UNOFFICIAL Transcript of Wes Clark speaking in L.A.

Tom Rinaldo

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Wed Apr-20-05 10:40 AM
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UNOFFICIAL Transcript of Wes Clark speaking in L.A.

This is the event that caused so much buzz here at DU and elsewhere when Clark "signaled" his probable intent to run in 2008.

This effort was someone's amateur labor of love (not mine), it was not professionally done, and it may contain errors. The video is available for anyone who wants to try to do a more accurate job at transcribing themselves. Best to watch the tape, but it is a tedious download on dial up modem. Here are the disclaimers from the person who prepared this:

"I've spent the last couple hours transcribing his speech.

There were a few places where, try as I might, I just couldn't tell what he said, so if you get a chance, please listen to the video and go over my work and point out whatever corrections or additions you can. Especially with important details like verb tenses. And where I've inserted a question mark or the words "drowned out." THANX!"

OK, here is the unofficial transcript (I am busy today preparing to leave town on a work trip so I am not "baby sitting" this thread. It is not a drive by post however since I am adding no original thoughts whatsoever.):

"You are wonderful! I'm SO happy to be here! (drowned out by cheering) Thanks for being here.

Well, I've got some special people here with me. I've got my son Wes. I've got my Communications Director, Erick Mullen's here with me. One of my swimming buddies from Arkansas from when I was a kid, his son Jeff Dunn's here, driving (?) with me. My trip coordinator from the campaign, Stacy Reuben's here. My body (?) man, the star of the aides (AIDS?) show there, Armand (?) Jackson's here.

And most of all, you're here. And if you're here, we're gonna change this country.

We got a lot of work to do. We got a lot of work to do. And, I'm not in public office. I'm in the private sector. There's a game going on. And it's called, you know, it's called, "Keep the Democratic candidates, potential candidates down." And, what we're doing is, we're building up.

And, so, I've got my business interests, a lot of 'em, and I'm working real hard, traveling a lot. But I've also got my political action committee, and I've got my website, securingamerica.com. I'm sure many of you have seen it. So those of you who may not have been on it, let me tell you where I'm going. And I'm gonna ask you to do some things for me.

First of all, we're gonna try to build a stronger Democratic party that can service the issues across the spectrum, not only education and health care, but also national security (drowned out). And, you know, I don't think there's any choice for the Democratic Party any longer. We can't... got to get over Vietnam, we've got to get over the idea that America turns to strong Republicans to keep this country safe. We have to keep this country safe, and we've got to make the American people understand it. That's Job One.

So a couple of initiatives I've got. Number one is I'm working real hard to make sure Tom Friedman and all those people don't give away the store to George Bush on the Middle East. Look, let's be very clear. I'll tell you my story. Walter Eichma... not Walter... the guy who runs Washington Monthly... Paul Glastross (phonetic) called me. His aide did. Said, "How'd you like to write a paper, um, for the Washington Monthly, under the banner headlines of, 'What If Bush Was Right'?" (pause for laughter) I said, "I'm not writing ANYthing that George Bush might have been right. Bush was WRONG!"

Of course we want to succeed in Iraq. It was just a mistake going there in the first place. I was over... I've been over in the Persian Gulf twice in the last three months. I was in Qatar in December, I was back again in March. In March, I was there for a democracy conference. I met leaders all through the region. And, of course they believe in democracy. They want to move to open up their societies. And, they're being impelled by the need to gain the support and trust and legitimacy of their own citizens. They're not afraid that George Bush is going to invade. They're afraid that if they don't win the trust of their citizens, that terrorism will take root. So if you were gonna sort of parse out the credit, I think George Bush would be in serious competition with Osama bin Laden. (drowned out by applause)

So... you know... people in the Islamic world who want democracy, they, they want it just as bad. It means the same thing to them, about respect for the individual and dignity, as it does in the United States. But democracy has to be created from a sense of ownership. It cannot be imposed. It's the idea that someone's... (drowned out). So I think that when I hear George Bush talking about how much He's doing for democracy, and how HIS invasion of Iraq has brought democracy to the region, it's like a rooster... crowing... trying to take credit for the sunrise.

So we're fighting in that campaign. And you find every Democrat who starts to waiver and sound wishy-washy on this thing, you tell 'em, Get some starch! Bush was wrong. He's dumped all the burden on the men and women in uniform. And God love 'em, they're doing a brilliant job over there, despite George Bush.

