Breaking News: Clark's Shot At Kerry

[BeHereNow]

Well heck, I broke rule number ten on my original post
of this Axisoflogic.com article.
Trying again, because I think it worthy of reasonable discussion
and consideration.

http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_5107.shtml
Snip:
"This article below is both polemical and accusatory; it is a stray from what I would normally write, but I
think it needs to be said, you do not have to agree nor even like it. It troubles me enough to have written it. It was
written months ago when Wesley Clark, a consummate “insider,” corporate player upon retirement, millionaire with a
little help from his friends and stalking horse for the Bush family regime. Michael Moore has been made a fool ofendorsing this
man, but as is customary on the progressive Left, he will never admit error nor apologize, he is himself no
less arrogant and puffed-up than Clark himself. I took the piece below off my website months ago and had
only intended to run it with follow-ups had Clark miraculously gotten the nomination of the Democratic Party.
But I never believed (as you will see in retrospect) he was running “to win” but running to see to it no other Democrat
could pose a real threat to Bush & Company. His, Clark’s recent statements to the press immediately below give
further and damning evidence that Clark is a life-long Bush Republican and Stalking Horse for Bush Junior. He
leaves the Democratic race, stabbing the Democrat’s only (remaining) front runner in the heart over some bullshit“intern”
Clinton-like issue: It’s Monica Lewinski all over again. He handed Bush the race, by handily handing
Hannity Kerry’s head on Platter! Limbaugh, O’Reilly and Savage will savage Kerry; it will be felt all through the race;
trickle-down will bleed Kucinich and Dean into pale weak obscurity. Brilliant move by Bush Senior....Absolutely the chess
master’s Coup d’etat. I give you Matt Drudge’s Report:

'A frantic behind-the-scenes drama is unfolding around Sen. John Kerry and his quest to lockup the
Democratic nomination for president, the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal.
Intrigue surrounds a woman who recently fled the country, reportedly at the prodding of Kerry, the
DRUDGE REPORT has learned. ...A serious investigation of the woman and the nature of her relationship with Sen. John
Kerry has been underway at TIME magazine, ABC NEWS, the WASHINGTON POST, THE HILL and the ASSOCIATED PRESS,
where the woman in question once worked....
MORE : A close friend of the woman first approached a reporter late last year claiming fantastic stories --
stories that now threaten to turn the race for the presidency on its head! In an off-the-record conversation with a
dozen reporters earlier this week, General Wesley Clark plainly stated: "Kerry will implode over an intern issue." attendance
confirm Clark made the startling comments.] The Kerry commotion is why Howard Dean has turned
increasingly aggressive against Kerry in recent days, and is the key reason why Dean reversed his decision
to drop out of the race after Wisconsin, top campaign sources tell the DRUDGE REPORT. (February 12, 2004, 11: 45 AM)'

You will now be asked to plod through way too much research and analysis (for most) to understand
why Wesley Clark (the consummate team player!) trashed the front runner running against George Bush Junior before
leaving the race, why Clark spent five months bleeding off millions (maybe as much as $50 million) of dollars any
of the other legitimate candidates would have gotten; bled off support from a significant sector of Democratic
support and endorsement (Hollywood and the Michael Moore groupies); used himself to discredit the credibility of all
the other candidates, then cut and run (The Clark campaign headquarters had just e-mailed me the day before he
dropped out that Clark was raising $1 million a week; when he suddenly dropped out of the race). Here is the
article I ran immediately after Clark announced his candidacy months ago, the piece I was only going to run if he
won the nomination, the research I think you may now find of interest after Clark set the media dogs loose on Kerry!

Craig B Hulet? February 12, 2004
http://www.CraigBHulet.com

Interesting to note that I am being attacked for posting someone else's
analysis...someone I happen to believe is absolutely correct in his summation.
Even more interesting to note is that given the swarming bee quickness of repies
to this post, there is no way anyone could have possibly read the whole
essay. It is long...
BHN

Edited for typos- Brownshirt Jackboot techniques always un-nerve me.
Especially at DU...

[mmonk]

1. nice hit piece on Clark

[West Coast Democrat]

2. Who wrote this?

"...as is customary on the progressive Left, he will never admit error nor apologize"

Is that a quote from Free Republic?

[Jim Sagle]

3. I don't get it. Hasn't Clark ENDORSED Kerry?

:shrug:

[janx]

12. I don't get it either. He hasn't endorsed Kerry yet,

but he is supposed to appear with Kerry in Wisconsin tomorrow.

