"Clark Pulls Rank" Remember?

[sandnsea]

You guys all thought it was great. Clark was a General and Kerry just a Lt. lololol. hahahaha. How's Kerry going to compete with a GENERAL?? That's what you said.

Told ya' troops don't like it when Generals pull rank.

"That's the first time I have heard a general be so dismissive of lieutenants, who bleed a lot in wars."

This is a one sentence response to Clark, shortly after he made his statement. One sentence. It'll turn the entire election, no doubt about it. Kerry the evil one.

It's kind of sad a General can be taken down with two sentences. This one. And "He voted for Republicans"

And you want to put him up against Bush??? Don't think so.

[CalebHayes]

1. How will Kerry do in Arkansas?

[JI7]

2. bill clinton said kerry can win

[sandnsea]

3. How will Clark do in NH?

Hmmmm?

[CalebHayes]

7. Where is he right now? Where has he been for months now?

[Renew Deal]

4. Kerry won't make it through Feb. 3 in one peice.

I will get to your comment when I have a little more time, but I will tell you this. Clark and Edwards are Kerry's biggest threat. If one of these guys takes off, Lt. Kerry better hit the deck.

[Loren645]

5. Oh gimme a break. He was responding to an ambush question from Dole.

Put it in context if you really want to discuss it.

[Shanty Oilish]

12. Here's the relevant text from LKL

Dole was expressing an opinion, not asking a question. Here's the text from the cnn website transcript:

CLARK: I'm the only person in this race who has ever done foreign policy and I know all of the domestic issues, too. It's one thing to talk about it, but if you think of foreign policy it's like major league baseball. I'm the only person who has ever played it and I pitch a 95 mile an hour fastball. I've negotiated peace agreements, I've won a war. I'm prepared to help the country that's why I'm running. I'm not worried about John Kerry or anybody else.

DOLE: We're not -- we're discussing here as friends but I think just politically you just became a colonel instead of a general...

CLARK: Well, I don't think that's at all -- Senator, with all due respect, he's a lieutenant and I'm a general. You got to get your facts on this. He was a lieutenant in Vietnam. I've done all of the big leadership. I respect John Kerry and I like him but what I'm going to say it's up to the voters of New Hampshire, South Carolina, New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma, all across this country, and that's what democracy is about. It's your job to handicap the race. It's my job to go out here and do the best thing I can do for the United States of America and that's what I'm going to do.

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0401/19/lkl.00.html

[sandnsea]

14. Kerry responded with ONE sentence

Give me a break. Exactly.

[funky_bug]

6. How kind

I hope you are as humble when your guy takes a hit.

[sandnsea]

15. Yep, I am

I laughed at Clark's comments to Dole. I thought it was funny.

[Bonobo]

8. Did you even see the actual quote?

I think not, because you have taken it completely out of its true context and appear for all the world to be simply regurgitating Repuke spew...

Admit that you don't know what you are talking about. It's good for the soul. You'll feel better.

[sandnsea]

11. I heard him, I didn't care

It was such a no big deal thing. Kerry makes a comment in response, and suddenly it's all dirty sleaze. Really sad.

[La_Serpiente]

9. I don't think Clark meant it as an insult

he probably just misspoke.

And I think Clark is a Democrat (maybe a moderate, but still a Democrat).

[KittyWampus]

10. You Are Terribly Misinformed

[sandnsea]

13. How so?

Kerry's dirty tricks and sleazy campaigning are unfair to Clark. Right?

Two sentences. That's all the man has said about Clark. And people around here are in an uproar. It's ridiculous.

[bicentennial_baby]

17. Well let's not forget this:

and this

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bicentennial_baby]

19. Me?

For what? :shrug:

[Jerseycoa]

27. Wha' happen?

:crazy:

[bicentennial_baby]

29. Some Clark supporter

Told me I was being put on ignore, and that I was now persona non grata to them :shrug:

[NNN0LHI]

33. Some Clark supporter? Do you mean some anonymous poster...

...who we really don't know who they support for sure?
Don

[Shanty Oilish]

34. Now I'm confyoozed

I thought you were a Clark supporter.
Dang. I need a scorecard. :crazy:

[bicentennial_baby]

35. I am

I think the other person was confused though.

