Clark would make a great Secretary of State...

[kentuck]

I know most people might say his skills would lead him to be Secretary of Defense, but his skills in winning the war in Kosovo were mainly diplomatic in nature. He knows how to communicate and he respects his opposition. He has a rare quality that would benefit our nation in the major task of rebuilding our credibility around the world after the fiasco of the Bush Administration...just my opinion.

[Qanisqineq]

1. agree 100%

since I can't have my way and have him for president. :)

[BootinUp]

2. I think a lot of folks agree with you.

Two things others have pointed out: 1) Clark is not eligible for Sec of Defense until 10 years after retiring. 2) The Republican Senate may fight Clark's appoointment to the cabinet.

Personally I agree with you that he would make and outstanding SoS.

[SEAburb]

5. to #2, I say Bring It On.

The repugs would get destroyed politically if they tried such a thing.

[Jai4WKC08]

19. Yeah right

"Destroyed politically"? In what way? How would it hurt them, seriously? Average Joe American would probably barely be aware it was happening.

No, I do not believe the Repub Senate would ever in a million years let Wesley Clark get anywhere near Foggey Bottoms. And there may high level Dems none too enamoured with the idea either.

There's way too much money involved, between Big Oil and Saudi princes, and many other resources and trade/labor relationships our corporations depend upon around the world. Don't get me wrong--Clark is a pragmatist and he understands the way the world works. But he's not a corporate man, and his first loyalty is to the American people, not to the party. He owes no one. They're not gonna let in anyone but someone safe and controllable, someone who will play the Washington game.

We've already seen the Repub attacks about how "reckless" and "looney" he is. They said he tried to start WWIII. He was called a conspiracy nut because he dared to discuss PNAC in his book, or to say on MTP that the right-wing orchestrated the attack on Bill Clinton (what a radical idea!). The Shelton smear will be brought back up. They may in fact try to blame trouble in Haiti or some other Latin American country (whatever's hot next January) on him. I almost can see the plans formulating to take him down even now.

Mark my words. The Repub Senate is gonna pick at least ONE significant Kerry nomination to challenge, just to show him who's boss. Wes Clark as SecState would be the one.

[kentuck]

20. Then he could pick him for National Security Advisor...

Which does not need Senate confirmation, to the best of my knowledge?

[Jai4WKC08]

22. No, I don't think so

Maybe Clark would take it, maybe not.

It would be a demotion--Colin Powell was NSA to Reagan as a 3-star.
Not to mention a waste of his skills and experience.

I'd rather see him go back to Arkansas and run for Governor in 2006.

Well, really, I rather see him do whatever the hell he wants to do. But Clarkistas will know what I mean.

[returnable]

3. For the last time...

"I know most people might say his skills would lead him to be Secretary of Defense..."

Clark isn't even eligible to be SOD - one has to be out of the military for 10 years before they can assume that role.

That said, I agree that he'd make a fantastic SOS :hi:

[JI7]

4. he does seem the type

to have a job where he is actually working on something rather than something like vp which is more for a politician type person which clark is not . a job like sec of state, national security advisor or some other where he works on specific issues and is a leader and the only person he has to report to is the president is what he would be good as. it's allows him to use his skills he learned in the military to be used in the civilian area.

[jaysunb]

6. Clark will make a good

Vice President.
He's got all the right background and in a time a high security concern, his experience would bring comfort too many people.

[cosmokramer]

13. I agree!

He has so much more to offer than just incredible defense/fp/diplomatic credentials, and he would change the job of VP. He would be out in front, bringing FP credibility to our party, and he has so much to offer with his life experience and executive experience on the domestic/economic level.

Regardless of which candidate all of you here previously supported, I would find it very difficult for any of you to not agree that Clark had the BEST tax plan, hands down.

He shouldn't be pigeon holed into a FP only position. He is much more.

[pacifictiger]

7. agreed

unless Uncle Bill were to step into the role, then I would vote for sec of defense.

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. He cannot be Sec. of Defense.

He hasn't been retired long enough.

[rucky]

12. Rumsfeld?!

[abburdlen]

16. Rumsfeld bio

"Mr. Rumsfeld attended Princeton University on academic and NROTC scholarships (A.B., 1954) and served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as an aviator and flight instructor. In 1957, he transferred to the Ready Reserve and continued his Naval service in flying and administrative assignments as a drilling reservist until 1975. He transferred to the Standby Reserve when he became Secretary of Defense in 1975 and to the Retired Reserve with the rank of Captain in 1989."

http://www.defenselink.mil/bios/rumsfeld.html

[chiburb]

9. Right on. n/t

.

[Auntie Bush]

10. "YES", to SoS

Another good thought...If he doesn't get VP and becomes SoS for 8 years...He can then be SoD in 2012 if he doesn't get to be President.
In other words he could be SoD in 2012.

[rucky]

11. Kucinich would be better

Clark would be great, but i'm thinking another military guy in our lead diplomatic post would send the wrong message.

If we can't have a Department of Peace we need to make a clear separation between the DOD & the State Department. Not that I think Clark is a hawk, it just needs to be a civilian post - that's all.

I'd rather see him as Sec of Defense. Now THAT would make a statement!

[Donna Zen]

15. Dept of Peace

Clark doesn't call it that, but see below.

[Donna Zen]

14. The order of things:

Although I believe Clark is the strongest candidate for the bottom of the ticket, and I believe this intellectually rather than as a bias, he would be an excellent choice for Sec. of State. From what he has written and said, I think the order of things would have to go like this:

• Rebuilt alliances with our natural friends. Clark has undoubtedly maintained all of his contacts with the exception of perhaps Blair, so think he has laid the table. I would expect to look for him "in the air" much of the time.

• Get someone immediately in a ME liason position--someone "big" to "huge."

• Talk to NK. Clark doesn't like the position bushco has put us in with the Chinese at the table. He said it has provided the Chinese leverage over us which was unnecessary.

• Lobby for increased funding for the State Dept. It is currently a step-child of the administration.

• Work steadily towards consolidation of our "foreign aid" into a sub-dept of state. Currently much of this money is ill spent because one dept has no idea what another dept is doing. Clark's philosophy calls for a dollar for dollar match on "soft" vs "hard" power. He believes that soft power is more effective than hard power as do a growing number of voices on both the right and the left.

• Institute a new and expanded policy body that governs the current NATO countries.

• Build a policy web in the ME that includes both Israel and its neighbors. This forum would be connected but independent of any negotiations that were taking place between P/I.

• Long range--Restructure the UN. He has said that we need to pay our bills, and use our leverage to fix the obvious things that our broken.

• Clark does not necessarily trust Putin, but by strengthening our position where we are speaking not as the US alone, but as a member of a group of "friends" we can be more effective.

Of course we have to accept that Holbrooke will almost certainly get State. Really.

[kentuck]

17. Next to the Presidency, the SoS will be the most important position ...

in the next Administration. Because of the mess that the Bush crowd has created. The Secretary of State will be much more important than the Vice-Presidency, in my opinion.

[elfin]

18. I think Holbrooke would be better

even tho I am crazy about Clark. It's too bad he's not eligible for Sec Def due to not having ten years gone from the military.

I think he will go into private life and make some serious money and also be on TV as an analyst.

[LandOLincoln]

21. Nope. He's going to be Veep and will work very closely with

NATO to clean up the messes in Iraq and Afghanistan. It won't hurt a bit that he and Holbrooke are close friends, either.