Wesley Clark supporters Only -- Write an endorsement for your candidate

[Skinner]

IMPORTANT: Please read this before you post

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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=122356

This discussion thread is for supporters of Wesley Clark ONLY. The purpose of this thread is so that they can write an endorsement for their candidate, free of disruption from supporters of other candidates. Any posts by opponents of Wesley Clark which try to disrupt this thread, will be deleted by the moderators.

Skinner
DU Admin

[bluestateguy]

1. Endorsement

The presidential primaries are coming soon and I hope that I may have a moment of your time to tell you why I think Wesley Clark should be the Democratic Party nominee for president in 2004.

This country and the world have changed considerably since 9/11/01. Like it or not, voters now care about national security and foreign policy much more than they did in the past decade. To make the tough decisions in the current geopoltiical climate we need experienced leaders in Washington with real foreign policy experience, not a president who will excessively depend on "advisors" because he needs on the job foreign policy training. The performance of the current occupant of the Oval Office only confirms the danger that comes from a president with no foreign policy experience. General Clark is the only Democratic candidate who can look George W. Bush in the eye, tell him his foreign policy is a disaster, and be taken seriously by the American poeple.

General Clark was the Supreme Commander of NATO, a position that requires only the best skills in diplomacy and an understanding of the nuances of the world. He understands that the world is a complicated place, and he is not prone to oversimplifying the complexities of world politics into inane slogans like Mr. Bush is (remember when Bush invited Iraqi insurgents to "bring them on!"?). Unlike most of the high-ranking members of the Bush Administration foreign policy team, Clark has actually fought in a war and led troops into battle. He understands the horrors of war and he understands that military force is only to be used as a last resort, and only to defend vital American interests, not the interests of multi-national corporations. He will clean up the quagmire in Iraq, fire Paul Bremer and refocus our efforts against Al Qaeda (remember them? the people who actually attacked the US).

General Clark will get rid of these obscene Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, reinvest the money in the American people's needs and restore fiscal sanity to our country. Unlike some Democratic candidates for the nomination, General Clark opposes asking middle income people to give up their modest tax cuts, forcing them to pay more at a time when too many of them are struggling. The current economic "recovery" has been of little benefit to the working people of this country. Let the well-to-do pay a little more. General Clark's positions on health care, education, civil rights, civil liberties and gay rights are progressive and consistent with the values of the Democratic Party.

Finally, I am supporting General Clark because he can actually be elected president in November and replace this despicable administration. He can win states in the South and in the Mountain West. I have it on good authority that Clark is the candidate Bush fears the most. Howard Dean is known, fairly or not, for being angry and full of ideological rage. This is all fine and good--even necessary--but neither does us a whole lot of good if the candidate cannot be elected president. If George W. Bush is elected in 2004 he will see it as a mandate for his foreign policy, and I believe he will then most likely commence more preemptive wars in Iran, Syria and North Korea. I don't think this country and the world can afford that.

bluestateguy

[LTR]

2. Thanks, Santa!

Well, I'm off to do some endorsing!

[Renew Deal]

3. OK Team

We have till 4:00 sunday or we are all getting moderator warnings. Let's go.

[mikehiggins]

4. Endorsement

On September 11, 2001, I was working in a warehouse in Queens when one of the drivers I supervised came in to tell me an airplane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I shook my head in amazement. How stupid would a pilot have to be to do something like that?

Still, small planes sometimes have that kind of accident. The pilot dozes off and next thing you know he's in a lot of trouble. Seemed like a shame to me.

A little later another guy came in and told me an airplane had flown into the World Trade Center. Yeah, I told him, I know.

No, he said. This was a second plane and it hit the other tower.

And the world changed.

And now it is 2004 and we are in an election cycle to determine what direction that change will take. We have seen the lies, the deceit, the treachery, the evil that has marked this administration like some foul badge. Nothing seems beyond them. They have no shame, no fear, no inkling of understanding how foul and besmirched they have made our flag, our country.

The loyal opposition gathered their forces and put forth nine candidates to represent the Democratic Party in this battle. My heart sank at the sight. Familiar old faces, angry unfamiliar faces, faces whose agendas weren't clear, even to themselves.

And I sat and watched George Bush on television and thought none of these people can give the American voter a reason or a rationale for turning their backs on the incumbent President of the United States.

The familiar old faces were too familiar, too old. They had been around forever and they had done nothing to stem the tide of deceit and treachery threatening to destroy our very way of life, and perhaps the safety of the entire world in the process.

The angry new faces, in truth, weren't all that new at all, for all of their anger. They were politicians of long standing, for all of their claims to be outsiders. The Governor of a state, with a canny new strategy, raised millions of dollars and inspired hundreds of thousands of voters but could he stand before the American public and make the case that he would be better in the White House than the current resident? I couldn't buy it. The feisty Congressman, dedicated and sincere, but unable to make his voice heard within his own party, let alone the general population.

The others, the charming Ambassador; the controversial minister. They knew, as all did, that theirs was a Quixotic quest from the outset. They would not do to carry the party banner into this battle. They faced a real dragon, not a windmill.

Then one of the original nine withdrew, for what seemed good reason but which made no difference regardless. He knew, as all of us did, that he had no chance in this fight. Better to avoid the fray, than be discarded out of hand.

And then came the most unlikely Democrat candidate possible. A retired General, anathema to many in this party. A lobbyist. A commentator on cable-TV. And watching him, I realised that this was a man who could do the job that had to, that has to be done. This was a candidate who could stand up to this administration and convince the voters that choosing him would be choosing the better man, not just a different man.

And that is what is needed. We need a candidate who is not just one of a faceless, indeterminate collective. We need, this country needs, a President who can live up to what we believe, what we wish are the true ideals of this nation; honor, intelligence and integrity.

To me, that man is Wesley Clark. I do not care that he is a combat veteran; I did not support the VietNam War and never will. I do not care that he was a four star general; the military is an alien domain to me and one I distrust. I do not care that he is a Rhodes Scholar; I know the history of the man that title bears. All I care about is that this nation needs an honest man with honest intentions; a man who can give the American voter a reason to chose someone better than the failed leader now heading this country.

To me, that man is Wesley Clark.

So this is my endorsement.

[Kahuna]

5. The only candidate who will hold the bushistas accountable for..

their treason against the U.S.A. He has telegraphed this over and over. Want to see the bushistas get theirs, vote Clark.

[democratreformed]

6. To Iowa Voters

Hi. My name is Tammy Herman. I am a 38 year old former school teacher who is now a construction estimator and draftsman. I am writing this to let you know that I am endorsing Wesley Clark for the Democratic nomination in the upcoming election and for the presidency of the United States. I hope that you will take a little time and let me share some of the reasons why I think he make him a great leader for our country.

The past two years and four months have been a very difficult time for our country as a whole. Many of our citizens have suffered and continue to do so. It is my belief that our current administration has reacted to the events of September 11, 2001 in a way that is taking our country backwards. So many of the things that make our country great are being destroyed or set back many years.

In my search for hope during this very trying time, I found that hope in a man named Wesley Clark. I learned many things about Wes Clark and became convinced that he is a man who genuinely cares about our country and who has a postive vision to take our country in a forward direction. I joined a movement called "draftClark" and helped convince him to run for the presidency of the United States.

As I learned about Wes Clark and, as his campaign progressed, I began to realized even more how intelligent he is and how very much he cares about the future of our country and its citizens. On his website, www.clark04.com, you will find that he has policies for many current issues such as health care, education, tax reform, and national security. These are just a few of the ones addressed on the site and I would urge you to visit it if you have internet access and are interested in learning more.

Wes Clark is a man who truly believes that America and her citizens can and will have a bright future with the proper leadership. He is the man who can provide that leadership. He has the intelligence, compassion, and necessary experience in diplomacy to get things accomplished that will benefit America as a whole. Please consider giving him your support.

Thank You.

[Toucano]

7. Kicking

for those more alert than I currently am.

