WES CLARK: "I'm proud of Howard Dean. I'm proud of our party."

[ClarkUSA]

I really like the way General Clark frames the issues. :loveya:


Retired Gen. Wesley Clark yesterday charged that bungled foreign policy has hurt the U.S. military and its morale.

Clark, a Democratic Presidential hopeful last year, said the armed forces under President Bush have suffered a lack of leadership in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We believe in an all-volunteer force and we expect him to have the leadership to guide our foreign policy without wrecking the institutions that keep us safe," Clark told about 150 activists and powerbrokers at the Manchester City Democrat's annual Flag Day dinner at the Radisson Hotel-Center of New Hampshire.
.............................

He stood behind Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean, who has been criticized by fellow party members for making comments that were perceived as inflammatory.

"I'm proud of Howard Dean. I'm proud of our party," Clark said. "I'm proud of the fact that we are Americans speaking out."

http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_showa.html?article=56196

[FrenchieCat]

1. Geeze......I'm not hearing this being reported by the Corporate media.....

I wonder why? :shrug:

[CatWoman]

9. Cause Clark didn't call Dean

a disgrace.

and a Poopie Head.

[coloradodem2005]

2. Thank You Wes.

[AuntPatsy]

3. I thank you too Wes,, too bad we don't have more like you.

[dajoki]

4. finally!!

wes, you are #1:D

[donkeyotay]

5. "Americans are speaking out"

That's right. He talks, and we decide. Let the man say whatever he wants, and then we think about it, perhaps discuss it with others, and then we decide whether we think he makes a point.

Gee. What a concept! Or we could have bunches of people running around saying, "You can't say that!" Why not? will our brains melt if we hear the WRONG information?

[Southsideirish]

6. How come all the great Democrats are NOT in the U.S. Senate? n/t

Dean, Gore and now Clarke.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. A sitting senator hasn't won a presidential election

since Kennedy in 1960. Why do we keep nominating them? Their voting records can be so easily distorted and misrepresented, and this makes them extremely vulnerable to effective negative advertising. I don't understand the perception that you have to have been a senator (or a representative) to "qualify" to run for president. Those are legislative branch positions -- don't we want somebody with executive experience? Clark has it as NATO SACEUR; Dean has it, having been a governor. Please -- NO MORE SENATORS!

[NightOwwl]

7. I'm proud of Wes Clark.

Clark/Dean 2008, anyone? :patriot:

[Dawgs]

8. I'll take Clark, and even though I love Dean, you can keep him...

I might be wrong, but that's just how I feel right now.

[downwitbush]

11. clark and dean

i think clark made a great point right here; even though I don't in particular like Dean alot, I'll support him anyway. At least two people are speaking out against republicans. Thanks, guys.

[calimary]

17. Clark just absolutely ROCKS!!! We should ALL stand together as

outspoken Democrats - who won't hesitate to speak truth to power. I'm proud of Howard Dean. Still. After supporting him in the primaries. And I'm proud of Wesley Clark for being a man of courage and wisdom.

I'd support Clark in a heartbeat for president in 2008. And I'd hope Dean stays at the top of the DNC - to continue to steer things, and be the voice of our conscience.

Y'know something? That old addage, "truth hurts," really plays to this. Sometimes truth DOES hurt. Sometimes it's not pretty or neat or smooth around the edges. Sometimes people don't want to hear, or to face, the truth. But Dean is saying the things that need to be said. He STILL speaks for me.

Of course, the people Dean is telling the truth ABOUT...

I doubt they'd recognize truth if it sashayed into their back offices in kneepads and a blue dress.

Oh yeah, and BTW - Welcome to DU!!!

[JDPriestly]

10. Now there's a leader and diplomat.

I like Wesley Clark. I haven't decided who I will support in 2003, and I don't know his stances on things like labor law and healthcare, etc. that are really important to me. But I really like him as a person. He has a good heart but he is also strong. He's got character to put the rest of the contenders to shame. He knows how to put Dean and his statements into perspective -- the perspective of the political reality today, which I think is pretty sad.

[ClarkUSA]

14. Here's an overview, JDPriestly

http://www.securingamerica.com/?q=taxonomy/term/3

He had terrific position papers on labor law and healthcare during the primaries that are no longer available but he's George McGovern and Michael Moore kind of liberal in those matters.

Maybe someone else here has those position papers saved somewhere from the old Clark04 website and can show you here.

[ClarkUSA]

20. This will help with getting to know where Clark stands on the issues

Here, JDP and others who might want to know how Clark thinks and feels about the issues:

Wes Clark's position papers in detail are here: http://www.clark04.com/issues

[ClarkUSA]

13. Dupe thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1850670

[saltpoint]

15. Not surprisingly, General Clark handled this very nicely.

God, but our Democrats stand VERY tall next to that little puke from Crawford.

