Clark rocked the house in SF today

[Mz Pip]

Clark spoke at a SF Bar Assn luncheon and several of the local Clark activists were in attendance.

His speech touch on a variety of issues but focused much on the many legal ramifications of the Bush adminisrtation. He talked about the Patriot Act and how it was rammed though Congress and how it shoud be suspended. He not only wants it suspended, he wants cases that were brought about through the Patriot Act publicly reviewed. He wants to know just what this Act is being used for.

He talked about Bush's Judicial appointees and how so many are RW idealogues. He is concerned about how those judges will affect so many of the set constitutional precedents we enjoy - separation of Church and State, reproductive rights, the environmnet. He was asked how he would choose judges and he said he would reinstate the procedure that the Bush Administration dumped - getting input from the Bar Association.

He talked about Iraq and was visibly upset by the news of the day regarding the loss of life in the helicopter crash. He lambasted Bush on Iraq. Really lambasted him. Also ridiculed Bush for his flight suit stunt.

He talked about Democracy and how we must all work to preserve it, because through this admistration things are changing. He made a chilling comment about how the US was not the first Democracy and that there have been others that no longer exist.

There were several standing ovations during the speech and when it ended there was a long standing ovations filled with cheers and shouts.

He is an amazing speaker, forceful, committed and sincere.

I shook his hand and thanked him for running.

On edit: Wanted to add that Clark ripped Bush on the 9/11 investigation and the stonewalling. No holes barred. What did they know, when did they know it and what did they do about it. Good stuff. Lots of cheers on that one.

MzPip
:dem:

[proud patriot]

1. Great to hear Mzpip

:hi:

[kentuck]

2. I never thought I would say this but...

I like the General more and more every day...

[bahrbearian]

4. This is good new's.

Now if we can keep the focus on BFEE!!!

[oxymoron]

5. Agreed...

Clark impresses me more everyday.

[Bread and Circus]

13. If you get a chance, watch the webcast of the speech...

he made in NYC

see thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=636181

________

It's my firm belief if people give Clark a chance and
watch a few of his off-the-cuff appearances/town halls,
they will be "sold" on him.

I know he doesn't do super well in the debates but they
just don't do him justice.

He's got a charisma that will make Rove reach for the Rolaids
non-stop fall 2004.

[Nlighten1]

3. Think there is video of this somewhere?

[Mz Pip]

7. There were several media

people filming it, but I don't know if it will be shown in its entirety anywhere. Maybe it will be posted on the Clark04 website later. I'll try to find out.

He had a great line about Ashcroft - "I don't think much of him as an Attorney and he sure isn't a General."

MzPip
:dem:

[TacticalPeek]

16. LOL!

:)

[knight_of_the_star]

24. OUCH!

That's a good shot on his part!

[RandomUser]

43. I love that Ashcroft line

"I don't think much of him as an Attorney and he sure isn't a General."

:toast:

[Saudade]

6. Clark

Wesley Clark is an borderline insane establishment wanna-be politician.

Clark has absolutely no concept of leadership (except killing people) and is a completely obvious opportunist with a huge ego. He's a disgusting excuse for a human being, but I'll vote for Clark if he's nominated.

Anyone but Bush, even Clark (but not Lieberman).

[Mz Pip]

9. Thanks

for keeping an open mind.

MzPip
:dem:

[maha]

14. Good response!

You're a better person than I am.

:toast:

[Judson39]

21. Also didn't like Clark at first ... but he is coming on strong now

As the ground general in the war on Kosovo, he seemed rather brutal, but being a military man requires one to fight successfully, and the decision to go to war was not his.

Would definitely vote for him.

[DeathvadeR]

32. Agreed

I kinda see a little Eisenhower in him, seemed to be militaraly brainwashed for a big portion of his early life then he began to see the light in his older years, I think Clark is adjusting his vision right before our very own eyes. I just hope he's sincere.

[kiahzero]

10. Do you have substantiation for any of this

or are you just making crap up? It sure seems that way to me.

[dae]

11. Old mind think quick but fingers act slow, Thank You for posting my

thoughts so quickly. :)

[oxymoron]

12. glad to hear....

you would vote for an "insane wanna-be politician" that has "no concept of leadership (except killing people) and is a completely obvious opportunist with a huge ego. He's a disgusting excuse for a human being, but I'll vote for Clark if he's nominated."

You give me great faith in the Democratic Party. <end sarcasm>


I'll vote for him because I think he is an honorable man that can do the job.

[retyred]

23. He won't vote for Clark

or any other Dem, he's here for one reason and one reason only, and it isn't to add anything of substance.



Retyred In Fla
So I Read This Book

[meti57b]

15. So other than that, how do you like Clark?

[oxymoron]

18. so other than smug questions...

what do you think?

[Bread and Circus]

19. I think he was trying to be funny...

I thought it was funny anyway :P

:hi:

[oxymoron]

22. you're probably right....

it is just irritating when people don't explain their objections.

[shanti]

31. same here

IF he's nominated, i will vote for clark. but i won't willingly vote for a career military man.