[Auntie Bush]

4. I just wish some people

could drop off the face of the earth!

[maddezmom]

5. I'd take the time to read it, but the format is difficult.. n/t

[jpgpenn]

6. "needs to be said'? to who and why?

[Mz Pip]

7. Clark is endorsing Kerry

tomorrow. Conspiracy theories like these are really whacked. Clark bled off $50 million??

Even if Clark said that Kerry would implode over an intern issue, can anyone really say that if it really really were true that it would not be the case?

This guy has entirely too much free time. He needs to get a real job.

MzPip
:dem:

[kerry-is-my-prez]

8. Oh puhleeze.....

n/t

[oasis]

9. Pistols at dawn? Hold it! Clark was on CNN singing in praise of Kerry.

I tend to believe what I saw today on CNN.

[pinkpops]

10. It is long

too tedious for me right now. I have read what you excerpted. I could stand alot of warts on a demo right now, considering the alternative. I liked Clark, gave him money, was sorry he didn't fare better. Did he trash-talk Kerry (off the record) - I don't know - depends on if he said what they say but also if what he supposedly said was true. Did he run for some contorted mystery reason then drop out for some other contorted reason - sorry, you are overloading my brain. Did Kerry cheat? Shame on him, and what a drag that we didn't find out until now. Am I angry - yes, but it's the same anger I have been having for months, directed at George Bush. So I will stick with the pack.

[OKNancy]

11. I think I'll write some stupid shit

and put it on a website and then maybe people will post it to other websites and my name will be all over the place and then other people can discuss the stupid shit I write.

[KnucklesBuchanan]

You can do that Nancy...

but you have to use your middle initial in your name for it to be taken seriously.

Like this:

"Wes Clark is Actually a Flying Monkey from 'The Wizard of Oz' with Designs on Taking Over the World and Making it a Paradise for Airborne Primates and Retired Supermodels at the Behest of the RNC".

By Nancy B. Oklahoma

[Bonobo]

13. Idiotic, lunatic drivel! Pure unadulterated crap!

[Taeger]

14. Pretty fucking stupid !!!!

Of course, Clark is endorsing Kerry. Second, Clark has run an AMAZINGLY clean campaign. He hasn't taken swipes at ANYBODY. He was an incredible gentleman.


Third, Michael Moore is no dope. The guy who wrote this is:

a) a dope
b) paranoid delusional
c) a Republican hit-man trying to sour the waters and get this dumb John Kerry story to catch.


Honestly, I have no idea whether the Kerry issue is true. But the idea that Clark is sullying Kerry with it is just plain fucking stupid.

The Brownshirts are going to have to try a little harder. I think they're starting to believe their own lies.

[seventhson]

15. I'm with you Be Here Now

Interesting.

I have had this concern about Clark ever since finding out he worked for the Stephens Group and Axciom

[LandOLincoln]

34. And I've long suspected that a lot of people on here are really

BFEE operatives, working hard to destroy the credibility of our best and most formidable candidates.

But that's just part of my unique charm. What's your excuse? :bounce:

[dae]

16. I would say by the look of the summary and the way it smells...

it's a big pile of $hit; however, I've been wrong before.
So, if I am, please remind me to apologize to you later.
Until then, I think your theory is "full of SHIT"!:tinfoilhat:

[liberalnurse]

17. I appreciate your view. It sure does raise

reasonable points to ponder. Only time will tell about Clark. He was an unproven democratic candidate who was applying for the highest job. It was doomed from the start. I like your point on draining funds. It has serious merit.

[roguevalley]

18. What a total crock. I got lost half way through. Really, this writer needs

a home.

[Toucano]

20. Draining funds.

"It has serious merit."

No it doesn't! That money was spent attacking BUSH!

Clark seldom even spoke of his democratic rivals and then only to draw distinction between them and himself.

Did you ever once listen to Clark speak?

[liberalnurse]

21. Well, the finances do concern me.

I did not donate this IRS season to the fund. The other proven democrats are quite capable of attacking *bush.

[Toucano]

22. Dean's finances concern me.

Seems like someone who burned through $41 million dollars running ads that personally enriched a campaign manager, then took on campaign debt of a rival for her endorsement should be concerned about what that drain did to the party.

Clark didn't pay a commission on his ads. His campaign was the first in history to negotiate a flat fee, thereby saving $1 million. I guess that was supposed to help Bush too.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/shapiro/2004-02-05-hype_x.htm

"But another campaign, that of Wesley Clark, has been quietly setting a precedent for frugality. In all other presidential campaigns, media consultants are primarily compensated by receiving a percentage (traditionally 15%, but often negotiated down) of the total spent to buy ad time. But Joe Slade White, Clark's ad maker, agreed to work for a flat monthly fee of $75,000, plus production costs.

By insisting on a flat fee, the Clark campaign saved more than $1 million that it could then invest in more TV time, according to attorney Leslie Kerman, who negotiated the contract last fall.

"We only established this flat-rate principle after we narrowed it down to two or three media consultants," Clark campaign chairman Eli Segal said. "Needless to say, they were not happy about it, but they saw the campaign as a unique opportunity."

Political campaigns operate in a chaotic environment that defies rational economic planning. Still, campaign donors have a right to know that their money is going to win the nomination and not to enrich the consultants."

[Renew Deal]

25. Dean's burning $41 million should concern you.

You threw in a few busck didn't you?

[SW FL Dem]

27. I object to the comment about draining funds

I made my first ever donations to Clark. If he wasn't in the race, I would have spent the money elsewhere. I wouldn't have donated to any other candidate. And I am a life long Dem.

[Toucano]

19. Based on a Drudge report...

and is not valid until proven independently.

"You will now be asked to plod through way too much research and analysis (for most) to understand
why Wesley Clark (the consummate team player!) trashed the front runner running against George Bush Junior before
leaving the race, why Clark spent five months bleeding off millions (maybe as much as $50 million) of dollars any
of the other legitimate candidates would have gotten; bled off support from a significant sector of Democratic
support and endorsement (Hollywood and the Michael Moore groupies); used himself to discredit the credibility of all
the other candidates, ..."

This ignores Clark's hard hitting assaults against Bush for not doing all he could to prevent 9/11, being reckless with foreign policy, and starting a war we didn't have to fight.

I don't think any of that served to boost Bush's re-election bid. The "Clark is a mole" theory is totally absurd. Didn't it originally say he was supposed to lose to Bush so Hillary could run?

[latebloomer]

23. Makes a lot of convincing and unsurprising points

The man is a bought-and-sold tool of the powers that be-- that was clear to me all along.

Not that I'm that happy with Kerry, either.

Kucinich is the only trustworthy soul in the bunch. Uncorruptable, therefore unelectable.

[BeHereNow]

24. Amen.

His 4000 plus shares in Entrust should be all
weneed to know- but then, it is not like anyone cares
to research that situation.
Like I said before, blind devotion.
BHN

[mmonk]

38. So anyone who had shares is a crook?

[Bonobo]

26. Heh heh, he said "tool", heh heh...

[Bonobo]

28. Oh yeah, that and $3.50 will get you a mocha frappechino...

[BeHereNow]

29. Two posts and still...

nothing intelligent or reasonable in the
way of discourse or debate?
Try again.
BHN

[Bonobo]

37. I was going to say the same to you!

[KnucklesBuchanan]

31. Frappucino's are much more expensive than that.

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[digno dave]

32. The grassy knoll needs a good mowing

What a piece of work.
Clark is simplying passing on info that is already being investigated by OTHER news sources. If Clark never opened his mouth the story was still on the verge of coming out.

[John_H]

33. I wonder if you're curious about who the reporters who leaked

ff the record comments, if true are.

Fred BArnes and Bill Kristol. Don Lambreau and Bob Novack?

Since the only "evidence" Clark made the comments are Reporters who broke the off-the-record tradition. Isn't who they are absolutely KEY to the veracity of the charges?

Or are we so desperate to double Dean's chances of winning from 0 to 0 thatwe don't care?

[For PaisAn]

35. Wow

This is one of the most contrived, convoluted pieces I've read in a long time. This guy is anti-everything. Is the plan to ensure Bush's election or to ensure Hillary in 2008. He wants it both ways.

Reminds me of that little game "6 degrees to Kevin Bacon" (I think that was the name).
If A knows B, and B knows C, and C knows D then A must know D. Breaks all rules of provable logic.

He conveniently creates bogus terms like "virtual Republican".
His outright lies, like Clark "switched parties" taint his story.

If any of his claims prove out it will be by pure coincidence because he says nothing and proves nothing.

[RummyTheDummy]

36. I stopped reading at the metnion of Clinton....

Building an American empire and the lumping of him in with homicidal maniacs like "Bush Jr." and his father.

Bill Clinton never conquered another country. Period. Case closed. End of story.

This is just another hit piece by a whack job.

[Shanty Oilish]

39. kicking

Someone forgot to lock this unflattering thread... ;)