The Rhodes Scholar, first in his class at West Point who turned down scholarships at both Harvard and Yale, a 4 star general, the most decorated since Eisenhower is being called an "average Thinker...nothing special" by Drummo....which means it must be! :sarcasm:
Wes Clark, raised by a widowed mother...not a swanky apartment filled with nannies...and really representing someone who did start with nothing....but you can choose to see him as just your average GI Joe on the street, if it makes you feel better. I actually prefer a leader that exudes an "average mentality"...while all the while, he's smart as hell.
But please, let us all listen to Drummo, cause Drummo just plain damn knows!
Clark may be "nothing special", but there are some who would disagree with all of the smears that you have been spouting about Wes Clark.
Sorry as stupid as this may seem, I'll go with these folks' assessements of Wes Clark, as opposed to yours...Michael Moore on Wes Clark: he never learned to lie.
Mario Cuomo on Wes Clark: he doesn't know how to lie.
Richard Clarke: Wes told me to tell the truth.
Sy Hersh: Wes asked me why I hadn't written the story (about Operation Anaconda). He said I should have...he was right.
"Wes Clark is a man of whom you can ask a question, and he will look you directly in the eye, and give you the most truthful and complete answer you can imagine. You will know the absolute truth of the statement as well as the thought process behind the answer. You will have no doubt as to the intellect of the speaker and meaning of the answer to this question....So you can see, as a politician, he has a lot to learn." -Mario Cuomo
" seems to be preoccupied, and I'm quoting now, with building legitimacy, with exhausting all diplomatic remedies... So I think General Clark simply doesn't want to see us use military force and he has thrown out as many reasons as he can develop to that but the bottom line is he just doesn't want to take action. He wants to wait." Richard Perle, war-monger
"To those who say that Wes Clark has never held political office: anyone who can command NATO, and keep all those forces together, and win that war without losing one American life, knows what it means to hold political office." Tom Harkin
"There are two stars in the Democratic Party -- Hillary and Wes Clark."-Bill Clinton
"Major Clark is one of the most outstanding officers of his grade in the U.S. Army...an officer of impeccable character with a rare blend of personal qualities and professional attributes which uniquely qualify him as a soldier-scholar. While he has the intellectual grasp of world affairs attained only by the top scholars in the field, he projects soldierly qualities of strength, character, leadership, and above all an unyielding sense of personal responsibility. It is this sense of responsibility which clearly sets him apart from his contemporaries. has the intellectual, moral and physical stamina, coupled with an unrelenting quest for excellence, which insures the completion of every task to near perfection. Major Clark's earnestness, sincerity of purpose and absolute dedication convey a moral force in his work which gives him a significant voice in this headquarters..." -General Alexander M. Haig, Jr., July 19, 1978
"There are a lot of good Democrats in this race, but Wes Clark is the best Democrat." - Sen. George McGovern
"I have decided to cast my vote in the primary for Wesley Clark. That's right, a peacenik is voting for a general. What a country!
I believe that Wesley Clark will end this war. He will make the rich pay their fair share of taxes. He will stand up for the rights of women, African Americans, and the working people of this country.
And he will cream George W. Bush.'"Michael Moore
"General Wesley Clark carried out the policy of the NATO Alliance to stop massive ethnic cleansing in Kosovo with great skill, integrity, and determination."Bill Clinton
"Wes Clark has been a superb battalion commander and will be a superb brigade commander. He is an officer of the rarest potential and will clearly rise to senior general officer rank. He will be one of the Army's leaders in the 1990's." General Colin Powell, May 21, 1982
"I asked a whole lot of my friends who were generals and colonels and majors, who served over General Clark and under General Clark and every last one of them said to me that this is a good man, and if he were leading our nation they would be proud. son of the South capable of making a dangerous world a safer place for everybody. A man we are going to make the next president of the United States." Andrew Young
"My Enron experience has brought home to me just how important the tone at the top is. integrity, he's not going to mislead the American people and he has a longterm vision. I think Wes Clark is just the person to help rebuild and restore the damage that has been done by the way we bullied our way into the war." Sherron Watkins, Enron whistle-blower
Bill Clinton, "At the apex of a long and distinguished military career that goes back to his outstanding performance as a cadet at West Point over 30 years ago, he was assigned a challenge many experts thought was mission impossible. Instead, thanks to Gen. Clark, we now can declare it mission accomplished."
http://www.medaloffreedom.com/WesleyClark.htm“But as General Wes Clark, former Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe has recently noted, a premature go-it-alone invasion of Iraq "would super-charge recruiting for Al Qaida." Paul Wellstone
http://www.wellstoneaction.org/news/news_detail.aspx?it... and also got Fiore's PREWAR cartoon where this is mentioned
http://www.markfiore.com/animation/dissent.html"For the record, I never served with Clark. But after spending three hours interviewing the man for Maxim's November issue, I'm impressed. He is insightful, he has his act together, he understands what makes national security tick – and he thinks on his feet somewhere around Mach 3. No big surprise, since he graduated first in his class from West Point, which puts him in the supersmart set with Robert E. Lee, Douglas MacArthur and Maxwell Taylor.
Clark was so brilliant, he was whisked off to Oxford as a Rhodes scholar and didn't get his boots into the Vietnam mud until well after his 1966 West Point class came close to achieving the academy record for the most Purple Hearts in any one war. When he finally got there, he took over a 1st Infantry Division rifle company and was badly wounded.
Lt. Gen. James Hollingsworth, one of our Army's most distinguished war heroes, says: "Clark took a burst of AK fire, but didn't stop fighting. He stayed on the field 'til his mission was accomplished and his boys were safe. He was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart. And he earned 'em." The Late Col. David Hackworth
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34738 "Clark offers America proven leadership ability and worldwide stature; and I especially admire his brains, his sincerity and integrity and his moral courage. He has championed women and families throughout his career, and I agree 100% with his proposals on women's issues. Not incidentally, I'm glad he taught Economics and also Philosophy--two crucial subjects for dealing with complex problems facing America today."
Muriel Fox, One of the founding members of the National Organization for Women (NOW), she served in several positions: vice president (1967-1970), chair of the board (1971-1973), and chair of the national advisory committee (1973-1974).
"I support Wes Clark because I know he will be a powerful advocate for all women, both in the United States and abroad, by making sure that we have access to affordable health care and child care. I know that Wes Clark will expand economic opportunities for women and use his expertise in foreign policy to make the world safer for women everywhere. Finally, I know Wes Clark will protect our reproductive rights. As a young woman, there is nothing more important to me, and there is no other candidate as well-suited to do so than Wes Clark."
Aimee Boone
graduate student at American University
"I saw Wes Clark being interviewed a couple of weeks before he announced his candidacy. I was so taken with his clarity, leadership and vision for America that I immediately thought 'this man should be President of the United States". Since that time, I have done extensive research on him, particularly on issues that are important to me and other women.
As I have learned more about Wes Clark and his platform, I am deeply committed to helping him become President. He has re-kindled my patriotism and belief that we can have a President who will treat the office with respect and always put the best interest of America before his own. Thank you Wes!"
Teray Stephens
CEO Invision Group LLC
"Thankfully, there is now a candidate running for President who is committed to ensuring that our country lives up to its promise and its people. He is a decorated soldier and a respected diplomatic leader, who has already given 34 years to his country. He is smart and he is good. He has worked hard to get where he is and he is a national hero." Madonna, entertainer and mother
"Wes Clark inspires women with his confidence and credentials and the strong positions he has taken on issues of concern to women. For women, Wes Clark represents dignity, honesty and a keen understanding of leadership. Wes Clark will make our children and families safer, and our world more secure. That is why I am endorsing him for President."
Tara Sonenshine, Journalist and former White House official
"There are so many reasons to like Wes Clark, but for me it comes down to the fact that he's is a good, decent human being. Someone who says with compassion and resolute conviction, "because when you can do good, you should." He knows that diplomacy is most effective when backed by a credible threat of force, but will exhaust every diplomatic means possible first. He knows first-hand the true consequences of sending men and women in to battle. He's an officer, a gentleman, and a Rhodes scholar who's got the ability and experience to be a great leader of our country.
There's nothing special about me nor the kind of life I want to lead. I want to live in a country of opportunities, where I can pursue my dreams, just as my parents and their parents did before them. I'm a pragmatic idealist who believes our best years are ahead of us and can say with all my heart that, Wes Clark will make an extraordinary President."
Mona S., Los Angeles
"First, as a leader in the military who instituted Head Start for all kids on the military bases, made housing more affordable, and made sure every person had health insurance; second, as Supreme NATO Commander who recognized the outcome of the successful campaign to stop Slobodan Milosevic's ethnic cleansing of Kosovo "was not just the weapons of war;" and third, because Clark's experience clearly shows us, that he is a listener who can lessen our conflicts and link us again to what makes America great."
Cindy McDaniel
Women For Clark, Delaware
"I'm enthusiastically supporting Wesley Clark because I am convinced that he will be a strong, visionary, ethical leader who can rebuild our international alliances while addressing our critical domestic challenges in health care, the economy and national security."
Mary Rauh
1998 Democratic Nominee for Congress, NH 2nd District
Former Chair, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, and PPFA Affiliates Presidents' Council
"We do grant, however, that some women are wary of a President who is a military man and we ourselves had to overcome such a feeling of wariness--too macho, too authoritarian....That's the stereotype of the military, even though many of the military are now women. But we had to abandon our stereotype when a general came along who is, astonishingly, gentle and nurturing as well as tough and brave, who is of liberal spirit and who calls for "a new American patriotism," defined as insisting that citizens have a right--indeed, a duty--to express dissent in a democracy. But is there anything here that doesn't benefit men as well as women? We have similar goals. Wes Clark's presidency would help human beings, whoever and wherever they are, and not only Americans."
Dudley Dudley and Jeanette Hopkins
"Wesley Clark approaches problems with honesty, intelligence and integrity. He understands the power and potential of the United States and the opportunity to use that power for good. He has experience, rarely found, in working with allies and opponents to try to find common ground despite significant differences. His commitment to racial and gender equity is consistently demonstrated in his professional and personal behavior. Whether one focuses on reproductive health, civil rights and liberties, privacy, or war as the least desirable and last alternative, Wesley Clark's values reflect the best of what this nation could -and should - be."
Marjorie Smith
Marjorie Smith is a member of the Democratic leadership in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and chairs the New Hampshire Women's Policy Institute.
"By the way, I think people who meet and spend time with Clark do have an unusual reaction to him. He's so unlike most politicians that I've met. He actually is an idealist in the best sense of the word - and it's genuine (remember I'm also a shrink and I am quite good at knowing when someone is being genuine). He reminds me of the Jimmy Stewart movie - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. I think many of us folks who were active politically in the 60's have been so disheartened by politicians since those days and lots of us have stopped being involved very actively in campaigns for exactly those reasons. Then, after being so unbelievably appalled by Bush that we start thinking we have to do something, the question becomes which Democrat do we support.
Do we pick the one who most agrees with us on all we care about? Do we pick the person who makes us feel more powerful because he is so good at expressing the anger we've felt since the last election? Do we do the one thing that the Republicans are really good at and pick a candidate who can actually get elected - someone who we can live with and will appeal to our fellow democrats and independents in the red states and maybe even some disenchanted Republicans? So, many of the Clark supporters got to Clark pragmatically - looking solely at electability with the goal of getting rid of Bush. Then, we go about meeting this guy - his optimism is contagious - he actually has his own vision for the country - is extremely intelligent with Masters degrees in philosophy, economics, government - yet, comes across as a down to earth regular guy - it's pretty unusual.
I'm not sure that I would put my life on the line for my country but I kind of like the idea of having a president who wouldn't ask anyone to do anything that he/she hasn't done themselves. I think this may have a great deal of appeal in the red states and we need some red states to rid the country of Bush."