[Renew Deal]

36. I get the feeling this is a joke.

I have a feeling he is mocking several DUer's. I think this gives it away. "He's a disgusting excuse for a human being, but I'll vote for Clark if he's nominated."

That's the funniest thing I have read since Freeperween.

[Military Brat]

40. The rumor isn't true about Clark and your mama

So get over it, Saudade

[madrchsod]

8. i get the feeling that clark

is saying all the things clinton would love to say but in his position he must rely on his intellect to get his point across. clark doesn`t have anything to loose and everything to gain. he`s the only democrat that will not back down....

[Donna Zen]

17. Wow!

I am so glad to hear he rocked the house? Many personal sightings today and many great reports!

This isn't Clintonian. DTH said when he spoke about the flight suit he was calm on the outside, but visibly pissed behind his eyes.

In one hundred years the most important things we can leave our children are a healthy environment and the Constitution

His son is on the road with him tomorrow.

Don't forget the wireside chat...5:00 at the main site. I want to ask him about the crazy-assed plans for battle field nukes...

In a court of law Rummy would be found insane, so my question is: Who has more blood on their hands, the Supreme Court 5 or the media?

<edit> one last thing...one of Clark's friends was fired by the repubs for shaking Clark's hand. Josh Marshall picked up the story.

[Mz Pip]

20. The flight suit stunt really bothers him

that is clear. He said that not only have many men and women worn it with honor, they died wearing it. He really almost mocks Bush for that stunt - "prancing around on the flight deck" to use his words. There's a lot of contempt there. It's like Bush is disrespecting the soldiers who died in the line of duty by using the flight suit as a PR stunt.

MzPip

[Donna Zen]

25. AWOL

He knows.

Also, I heard him say right after the Lincoln landing that it was inappropriate for a president to be in uniform in the US. Our system is based on the military always being subserviant to the civilian. When one thinks about that, it becomes very clear, and Clark takes that separation of power very seriously.

Yes, that pissed him off, but it also should be a sign to all of us how dangerous things have become.

[knight_of_the_star]

26. I can only imagine

How a debate between him and Bush would go :evilgrin:

[KittyWampus]

30. Sounds A Wee Bit Like Clark's Calling Junior

A sissy boy....

[DeathvadeR]

33. He would rip junior a new asshole. n/t

[michaelbmoore]

42. No, just

his head through his old one.

:kick:

[11cents]

27. I was there too

Maybe I should add that most of the audience was made up of lawyers who were attending as part of a series of candidates' talks that the SFBA is sponsoring -- so the very enthusiastic response wasn't a matter of Clark being cheered by people already committed to him. I think the lawyers were bowled over by Clark's detailed knowledge of the legal/constitutional catastrophe posed by the Bush administration. He not only talked about the Patriot Act, but also about, for example, the "PROTECT Act," which if enacted would pretty much consign separation of powers to the Fun While It Lasted bin, by making members of the judiciary subject to blacklisting and retribution by the Justice Department if they fail to impose sufficiently draconian sentences.

The guy speaks well, often with visible passion, getting caught up in his own words. Anyone who went to the talk with the notion that he's all about "security," or that he's running as a new improved Lieberman ("50% less Jewish!") was in for a great surprise. Really makes a mockery of the threadbare refrains of DU's little coterie of Clark-bashing 'bots.

(I know of at least a few people who went in as Dean-leaners and came out as Clarkies!)

[Bread and Circus]

29. Right on!

Great account and I love this line:

Anyone who went to the talk with the notion that he's all about "security," or that he's running as a new improved Lieberman ("50% less Jewish!") was in for a great surprise. Really makes a mockery of the threadbare refrains of DU's little coterie of Clark-bashing 'bots.

:bounce:

[VolcanoJen]

28. Thank you, mzpip, for another encouraging first-hand account!

I'm jealous!!!!

Thanks for sharing your story!

[TreasonousBastard]

34. Great news!

I'm getting on the Clark wagon myself, as he is looking more and more like just what we need.

There's a part of me that watches him almost walking on water and wondering if he's too good to be true,

But, then I think maybe I'm just so jaded by the mediocrities and no-accounts we see every day that when a genuine good guy shows up, it takes a while to remember such people do exist

Let's get some REAL honor and dignity back in the White House!

[Bread and Circus]

35. We are really glad to have you aboard...

and hope to have you for good.

------


Here is a great letter from our "Best of Blog" daily digest:

http://blog.clark04.com/archives/000129.html#more

DISPLAY OF ASIAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER SOLIDARITY FOR CLARK
Today, I had the distinct pleasure of attending a town hall meeting in Koreatown, with General Wesley K. Clark. The focus: issues of particular interest to the Asian/Pacific Islander community. The host committee was a multicultural "who's who" of influential Los Angeles Asian/Pacific Islanders, including: Assemblymember George Nakano, Assemblymember Dario Frommer
Mayor of Monterey Park David Lau, Former Mayor of Monterey Park Lily Chen,
Mayor of Southgate Hector De La Torre, Mayor Pro Tem of Torrance Ted Lieu,
Councilmember of Cerritos Laura Lee, Councilmember of Carson Elito Santarina, President of "Southeast Asian Vote" Waqar Ali Khan, Community Service Commissioner of Irvine Mariam Khosravani, Civil Rights Attorney Angela Oh, and about 40 other notables. We packed the venue with over *500* interested citizens, from the aged halmonis tugging on their younger family members' sleeves for translation, to the slick, young, trendy American-born, to the respected, dignified elders of the community, to the Filipino military veterans in their smart, beige uniforms. This was GRASS ROOTS.

