Clark's Campaign responds to dean Secret Strategy Disclosure

[robbedvoter]

For Immediate Release
http://clark04.com/press/release/154/
Date: January 6, 2004

Clark Campaign Responds To Dean Secret Strategy Disclosure
Little Rock - Yesterday, the Dean campaign inadvertently revealed to reporters its secret strategy to discredit General Clark. The strategy was reported in today's Arizona Republic (read the article here).

As the Republic reports, the Dean camp plans to use Bill Bradley's endorsement to counter the perception among New Hampshire voters - apparently evident in the Dean polling - that Governor Dean is "indecisive," and they plan to use both former Senator Bradley and other surrogates to attack General Clark.

Clark Campaign Communications Director Matt Bennett responded to this report:

"The Dean camp's secret back-room plotting to have Bill Bradley and others attack Wes Clark isn't a bit surprising. Governor Dean seems to like others to do his heavy lifting - just last week Howard Dean asked Democratic Party Chairman Terry McAuliffe to protect him from the criticisms of his rivals. The fundamental difference between Governor Dean and General Clark is that Howard Dean is a politician, and Wes Clark is a leader."

"Wes Clark has run a war, making life and death decisions every day. If the Dean Campaign wants to have a debate about decisiveness, we're ready."

[Jack_Dawson]

1. Dean Questioning Clark is Laughable

Don't even get me started...




:boring:

[mot78]

2. The Dean campaign is being petty

and it's absurd that they're going to lie and distort to bring down Clark.

[OrAnarch]

3. yah! war is cool.

wes must be cool casue "he ran a war". im fully impressed.


If he left that behind from the getgo in this campaign, maybe I could wade through the other crap and listen to him speak. Unfortunately Im so enticed into singing the star spangled banner and waving my flag whenever I hear his voice that I cannot possible hear what he has to say about anything domestic...He should be ashamed of himself for 34 years of participation in some form of slaughter and imperialism. I am even more amazed daily when they respond, he "has ran a war". Thats suppossed to be a good liberal thing?

[robbedvoter]

7. OBL - innocent/kill OBL, attack Iraq unilaterally/don't attack

Saddam a threat/never a threat, W great on terrorism/no great.
geex, what could have given people in Arizona the idea that HD is indecisive? beats me!

[CWebster]

13. Nothing like stating the obvious to a pile of dirt

Might as well be baying at the moon. But still, wise words.

[ewagner]

If true, it's sad

They DON'T have to do that.

[dave29]

4. Where in Bradley's endorsement

did he attack Clark?

[robbedvoter]

5. release at the site links this article:

Dean called 'real Democrat'



Front-runner's strategies add boost from Bradley
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0106dean-interview06.html
Jon Kamman

With former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley's endorsement of presidential candidate Howard Dean today, the former Vermont governor's campaign is likely to emphasize that the front-runner is "a real Democrat" and more decisive than former Gen. Wesley Clark.
In a telephone conference call that reporters were invited by mistake to hook into, Dean's campaign staff spoke candidly about strategy surrounding the impending Bradley endorsement.
"Tomorrow, (Tuesday) we're going to start by having Bradley do sort of a subtle thing, if we can, by saying that Dean is a real Democrat, and then follow that up the next day with an in-state person that's probably a little more direct," one unidentified staffer said.
The "in-state" appeared to be a reference to New Hampshire, where Bradley, Al Gore's opponent for the 2000 Democratic presidential nomination, was to appear this morning at a previously unscheduled breakfast.
Another staffer indicated that in a survey of voters Monday by telephone, people expressed concern that "this guy (Dean) is indecisive" and Bradley, a former Hall of Fame player in the National Basketball Association and a three-term senator from New Jersey, could help counter that.
"The Bradley message could be, like, (Dean) knew where he stood on the war, is still a Democrat, takes . . . positions, blah, blah, blah," the staffer said.
The next day, the speaker said, "surrogates" for Dean, both local and national, could "then hit Clark on the flip side of the argument: that he's indecisive, didn't know what party he's with, doesn't know his position on the war," she said.More...

[JNelson6563]

11. We're going to have him say

is a lot different than what he said. Bradley didn't say that in his actual speech. Is that why you choose to quote something else?

Julie

[DoveTurnedHawk]

16. The Dean Campaign Had Ill Intent, and That Cannot Be Cleansed or Ignored

Just because they got cold-busted by reporters.

Even if they didn't go through with it, the plan that Dean's advisors had hatched was worthy of condemnation, wouldn't you agree?

DTH

[stickdog]

25. EXACTLY! I want both Dean & Clark to take the pledge right now:

no more campaigning strategy, now or ever!

[robbedvoter]

23. Please, read the title again. Strategy= plan of future action

Response to strategy - no one said he did it already, he didn't have the time. Script was being prepared for him during endorsement. Fact remains, the "uniter" is not practising what he preaches. Or what Gore preaches. Or what he'd like Terry Mac to preach...

[hey2370]

6. Dean has WMD

Clark must invade the Dean HQ immediately as there is an imminent threat to his candidacy. Dean has proven himself to be an evil guy by his success in hoodwinking Dem voters who would otherwise vote for Clark. He probably gassed his own people and is hiding that fact by sealing his records from his time as dictator of Vermont. Thus regime change is necessary whether the DNC sanctions it or not.

You want a "smoking gun"?! The "smoking gun" could come in the form of a Clinton endorsement of Dean!

This is not about oil.

[robbedvoter]

8. But, is he still feeling like Job?

I mean, whaaa!

[hey2370]

10. Glad you agree! Clark must get preemptive if he is to survive!

The General can't be letting unidentified staffers say stuff about plans that may or may not be actual plans or may or may not be pulled out of the butts of the unidentified staffers. Otherwise he will surely lose.

The General is only paranoid if nobody is out to get him.

They are coming after you, General! You must attack first and with everything you have!

[CWebster]

14. hehe

love it. }(

[depakid]

9. Had Clark had been more decisive

about whether he was going to run or not, he might have had the resources and organization to campaign in Iowa (and a lot of other places) rather than relying on the Southern states.

It seems to me that General Clark has many if not more issues about his decisiveness and where he stands as Dean does- for example, his initial waffling about IWR or his past statements in support of Republicans (not to mention his voting for them). Frankly, I'd rather see a substantive debate, but if the Clark campaign wants to try to make hay over some vague statement attributed to an unnamed staffer by the Arizona Republic, they should realize that they are plenty vulnerabile on this front themselves.

[Dookus]

12. Can you find a single

quote wherein Clark indicated that he would NOT run?

he made his decision on the timetable he set for himself. He never said he wouldn't, then changed his mind.

Not everybody runs for President for two years. In fact, I think most Americans would prefer they don't.

[depakid]

17. No- but that wasn't the point

he sat there and stewed about it for months over the summer while he could have been putting together an effective organization, raising money and campaigning. As it was, it took him until November to get up to speed, which cost him support and opened the door to questions about his positions and, yes, his decisiveness.

[tabasco]

26. Clark is a reluctant politician.

He could have enjoyed his retirement with his family. He feels the need to serve his country. This was not a decision to take lightly. A claim that he is indecisive because he "stewed" over running for President has no merit. He is in the thick of it now, and his announcement date doesn't seem to have handicapped his campaign. As more Americans pay attention to what Clark is saying, it will become apparent that he is the person to lead the Democratic party.
There will be no convincing those who have prejudices against military people.

[slinkerwink]

15. I agree with your assessment on this---Clark also has surrogates attacking

Dean, so why is it wrong for Dean to do this?

[progressivebydesign]

18. This is HARDLY LBN!

This is someone's PRESS RELEASE. Not a news article. Moderators?

[DoveTurnedHawk]

21. Campaign Press Releases Are Fair Game in LBN

As has been indicated time and time again by the Moderators and Admins.

DTH

[robbedvoter]

22. Press releases have been accepted on LBN for some time now

Even those adverse to HD

[progressivebydesign]

19. You Clark supporters make poor Wes look so bad!

I hope Clark HQ sees your posts on DU sometime. You are doing great harm to his campaign being so antagonistic. You are not earning converts here on DU... you're turning people off with your incessant attacks against Howard Dean. Bad strategy. Karl Rove is a genius at negative campaiging... perhaps you need to spend more time studying his ways, because you're failing miserably here.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

20. Pot. Kettle. Black.

IMO, practically every campaign looks bad on DU.

That said, I find it interesting how Dean plots to slime Clark, and when his campaign makes a rookie mistake and invites reporters who bust him, somehow Clark is the bad guy for calling him on it.

DTH

[stickdog]

24. EXACTLY! The Clark campaign would never use Kerry, Gep or Lieberman

to do their "heavy lifting"!