[bigwillq]

16. Dean and Clark

The present and future of the party.

[RickWn]

18. Clark was my first

Clark was the first candidate to whom I actually contributed serious money during a run for the presidency.

I greatly admire him. I still think he is a viable candidate for the presidency and sincerely hope he will make another run in 2008.

If, in fact, we are in a new generational war, (I have serious doubts about that philsophy. Great wars can be solved immediately by reigning in great greed.) then who better to lead us than an experienced military leader who graduated top of his West Point class?

Unlike Bush, Clark comes from humble beginnings and by sheer power of his intellect and a solid work ethic he established himself as a respected leader. I like people like that.

We are five years, some odd months, into the presidency of George W. Bush and the facts that he is a reformed drunk and cocaine abuser, a mediocre student in every venue and a previously demonstrated failure as CEO goes a long way to explain the situation in which our country now sits. He can now add "failure as president" to his less than sterling resume.

Gimme the bright guys for president. I want a leader who doesn't have my addictive tendancies, who's smarter ten-fold than me, but like me, likes to read the morning newspaper.

[meppie-meppie not]

19. Wes call me at 1-800-I'm Yours :-)

[Clarkie1]

21. Clark: "We've got to protect our freedom and our liberty."

Here is the Raw story article:

Monday, June 13, 2005
At Manchester Democratic fundraiser Clark says Bush ruining military

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark said Sunday that the Bush administration's foreign policy is undermining the nation's support for its military.

Clark, who was a candidate for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, said the president's use of the armed forces has hurt recruitment efforts and eroded public support for the military.

"We have to make our legislators and president understand we believe in a volunteer force, and we expect him to have the leadership to guide our country in the right way in foreign affairs without wrecking the military institutions that keep us safe," Clark said while attending a fundraiser for Manchester Democrats.

He also accused the administration of committing soldiers in Iraq without proper planning and support.

"(Bush) used fear, the fear of the American people to take us into a war that was purely elective," Clark said.

Clark also voiced strong support for Democratic National Committee head Howard Dean, who has been criticized for comments attacking Republicans.

"We've got to protect our freedom and our liberty," Clark said. "I'm proud of Howard Dean. I'm proud of the Democratic party. And we're going to stand together as a party."

Clark has not said whether he will make another run for the White House in 2008, but he has said he has not ruled it out.

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050613/NEWS0201/106130013/-1/CITIZEN

[AX10]

25. Wesley Kaane Clark in 2008!

Wesley's our man!!!

[K-W]

22. It isnt a volunteer army, it is a professional army. But GO CLARK

Something Wesley Clark should know. Its a cute way to try to make our professional killing corp sound like a militia.

Regardless, kudos Clark for supporting Dean.

[Clark Bar]

23. I don't understand your point,

If the existing military wasn't conscripted, then they volunteered to serve in military service. You do believe that it is necessary to having a standing military,don't you?

[K-W]

24. Did you volunteer to go to work today?

Look, I know volunteer is the military terminology, but I think it is misleading terminology. Our army is employed by the government. A volunteer army is one formed when the government calls for troops to serve and people volunteer to fill the ranks because they support the effort, not when they are given economic incentive to agree to employment contracts.

[Clark Bar]

27. According to the Oxford Dictionary:

volunteer .n. person who voluntarily undertakes a task or enters military service. Did I volunteer to work at my place of employment? Well, I wasn't forced into involuntary labor! I think we have a problem with semantics,here. Anyway, can we agree that General Clark has served his Nation honorably with his commitment to military service?

[Auntie Bush]

26. I'm proud of Wes Clark and he's the only one who gives me hope

for the future. Without him...we're sunk!

[ClarkUSA]

32. Amen.

He's the only reason that I became a Democrat after being a lifetime Independent.

[Arkana]

28. See? Clark and Dean can get along--why can't the Clarkies and Deaniacs?

:evilgrin:

[Tom Rinaldo]

30. I have no problem with that. Most do. I think the rest of us...

...will work out most of the kinks by the time the 2006 Elections are underway. I know that both Clark and Dean supporters are planning on getting heavily involved in the efforts to retake Congress etc. Working together brings people together. We worked together fine for the 2004 Election. Role modeling from the top always helps of course, but really most Clark and Dean supporters believe that we are pretty much on the same page about what needs to be done in this country. There are always exceptions.

[Crunchy Frog]

31. Almost all of them do. n/t

[Tom Rinaldo]

29. Self delete, posted in wrong place. n/t

[underpants]

33. Hear! Hear!

Well said.

[Writer]

34. B-But-But But!

He's a D... a DL... a...

Oh, never mind. I won't go there. ;)