[Jerseycoa]

36. Gee

I still :loveya: and I'm a Clark supporter.

Maybe the person was aiming for someone above or below you and got mixed up.

Although, now that I think about it, I don't know of any Clark supporters I have on Ignore, yet I didn't see it. Strange.

[shivaji]

23. You lose an argument, so you run to your room? My 9 year old

daughter does that LOL

[BootinUp]

43. I hadn't seen that one

how nice, I especially like the contrast of the pictures. Kerry the suntanned relaxed guy, big smile. Clark about to get hit by a semi.

[mikehiggins]

24. If you'd like I could see if we could upload the mailings the

Kerry campaign is sending out dealing with Dean and Clark.

Unless, of course, Kerry's campaign people are doing all that and spending all that money without His Eminence being informed of it.

Just politics as usual, same old, same old.

Edit: I see someone has beaten me to it.

[Qutzupalotl]

16. He called Bob Dole on what he was doing

After Bob "demoted" him "accidentally"

Wes was KIDDING. He spoke VERY highly of Kerry when asked about him this morning.

Non-issue. Quit stirrin' the shit.

[deminflorida]

20. He will compete as well as someone who is from a state the

Republicans call Tax-i-tuseetes, will be remembered by vets for taking warm showers with Jane Fonda after the vietnam war.

[NNN0LHI]

21. Let me try this one more time in case you missed my previous post

Dole was not making a joke. He was insulting Clark on national television

It is an old military trick to address someone a few ranks below where they actually are to dis' them. Kind of like calling a grown man "boy". If he would have handled the attack any less forcefully I would not have respected him. He did exactly what he should have done in that situation. Just wanted to clear that up.

Don

[Shanty Oilish]

26. Please refer to the transcript. Post 12.

Dole was referring to the reshuffling of political "rank" in the race, due to the unexpected Kerry showing. He said "politically you just became a colonel..." IOW Kerry is now the front runner and everyone else gets redefined. (Woodward called it a battlefield demotion a few minutes later.)
If you want to ascribe trickery to Dole, I think it worked all too well. Clark took the bait and now has had to retreat from his remarks.
I think Dole was just using a military metaphor and got lucky. Now the old fellow looks like an attack dog again.

[NNN0LHI]

31. I have read the transcript and I had also seen the interview live

I still stand by my assessment of what transpired and feel I do not need to defend my position here. If you seen and heard something different than I did that is fine. Thats what makes the world go around.

Don

[Shanty Oilish]

32. I know you have

Don, I've been reading DU long enough to know this: you're a better researcher than I am! I respect your opinion, but think you're giving the old devil too much credit.

[NNN0LHI]

37. I have been reading your posts long enough to listen to what you say

What you say always has merit and I pay attention. Take care and see you later.

Don

Edit: Here is the way Bob Woodward seen the exchange from the same link as you provided:

WOODWARD: Well, I think the battlefield demotion that Senator Dole gave General Clark taking him down to colonel, you know, that was the old Dole that we used to see back in the '80s, who would, you know, really slip it to you,...

[mikehiggins]

22. Who was it that said that?

I don't think this is a response made "shortly" after Clark had his argument with Bob Dole immediately following the Iowa caucus. If I'm not mistaken it's a comment Kerry made to 60 minutes which will be first aired on Sunday.

If I'm correct, that's your first error.

As to the rest of your post, it sort of remains to be seen, now doesn't it? I haven't noticed a huge surge of military folks taking to the streets in protest of what Clark said, and I've been watching the news.

I'm sure you understand that there are a whole lot of democrats who voted for Republicans over the years. Why just tonight a guy who got an award from the New Hampshire Democrats owned up to the fact that at one point he, himself, was a registered Republican.

Clark was never a registered Republican.

There is no doubt that Clark will hear more and more of this bullshit. He spent an entire debate answering those kinds of questions. The fact remains that the right wing and the pundits are against Clark from the outset, and have never varied their tune.

Here on DU the same attacks come from partisans of other candidates, as does self-congratulation on how witty and insightful their comments are. Ho, hum.

We will be disappointed if we come in fourth in New Hampshire. We never had any high expectation of winning in that state, just making a showing. Afterwards, we're going south.

I hope you guys enjoy being the frontrunners as much as the Dean guys did.

[shivaji]

25. Clark will assume any Avatar which will make him money

He will vote republican when it will benefit him...
He will be for the Iraq war if it will win him points...
He will be a lobbyist for the military if that will make him $$..
He will be a leftist democrat if that will get him the nomination...

[JI7]

28. i thought you were a clark supporter

[Tom Rinaldo]

30. You make a very compelling case

but I can't say for what or my post would get deleted, since there are rules against that type of thing...

[Althion]

38. I'm not that fond of Kerry, tho am mostly undecided

but even more or less disliking Kerry, I thought it was a horrible thing to say. Just horrible. Very unseemly. "Unpresidential," too, since that word has been in vogue lately.

It almost seemed like he was trying to remind himself. Otherwise, why so defensive re Kerry? Or does the General have an ego problem? (Ah, don't they all?)

A.

[Qutzupalotl]

39. No

Wes doesn't have the ego of which you speak. Look at the exchange with Dole. Dole had just made a "joke", and quite a disrespectful one at that. But Clark took it in stride, responding in kind, saying basically, I know it's your job to throw curveballs our way.

Wes spoke very highly of Kerry this morning when asked. They like each other.

Clark has 34 years of experience serving our country. He doesn't need to "remind himself" of anything.

[blm]

40. I think this is being WAY blown out of proportion by the media and

the supporters in both camps.

[robbedvoter]

41. Kerry: Clark is only used to take orders from higher ups

a post debate interview in October. I guess this is OK. But this isn't:
Reply

KING: General Clark, we have another veteran with us tonight, Senator Robert Dole. You may know Senator Dole.
CLARK: Hello, Senator.
KING: Bob, do you have a question for the General?
DOLE: No, I think, you know, it's a tough -- you indicated it's a tough business you're in. Looking at it from my perspective, it seemed to me that John Kerry is a big winner tonight, not just in Iowa but also New Hampshire. I know you can't worry about Kerry's campaign but just as an observer I think he's going to benefit a great deal in New Hampshire. Somebody has to lose. Now, of course, you don't want it to be you but I think it may be you.
CLARK: Senator, let's be honest about this thing. The American people want a change in leadership. They're looking for a candidate that can lead on all of the issues. I'm the only person in this race who has ever done foreign policy and I know all of the domestic issues, too. It's one thing to talk about it, but if you think of foreign policy it's like major league baseball. I'm the only person who has ever played it and I pitch a 95 mile an hour fastball. I've negotiated peace agreements, I've won a war. I'm prepared to help the country that's why I'm running. I'm not worried about John Kerry or anybody else.
DOLE: We're not -- we're discussing here as friends but I think just politically you just became a colonel instead of a general...
CLARK: Well, I don't think that's at all -- Senator, with all due respect, he's a lieutenant and I'm a general. You got to get your facts on this. He was a lieutenant in Vietnam. I've done all of the big leadership. I respect John Kerry and I like him but what I'm going to say it's up to the voters of New Hampshire, South Carolina, New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma, all across this country, and that's what democracy is about. It's your job to handicap the race. It's my job to go out here and do the best thing I can do for the United States of America and that's what I'm going to do.
 
Here's the link to the show's transcript:
 
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0401/19/lkl.00.html
You'd think kerry is ashamed to be a lieutenant or sumptin!
Keep in mind: Clark ptaised kerry at every townhall. Kerry beamed in Iowa next to a veteran spoting Shelton smears.

[JPJones]

42. Kerry supporters

are becoming as obnoxious as Dean supporters used to be. That is a mistake because we will take you down just like Dean was taken down.

Here's three words for you:
"The New Soldier"