JI7]

21. no

clark was playing up his military service which includes making it up to general. i'm a kerry supporter and when he says things about his own service in military and outside of it i don't see that as an attack on others who don't have the same service. it's more of them showing their own service. clark was doing the same thing kerry does. he wasn't talking about the danger associated with being a jr officer.

[Jerseycoa]

38. It was a Dole moment

I think Clark could have done better with it, too, but I think it's being exaggerated. Clark does respect Kerry and Kerry does respect Clark. They have both said so multiple times. But they are now running against each other and this will be happening. None of us should get all hurt over it. I think Dole's putdown stung Clark because Dole had been a big supporter of Clark in Kosovo and Dole's barb stung. I do think Clark should have been thicker-skinned at that moment, but it's not elitism. There is nothing elitist about Wes Clark.

[returnable]

16. Could've been worse...

...he could've called him "Bush-lite". We all know how well that one goes over :hi:

[Clark Can WIN]

19. It's all good

Kerry has every right to emphasize his decades in the party and the General has every right to point out his superior foreign policy experience.

It's all part of the game. Both good men.

[JI7]

20. this is nothing

people are too sensitive to these little things. kerry isn't. kerry doesn't take things personally and understands it's politics. it's one of the things i like about him.

[gauguin57]

23. verrrry rude on Clark's part

Trying to belittle a triple-purple-heart winner by pulling rank? Come on, Wes. You should have more class than that. You can say "I believe I have more foreign-policy experience because I did this, this and this" ... but to try to downplay the credentials of a fellow soldier who put his butt on the line in a nasty war by calling him a "junior officer"? Yeah, but that junior officer has lots of experience with ALL areas of policy from having served in both the military AND the senate.

The nastiness factor I don't like about Dean I also don't like about Clark, either. He's a general who likes things his own way and (if you believe the words of those who served with him) isn't much into knowing what anyone else thinks of that. Doesn't bode well for the White House, where lots and lots and lots and lots and lots or compromise is essential.

[Hoppin_Mad]

24. Another giant gaffe and personal attack from The General -nt-

[Feanorcurufinwe]

29. Well, I wouldn't go that far.

[cthrumatrix]

44. what's wrong with him sharing his views...do they want him silenced too?

[goodhue]

26. If Clark goes negative

he is done

[cthrumatrix]

28. I think Kerry will just avoid Clark ...could be a mistake for him

[Jerseycoa]

35. Kerry won't avoid Clark

These two are going to battle. It's going to be hard on those of us who like both men, but we might as well be ready and remember it's just politics.

[returnable]

30. Same applies to Kerry...

...if his campaign continues the "Clark's a Republican" meme they had going last weekend.

The lesson learned in Iowa was that negative campaigning doesn't work.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

31. Sounds like Clark saw the polls showing him slipping behind Kerry

even before the Iowa vote.

[kaitykaity]

32. Way to go, Wes,

:thumbsup:

Go git him.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

33. Yeah, It Was a Bad Comment, But the Setting Is Important

He was smacking down Bob Dole, which was awesome.

I agree, however, this comment was unnecessary and did not make him look good.

DTH

[cthrumatrix]

34. soon the whole "dem field" will be labled as "angry fighters"

[IndianaGreen]

37. I disagree

I think it was important to smack down Dole. Dole was being provocative and he deserved a good kick in the ass.

I loved it!

[DoveTurnedHawk]

39. Oh, the Dole Smackdown Was Great!

I just think the comment about Kerry being a junior officer, etc., was unnecessary.

DTH

[LatinManNH]

41. Goading as a strategy?

What does Dole have to lose if he gets smacked down by Clark? He's not running for office, but Clark is. The Republicans have already painted all the Democrats with the "angry" brush. It has worked very well in discrediting Dean and the other candidates will be subject to the same kind of goading. Even if Clark made Dole look like a fool, the only thing people will remember is that he "attacked Kerry" in an "angry" response.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

42. It's a Legitimate Concern

I think Wes can do smackdown without appearing angry better than most, however.

DTH

[Turkw]

43. But Clark, or any of the other Candidates HAVE to stick up for themselves

It was not a swipe at Kerry, I have NEVER heard Clark make a disparaging remark about anyone who has served in the military in any capacity. (I do not consider what Bush did constitutes serving in the military)

Dole sounded almost rambling making the attack, I wounder if the gist of that Dole was trying paint Clark with will become the new smear?

There is nothing that can diminish Kerry's military service record at all, the man's a war hero, and we all know this.