Janet Lindner Spielberg
Attorney in Los Angeles
"I support Wesley Clark because of the exciting prospect of having someone in the White House who combines a shining intelligence, compassion and a real, as opposed to a false, moral integrity."
Mary Gordon, Author
"I believe that with Wesley Clark, we have a man who can give integrity back to the United States - make us respected, make us respect ourselves... and help us rebuild a world we want our children to grow up in...
I also trust him to see that the next Supreme Court Justices named will not turn back civil liberties 30 to 50 years, and perhaps, for the world as a whole, that's the most important thing..."
Lucy Laederich
In looking at Wesley Clark's resume, many people are impressed with the fact that he was a general. I am too. He is a superb tactician. Even more important than that, he rejects war except as a last resort. But I am equally impressed with the fact that as Clark worked his way through the ranks, he provided for his family on a tight military salary. There is glory in that, too, though it is easily overlooked.
Wesley Clark is often compared to Dwight D. Eisenhower: sure, they were both generals who ran for the presidency, but I think of Clark in the tradition of Harry S. Truman. He doesn't look on Americans from the vantage point of privilege, holding them at arm's length and reading about their problems in some report. He stands eye-to-eye with voters. Whether he is talking about advanced over-the-horizon radar defense systems or the pitfalls of home finance, Clark knows first-hand what he is talking about.
Looking at the future, I believe that Wesley Clark is the one candidate from either major party who can bridge the widening ideological gulf that threatens to tear this country apart. With his appeal to a wide spectrum of Americans, he is the best hope for a return to a united United States.
Julie Fenster
Published Author and Historian
When Wes Clark was my age, he had already earned a Silver Star for his service in Vietnam and was meeting his infant son for the first time. This commitment to serving his country was derived not just from a desire to provide a more secure future for his young family, but to ensure that America was a standard bearer for professionalism on the battlefield, responsible foreign policy, and civic pride. As the youngest female city councilor, and with a child of my own, I have the utmost respect for General Clark's dedication to his community, his country, and its place in the world.
Never have we needed a leader with this national and global vision more than we do now. Our country has suffered from haphazard domestic policies regarding employment, the environment, and national security and our ability to serve as a model for other countries has been seriously undermined by a bullying foreign policy. General Clark's direct, detailed, and reasonable policy proposals represent the hopes and dreams of American families. We want things to be better not just for ourselves, but for our neighbors, not just for our country, but for our world.
General Clark brings a seasoned hand to foreign policy with a respect for international law. He also brings a rational approach to remedying our domestic woes from tax cuts to higher education. Wesley Clark understands that the world will be safer when America's people are stronger, and that strength comes from a sense of personal well-being, from pride in our communities, and from respect for our commander in chief to lead us in the right direction. I am so glad that General Clark has decided to share his strength with us, and to help us find our way to better tomorrows!
Jacqueline Augustine
City Councilor, Geneva, NY
I, as a liberal, support General Clark because I'm confident that his military experience will keep him from going to war on a whim, and putting our young American men and women at risk without due reason. General Clark's experience has shown that he can reach peaceful solutions to threatening international strife. That, in combination with his first hand experience with the horror of war, gives me the confidence in the belief that armed confllict would truly be a last resort in a Clark administration.
Lynda Garner Goldstein, MS. Ed.
Monroe County Legislator, District 14
*Little Rock* - Fifty-five former U.S. ambassadors and diplomats, women and men who have served in some 36 countries during the last four administrations, believe that Wesley K. Clark is the right choice to lead America at this critical time in the world.
"Serving as representatives of the United States has allowed each of us to meet with world leaders and see what terrific leadership looks like," said Cynthia Schneider, Ambassador to the Netherlands and co-chair of Ambassadors for Clark. "We know that the world is more interconnected than ever before, and so the impact of good and bad leadership impacts America and the world more than ever before. Wes Clark appreciates that and ambassadors understand the interconnectedness of the world and the critical need for a new leader to repair and strengthen our global ties."
