What Do You Think Of Wes Clark/Richard Clarke 2008?

[DistressedAmerican]

I usually do not speculate about who I will be supporting this far in advance but, I've been sitting here watching Richard Clarke and lamenting Wes not getting the Democratic nod. It occures the two men would make a pretty interesting ticket.

So, how would like Clark/Clarke as a ticket choice?

Certainly would be strong on defense, one of the party's Achilles' heels of late.

I think they would kick some repug ass and follow it up by actually bringing in Osama.

[robbedvoter]

1. Love Richard Clarke - but he would have to switch parties before I'd

consider voting for him. (I'm no longer a Democrat, nor will I ever vote for a GOP-er for the rest of my life)

[riverwalker]

2. Richard Clarke supports Negroponte

and just told George Stephanopolis that "Negroponte was an excellant choice, wonderful" and he was serious. :shrug:

[dogman]

11. Boxer just said Negroponte is ok too.

She said he has been one of the most cooperative members of B$$$co.

[DistressedAmerican]

12. I don't get this. Why is everyone cozyig up to this guy?

I smell appeasement!

[dogman]

15. Or death squads?

The nation's secret keeper. The repository of all info.

[illini]

3. It will never happen but.....

we could do a lot worse.

[pstans]

4. 08 will have other issues than 04

National Security and Iraq probably won't be the dominant issues in 2008. I agree that Clark/Clarke would have been great candidates in 2004 with their national security experience, but a lot of things change. I sure hope that Iraq (or an Iran invasion) are not the hot topic in the next campaign.

[DadNascar5]

5. Love Wes Clark....

[DemDogs]

6. One of the nuttier ideas

Is it possible to get two actual Democrats?

[DistressedAmerican]

7. Who Do You Suggest?

[Tom Rinaldo]

8. Say that about Clarke if you wish, though he's an honorable man

And say you want a Presidential nominee who has been a life long Democrat if you want also. But Wes Clark has been a heavy hitter for the Democratic Party for almost two years now. He tore the flight suit right off a prancing "W", went public with PNAC's plans, campaigned for a progressive income tax and a woman's right to choose, appeared as Kerry's spokesman on dozens of media interviews, criss crossed the nation supporting local Democrats in tight races in 2004, has done dozens of fund raisers for the Democratic Party, flat out said he was appalled that Gonzales was nominated for Attorney General, etc. etc. Call Wes Clark a recent Democrat if you insist. So what? Zell Miller is an "actual " Democrat, a life long Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate as one. Or take Al Gore's 2000 running mate, who were it not for Supreme Court intervention would be Vice President now. That's as "actual " as it gets.

[Chicago Democrat]

9. Sounds good to me... But I want it to be Boxer/Clark

Clarke would be my choice for Nation Security Director.

[DistressedAmerican]

10. Sure Would Be Worlds Above "Deathsquad Negroponte"!

[drdtroit]

13. Nice thought but ...

The GOP could run an amoeba for Pres. and a protozoan as V.P. and win. Diebold will insure that!

[More Than A Feeling]

14. Where is Clarke from? What states does he bring us?

Also, he is still a Republican, is he not?

Wesley Clark is in my top tier of candidates that I am considering supporting for the primary, but I would like to see Evan Bayh or Mark Warner as VP. Bring in Indiana or Virginia, add Montana (which has gone all blue on the state level, has just one Rep Senator (and a weak one, at that)), and say hello to President Wesley Clark!

[Ashamed_American]

16. I'm for the Boxer/Dean campaign.

Would love to see Barbara as the first female President of the United States. Will it ever happen? Not a chance.


www.BlackEyedSundays.com

[mainer]

17. Richard Clarke for national security advisor

Has no charisma as a politican. Besides, there's gossip about his "personal life" just because he's unmarried.

[DistressedAmerican]

18. Any chance HE is sleeping with Jeff?

Sorry. Just kidding. Just hate those threads.
Is George sleeping with Jeff? Is Scotty? How about Rove? Rummy? Pure silliness.

[fujiyama]

19. Unlikely

Richard Clarke is a good man, but I think he's a policy wonk, and has little interest in electoral politics.

He flat out refused to take any cabinet post or other position were Kerry to have been elected.

He would be worth considering for NSA or something else though.

As for his party affiliation, he said he voted for Gore somewhere and my guess is he likely voted for Kerry, but he made it very clear he wouldn't endorse either candidate.

[DistressedAmerican]

20. I'm not sure I would either. I'd vote for them over Bush but,

I do not think I'd personally endorse either of them.

[Tom Rinaldo]

23. I know you are tracking how leading Dems reacted to Bush appointments

Here is a partial transcript of Wesley Clark appearing on Hardball prior to the committee hearings on Gonzales:

MATHEWS: Let me ask you about Alberto Gonzales, the president‘s counsel. He‘s up for—the president has put him up for attorney general. He‘s the man that laid out the guidelines, if you would call them guidelines, on torture of prisoners and the power of the presidency during the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you think he‘s fit for the job?

CLARK: No.

How can the American people have confidence in a man like Gonzales after what he‘s written for the president of the United States? He‘s basically said the Geneva Convention was irrelevant. He basically said that torture is something that‘s very limited, that you could be in terrible pain and that you still wouldn‘t be being tortured.

MATTHEWS: Yes. He said we could have cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of prisoners.

CLARK: And not have it be torture.

MATTHEWS: Right.

CLARK: And Mr. Gonzales has basically said the power of the presidency is unlimited and he can do anything he wants.

How can we feel confident as Americans that we‘re living under the rule of law when the attorney general has violated what we believe to be the law?

MATTHEWS: Well, let‘s just get this straight, so we don‘t sound like we‘re goody-two-shoes here. You‘re a military man. You‘ve commanded troops, many of them. You‘ve been in combat in Europe. What are the limits of interrogation, as you understand it to be?

CLARK: Geneva Convention, no question about it.

I mean, we would never have violated the Geneva Convention. You don‘t shoot prisoners. You don‘t do false—trick executions. You don‘t rough them up and beat them up.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Did we threaten to throw people out of helicopters in Vietnam?

CLARK: I have heard those rumors. I never saw it. And if it was ever done, I hope it was punished.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Did we hose people with hoses in their mouths until they talked?

CLARK: Not in any of my commands that I know of.

MATTHEWS: Yes.

CLARK: And I‘ll tell you this.

In 1999, when we had three Americans captured by the Serbs at the start of the Kosovo campaign, they were put on television and one of them had a big black eye and looked like he was beaten up. We were outraged.

MATTHEWS: Right.

CLARK: And...

MATTHEWS: So you don‘t think water-boarding, as it‘s called, where you basically threaten a guy with drowning, you make him think he‘s going to drown, is acceptable?

(CROSSTALK)

CLARK: Absolutely not.

MATTHEWS: So Gonzales is not your man.

CLARK: I think strict Geneva Convention, strict adherence to the law.

MATTHEWS: Thank you.

CLARK: We put that law in place to protect our soldiers.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: You can‘t officially do it anymore, but—you‘re retired. But do you think a lot of military men of your rank, flag rank, do you think that‘s a common view? McCaffrey certainly had it last night. Is this a general view you hear from military men?

CLARK: This is what we believe in.

We—look, we fought for the Geneva Convention. It was put in place to protect our soldiers, our values and our institutions.

MATTHEWS: Right.

CLARK: We can‘t win the war on terror if we give up what we stand for as the American people.

MATTHEWS: Would you testify against Gonzales on the Hill if they asked you?

CLARK: Well, I would testify against anybody who wrote those kinds of things. I don‘t know Gonzales personally. But how he could have written these documents is outrageous.

MATTHEWS: Strong words. Thank you, Wesley Clark.

I always appreciate that Clark never "beats around the Bush" about what he believes in and why.

[DistressedAmerican]

27. Thanks for that. I think I missed that interview.

Wes NEVER takes prisoners. There are very few as blunt as he is in national politics. He would have been a very good president.

[XemaSab]

21. Meh... Dean/Dean

Howard and John

:-)

[DistressedAmerican]

22. John Dean Is An Interesting Choice.

I think I could get behind that ticket.

[JHBowden]

24. I suppose *two* Republicans is better than one.

Sorry, Clarkies. I couldn't resist! :beer:

[DistressedAmerican]

26. I'll Take A Republican That Kicks Republican Ass

Over a democrat that kisses it.

[Auntie Bush]

28. You again!!!!!!!!!!

[karynnj]

25. Kerry and Kerrey

If we wanted to be cute and have the same names, except for an additional "e". At least they've run for office.

Clark and Clarke, at least on the surface have no domestic experience