Wes Clark fans: Clark is LIVE ONLINE answering question at WaPo link.

[flpoljunkie]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2005/08/25/DI2005082501346.html

[Adelante]

1. Thanks!

I put in a question about women in Iraq, but it hasn't been selected so far.

[welshTerrier2]

2. my two questions

1. While I have great respect for General Clark, i strongly disagree with the idea that anything can be achieved in Iraq by continued US military presence. The Constitutional process has done nothing but try to force a resolution of a problem that has not been resolved. In the meantime, some Democrats are calling for more troops.

How does General Clark balance the likely outcomes in Iraq, whether we stay or withdraw, with the costs of American lives, American prestige and American budget deficits?

2. I believe the US military presence in Iraq has been much more of a destabilizing force than a stabilizing force.

How does General Clark assess this issue?

[Totally Committed]

3. wT2, did he answer them for you yet?

I need to head back over, and read some more!

[welshTerrier2]

5. nope .. not yet ...

i'm still hopeful though ...

i assume they must have billions of questions backed up in the queue ... it's probably a real long-shot ...

but, still worth a try ...

[RandomUser]

11. You'll get a lot more chances next week

He'll be guest-blogging all of next week on tpmcafe. http://www.tpmcafe.com/section/tableforone

So you can ask your questions directly to him there. And, as demonstrated on his own blog earlier this week, Wes does read and respond directly to comments from people on his blogs.

[FrenchieCat]

4. His answers are pretty pointed....and so they should be....

Here's one....

General Clark: "Basically Iraq is a problem for the Administration, and the President, not just the Pentagon. And the solution requires presidential-level leadership and diplomacy. The challenge of the Iraq mission is that just like Vietnam, the country cannot be isolated from influence beyond its borders. And if the administration fails to deal with the region, we risk ending up with another Vietnam-like outcome."
====

And since we will not get that type of leadership that Clark understands is called for, Iraq will be another Vietnam and we, Americans, will be able to demand a pull-out. Today, Clark offered a real plan; the admin will really ignore it;

the clock will stop ticking, and a pull out will be the only solution.

The unavoidable failure of this Iraq War can then rest squarely on the shoulders of an GOP administration who did not listen to anyone....even when rational suggestions and alternate plans were being offered by Democrats.

2006 should be ours for the taking with "pull-out" as the message with Clark being the set-up man (think basketball). The "timing" is perfect!

Thank you General Clark.

[Clark2008]

6. I like how he's once again pointed out the BushCo's

PNAC-racked (or is that wrecked?) policy has been the driving force behind this war, and not any of the reasons the administration gave the American people:

The Administration got off to a wrong start in the region because it viewed Iraq as the first of possibly other military efforts to overthrow existing governments. Thus, Syria and Iran quickly realized that an Amerian success in Iraq increased the risks they faced. So, instead of working to strenghten regional cooperation, even at the expense of talking to people we don't necessarily agree with, the Administration kept all its options open and its channels of communication closed. This appealed to some elements of the American public, who more or less bought on to the rhetoric of using military force pre-emptively. And, it's been very hard for the Administration to find a way out of the box its rhetoric has created.

[RandomUser]

7. The Cindy Sheehan question

Houston, Tx.: How would you respond to Cindy Sheehan and the other family members who believe their children have been sacrificed for a lie?

General Clark: I have the deepest sympathy and empathy with Cindy Sheehan. My son served in the Armed Forces and I worried about him every day. And, I carried a burden of guilt about his service, as I am sure most mothers and fathers do. Because, after all, we either encourage them, supported them, or sustained them in making this committment to their country. My prayers and condolences are with every family who has lost a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan, or seen him or her come home forever scarred or crippled. And I thank them for their loved ones' service and for their sacrifice. And I understand the depth of their feelings I believe, because every American trusts our leaders to use our men and women in combat only, only, only as a last resort. And in Iraq, this wasn't the case. And we will probably never learn the full array of motives that lead our nation's leaders to take us to this war. I warned at the time that it was "elective"--we didn't have to do it. There wasn't an eminent threat. So why did we? Cindy Sheehan, every mother and father of our service members, and every American has a right to know. It was a strategic blunder to go there. Now America sees it in hindsight. But those in power have responsibilities to do the right thing, and when they don't they should be held accountable. Cindy is doing everything she can to hold them accountable. President Bush should talk to her and tell her the truth.

[Totally Committed]

9. I teared-up when I read that.

He really is such a compassionate person. I was wondering how he would answer a Cindy Sheehan question, and this answer was just so Wes. Good for him.

[Spazito]

8. Thanks for posting this!

It continues to amaze me how Wes Clark can articulate the complex issues in a way that we all can understand better. His response on the Cindy Sheehan question was excellent and what I would have expected from him but was glad to see it in print for sure.

[Totally Committed]

10. The entire transcript is at that link, too.

it was a great Q & A!