"I am thrilled by the endorsement of those that have the respect of world leaders on every continent," Wesley Clark said. "They understand the importance of rebuilding America's alliances and restoring our country to a position of leadership based on cooperation and respect."
Ambassadors and Diplomats for Clark grew out of the unique phenomena of the Draft Wesley Clark movement. Not only did Wes Clark receive encouragement to run from thousands of individuals from across the U.S., the letters of support came from people, both U.S. citizens and citizens of many other nations, who understand that Wes Clark is the person we need to lead America at this crucial moment in history. The full list of ambassadors and diplomats is below.
1. Morton Abramowitz, Ambassador to Turkey and Thailand, Assistant Secretary of State
2. Brady Anderson, Ambassador to Tanzania.
3. Christopher Ashby, Ambassador to Uruguay.
4. Jeff Bader, Ambassador to Namibia, Senior Director National Security Agency
5. Robert Barry, Administrator, Agency for International Development; Head, OSCE
6. J.D. Bindenagel, Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues.
7. Donald Blinken, Ambassador to Hungary
8. Amy Bondurant, Ambassador to OECD
9. Avis Bohlen, Ambassador to Bulgaria, Assistant Secretary of State
10. George Bruno, Ambassador to Belize
11. Paul Cejas, Ambassador to Belgium
12. Tim Chorba, Ambassador to Singapore
13. Bonnie Cohen, Under Secretary of State
14. Nancy Ely-Raphel, Ambassador to Slovenia
15. Ralph Earle, Deputy Director of State, Chief U.S. Negotiator, SALT II Treaty
16. Thomas H. Fox, Assistant Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development
17. Mary Mel French, Chief of Protocol
18. Edward Gabriel, Ambassador to Morocco
19. Richard Gardner, Ambassador to Italy & Spain
20. Robert Gelbard, Ambassador to Indonesia & Bolivia, Assistant Secretary of State
21. Gordon Giffin, Ambassador to Canada
22. Lincoln Gordon, Ambassador to Brazil, Assistant Secretary of State
23. Anthony Harrington, Ambassador to Brazil
24. John Holum, Under Secretary of State
25. William J. Hughes, Ambassador to Panama
26. Swanee Hunt, Ambassador to Austria
27. James Joseph, Ambassador to South Africa
28. Rodney Minott, Ambassador to Sweden
29. John McDonald, Ambassador to the United Nations
30. Stan McLelland, Ambassador to Jamaica
31. Gerald McGowan, Ambassador to Portugal
32. Arthur Mudge, Mission Director for Agency for International Development
33. Lyndon Olson, Ambassador to Sweden
34. Donald Petterson, Ambassador to the Sudan, Tanzania & Somalia
35. Kathryn Proffitt, Ambassador to Malta
36. Edward Romero, Ambassador to Spain & Andorra
37. James Rosapepe, Ambassador to Romania
38. Nancy Rubin, United Nations Commission on Human Rights
39. James Rubin, Assistant Secretary of State
40. David Sandalow, Assistant Secretary of State
41. Howard Schaffer, Ambassador to Bangladesh, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
42. Teresita Schaffer, Ambassador to Sri Lanka & Maldives
43. David Scheffer, Ambassador at Large for War Crimes
44. Cynthia Schneider, Ambassador to the Netherlands.
45. Derek Shearer, Ambassador to Finland
46. Richard Schifter, Assistant Secretary of State
47. Thomas Siebert, Ambassador to Sweden
48. Richard Sklar, Ambassador to the United Nations
49. Peter Tarnoff, Under Secretary of State
50. Peter Tufo, Ambassador to Hungary
51. Arturo Valenzuela, Senior Director, National Security Council
52. William Walker, Ambassador to El Salvador & Argentina, Head, Kosovo Verification Mission
53. Vernon Weaver, Ambassador to the European Union
54. Phoebe L. Yang, Special Coordinator for China Rule of Law, State Department
55. Andrew Young, Ambassador to the United Nations
So who should I listen to? :shrug: