Retired General, Joint Chiefs Chair Hugh Shelton endorses Hillary Clinton.

[Maddy McCall]

TAMPA - News of a big endorsement with Tampa ties comes around for Hillary Clinton Saturday.

Retired General Hugh Shelton is putting his weight behind Clinton.

He served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton.

He also led the U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, from February of 1996 to September of 1997.

Shelton says that he believes Clinton is more prepared than Barack Obama to be commander in chief

.............

The fourth endorser is a soldier -- retired General Hugh Shelton, who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under both presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He could help Clinton press her case that she is more prepared than rival Barack Obama to be commander-in-chief -- an argument she vividly made in a much-dissected "It's 3 a.m. and your children are asleep ad" that started running in Texas on Friday.

"I’ve been with Senator Clinton when she has been with our military men and women," Shelton said in a statement. "I know from those experiences that she understands the demands and sacrifice of military life. I am confident she will always put the readiness and well being of our troops first. She is ready to be commander-in-chief.”


http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=5918730&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/03/former_joint_ch.html

As the second article notes, she also picked up the endorsement of El Paso Mayor John Cook.

[Adelante]

1. Oh, gee

I will zip my lip on this one.

[rodeodance]

4. a congrat to Hillary would make your day. It will make you feel better.

[Adelante]

9. I regularly have congratulated Clinton supporters on endorsements

I will not be doing so on this one.

[rodeodance]

12. oh well. but thanks for past ones if I missed saying so.

[Lucinda]

2. Thanks Maddy!

:hi:

[tabatha]

3. Hmmmm, interesting

Shelton was the one in 2004 who back Edwards and blasted Wes Clark.

Retired Gen. H. Hugh Shelton, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark has some "integrity and character issues" and won't be getting his vote.

"That question makes me wish it were vodka," said Shelton, according to the Los Altos paper. "I've known Wes for a long time. I will tell you the reason he came out of Europe early had to do with integrity and character issues, things that are very near and dear to my heart. I'm not going to say whether I'm a Republican or a Democrat. I'll just say Wes won't get my vote."


I actually think Wes Clark is a good guy and supported him in 2004.

[Donna Zen]

24. Blasted?

Questioning the integrity and honor of a man's 34 career, somehow the word "blasted" falls short. Especially since Shelton and Cohen were only out to get Clark so that they could keep their buddy Ralston from being moved on out.

The person who has obvious honesty and integrity problems is Shelton. Oh yeah, did he mention the millions he's made on the Iraq occupation shilling for Red Cap?

[Freida5]

5. Great endorsement. Will help in GE as well

[rodeodance]

6. whow---very nice---Congratulations Sen. Clinton

[jackson_dem]

7. Good to see Shelton hasn't jumped on the msm bandwagon like some others

[NJSecularist]

8. I wonder what Wes Clark, a key Hillary surrogate, thinks about this endorsement.

[rodeodance]

11. CLINTON/CLARK 08

[earthlover]

29. OBAMA/CLARK 08, 12

[JI7]

34. yup, Obama/Clark 2008

[earthlover]

28. Shelton tried to slime Clark i believe...unsuccessfully

[rodeodance]

10. Give it a REC

[Jane Austin]

13. How uncomfortable when he has to sit next to Wes Clark,

whose reputation he savaged when he arranged his "early retirement".

Ugh.

[thevoiceofreason]

14. Again? I thought the multiple threads this morning said this?

[FrenchieCat]

15. Yuk!

:puke:

[rodeodance]

16. "She is ready to be commander-in-chief.”

[rodeodance]

17. "she also picked up the endorsement of El Paso Mayor John Cook. YEAH

[Maddy McCall]

32. I know!

I'm out of my three posts for the day, or I'd have posted that in its own thread.

It's big news! http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=6279

[mtnsnake]

18. K&R for the awesome support that Hillary has from the higher ups in the military!

If anyone knows who's ready to be Commander in Chief, these guys do. I think it's great that Hillary is getting the backing of so many important military leaders who usually pick the Repukes but this time are choosing Hillary for obvious reasons due to her incredible competence.

[anonymous171]

19. Wait, I thought endorsements by repukes was a BAD thing?

Hillary double standard strikes again!

[cbayer]

20. Where in the world did you get the idea he is a republican? nt.

[anonymous171]

21. Here is the quote:

"it's great that Hillary is getting the backing of so many important military leaders who usually pick the Repukes"

[cbayer]

22. Ok, let's read it together slowly and break it down into it's parts.

Hillary is getting the backing of so many important military leaders.

Important military leaders usually pick the Republicans.

This does not lead to the conclusion that this important military leader is a Republican.

Now, you show me somewhere that it says he is.

[anonymous171]

23. I was basing my comment on the many posts made by HRC supporters

that say support from independents (who presumably vote repug) is BAD. Then suddenly Hill gets support from them and it's great.

[Auntie Bush]

33. She didn't get support from a Rethug. He was an Edwards supporter in 2004

I didn't like him because of what he did/said about Clark. His only saving grace is he admitted his comment wasn't true and was just political. I still haven't forgiven him! I frankly can't believe he is supporting Hillary...who has Wes at her side. He and Wes must have had some kind of truce or understanding. Still don't like him...but will take any support we can get...especially from a higher up in the military. Shows how much he must like Hillary that he will back anyone who has close ties to Clark. I guess they've buried the hatchet...I haven't and I'll never forgive him.

[rodeodance]

30. thats immaterial. poster is just making an issue of a non-issue. Hillary needs support

of these higher respected military types and she is getting it.

[anonymous171]

31. Obama simply needs the support of the people.

[JI7]

25. YUK

[RememberWellstone]

26. 1 down and more to come.

Experience matters.

[Beacool]

27. Thank you General Shelton!!!!

Another general who recognizes that experience DOES count in a future CIC.

[emilyg]

35. Good news.

[rodeodance]

36. you bet:-)

[still_one]

37. She sure was prepared when she voted for the IWR, which overturned the War Powers Act

These Senators had the good judgement to vote against it:

akaka
bingaman
boxer
byrd
chafee
conrad
corzine
dayton
durbin
feingold
graham
inouye
jeffords
kennedy
leahy
levin
mikulski
murray
reed
sarbanes
stabenow
wellstone
wyden

What did they know?

[Dinger]

38. The Democratic Ticket 2008:

You gotta BELIEVE!