We got to take care of our veterans. You know, we always knew, when I was in uniform, what it was like. We said, Republicans, they like weapon systems; Democrats, they like people. You wouldn't be surprised, would you, to learn that the Republican-dominated Congress turned down two billion dollars last week that was meant to go to the Veterans Administration. And we were just on the Hill articulating the need for a new "GI Bill of Rights" to do the right thing for American military and their families (?). I want you to help me get it going, ok? And I want you to talk it up... I want you to talk it up here, in this state convention. And I want you to talk it up among your friends and neighbors, and I want you to get people on my website to sign the petitions there for this.

And then we're gonna be working on some other issues. I've got some concerns. Ya know... I was in Columbus Ohio before the election. I went up there and talked to the mayor. And he a good guy. He got a hundred thousand new voters signed up. Umm... But the state, Secretary of State was a Republican; he would not recognize them; he made them vote on provisional ballots. And that's what helped create the six and eight hour long voting lines in Columbus that had some impact... we think (laughter)... on the election.

So... I'll tell ya what we need to do in this country, in addition to the provisional ballot issue and the lot . We need, for Democrats... AND for Republicans... for working people... you shouldn't have to go to your job on Election Day. I think America should celebrate Election Day, by having a holiday, so every American can vote. And we are going to be organizing this, and we are going to be pushing this, across this country, and this is the year to do it, and I'm gonna need your help on it.

And, we're creating a Southern strategy. A lot of my... It's not really about the South. It's just about ordinary people. It's about people who believe in family values. You know, values like education. And health care. And faith. And patriotism. That's the values that're gonna win this country back to the right path. And those are the values that the Democratic Party belongs to. And owns. (drowned out)

I'm not gonna unveil (?) the whole strategy here, but I'm gonna ask you to stay on my website, and watch as we work to it. But be very sensitive to the language, ok? For example...

I don't like the language about the Christian Right. First of all, I'm a Christian, and I think I'm right. So when I hear Bill Frist goin' to sign that... be on that TV show, going against the, the ability of Democrats to really pass judgment on judges... you know, as part of the Constitutional process? And they say that's the Christian Right? I say, no it isn't. That's the Christian Wrong. I want you to remember, they're not the Christian Right. They're extremists. And they're wrong.

The Christianity I know... the Christianity I know is about love. It's about forgiveness. It's about helping... lift... every... person... up.

Just remember this, Jesus Christ took care of Mary Magdalen. Some people said Mary Magdalen was a woman of ill repute. If... if Bill Frist had been there, he'd have arrested her. (drowned out) And the Good Lord Jesus brought her to the Last Supper. And I think that's the difference between being the right kind of Christians, and being wrong... extremists... taking the word of the Good Lord, and twisting it to political purposes. And I'm against that.

Many of you have asked me, am I gonna run again.

Well... well... I'll certainly have to take your advice under (into?) consideration.

(drowned out) Listen... I want you now... I need your help... now here's the taskers, ok? I told you about language. I want you on the website. I want you to help me. I've got to get some resources in. Because, I did not run for office... in a state office... I don't have the government taking care of travel and staff expenses and other things... so there's got to be enough money in there to help me get the kind of start... so that, if the situation's right, that the next time that someone were to try to draft me... that I wouldn't hit it cold.

I always joked about this last campaign being a campaign of "the Four No's." I had no political experience. No political strategy. No money. And no staff. (drowned out) And so this, this time, I'm gonna have the staff, I'm gonna have a certain amount of a bank account, to pay the staff to help me. There will be a strategy. And I have experience.

But I want, I want ya to understand... that I believe that no Democrat can win in 2008, unless the American people understand that we're a party of strong convictions. Democrats... Democrats draw lines. We say what's right and wrong. We're not just a party where everybody sort of thinks anything they want, says anything they want, and says, Gee, I don't agree with him, therefore I'm... you know, I don't like him, and I think I'll consider voting for John McCain.

The American people... will trust the Democratic Party to defend America when... they believe that Democrats... will defend other Democrats.

So we're gonna be workin' real hard, we're gonna put the base in place, we're gonna work the language, we're gonna work the issues on national security, we're gonna work the other issues that help veterans, that help change the election process, we're gonna bring participation in, and I want this to be a grassroots movement that grows! I want you all to stay involved in real Democratic Party activities, so that the next time it happens, it won't be that there's a party here, and a draft movement there. It'll be one... great... big... sweeping... March... on... Washington.

Thank you."