[LTR]

8. kick

:kick:

Still writing mine. It will be up by tomorrow.

[JPJones]

9. I am supporting Wesley Clark for these reasons:

1) Leadership - We are electing not only a President but also a Commander-in-Chief. Wes Clark has the vision and experience to lead our troops, to bring them home, and to repair America's reputation around the world.

2) Intelligence - Clark, the Rhodes Scholar, impresses me with his ability to speak extemporaneously. Intelligence is an important quality in adapting to the unique challenges that face every President.

3) Positive message - Wes knows what a failure Bush has been, but he also knows that a pessimistic outlook alienates many voters. Populism and anger motivate some Democrats, especially when we are out of power. But it just sounds like crazy talk to your average voter (Nascar Dad, soccer mom, etc.). Remember, a majority of voters actually LIKE George Bush. Wes is focused on the future, and this will pay off in the general election.

4) Domestic policy - Wes Clark's domestic policies are rooted in common sense. They are moderate and won't break the bank. He will surely choose a VP who can work with Congress. However, isn't working with a hostile Congress all about leadership? (See point 1)

5) Democratic values - Some people have spent the last 35 years working within the Democratic party machine. Wes Clark has fought for Democratic values in other ways. He fought for better education and quality of life for the people who worked under him. He negotiated a peace treaty. He held together a coalition of 19 nations. He stopped genocide in two countries and he tried to stop genocide in a third. Wes Clark believes the things that we, as Democrats, believe. For me, those are the only Democratic credentials anyone needs.

6) That intangible quality - JFK had it, Clinton has it, Wes Clark has it. It's the ability to inspire people and to give people hope.

[arewethereyet]

53. um, regarding that number 2

while I in no way diminish his educational resume, his extemporaneous speaking ability is, well, shakey.

Check it out...

http://www.suntimes.com/output/steyn/cst-edt-steyn18.html

[LTR]

54. HEY!

No freeping on our parade!

Now say something nice about the General.

I studied speech communications in college, and also worked on-air in radio, and I personally like his speaking style.

[arewethereyet]

57. he does orate smoothly

when scripted and has the ability to project some warmth.

You will note that it was not my personal allegation and that it did speak directly to the facet I highlighted.

[LTR]

58. Huh?

Most of his appearances are Q & A.

[arewethereyet]

59. right and ?

there are only so many Q's to learn A's for.

its a little harder with real interviewers given their training and goals.

you have seen the evidence of that statement with your own eyes and ears.

[JPJones]

63. My reply to you

First, let me say that I think you violated the spirit of the thread.

Wes Clark's appearance on Meet the Press on June 3, 2003 was brilliant. I knew then that he would he make a great President. I can assure you that Clark did not have a large staff preparing him for that appearance.

Let's compare this to another candidate's appearance on Meet the Press on June 23, 2003. Dean was awful. I watched intently because of the buzz surrounding him. My impression was that he was not intelligent enough to be President. Dean has proven over and over that he can't think on his feet. He only does well when he can recycle some line from his stump speech. So in comparison, yes, Wes is a good extemporaneous speaker.

Sharpton and Kucinich have true gifts in this regard. The other candidates have their moments.

I'm also impressed that Wes seems to love knowledge. In answering the standard 'Who's your favorite philosopher' question, I have to admit that I was worried. For example, Edwards didn't have an answer. It turns out that Wes taught Philosophy at West Point. His answer ('Plato') has this great irony that I bet about 0.5% of people caught.

And he loves science. He likes to talk about string theory. My guess is that if you can master the concept of string theory, you should be able to understand how the Federal Government works.

[Scoopie]

70. Freep much?

After McCain in the primaries and Gore in the general election of 2000, we know how this silly game is played, arewethereyet.
You can't find much dirt on the man that isn't easily refuted by a quick check of some facts and, his policies will be as popular as Clinton's, so you can't down the General on his positions.
Therefore, the next step is to express the Hannity/Rove/Limbaugh meme that Clark is crazy. Bullshit.
We're not going to let it happen. In fact, if I may be so bold, let me use YOUR meme of Clark's speaking style as a measure of saneness and apply it to your candidate.
Your candidate cannot even string two words together without horrifically bobbling them and/or mispronouncing them so wrongly that we're left guessing exactly what he meant. Bush - which would be the Freeper's candidate, here - is the perfect example of one who is so illiterate that he thinks he can make up words and assumes the rest of us don't know that he's nothing more than an educated idiot. You can lead a man to education, but you can't make him think.
Using your claim that Clark is nuts since he speaks using a script (which is an old meme, btw. Clark's stump speech has improved vastly as he's learned the nuance of the political game), then GeeDub must be the most insane person to ever grace a podium.
You may not agree with some of Clark's stances, and, in the United States, where we're supposed to be allowed to disagree, that's fine; but calling Clark insane as a result of his statements on perfectly sane positions is nothing short of slander - and, since you've written it down - libel. Of course, I wouldn't assume anything less from a Bush supporter.
Finally, if you're not a Bush supporter and support another Democratic candidate, you should be ashamed of yourself for parotting the "insanity meme," as it probably also will be used against your candidate of choice should he recieve the nomination.

[JPJones]

64. I'm glad you are using Republicans to get your info

From your link:

'Now I'm not talking about things like this screwy response to a question from MSNBC's Chris Matthews. The general had indicated he wished Osama bin Laden to be tried at the Hague and sentenced to life in prison. "But," asked Matthews, "doesn't life in Holland beat life in a cave?"
"Not in a Dutch prison, Chris," said Clark. "They're under water, they're damp, they're cold. They're really miserable."

Dutch prisons are under water? Good thing Clark's not as dumb as Bush or Quayle, eh?'


Okay, where to start.

IT'S HOLLAND, THE WHOLE DAMN COUNTRY IS BELOW SEA LEVEL!

Now I'm done.

[robbedvoter]

10. I wholeheartedly endorse Clark for president because:

1. He is the best equipped candidate to defeat Bush.Clark has crossover appeal, will rally the W opposition across the board and will not allow W to get away with the Ground zero circus RNC plans this summer
2. Clark is brilliant. The best president to come after the W disaster - exceptional skills needed to clean up the mess - Iraq, economy, international shame, terrorism.
Clark has the skills to deal with a hostile congress (just ask Milosevic, the 19 nation in NATO, the Pentagon - Cohen&Shelton) and OVERCOME!
Clark has the strength to withstand and repel extremists attacks from right and even left - as he demonstrated throughout the campaign. Cool under pressure, undaunted he will forge in without whining and moaning about hardships.
3. Clark didn't decide to run for POTUS as a career move. he was drafted and accepted to serve. He is a public servant, not a politician. His sense of priorities is impeccable - his sights are trained on Bush, his goal, a better future for this country, the world.
4. Clark's decency and character shine though - his entire live is a beacon of heroism, integrity and humanism. He took a stand against genocide jeopardizing his career and prevailed. "When you can do good, you should" I feel privileged to have known him. Everyone who does, realizes that there's absolutely no artifice to the man.
5. Clark has a vision for the future. he described this in his book - before considering running. His speech on the subject left this trekkie breathless:
http://Blog.forclark.com/story/2004/1/11/18013/1678
I'll end with the quote on my wall:

 He's running for president, and he is not used to losing.  And if he gets the nomination, he'll go up and down this country and beat on President Bush like a drum.  He'll do 2,000 yards every morning; he'll rappel down any cliff he needs to; he will shake off any small-arms fire as if it were a swarm of gnats.  And he'll get better at the game each and every day.
He hates to lose.  And he doesn't run from fights.
And even if he's never played the game, he's never a beginner at anything.
Dismissed."

[Lefta Dissenter]

11. Kick

still working on mine...

[wellstone dem]

12. I endorse Wesley Clark for President of the United States

I know that some folks judge others by how many posts they have. I only have a few. But I've been a member since Paul Wellstone died and have donated.

