The Advocate Interview with Gen. Wesley Clark

[La_Serpiente]

General’s orders: Exclusive interview
Retired four-star general Wesley Clark thinks “don’t ask, don’t tell” needs to go and same-sex unions are here to stay. Can these pro-gay positions win him voters’ support—and the Democratic presidential nomination?

By Jon Barrett
Excerpted from The Advocate, February 3, 2004

It has been more than 10 years since a Democrat from Little Rock, Ark., first took on the military’s ban on gay service members, winding up with a compromise that was quickly dubbed “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Now another Democrat from Little Rock is tackling that compromise, saying it clearly doesn’t work and must be dismantled. As president, Gen. Wesley Clark is prepared to fix what his former commander in chief, Bill Clinton, left broken.

In a testament to how much has changed in the decade since “don’t ask, don’t tell” was born, all nine of the Democratic presidential candidates who are currently elbowing their way across the country say the policy is discriminatory. But the 59-year-old Clark, a retired four-star gen- eral and former NATO commander, could be the only one with enough brass to make a difference. As Steve Rawls of the military watchdog group Servicemembers Legal Defense Fund explains, “Military leaders will have a lot of sway in convincing Congress to change the policy, and General Clark obviously has a lot of stature within the military community.”

But first The General, as his aides all refer to him, must win the nomination. To accomplish that, the campaign has a lot of work to do, admits spokesman Matt Bennett during a break from campaigning in New Hampshire in order to stump in New York City. “We’re running a 12-month campaign in nine months,” Bennett says.

Clark spoke to The Advocateûthe day after Al Gore endorsed the candidacy of former Vermont governor Howard Dean—a move that Clark shrugs off as having more to do with Gore than with Dean—the same day two retired brigadier generals and one rear admiral came out of the closet in The New York Times, a move Clark says deals significant blows to “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

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General’s orders: Exclusive interview

[Tom Rinaldo]

1. When a four star General poses for the cover of The Advocate

Well, aint that a KICK?

[Clark Can WIN]

5. I believe it is a kick :-)

[IndianaGreen]

11. I am fucken impressed!

This is really great!

[Mz Pip]

2. Terrific interview.

Clark has guts. More power to him.

MzPip
:dem:

[xultar]

3. This is why I support Clark, he does the right thing because it is right

WES WILL WIN!!!

[windansea]

4. nice pic of Wes

:thumbsup:

[oxymoron]

6. Thanks for posting this LS.

I hadn't seen this. After an incredibly depressing SOTU for gays and lesbians, it's nice to see our Dem candidates supporting us.

[robsul82]

7. Nice photo.

"Hi. I'm Wes. I'm fiftyish, former military man...VERY sharp teeth. Rawr."

Seriously, good for him.

Later.

RJS

[copithorne]

8. Love the photo

Kick

[davsand]

9. What a hottie--and How Wonderful!

I was so awfully depressed and angry after that SOTU with its attack on gay rights--and then I saw this. THANK YOU for putting this up! I sure needed it.

I remember when the Advocate was nowhere near this polished and sure didn't have Generals or Presidential candidates in it...

Go WES!

Laura

[WillyBrandt]

10. kick

[oxymoron]

12. Kick

[Loren645]

13. Very brave of him to take on this issue.

He doesn't play it safe, like the career pols do.

[IndianaGreen]

14. A shameless kick!

:kick:

[La_Serpiente]

15. kick

:kick:

[bhunt70]

16. how did the dems rate? (from the cover)

[kerry-is-my-prez]

17. It's hilarious how Clark can get away with all this - he can do or say

just about anything and still be called a moderate or even a conservative.

[Toucano]

18. Or the dirty "R" word

Thanks for posting and keeping this kicked so I had the chance to see it.

This is MAJOR!

[RafterMan]

23. Isn't it though?

The great part is, he'll do it for eight years, and they still won't know what hit 'em.

Go Clark.

[La_Serpiente]

19. kick

:kick:

[catforclark2004]

20. what a

WOnderful man.........could be ours, you know.

[robsul82]

21. OK, I'm convinced. He DEFINITELY isn't a Republican, lol.

The fundraiser footage, however, I'm still QUITE wary of, but no Republican would ever do that, lol.

Later.

RJS

[Tom Rinaldo]

22. I like your reasoning. lol . n/t

[robsul82]

24. Open shirt, easy smile...?

Heheh, yep...Wes IS a Democrat after all, lol.

Later.

RJS

[windansea]

31. definitely!! n/t

[xultar]

35. Man i love the

Later.

RJS



thing you do it is so kickin!

[robsul82]

44. Well, if you're not being sarcastic, thanks...I guess.

lol

Later.

RJS

[youngred]

25. This is very big news

one of my big issues has always been gay rights, and I must say he has put forth the best policy and spoken most vocally about it. Many kudos to Clark, I like him a lot

[La_Serpiente]

26. kick

:kick:

[La_Serpiente]

27. kick

:kick:

[La_Serpiente]

28. kick

:kick:

[Maddy McCall]

29. Thanks, La Serpiente. Clark is best on the issues and looks best on

the cover of any magazine.

Get used to that face. He's your next president. :-)

[La_Serpiente]

32. *giggles*

and a *snicker* too ;-)

Hey, he looks awesome. Even though I don't support him, it means a lot to me for a candidate to put themselves on the cover of "The Advocate". I thank Dean, Kerry, and Clark for doing an interview with the Advocate. Kerry wasn't on the cover, but he still did the interview.

As for Clark, he sure is a hottie :loveya:

But seriously, it means a lot to me for a former NATO Supreme Commander General to put himself on the cover of the Advocate. I've been thinking about joining the Navy and this action by Clark is quite inspiring if you ask me.

I've been kicking it for two reasons:

• Out of respect for the General
  
  
• He sure is a hottie :loveya: (How many times have I said that already??? Stoppit :spank:)
  
  

Cheers

:toast:

[Jerseycoa]

34. It's cool

how they left his shirt open. Gives him a whole 'nother dimension. :)

[Tom Rinaldo]

40. Thank you for the respect you are showing Clark

Even though he isn't your first choice, as you say, it is brave of him to so openly and completely break ranks with traditional "military think" on this issue, and I appreciate your show of respect for Clark doing just that. You have kept this thread kicked for awhile now even though you aren't supporting his bid for the nomination. You are a class act. We could use more of your type attitude on this board from supporters of every candidate.

[Jerseycoa]

30. Kick for La_Serpiente

:kick:

[davsand]

33. Kick!

:kick:

[Frederic Bastiat]

36. Yup, looks Republican to me

LOL I'm going to bookmark this thread.

[xultar]

37. kick n/t

[La_Serpiente]

38. kick

:kick:

[La_Serpiente]

39. kick

:kick:

[in_cog_ni_to]

41. He has "principles."

This is the man we NEED on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.!

Go, Wes!

[Maddy McCall]

42. This should be his campaign PR photo.

Whatta man! Smart, classy, and handsome too. The complete package.

Can't wait to see him speak in his first state of the union address.

:loveya:

[_NorCal_D_]

43. Kick

:kick:

[Aristus]

45. Yup. He looks great.

Here's one proud veteran for Clark.

Gert looks terrfic, too. She looks like she's smart, tough, and well tethered to the planet. Getting rid of B*sh means getting rid of that nodding, grinning cow of a wife, too. What a vacuous zombie.

[davsand]

46. Gert IS amazing!

I have to say, that is a fine couple, and they are people I would be proud to have representing me or my country any place on this planet. She is bright, articulate and willing to express an opinion, and Wes Clark is simply amazing. He staggers me with his ability to reference just about nay type of literature or any historical period at the drop of a hat.

Now, compare that to a guy who is noted for his lack of ability to speak the English language and his wife who looks stoned off her ass all the time.*

Laura


*To be fair to her, if I was married to that (insert insult here) I'd have to stay stoned all the time too.

[RandomUser]

47. I'll take Gert over Laura any day

Someone said that after a certain rank, promotions in the military also take the wife into consideration. And I remember Clark AND Gert being praised by an officer in American Son as the perfect command team. She's been involved in organizations and things. Training as a General's wife and managing the diplomatic and political requirements of that rank should prove useful for a First Lady.

[Aristus]

53. Reminds me of a funny story my mother (who was an Army Officer's wife

for fifteen years) told me. She was in line at the checkout counter of the Commissary (supermarket to you civilians) when a woman tried to shove her way to the front of the line. When the other people in line protested, she announced: "My husband is a lieutenant!" < a low ranking officer, but outranking any enlisted man> A woman leaned over to her and said: "I'm sorry to hear that, but you'll have to wait in line like the rest of us." My mother recognized this lady as the wife of the post's commanding general. Whoo-hoo! I love that story!

[Jerseycoa]

48. Clark's Human Rights Campaign Questionnaire

http://www.glbtforclark.org/files/HRCQ_Questionnaire_Final.doc

[IndianaGreen]

51. Clark will end this war and dismantle Bush's police state

Kerry will NOT do that! Read it and weep:

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/intheirownwords/kerry/6.html

[xultar]

49. Kick..There it is ! n/t

[VolcanoJen]

50. Oh... my... goodness....

Rrrrrrrrooooowwwwww!!!!

I'm feeling a little frothy over here... purr!!

Thanks for this amazing article, and hot-hot-hot photo of the studly General!!

I'll go back to being professional now,
Jennifer ;-)

[La_Serpiente]

52. kick

:kick:

[Tatiana]

54. Kick

Mercy, he IS a hottie!

And that's a wonderful article. Glad he's speaking out on this topic in the wake of all this "marriage" and "family values" push by the rightwingers.