I will continue to deny the Clark campaign had anything to do with the smear itself. Clark has denied it. Lehane has denied it. Several reporters who were present have denied it. The reporter whose memo was leaked citing Lehane as the smearer has retracted his statement and firmly states it was not Lehane, but Democratic opponent campaigns. We have all as Democrats, as well as the responsible media, learned from the past ten or so years. They will not get away with it again. We are ready for them.
However, I think your theory is not tinfoil as it applies to the Clark/Kerry response to Drudge. I speculated as much on Saturday.
For what it's worth:
WesDem (251 posts) Sat Feb-14-04 02:51 PM
Response to Original message
57. Kerry was always the only choice for Clark
No other candidate, except for Bob Graham who had dropped out, ever met the national security/foreign policy credential level that a Clark endorsement would require.
This is what Clark said to the Boston Globe after he entered the race:
"I like John Kerry. If John Kerry wins and he becomes president, I'll be happy. The problem is, and the reason I'm in this race, is because I don't think John Kerry's going to win. He just hasn't taken off. He's not connecting. My wife said early on: `I like that man. He's a senator. He talks well. He's really smart. Why do they keep coming to you? Why don't they go to John Kerry?'"
About the timing...
Like everybody else it's a puzzlement to some or other extent. Also like everybody else, who the hell really knows except Kerry and Clark? But I do have an instinctive conclusion, entirely supposition about the timing.
Clark lost on Tuesday. Clark and Kerry exchanged several phone calls between Tuesday night and Wednesday.
Wednesday - Clark withdrew. In his speech, his advice regarding the GOP mean machine: "So I've got one bit of advice for our nominee: give 'em hell and never retreat." Clark calls Kerry and lets him know he will be endorsing him.
Thursday - Drudge breaks "story" midday that media is looking into the possible scandal and cites Clark's supposed comment, "Kerry will implode over an intern issue" earlier in the week; AP reported Clark planning to endorse Kerry Thursday afternoon; according to CNN panel last night, Kerry's campaign was already in defense mode about the smear campaign on Thursday; Craig Crawford (The Congressional Quarterly) memo leaks pointing to Chris Lehane as the culprit, but Crawford retracts this and says, "Chris Lehane's rivals in other Democratic campaigns" tipped him to Lehane; Clark denies he made the statement as reported.
Friday - Kerry denies charge on Imus; Clark endorses Kerry and says about Kerry, "He will stand up to the Republican attack dogs and send them home licking their wounds." Clark says he himself will "do everything I can to help when the Republican Mean Machine cranks up their attacks." Kerry says Clark will "stand beside me and help walk point" in the battle against Bush.
The off the record conversation took place early in the week, say Monday or Tuesday. Clark may have heard more than he actually said. When he called Kerry to say he was withdrawing or saying he would endorse, he may have discussed what he had heard and given Kerry a heads up. The Kerry campaign has been prepared for this for a long time, but perhaps Clark thought he was giving an early warning that something was coming down. It wouldn't surprise me if Clark said then and there, "John, we'll kick their asses together," or words to that effect.
Clark has always been going to endorse John Kerry, even before he himself was in the race. He may not have planned the timing, but Kerry was always his first choice and at some point Clark would have endorsed anyway. It could be the Drudge smear is what moved the endorsement ahead. Clark has a no holds barred strategy with the GOP mean machine. Imminent danger to the party and to the frontrunner could have triggered Clark into action. Clark's endorsement, particularly when his own good name was involved, took the sting way out of the tail of the smear. And it showed the Democrats are not taking shit this election year.
The chemistry between Clark and Kerry on Friday in Wisconsin was unmistakable: They are allies in a fight for the Dems to win the White House back. Clark is a strategic thinker. If he saw this one coming, it would not surprise me if he came up with the perfect ball to lob back at the enemy, whoever that may turn out to be.
Again, this is supposition, not fact. I don't know any more than anybody else knows.
PS There was a report today that Big Dog was in on this negotiation between Kerry and Clark, but I don't know how true it is, and don't remember where I heard it.
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