I endorse Wesley Clark for President of the United States

I urge you to join me in working to elect Wes Clark. I am a lifelong Democrat. I first voted for Jimmy Carter. I’ve campaigned for state and local Democrats, including Paul Wellstone, but other than wearing a button and engaging in political conversation, I've never actively campaigned for a presidential
candidate. First, it was George Bush’s treatment of low-income people, our nation’s soldiers, and our environment that moved me. I don’t want George Bush in the White House. But now I’m not just wearing buttons, I’m writing, calling, door-knocking, donating, because I do want Wes Clark to be President.
My daughter is 15. I am doing this for her. Wes Clark’s support of renewable energy, his commitment to protecting the environment, his plan to make college accessible to all, and his
plan to address child poverty – all will help to make her life and the lives of those around her better. That’s what I want for her.
My niece is 22. I am doing this for her. She graduates from ROTC this Spring. She has made a tremendous gift to our country in her decision to serve. Wes Clark understands this gift
and has made 10 pledges to ensure that her service is valued and honored – not squandered. (I urge you to go to www.Clark04.com to read about these pledges and to get more information on Wes Clark.)
I believe that Wes Clark will bring this country leadership with integrity. He will change the view much of the rest of the world now has of our country. He will be the President my daughter deserves. Please support Wesley Clark for President of the United States.

[elcondor]

13. Kind of long--I hope y'all will indulge me.

My passion for what some may call a “dirty business� began in the summer of 1992. The entire country seemed to be divided over the upcoming presidential election—my family being no exception. My father is a Republican, but was going to vote for Perot and my mother was a Bush backer. Being eight-years-old at the time, I didn’t care much either way until I saw Bill Clinton on television. Even then, I recognized there was something . . . unique about him and for reasons I did not yet realized, I wanted him to win.

On election night, I crouched at the top of the stairs way past my bedtime, straining to hear the results from the downstairs television. But being eight, I soon fell asleep. My mother eventually found me, gently woke me, and told me Clinton had won. In my half-asleep daze, I experienced a moment of pure happiness.

As I grew up, I formed opinions that happened to coincide with the majority in the Democratic Party and drifted, intrigued, towards Clinton’s second-hand-man: Al Gore. I would venture to say that I was the only middle-schooler at the time to expound on the brilliance of Earth in the Balance to her friends. Naturally, I was very excited when he decided to run for the presidency in 2000. At 16, I poured my energies into Gore’s campaign. It was his nomination speech that made me realize what I wanted to do with the rest of my life—manage political campaigns. I hope someday to help honest men and women into positions of power so they can change America for the better.

I felt as if the wind had been knocked out of me the night he conceded.

Tears. Frustration. And ultimately hope. Not the hope that George W. Bush would prevail and become a great president, but that Gore would come back and leave no doubt who was the real victor.

For his own reasons, he decided not to. I understood, but as I looked at the emerging field of candidates, I felt politically adrift—no one inspired in me the passion and feeling Gore and Clinton had in the previous elections. I began to think that my admiration for those two men had been a child’s fancy. There were plenty I agreed with, I but feared I would be stuck voting for someone I couldn’t enthusiastically support.

When rumbling of a then-unknown-to-me general was jumping into the race surfaced last fall, I immediately wanted information. Sitting in my college dorm room, I plugged my headphones into my computer and listened to General Clark’s first NPR interview. I was instantly hooked. He spoke with he intelligence of Gore that I had so admired—but was certainly different in other ways. I felt myself unconsciously nodding along with his statements and viewpoints. For reasons I did realize—I supported him.

I don’t believe in knights on horses. I don’t believe in saviors or that one person can save a party. But I do believe that General Clark can unite our party and our country and oust Bush before he does any more damage to the world and the United States.

I believe that Wesley Clark will do what is best for the citizens of this country and of this world—and, in the end, in my opinion, that is more important than anger or vendettas.

The first primary and general election I can actually vote in are coming up and I can’t wait. It is a vote I will remember for the rest of my life and one I will always be proud of.

[Mz Pip]

14. Here's mine.

I am a middle aged woman who raised children, worked in education and is now nearing retirement. I marched against the war in Chicago in 1968 and cast my first vote for McGovern in 1972. Sometime I thought I had seen it all. I was wrong. George Bush came along and proved it.

I want Bush out of the White House. However, I realize that he is a popular war time president and respected many, many people. So what will it take to beat George W. Bush?

We need a candidate with strong foreign policy and national security credentials, a candidate who has built coalitions and seen the fruits of success. We need a candidate who understands that war must be used only as a last resort and would have a plan for success should we ever be forced into that situation.

We need a candidate who can rebuild the shattered relationships caused by our bullying foreign policy, one who can bring our Allies together and work together to bring peace and stability to the Mid East.

We need a candidate who has a knowledge of history, who can draw on this knowledge and form reasonable and workable policies. We need a person of intelligence, thoughtfulness and compassion in the White House.

We need a candidate who respects the rule of law and will not appoint ideolgical activists who will use their position on the Judiciary to turn around well established precidents.

We need a candidate who understands the needs of working people who are struggling to make ends meet, who want strong education for their children and health care for their families. We need a candidate who values the environment over special interests, who will work toward preserving clean air and clean water.

We need a candidate with a positive vision for the future, one who can truly be a uniter not a divider, one who will work with members of all parties to end the divisiveness and mean spiritedness that has permeated our political system for so long. We need a candidate who will work to end the partisanship that has brought this country to a standstill.

That candidate is Wesley Clark.

[xultar]

15. Why I endorse Wesley Clark

I endorse Wesley Clark because he is the first candidate to move me to participate by giving money and time. I first started noticing Wesley Clark on CNN. I really liked his commentary on the Iraq war. From the start he said that we shouldn't have gone to war without support of the UN. He didn't like the unilateral moves GWB made. He discussed the problems the US would have in the international community with GWB's foreign policy.

After that my father and I both discussed Wesley Clark and we both wanted him to run for President. Then I ran across Al Franken's book Lies, and the Lying Liars that tell them. WOW! There is a chapter in his book that really sold me on Clark. Clark he said, wanted to send troops to Rwanda to stop the genocidal murder of over 100,000 and the mass exodus of 100,000 more who risked death and disease in camps. Al Franken also discussed Wesley Clark's anti-terrorism plan. The Anti-Terrorism plan was written for the Clinton Administration. During the transition to the GWB administration Clark tried repeatedly to transition the anti-terrorism plan to Condi Rice. Condi Rice lied about General Clark's attempts to transition the plan. After 9/11/01 the GWB admin and Rice looked pretty stupid attempting to blame Clinton for failing to reign in OBL. But, Wesley Clark had the truth. He tried without success to get to Rumsfeld, Rice, and Rove to transition the report. They however, balked and got dissed when OBL destroyed the World Trade Center.

We all know how smart Wesley Clark is, first in his class at West Point, Rhodes Scholar, 34 years in the military, and his Glowing Reviews through Democratic and Rethuglican administrations.

What a lot of us don't know is that he is a very compassionate man. Wesley Clark CARES and he loves his country. Wesley Clark also cares for people and life. People who believe that Wesley Clark is a War Monger are misguided. It appears to be difficult for those folks to understand that he is more reluctant to go to war than most. Why? He's been shot four times. He knows what it is to be injured during battle. He knows what it is to lose friends in battle. Why would someone like that want to pass that tragic circumstance on to other young men and women of our armed forces?

I am a Democrat and a liberal. I know what being a Democrat and Liberal means to me. Luckily, I have years of experience on which to place my understanding. Am I bothered that Wesley Clark voted for Rethugligans in the past. No. Why? Because millions of Democrats have voted Rethuglican in their lives. As, many Rethuglicans have voted for Democratic candidates. I will not be a hypocrite and accept votes from Rethugs and shun Democrats who cross lines. This is America and that is what Freedom is all about. That is what Wesley Clark fought for and that is why I respect him.