The word from the organizers was that the event was the LARGEST multicultural Asian/Pacific Islander gathering for an American political campaign/issue EVER, and based on my 15+ years in the area, I think that's about right. The Asian/Pacific Islander media was out in force, with about a dozen camera crews set up and even more reporters. General Clark walked into the venue to the strains of U2's "It's a Beautiful Day," and the place went wild. I counted seven standing ovations during the course of the afternoon, and one spontaneous, "We Want Clark" chant that lasted for over a minute. General Clark gave his standard stump speech, before taking questions from the Moderator and my old friend, civil rights attorney Angela Oh. The questions had been formulated beforehand by the host committee, representing all of the diverse communities (South Asian (including Pakistan), Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Persian, Filipino, Southeast Asian, and others). I wish I had written the questions down, because in all of the excitement, I just plain forgot some of them. But he did well on all of them, particularly knocking one question on the Patriot Act out-of-the-park by basically saying immediately and without hesitation that he would change it, that he would stop the racist enforcement of all laws, and that racial profiling was the typical resort of law enforcement agents who just didn't know where else to start, and that that needed to be stopped as well. He favored immediate dialogue with North Korea, and lambasted the administration for its utter failure to engage. But he also stood by South Korea and vowed to maintain its security; he merely rejected the notion that we were somehow made more secure by this administration's disengagement from North Korea. He then gave a strong line about how the Bush administration's "Axis of Evil" speech was perhaps the most counter-productive foreign policy statement in the last 50 years. He also supported small business owners, and pointed to his job creation tax credit plan, which dedicates $20 billion to small businesses that create new full-time positions. He supported fair immigration policies that did not discriminate against countries just because they might be of color, or Islamic, and he indicated his belief that immigrants have made this country great, and what it is today. And of course, he reiterated his STRONG support for affirmative action, and the concepts of diversity and multiculturalism that have made this country great. General Clark's appearance today was nothing short of incredible. I have never seen the Asian/Pacific Islander community appear THIS excited about ANY candidate for political office! At the end, as is typical for General Clark, he stuck around for quite a while, greeting people, talking with supporters, and he made a point of taking the time to speak and take many pictures with the veterans, who were clearly moved to meet him. As a final word to Clark supporters, please note that General Clark is an INCREDIBLY EASY SELL to many people in the Asian/Pacific Islander community, especially if you concentrate on three things:
1) His incredible educational background. By focusing on how he finished FIRST in his class at West Point, and was a Rhodes Scholar with a masters in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and was a Professor at West Point in Economics, you will probably win over the significant majority of Asian/Pacific Islander listeners! Practically EVERY Asian/Pacific Islander family I know values EDUCATION and SUCCESS in education to an almost extreme degree. General Clark wins IMMEDIATE respect when you tell people this. 2) His support for small businesses. The $20 billion job creation tax credit for for small businesses was a HUGE hit today, because many in the Asian/Pacific Islander community are small business owners. 3) His 38-year service to this country in the military. This, too, is an indicator of tremendous respect for many in the Asian/Pacific Islander community. General Clark will win California with the help and support of the Asian/Pacific Islander community, and I am proud of both his appearance today, and of the incredible showing by members of our community. DTH Posted by DTH at November 2, 2003 01:31 AM

[oxymoron]

37. Yes we are!

Another shameless kick.

[Clark Can WIN]

38. I loved seeing him He's a great speaker and so

sincere and intense. It's great. It's always a treat to watch him in person.:grouphug:

[RandomUser]

39. Thanks for the account

These firsthand accounts are enjoyable reads.

:toast:

[robsul82]

41. A good man...

...and I likes him. I do.

Later.

RJS

[DoveTurnedHawk]

44. Awesome!

Great account, thanks for sharing it!

DTH

[DemExpat]

45. He seems to be coming more and more into his element,

doesn't he?
Passionate about the issues, enjoys the crowds......how different from Georgie could a man be?

Thanks for sharing,
:kick:

DemEx

[whirlygigspin]

46. Joe who?

[robbedvoter]

47. Woo-Hoo! Great story! Thanks!

[Bread and Circus]

48. AM kick

[Nlighten1]

49. Any video or transcript of this yet?

[Mz Pip]

50. Link

to today's SF Chronicle article. At least it was covered, even if it was on the last page...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/aticle.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/11/03/MNGJJ2ORHU1.DTL

On edit: trying to fix the link.

MzPip
:dem: