Clark Aims to Pull Rank on Kerry in N.H.

[Freddie Stubbs]

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark (news - web sites) is aiming to pull rank on Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), the winner of Monday's Iowa caucuses, as the Democratic presidential race moves to New Hampshire.

Clark, who didn't compete in Iowa, told campaign workers in Manchester, N.H., that Kerry, a decorated former Navy officer, had a military background "but nobody in this race has got the kind of background I've got."

"It's one thing to be a hero as a junior officer. He's done that, I respect that," Clark said. "But I've got the military experience at the top as well as at the bottom."

He said he had no regrets about not competing in Iowa.

more: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=694&u=/ap/20040120/ap_on_el_pr/clark_25&printer=1

[Jack_Dawson]

1. General Outranks Lieutenant

Everyone knows that! Facts r Facts. Kerry needs to salute Clark.

[blm]

5. Except Clark got his facts wrong. The excitement of the campaign?

Kerry helped negotiate peaceful turnovers in the Philippines and Cambodia.

Was the POINTMAN on normalization of relations with Vietnam.

Crafted Kyoto Protocol for 10 years with other world leaders.

His investigations helped end wars in Iran-Iraq and Central America when he exposed the illegal covert actions of Reagan and Bush.

I can see that Clark could just easily have forgotten these things in the excitement of the campaign trail.

[JI7]

7. kerry will bring it up

that's why i want him to be asked about it.

[returnable]

22. True enough

I'm surprised Kerry doesn't bring up those accomplishments more.

In the few stump speeches of his I've seen, he usually plays up the Vietnam angle. Nothing wrong with that approach, but there's certainly more to his experience than what he did on that boat.

[Don Claybrook]

8. In case you didn't notice

Civilians outrank military officers. This "Clark ranks higher than Kerry" nonsense is just that...nonsense.

[Jack_Dawson]

20. Ummm...it was meant to be a joke

To illustrate the absurdity of the whole thing. Sorry it didn't translate.

[Don Claybrook]

21. Mea culpa

Sorry about that. I misread your intent. I guess I'm still a little raw after last night.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

[JI7]

11. well, kerry does call him "general" still

and clark calls him "john" only. not even "senator kerry" just "john".

[Jerseycoa]

28. I've heard Kerry refer to him as Wes or Wes Clark

I don't see this as a purposeful insult, just something Bob Dole felt like stirring up. I thought Clark could have handled it more deftly than he did.

[LuminousX]

30. Clark is scared

he was geared to battle Dean and somebody changed the OpFor.

[Frederic Bastiat]

37. LOL Clark scared?

Wishful thinking on your part. Dean is the one that should be scared, he got his ass handed to him in Iowa.

[maddezmom]

2. check the link :)

[Freddie Stubbs]

16. Link fixed

Must have forgot to take my pills today.:dunce:

[maddezmom]

19. hehe

:)

[JI7]

3. nothing wrong with that

clark does outrank in military terms since he is general. and this has been posted already.

[edzontar]

Nonsense. Kerry spoke out effectively against the Vietnam war

While Clark was voting for Nixon.

End of story.

[JI7]

6. yes, but clark was talking about being general

which kerry didn't make it up to. but kerry can talk about being a democrat his whole life. they will both do this to play up their own record. nothing wrong with that.

[Tom Rinaldo]

12. And McGovern is backing Clark now

It does no good for Democrats to be re fighting the Viet Nam War now, in 2004. We have more timely issues to be concerned with. I could enthusiastically back either Clark or Kerry. Kerry won my respect for what he did back then, and he has kept it. Clark won my respect for things he has done subsequently. Both men bravely served in Viet Nam. End of that story. There are others worthy of continued discussion.

[BOSSHOG]

4. And lest we forget

General Clark was a "Hero as a Junior Officer" as well.

[Fleshdancer]

9. This is stupid

If the Democratic primary gets reduced to "my service in the military is better than your service in the military" then it's going to get real stupid real fast.

I'll still be ABB of course, but come on, this is just dumb.

[bowens43]

10. It amazes me that anyone thinks Clark's (or Kerry's) military experience

is in any way relevant. Being a so called war hero doesn't qualify you for anything except being a war hero. Clark's experience at the top may qualify him to be a dictator in a small third world country, but nothing else. At least Kerry has some experience in government. Clark, with out his uniform, would disappear.

[KittyWampus]

27. How Silly, Clark Is A Proven Diplomat, Executive, Strategist & Leader

who has an outstanding record of turning outfits and situations with problems around.

The fact there's a "uniform" involved is merely icing on the cake.

[Leilani]

13. I'm a Clark Supporter, but

I think that is a stupid argument. I respect Kerry & Clark's service equally; they are both brave men.

I think Clark is reacting too strongly to the Bob Dole insults last nite on Larry King. Sounds like he's on the defensive.

[Jerseycoa]

31. It's a totally stupid argument

I think Dole's jab came on top of all the other neg stuff over the past week or two and straight into a sore spot. It's too bad it's sunk this low, but maybe I have to get used to it for the next couple of months. It would be nice if I didn't have to, though. :(

[goobergunch]

14. I am a citizen

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness....

[digno dave]

15. Dumb article, dumber thread

dd

[Democrats unite]

17. People get a clue!

Your tripe didn't work in Iowa (18%). trying to drive a wedge between Kerry's camp & Clarks Camp is not going to work. Have you all not learned anything from Iowa?

[Adjoran]

18. Experience argument is a double-edged sword

They aren't running for Chairman of JCS. They are running for President.

Kerry has the experience in government, which is what this race is about.

[Freddie Stubbs]

23. This race is more about who has the most experience in government

Some people see Clark as a breath of fresh air, someone who isn't caught up in the Washington games. I don't necessarily agree with that assessment, but some people do.

[sandnsea]

24. Clark pulled rank, bad idea

Vets won't like it. They aren't too impressed with the Generals who think being at the top is more important than what they do in the field.

[KittyWampus]

29. No Actually, Dole Insulted Him On Television. Clark Merely Corrected Him

BTW, Kerry stupidly said Clark didn't have much experience in the field.

Clark was in Operations which is to his credit.

[sandnsea]

32. I saw it elsewhere

Seems like it was in a stump speech, a video clip. I heard the Dole/Clark thing, that was pretty funny. But going any further is a bit too much. And Kerry said Clark wasn't a field commander, he was more Administrative. And he was. Doesn't matter. The Presidency isn't the Dept. of Defense. Alot more involved in working with countries around the world than dividing up a plot of land. Kerry has been doing all of it for years, from the environment to health to peacefully normalizing relations with various countries. He'll run on his record and experience and come out the clear winner!

[IndianaGreen]

33. Kerry lied and distorted Clark's record

Kerry got a Purple Heart for a minor flesh wound. Clark got a Purple Heart after being severely wounded in combat.

What a lying puke Kerry is, what a smear!

[KittyWampus]

38. Correcting Your Typo. Kerry Said Clark Wasn't In Field

Clark spent his entire career in FIELD OPERATIONS.

[creativelcro]

25. So, is Clark saying that his is bigger than Kerry's ?

[Cheswick2.0]

34. I guess

this should be fun. Isn't this the kind of crap that should be going on in the republican party?

[jonnyblitz]

26. arrogant. n/t

[GOPBasher]

35. Clark is my candidate, but

I don't think he should've played his general card.

[HereSince1628]

36. Clark didn't write this headline so I wouldn't blame this on him

but in a time of militarism in the US we would do well to remember that the US military is supposed to be under civilian control.

Although not commanded by the legislature, the military is still accountable to it, and consequently a senator probably "outranks" a general.

When it goes the other way, with senators answering to generals, the coup will have been completed.