We all have a choice to make during this primary season. We could choose a doctor to lead our country, we could elect senators and Representatives, we could elect our first Black Man, or re-elect GWB. We could also chose a TRUE LEADER and a BRILLIANT man who has better more even handed foreign policy experience that our current Administration. Clark also has more foreign policy experience than our entire Democratic Candidate field. Clark is the only candidate to repair our international reputation, he is the only candidate to over haul our foreign policy, and he is the only candidate to bring us out of the Iraq war with strength and stability in the Middle East. Clark is the only candidate with the style and guidance to finally obtain peace in Israel and Palestine.

Clark is the only candidate who can build enough support from both left and center plus conservatives who want to show GWB the BOOT!

So, let's make the obvious choice, let's choose a leader who has what it takes to KICK the Commander-n-Thief and his gang of bandits out of the White House in 2004.

[xultar]

23. I need to post a correction,

The New Endorsement

I endorse Wesley Clark because he is the first candidate to move me to participate by giving money and time. I first started noticing Wesley Clark on CNN. I really liked his commentary on the Iraq war. From the start he said that we shouldn't have gone to war without support of the UN. He didn't like the unilateral moves GWB made. He discussed the problems the US would have in the international community with GWB's foreign policy.

After that my father and I both discussed Wesley Clark and we both wanted him to run for President. Then I ran across Al Franken's book Lies, and the Lying Liars that tell them. WOW! There is a chapter in his book that really sold me on Clark. Clark he said, wanted to send troops to Rwanda to stop the genocidal murder of over 100,000 and the mass exodus of 100,000 more who risked death and disease in camps.

Later, I learned a lot more about how Wesley Clark led NATO forces in the Balkans to end the genocide of the Albanians. There are plenty of Democrats who want to accuse General Clark of being part of the Military Industrial Complex because of his work including his work with NATO. They want to say that what Clark did as NATO Supreme Commander in the Balkans was wrong. I challenge those people to go and talk to the Albanians. I challenge those people to do research and look at the pictures of the dead men, women, and children. I challenge those people to hear the stories of rape, mass graves, and other horrible tragedies in that region. Then, I challenge them to ask themselves how we as Americans and a part of NATO could not act. Then compare that to the horribly run Iraq war and know that Wesley Clark brought our entire armed forces home. There were no US armed forces lost to Clark's efforts with NATO. With that said, isn't Clark the man and President you want to end the Iraq war? Isn't Wesley Clark the man you want to bring our young soldiers, pilots, marines, and sailors home?

We all know how smart Wesley Clark is, first in his class at West Point, Rhodes Scholar, 34 years in the military, and his Glowing Reviews through Democratic and Rethuglican administrations.

What a lot of us don't know is that he is a very compassionate man. Wesley Clark CARES and he loves his country. Wesley Clark also cares for people and life. People who believe that Wesley Clark is a War Monger are misguided. It appears to be difficult for those folks to understand that he is more reluctant to go to war than most. Why? He's been shot four times. He knows what it is to be injured during battle. He knows what it is to lose friends in battle. Why would someone like that want to pass that tragic circumstance on to other young men and women of our armed forces?

I am a Democrat and a liberal. I know what being a Democrat and Liberal means to me. Luckily, I have years of experience on which to place my understanding. Am I bothered that Wesley Clark voted for Rethugligans in the past. No. Why? Because millions of Democrats have voted Rethuglican in their lives. As, many Rethuglicans have voted for Democratic candidates. I will not be a hypocrite and accept votes from Rethugs and shun Democrats who cross lines. This is America and that is what Freedom is all about. That is what Wesley Clark fought for and that is why I respect him.

We all have a choice to make during this primary season. We could choose a doctor to lead our country, we could elect senators and Representatives, we could elect our first Black Man, or re-elect GWB. We could also chose a TRUE LEADER and a BRILLIANT man who has better more even handed foreign policy experience that our current Administration. Clark also has more foreign policy experience than our entire Democratic Candidate field. Clark is the only candidate to repair our international reputation, he is the only candidate to over haul our foreign policy, and he is the only candidate to bring us out of the Iraq war with strength and stability in the Middle East. Clark is the only candidate with the style and guidance to finally obtain peace in Israel and Palestine.

Clark is the only candidate who can build enough support from both left and center plus conservatives who want to show GWB the BOOT!

So, let's make the obvious choice, let's choose a leader who has what it takes to KICK the Commander-n-Thief and his gang of bandits out of the White House in 2004.



---Richard Clarke is the correct name to attribute to the plan indicated in Al Franken's book.
Sorry for the confusion.

Maybe Clark will get Clarke to work in his administration in the same capacity!

I still love my General though!

[filora]

16. Supreme Allied Commander vs. Padded Flight Suit 2004

I'm a math professor at a university in rural Virginia. I have never been involved in politics before now, but I have been inspired to action by Wesley Clark, and I hope you will be too.

During the "Draft Clark" movement, when I first heard about Wesley Clark, I was immediately struck by the wonderful thought of a former four-star general and Supreme Allied Commander of NATO running against Mr. Chickenhawk Padded Flight Suit. I was ready to "hold my nose" and vote for Clark just to see Bush go down. I was a Nader supporter in 2000, so this was a big deal for me - this time I was ready to vote to win instead of voting with my heart and my ideals.

BUT, being an academic and an internet geek, I sat down and did some research on Clark. To my surprise, I found him to be a caring, intelligent, thoughtful person with very progressive policies. For a week, my husband and I read articles and watched video clips and news interviews with Clark (as well as the other candidates). Every time we heard Clark speak or read his policies we were more and more convinced that he not only could beat the tar out of Bush, but also that he agreed with our positions on the issues of the day. I'm actually inspired by General Clark. (Sometimes I can hardly believe I'm saying that about a general - I had formerly distrusted all things military, but I try to be a reasonable person and Clark has changed my earlier opinions and biases.)

For the first time in my life, I am excited about a candidate rather than just choosing the "lesser of two evils". I had never been involved in politics before (armchair quarterback only), but this year I am volunteering for the Clark campaign with every spare moment of my time. My vote for Wesley Clark WILL be a vote for my heart and my ideals! And better still, I think he has the best chance of sending Bush back to Crawford!

[MoonRiver]

17. OK, here goes

Wesley Clark's candidacy was only a gleam in this voter's eye one plus year ago. I knew in my gut that this guy would be an awesome and formidable opponent to the weasel in chief. He had stated that people around the country were urging him to run, but he didn't sound too interested. He said he was going to take time to look at the candidates when they announced and discussed how stressful a run would be on his family. I didn't believe he'd take up the gauntlet. Still I dreamed of a Kerry/Clark ticket, because before IWR Kerry also seemed like a magnificent candidate and he was considered the front runner. I definitely saw them as unbeatable in the general election.

Everything changed after IWR. Rove and the neocon bastards pulled off another brilliant maneuver, which only after thousands of deaths, is beginning to backfire. Kerry was caught in the rovian trap, while Cheney and the other * war profiteers had everything in place to become filthy rich from invading Iraq. Kerry suffered mightily from IWR fallout until just yesterday! I believe the apparent wounding of our most viable candidates is the reason Clark finally decided he had to jump into the race. The General has always answered the call of his country and the 2004 presidential race is no exception. I can honestly say I view General Clark as one of the finest citizens in American History. President Clark has developed from fantasy to a real possibility. I feel blessed that he is now in a real position to rescue our country from the horror into which * has plunged US.

[Lurking Dem]

18. Where to begin...

I feel very strongly that Wesley Clark is the best, in fact the only, candidate able to beat Bush.

I was a fervent Gore in '04 supporter after the last debacle...errr...election. I knew we had been cheated out of our elected President but it was much deeper than that. The very foundations of what made America great had been, in my eyes, destroyed.

Shortly before Gore announced he would not seek the Presidency in '04, I began to ask myself heartfelt questions about his ability to overcome the past in another bitter, divisive campaign. I began to lose hope that we could be rid of Bush, not only for 4 more years but possibly 12 as we would then have to contend with Jeb.

Gore made his statement. Many of us felt bereft. I was wondering what was going to happen to the Democratic Party. I was wondering what was going to happen to Democracy.

Rumors began circulating about General Clark. Draft sites were springing up and a movement was born. So I started taking a long hard look at the General having been waffling between Kerry and Dean.

What I found was an amazing man who through perseverance and hard work graduated first in his class at West Point and a Rhodes Scholar. I found a man with Masters degrees in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. This was, I felt, a man who could think for himself. This was a man who had the knowledge necessary to lead this country out of the quagmire it had enmeshed itself in.

I found a man who gave 38 years of his life in service to his country. A decorated war hero who taught himself to walk without a limp even though 1/4 of the flesh from his calf was shot off in Vietnam. During the span of his military career, including the saving of Albanians from ethnic cleansing, he received numerous decorations for his command. He was also honored by Clinton with a Presidential Medal of Freedom, Great Britain with an Honorary Knighthood, the Netherlands with an Honorary Knighthood, and was made a Commander of the French Legion of Honor. This was, I felt, a man of honor, courage, and dignity who could thwart the Republican meme of "Democrats are soft on defense" and highlight the dismal service record of Bush.

Watching his reports as a military analyst on CNN, I found a man who was lambasting Bush on National tv and calling for cool heads in the midst of a Chicken Little administration. This was, I felt, a man with a public record of standing up to Bush just like he stood up to the Pentagon during his service.

But it was more than that. Whether it was listening to Clark speak or looking at the totality of his private and public life, I found a man who was honest, sincere, passionate, brilliant, and caring. This was, I felt, a man who could bridge the gap between Democrats and Republicans, heal the rancor in DC, and bring America back into a positive light in the rest of the world - not through rhetoric, grandstanding, or politicking, but through positive, honest, healing actions that would benefit the greater good.

I was one of the first people to give the Clark Campaign money when he announced his candidacy. I will be voting for Wesley Clark in the primary in Tennessee proudly and I know he will lead the United States of America to greatness.

[robbedvoter]

26. Lurking Dem, I identify with everything you wrote. Same journey, same peak

:bounce:

[Auntie Bush]

52. Lurking Dem you speak for me too

I pledged money to Clark before he accepted the nomination and as soon as he announced he was running I fulfilled that pledge plus some extra and have made several more donations since. I mention that because I'm a middle aged woman and have never donated to anyone...not even Clinton. No one has ever given me the hope and confidence that Clark has and I'm behind him 100%. I think he will be a 2 term president and will go down in history as the best president ever. He will unite this country and be a true and loved world leader. God knows...we need that!

[Lefta Dissenter]

19. a kick and a nudge (eom)

[newyawker99]

20. kick

[Lurking Dem]

21. kick

:kick:

[Maddy McCall]

22. beaconess, where ARE YOU???

You have made some excellent contributions to this forum...showing wisdom far beyond your post numbers. I begged Skinner to do away with the 250 post limit because we needed your wisdom, yes YOUR wisdom, in this forum.

I would love to see you write an article. PLEASE accept the challenge.

[joanski01]

24. This is a really great thread.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Come on, folks, let's have some more.

[boxster]

25. Kick

kickity-kick

[Maddy McCall]

27. kick

[LTR]

28. Here's mine

Wesley Clark, the president you were promised as a kid

Imagine this scenario:

The Democratic nominee has been selected. After a bitter primary season, a retired General, Wesley Clark, is now the Democratic Party nominee for President. With a month to go until the election, General Clark and our current president, George W. Bush, meet for their first debate.

Both candidates are maintaining their cool. Bush, who has keenly learned from watching his father’s mistakes against Bill Clinton, is practicing grace under pressure.

Then, it happened.

President Bush makes a fatal mistake. He claims that not supporting the Iraq war is unpatriotic, treasonous, and dangerous to the many men and women serving in the Gulf.

Clark, maintaining his cool, turns to the President, points his finger, and, repeating what Bill Clinton said to the President’s father some 12 years ago, says what is on the minds of millions of Americans:

“Mr. President, I have fought for my country for 35 years. I lost part of my leg for my country. Since then, I have continued the fight for not only my country, but for the rest of the world to enjoy the freedoms that many of us take for granted. Mr. President, how dare you question my patriotism? To me, fighting for my country is more than mugging for photo ops.�

The President’s eyes grow wide. He realizes his biggest mistake yet. This is the beginning of the end of the Bush Presidency.

Granted, this is all but a pipe dream. And a crazy one at that. One that may not even happen. But we as Democrats dream of something like this bringing the curtain down upon the Bush Regime. Well, all I have to say is, yes, it can happen.

Early last summer, I started noticing that the Democratic party was starting to make noise about the 2004 election. A bit early, I thought, as did many others. I surveyed the candidates that had thrown their hats into the ring. I was not very impressed. ‘Is this the best they have to go against the most evil Republican regime in history?’ I thought. ‘Surely there’s got to be someone better’.

Then, it happened.

A blog I was reading mentioned a man by the name of Wesley Clark. The name was vaguely familiar, perhaps from war coverage on CNN, where he worked as an analyst. Granted, I was still a bit skeptical, thinking it was yet another Perot-style populist with more sizzle than steak. But something about the blurb intrigued me. It read of common sense and realism. I craved more. I discovered a handful of “draft Clark� websites that urged this man to run. I finally thought this was the man who could possibly beat Bush. Imagine, 30-some years in service to our country. Graduated first in his class at West Point. A Rhodes Scholar. Won a war as a four-star general without any loss of American lives. A businessman with a degree in economics. CEO of a firm specializing in alternative energy. Who better than Wes Clark to take on a smug, aloof idiot that, for some reason, was still very popular?

Immediately, I devoured all I could. I watched videos of Clark tearing apart GOP goons like Hannity and Novak without even breaking a sweat on DigitalClark.com. I read position statements that literally took words out of my mouth. I was hooked. I spread the word as fast as I could, in conversation and on message boards of all types. I prayed that he would toss his hat in the ring.

Last September, he did.

Sure, he stumbled a bit out of the gate. But who hasn’t? Soon, he had the most concise and logical position statements of any candidate. A man who understands the problems facing America. He believes that corporate CEOs are not the only ones who deserve to taste the delicious fruits of our society, but that everyone should.

A man who believes that the environment is not something that should be taken for granted, that clean air and land are gifts that we should pass on to our offspring.

A man who believes every American deserves a shot at the American dream, as well as a quality life with decent health care, security, and opportunity.

A man who honestly knows best how to protect our nation against terroristic threats.

A man who wants to stop corporations and foreign countries from exploiting workers, putting Americans out of work and making us dependent on imported products.

A man who believes all Americans, regardless of wealth, race, religion, social stature and gender should enjoy the American dream.

A man who personally fought to protect our right to free speech, and not for people like John Ashcroft, Pat Robertson, Karl Rove, Rupert Murdoch and Lowry Mays to squash it.

A man who realizes the importance of a responsible government that knows it is more important to spend money to help the average American in areas such as health, education and job creation rather than spend money to the benefit of corporations, special interests, distractions and ego-gratifying wars.

Yes, this man is Wesley Clark

Now some may criticize him for voting Republican at one time. I say, so what? Ronald Reagan, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Strom Thurmond and Norm Coleman are examples of former Democrats welcomed in to the G.O.P. with open arms. The longer the Democratic party continues to be a party of exclusionists and elitists, the longer we will have to suffer through presidents like George W. Bush. Do we turn away the millions of Democrats, independents and undecideds who voted for Republicans at one time in their lives? This is asinine, and political suicide. The only way the Democrats will win in 2004 is to appeal to a broad base. A broad base consisting of progressives as well as moderates and independents.

It is time for the Democratic Party to think outside the box and nominate the best man for the job. General Wesley Clark has proven himself to be this man. As one of the founders of the Draft Clark movement once said, “Clark is the president we were promised as a kid.� Let’s not pass this golden opportunity by.

After all, don’t you want to see Bush in a debate with Clark?

[Auntie Bush]

56. Rat Terrier , I have one correction

Instead of saying the President's eyes grow wide. You should have said the president's eyes became small and beady.

[LTR]

29. kick

:kick:

[placton]

30. Let me add:

1. People who switch parties make GREAT candidates - it has happened more than once in Michigan, and these type of folks get the best of both worlds. Clark has NOTHING TO GAIN by switching from his previous support of GOP-ites - other than the true argument he could not stomach those folks any longer. To the independent voter, this looks great.

2. His lack of a political record is a huge benefit. Unlike the other candidates, he has not been forced to take stands for decades. People evolve, vote for legislation based on nuance, etc. Clark does not bring much baggage with him. Even Dennis K switched from anti to pro choice (and good for him) not long ago. That type of baggage is what I am referring to.

3. Because of his military career, he has been "vetted" by his profession - there are unlikely to be any surprises in his background. His promotions are argument after argument of both his ABILITY and his ACCEPTABLITY.

4. "Reluctant testimony" is ALWAYS the strongest argument in any debate. In other words, evidence from someone EXPECTED to support the other side (military "expected" to favor our Boy King) is always the best argument. Every time Clark says anything anti-Bush, he implicitly says all sorts of bad things about *.

I agree with the other posters, but see no need to repeat.

[Jerseycoa]

31. Wes Clark: He’s Not What You Think, Whoever You Are

Wes Clark is a courtly fellow, an odd mix of liberal ideas and conservative values, worldliness and earthiness, a Rhodes scholar and an unabashed patriot, an old fashioned type who views his run for the presidency as a call to service. He has had to struggle to distill his complex thoughts into sound bite size, but his policy speeches are all good sense and down home clarity.

Clark senses that “what makes us special as America is being lost in the world. We've always been a country that inspires others not just through the force of our arms, but through the force of our example.” He talks about Peace Corps volunteers finding portraits of John F. Kennedy on the bare walls of rural huts and South Africans waiting in line to vote after apartheid fell, carrying worn copies of the U.S. Constitution.

“We don't want to be the kind of country where grandmothers need to travel to Canada to afford the medicine they need to stay alive. We don't want to be the kind of country where school budgets get cut to pay for tax breaks so millionaires can have more leisure time. And we certainly don't want to be the kind of country where our own President implies that we're unpatriotic if we question the very policies that got us into this mess in the first place.”

Clark has said, "There really is one big issue you face in this party and in this country. What is the nature of the government we want?”

The retired four-star general hoping to take the White House is a pro-choice, half-Jewish, Baptist convert to Catholicism, who is a practicing Presbyterian and believes in the separation of church and state. He voted for Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Al Gore. And he doesn’t mind saying so. He has a dry wit and a sharp mouth. He can ably impersonate the voices of Charlie Rangel, Slobodan Milosevic, George H.W. Bush, and Bill O'Reilly.

The so-called “anti-war general” favors a constitutional ban on desecration of the American flag and is critical of the Patriot Act. He is a Southerner who advocates affirmative action, because it was successfully applied to the military. He opposes the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy for military gays and supports civil unions. He is a champion of human rights and principled dissent, a clean environment and protected fisheries, economic fairness and jobs creation, corporate responsibility and deficit reduction.

He is not afraid to say that the traditional deathbed choice in childbirth belongs to the woman, her family and her physician, and not to any right wing legislative agenda. He says Eisenhower was correct to “beware the military-industrial complex,” and would reduce the defense budget by one quarter. He is an internationalist humanitarian who believes diplomacy leveraged with military strength is the best national defense. Like any good commander of force, he views it as the very last resort.

As a candidate for political office, he has been a quick study. Senator Bob Graham of Florida, after withdrawing his own candidacy, said of Clark, “Within the first couple of weeks of Wes' announcement, he had given five or six major speeches on different issues. He didn't just scribble those on the back of an envelope. He was well-prepared - better prepared than we were.” And it has only gotten better and better and better.

Bill Clinton says, “He's got a sack full of guts.” Theodore Sorensen says, “He does not need to dress up as a fly boy to be called 'commander in chief.’” When he drinks a Sam Adams with the guys down at the VFW Hall in New Hampshire, they toast Wes Clark as “The best general in the world!”

Most voters want somebody, anybody, who will seam our torn country into a nation again, return us to a sense of honor in the world and safety at home. He is tough on terrorism and not afraid to issue a challenge: "It's not enough for Saudi Arabia to pursue terrorists within its own borders. The Saudis need to join us in a worldwide campaign, and especially in that harsh region on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan."

“As president, I will employ every weapon in the U.S. arsenal to beat back the forces of terrorism,” Clark says. “But the weapons of our country must not be limited to our awesome military capabilities. They must involve the web of international relationships we have built over generations.”

Yale intellectual Harold Bloom announced his endorsement in the Wall Street Journal: “I am not suggesting that all our future presidents must be generals. Yet the time and the person have come together in Gen. Clark. There is potential greatness in him: realism and hope intricately fuse in his character. As a lifelong Democrat speaking to other Democrats, I urge his nomination. To Republicans and independents, I put the question: Weigh Gen. Clark's qualifications against President Bush's performance, and who seems likelier to lead us effectively in the years of trouble ahead of us?”

Is Wes Clark, as Howard Dean, Joe Lieberman and the Republican National Committee insist, a Republican? Not according to Democratic icon George McGovern. "There are a lot of good Democrats in this race, but Wes Clark is the best Democrat," said McGovern, who is also a veteran and war hero. "He is a true progressive. He's the Democrat's Democrat. I've been around the political block--and I can tell you, I know a true progressive when I see one. And that's why he has my vote."

Speaking as a Democrat of 38 years standing who proudly voted for George McGovern, the peace candidate of 1972, Wes Clark is my candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States of America.

Doris Lane
Ocean Grove NJ

[windansea]

55. excellent !!

:yourock:

[Auntie Bush]

60. Bravo! Jerseycoa .. That was beautiful n/t

[Tom Rinaldo]

32. When Opportunity Knocks, Open the Door.

Wesley Clark said it best when he commented that Democrats aren't used to having Generals in our Party. Just as true it seems, Generals aren't used to being Democrats. Everyone knows by now that Clark was rather late arriving at our Party. Most V.I.P.'s show up earlier, except, sometimes, for the Guest of Honor. What has Wesley Clark ever done to earn that type of distinction?

It is a good and fair question. Too often though it's posed as a Trick Question: "What has Clark done for the Democratic Party to earn the distinction of being our Presidential nominee?" What's the trick? It's simple really. All political parties exist (or so it is claimed) to advance the greater interests of the American People, not the other way around. The election of November 2004 isn't about selecting the next Chairperson for the National Democratic Party, it is about choosing the next President of the United States, the one who will be sworn to uphold all of our interests.

Talk all you want about third party movements and Independent candidacy's; for a century or more, the successful path to the Presidency has run directly through one of two dominant parties. Democrats tend to criticize some of our leftist friends for diluting our forces, either by running as, or supporting, a Green Party Presidential candidate. Yet some now imply that Clark, a man who chose a non partisan career of service and Independent affiliations, should perhaps be running as an Independent candidate, rather than compete with longer tenured Democrats seeking our nomination, or simply not run at all. That line of thinking fails to directly address the fundamental questions. Who should Democrats be supporting to become our next President, and why? Who is best suited to serve and protect the American public? Who can most likely succeed in the quest to unseat Bush the Pretender? Not succeeding at the latter is almost too depressing to contemplate, but contemplate it we should.

Obviously Democrats hold core beliefs on the values our society must embrace, and the direction our nation should take. Without those a political party is just an expedient shell. Someone seeking our Party's support must uphold those beliefs, so what about General Clark? I think anyone capable of reading or listening knows by now that he does, in spades. Personally I agree with Michael Moore, Clark is surprisingly progressive on almost all issues. Democrats never agree on everything, but if Clark is who he says he is, the overwhelming majority of Democrats, not to mention Independents and moderate Republicans, will celebrate a Clark victory over Bush.

That's the rub for many, isn't it? Should we believe what Clark says and writes now, just what is really behind his good words? There are certainly those who reject Clark for some deeply held principles, or deeply rooted suspicions, and your decision for now is simple; back another candidate. But I'm addressing the rest of us here. Clark has proven his courage and literal selflessness on a field of real battle. That can't be faked. He stood up to the military establishment in the Pentagon, and fought hard and successfully in favor of humanitarian military missions, at the ultimate expense of his own career. That is public record. Clark comes from humble roots and is a self made man who lived for decades on middle income wages in the U.S. Army though fortunes were frequently offered him as an incentive to leave. I know enough people who I trust, who know and trust Clark's abilities, his motivation, and his sincerity, for me to trust Clark also. I've met him. I believe him.

But it's too much of a gamble to select Clark some say, why make it? Gambling is a better metaphor than it might initially appear. Why would anyone not bet on a relative sure thing over something, or someone, less proven? Easy, it's for the greater pay off when you ultimately win. In Clark's case, for me, the question isn't whether is Clark more or less likely to beat Bush. I think the public at large has a much easier time respecting and accepting Clark than do core Democratic voters being asked to chose between a number of attractive choices. Many of Clark's perceived weaknesses in the Primaries turn to advantages in the General Election. One quick example; men embrace Clark more quickly than most women, maybe it's that military thing. Running against Bush rather than another Democrat, Clark will do fine with women, a traditional Democratic area of strength, AND Clark will deeply encroach on Bush's hold over most white males. The arguments have all been frequently made, so I will simply state here that I believe Clark is the man best able to defeat Bush in the Fall.

For me Clark's huge upside is AFTER he gets in office. I think he will make a truly great President. I think Clark possesses greater personal skills than any President since FDR. Equally impressive, Clark is a great communicater. He knows how to speak to Democrats, that's obvious from his campaign, but he resonates with almost all Americans. Here is a man with George McGovern and Michael Moore endorsements who most Americans don't view as "one of those liberals". Clark is a Trojan Horse alright, our Trojan Horse. He can carry our message past the media and propagandist walls designed and built to keep Progressive speech out. Clark steals Republican Thunder to deliver Democratic Lightning. He will transform the political landscape in a way none of our other candidates could. He will restore the Democratic Party to majority status. And what is the downside to this gamble? We may end up with another Clinton. That is a risk I am prepared to take.

[Jerseycoa]

34. Damn, Tom, you had me worried ;)

[KittyWampus]

33. Wesley Clark

Wesley Clark has demonstrated a gift for bringing out the best in people. He has helped turn around difficult situations by bringing those around him together. Race relations, spousal abuse and inadequate education are all problems that he has taken on and helped solve.

I support Wesley Clark's nomination because he will unite Americans as we work towards cleaning up Amercia's environment, rebuilding our country's infrastructure and repairing our relationships with the rest of the world. He is the one candidate who can go beyond partisanship and put his concern for the Common Good before all else. Wesley Clark will make sure our Schools are adequately funded, our Healthcare is affordable and our Borders are secure. With an eye towards the future, Wesley Clark will address how we use Land, allocate our Resources and fuel our Economy. America's best days are ahead of us. As we move foward with our fellow citizens and our global neighbors, Wes Clark will lead the way.

[Skinner]

35. Are you guys going to submit a collaborative effort?

Let me know asap. Thanks.

[Tom Rinaldo]

36. To Clark Writers

I have absolutely zilch time to put anymore into this over tonight or tomorrow. If anyone else wants to try to assemble parts of various efforts here into a coherent whole, you have my blessing to either use or not use any of the words that I wrote. I am up against a huge deadline, won't even have time to really read what everyone already wrote until "bedtime" at the earliest. Quickly glancing over it, there is some great stuff on this thread...

[Jerseycoa]

37. I did misunderstand

I'll volunteer if I know the time frame.

[bicentennial_baby]

38. ASAP

I think

[Tom Rinaldo]

39. I didn't pick up on that either

But I wouldn't have had time to do much more than I did. Just squeaked one in under the gun as it is. That would be great if you could pull it off. Best of luck if you try. I guess draft ideas can be posted back up on this thread for comments.

[Jerseycoa]

40. Somebody suggested

A vote. Maybe that's the best way.

[Jerseycoa]

41. Skinner's going to pick one

He mentioned on another thread they had been emailed to him? Has everybody done that?

[LTR]

42. I emailed mine

Per Skinner's original instructions.

[Jerseycoa]

43. Good

Somebody knew what we were doing. I totally screwed it up.

[Bucky]

44. Crap crap crap. I ASSumed someone else would take care of this. Here...

As a lifelong Democrat, as a parent, as a teacher, and as a concerned American citizen, I want to give my endorsement to a brand new Democrat, General Wesley Clark.

At first, I was surprised to find myself supporting a military man, a thirty four year veteran of the armed services, for president of the United States. If there is anything that all teachers share in common, no matter where we live, no matter what age or subject we teach, it is a belief that it is important to teach our children to think for themselves, understand each new problem that faces them in life, and to look beyond surface appearances to meet each different person, situation, and challenge in life on its own merits.

When I looked at Wesley Clark, I found a kindred spirit. Among all the good candidates running, Wes Clark stood out as a leader who challenges all of his fellow citizens to think clearly about the problems our nation faces and to find ways to fix those problems in ways that are consistant with our American values. He is a leader who doesn't ask for us to follow him, but to think for ourselves, become leaders ourselves, and work all of us together to realize the full promise of our country.

Wes Clark's New American Patriotism is more than a cute tag line. It is a challenge for each of us to get involved with our communities and our country, to do more than just vote, sit back, surf the internet, and wait for elected leaders to come along and solve our problems. This new patriotism rolls up its sleeves, questions why we face the problems we do, attacks the causes and not just the symptoms of our problems, and isn't afraid of being called "unpatriotic" when we disagree with our leaders. The New American Patriotism means we can argue with each other and still speak what James Madison called "the language of respect."

Some people say the "New American Patriotism" isn't really different than the old American Patriotism. They're right. It's only different from the false, insecure patriotism espoused by people who say it's wrong to question our leaders in times of crisis and conflict. Wes Clark's message is that the real definition of being a loyal, engaged American citizen is back and no one is going to take the flag from us.

There is also the partisan in me who loves the candor, directness, forcefulness, and logic that Wesley Clark uses when indicting the current administration for its many faults. He, among all the candidates, is uniquely qualified to sell the point to the average voters that the war in Iraq was foolish, destructive, and ill-considered; that the current health care policies of our government are contrary to our national well being; that current tax policies are damaging the longterm strength of our economy; that the rule of law among nations has been subverted and perverted by this administration in ways that will threaten the security of our country for generations to come; that the steady erosion of our civil liberties under Mr Bush is a blasphemy against the heritage that our Founders left to us.

And when I look to man himself, I see exactly the kind of leader this country needs. If we were to sit down in a magical genetic laboratory and design the perfect candidate to defeat the Bush Administration hell bent on manipulating patriotism and fear into its first full election to office, we'd come up with someone very much like Clark. He's a well mannered, forceful speaker with strong creditials in administration, security, international diplomacy, and economics. He's taught ethics and philosophy at West Point and is seeped in a profound understanding of the principles of our American democracy, But he's also a gifted speaker who can communicate those basic American truths to our fellow voters.

Wes Clark's life is a story of leadership grounded in service. His life story is a great example of that quality of "disinterestedness" that many of our Founders thought was necessary in a president. He's a Democrat because he believes in fairness and opportunity, but there can be no question that he always has, and always will, put the interests of the people first. He offers to Democrats a messenger with the most progressive tax proposal and a solid commitment to our environmental future. He, uniquely among the candidate, can show a record of creating, supervising, and supporting schools and communties and health care programs that work with great efficiency.

America's taken a lot of hits in the last three years. We've lost the respect of other countries around the world. We've lost too many of our citizens to terror, war, and violence. But worst of all, we've lost a lot of our native hope to despair about the economy, the environment, the loss of jobs to overseas, the erosion of our civil liberties, and the erosion of civility in our public discussions. Wes Clark alone isn't going to fix that. But together we can work to build back what we've lost and make the American dream an attainable reality for our communities once again.

[bicentennial_baby]

45. Email it to Skinner!

Did you do that?

[Bucky]

46. Yeppers, did it. I think there's a lot of good ones in this thread already

[Tom Rinaldo]

50. There sure are

I keep cheating and skimming them when I take short breaks from the project I'm tied up on. I emailed Skinner also.

We should all bookmark this thread. There still may be a chance in the future for some of us to take some time and collaborate on an essay or something using material we wrote here.

[wholeworld]

47. Wooohoo!

Wes Clark...great guy, 4 star general. Got my vote!

[LTR]

48. Works for me.

Welcome aboard!

[Ilsa]

49. My endorsement of Wes Clark for president:

This man is brilliant, has leadership experience, understands foreign policy, the role of the military in foreign policy and will not abuse the military for personal gain.

He loves his country. I bet he could have made millions on his own as a young but he chose to give a portion of his life to his country. I respect his love for his fellow citizens.

He believes in open government, not secrecy, and has pledged that he will never call someone unpatriotic for challenging his decisions.

He believes in a progressive tax system, responsible and generous govt., libertarian principals regarding sef-determination.

Wesley Clark inspires people to be more for themselves, their neighbors, their country. He is the kind of person we wish we could re-elect again and again.

I would write more, but my kids need me right now.

[LTR]

51. Congrats JerseyCoa!

Your endorsement was the one chosen!

[Jerseycoa]

61. Thanks

I was so surprised. There were so many great ones to choose from, Skinner probably had to close his eyes and pick.

Good job, Clarksters! :loveya:

[incapsulated]

62. Congrats!

*does best military deadpan*

It was outstanding in every way.

:toast:

[NV1962]

65. Great, great endorsement text

Congratulations!

Other endorsements were awesome, too: well done all.

A heartwarming topic to read.

[robbedvoter]

66. In the spirit of thread: Willie Brandt NOt supporting based on DU info:

 
Willie Brandt posted on DU:
Why I will not support Clark

Reading DU, I have decided to renounce my support for Wesley Clark.
Here is why:
- A man named Michael Jackson said that Clark was crazy. He tried to
seize an airstrip that the Russians did not want him to seize, and
almost started World War III. I will trust the WW III jibe on its own
merits. Also, there is no way the American people will vote for a man
who stands up to the Russians.
- I read a virulently anti-Clinton, anti-Democrat website called
CounterPunch that Clark is no good for the Democratic party. Therefore,
I will trust them, since their hatred of my party shows they have my
party's best interests in mind.
- Clark has no political positions, except for those he has
articulated. And while those he has articulated are liberal, that is
only evidence that he secretly holds right-wing beliefs.
- I have a link to a right-wing publication trashing Clark, he is no
good for the Democrats. Clinton, Carter, Kennedy and Roosevelt were
never trashed irrationally by both the right and left!
- Does anybody know whether the the quote "Clark would personally
crowbar hobos for fun" is actually true? Stop saying I'm smearing him!
These are my theories! Do you have any proof that he DIDN'T crowbar
hobos? EVER?
- I am PROUD of my vote for Nader. Hey! Don't call me retarded! Stop
it! Stop it!
- While Clark sounds like a centrist and thinks like a liberal, Dean
sounds like a liberal and thinks like a centrist. It is clear that the
latter is better for the Democratic Party, since he is less likely to
get elected, and less likely to push forth liberal positions if he is.
- Clark was pushed into the Democratic Party by sneaky Republican
operatives, who wish to secure a Bush victory by electing a Democratic
president.
- The hatred the GOP has for Clinton is evidence that he is a
Republican. Therefore his friend Wesley Clark is a Republican.
- Clark voted Republican about 20+ years ago, therefore he is not a
Democrat. The fact that right-wing Reagan was once a devoted Democratic
is not a counterexample by proposition X, which I leave unspecified.
- Alright, so some Nader fans are retarded, but I'm not! Alright!?
- Because I'm a REAL Democrat, I will not support the Democratic
nominee unless s/he is X.
- Clark has the potential to expand the party by bringing in culturally
disaffected and politically disenchanted Reagan Democrats, while taking
positions more liberal than the other candidates. Unfortunately, those
Reagan Democrats are dirty, and shaking their hands is too high a price
to pay for power.
- Except for his experience in high-level diplomacy, ever-rising poll
ratings, and evident ease in front of the camera, he is too much a
political novice to win.
- Since the Constitution grants the franchise only to those who (1) are
members of DU; and (2) are extremely irrational, there is no way Clark
can win the presidency.

[robbedvoter]

67. Can the Big Dog play?

Subject:  Clinton in LA on Clark - Sept 18,2003

LA, September 18, 2003

"He is brilliant, he is brave and he is good,"
Clinton said. He went on to tell the audience about the heroic
effort Gen. Clark made to save the lives of several American
diplomats whose vehicle went off the road and exploded during peace
talks in Bosnia. "He's got a sack full of guts," Mr. Clinton said.


Silver stars vs Silver Spoon
http://www.clark04.com/press/

[robbedvoter]

68. From Australia, a poetic endorsement by Phoebe:

Subject:  Phoebe's poem


Does W trouble ya?
Does Rumsfeld disturb
Do you worry 'bout Wolfowitz's
neocon blurb?

Is the real Colin stolen?
Do you feel that for certain?
Do you suspect that Dick Cheney's
Pimpin' for Halliburton?

To de-louse the White House
We need a new leader,
A thinker, a statesman,
A soldier, a reader.

For duty, not booty
Should underly service
And that's why one man
Makes George W nervous.

It's hero v zero
A contrast so stark
That Anyone But Bush
Has one name: Wesley Clark.

[Scoopie]

69. Why I'm supporting Wes Clark (even with the toothache from hell)

Knoxville, TN (01/19/04) -- After seeing my paycheck mean less each
payday and after ruining several pairs of shoes by throwing them at
Pres. George W. Bush's image on television, I am very proud to announce that I am endorsing General Wesley Clark for Democratic nominee for the 2004 election.

After Clark made a soul-stirring speech (and gave me a grand side-sweeping hug) at the Truman Day Dinner on Sept. 13, the endorsement committee, of which I chair, made the unanimous conclusion to recommend the General.

Clark provides our members -- me and my son, our two dogs and our hamster -- with the best vision of the future, rooted in a concrete understanding of the United States' role as the world's moral compass since we are the world's only remaining Super Power. Clark also demonstrates a fundamental concern for the plight of those many Americans waiting for the best tax break of all: a job or a better-paying one. Plus, I'm just dying to see him look across a debate stage and ask President Bush if he can speak English long enough to enunciate how it felt to prance around the aircraft carrier in a rented flight suit. (Note: Bush will have to take a break to look up the word, "enunciate.")

"You know, I just plain LIKE General Clark," Lara said. "And, frankly, that Dean guy gives me the willies. You know something else, I'm a Tennessean and I don't sound like Elvis and I don't even own a Confederate flag!"

This official endorsement carries with it the full resources of Lara
and her 4-year-old boss, Ramzey, amounting to about $120 because that's all she can afford since she is a victim of the Bush economy. She also plans to attend rallies on Clark's behalf and will be working to get out the vote in Knoxville.

Media inquiries about this official endorsement should go to Director
of Endorsement Communications, me, via the link below.