Retired General Weighs Presidential Bid (Sharpton & Clark TN Speech)

[DoveTurnedHawk]

<...>

In a half-hour speech to 1,000 cheering Democrats in heavily Republican East Tennessee, Clark said Bush has failed the country on health care, education and foreign policy.

"The No. 1 responsibility of the commander in chief is what? The safety and security of the United States of America," Clark said, questioning the administration's efforts to avoid the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"What happened on 9-11, Mr. President? Why is it that eight months into your administration, why is it that there was no plan to deal with the number one threat that Bill Clinton's national security team warned you about when you took office?"

<...>

Clark, whose calendar includes a speech in Iowa Sept. 19, said he will announce his intentions within "the next few days probably," most likely in his home state of Arkansas.

<...>

Clark's candidacy "would only expand the field" and help the party, Sharpton said later. Clark said he would support Sharpton if the minister wins the nomination and Sharpton said he would do the same for Clark.

"If you can bring the Wesley Clark wing and the Al Sharpton wing of the party out, George Bush doesn't stand a chance," Sharpton said.

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20030913_1507.htm...

DTH

[Melinda]

1. In your face, Whistleass!!!

Clark charged the Bush administration with "obfuscation and slow investigations and memos and shenanigans and creating departments" in response to Sept. 11.

"Let's have some accountability, here," he said, recalling Harry Truman's credo that "The buck stops here."

Clark also challenged the president to explain the administration's strategy on the war in Iraq. "What is the intent, what is the plan, Mr. President? Because the commander in chief better have a plan and we haven't heard it yet."

Nice to see some backbone AND teeth for a change... I am very pleased to hear what so many here have been praying for - Thank YOU Wes Clark, WOW.

[TacticalPeek]

2. "Wesley Clark wing and the Al Sharpton wing"

Now that would put a painful pincer on aWol's sorry ass.

[SharonAnn]

4. Gen. Clark supporters had signs at their table "Wes Wing"

and we all cheered them.

[TacticalPeek]

9. Cool.

[Kahuna]

12. "Wes Wing." That's just too delicious.

[Myra]

32. Go Wes Wing Go

Please run General...

Anyone who feels likewise please write to
him and ask him to run:
[e-mail]

Like Michael said:
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php

Thank you for your attention...

[SharonAnn]

3. Ye, I was there (just got back) and it was wonderful!

Al Sharpton was absolutely outstanding. My husband had never heard him speak and didn't know much about him so he got his first introduction to Reverend Al. He loved it! Rev. Al was in top form!

And Gen. Clark was terrific. He nailed Bush on just about everything a leader, one who has command responsibility, should do. Awesome!

It's so great being in a room with a thousand Democrats!

I think we're going to get a lot more votes for the Democratic candidate in 2004 than anyone's expecting. People are "mad as hell and they're not going to take it anymore".

[DoveTurnedHawk]

5. I'm So Jealous!!!

So the crowd responded well to Clark?

DTH

[southern democrat]

7. Sho-nuff

He said he liked the wes wing signs.

[disgruntella]

6. Go Clark!

I am so glad to hear him speak publicly about the Clinton administration being ON THE BALL with security and then handing it off to the Bush* incompetents!

Another Democrat for TELLING THE FREAKIN' TRUTH!

(OK, I've had some caffeine this evening...)

[Julien Sorel]

8. That is a campaign speech, and considering

Clark's credentials, a lethal one. I hear there's a run on Adult-sized Depends in Washington, DC tonight.

[TacticalPeek]

10. ROFLMAO!

[Kahuna]

11. That man Wes is a bad..

mother shut your mouth...I'm talking about Wes. Can you diggit?

[disgruntella]

13. he's a complicated man

And no one understands him but his... "Wes Wing"

(GENERAL Clark!)

[Kahuna]

14. He's the man who won't cop out..

When there's danger all about. Wes! Right on.

[RichV]

15. Damn right

I can dig it.

[tjdee]

26. Who is the man, who would risk his neck for his brother maannnn?

Clark!

Can you dig it?

Hehehehehehe.

[VolcanoJen]

27. I am diggin it!!!!

Big Dog said yesterday that it's ok to fall in love with a candidate, so long as we fall in line after the primary is over...

So with that in mind, Wesley Clark, I'm in love!!

Dig it!!
Jennifer

[glarius]

16. I LIKE HIM! I heard him early on say he worried about Bush alienating the

rest of the world...As a Canadian, (we've seen Bush's response to our not joining him in Iraq) I was happy to hear Clark say this!

[Voltaire99]

17. Ok, I'll consider supporting a Sharpton-Clark ticket. ;-)

I'm not fond of generals, or of this one. But he's certainly making more of the right noises than most of the pack.

If he wins and brings Kucinich, Robert Reich and Paul Krugman on board, we might just have a government worthy of the name.

[Donna Zen]

18. It's official

I just read the morning Clark newsletter with a report of last night's event and I would say it's official; he kissed a baby. Of course the baby had on a "draftclark" T-shirt.

Also from the enews: "It was the most animated I have ever seen him. It was also a brutal assault on Bush and friends. Truly amazing!!! He had the room standing, cheering and clapping."

I wondered how Clark would do on the stump...he tends to talk fast. Anyway, it looks like he can get them out of their seats.

[Gin]

19. This cat and mouse game he is playing about running or not....has turned

me off. The stakes are so high in this country that he can't play games and get away with it....get in or drop the issue.

His advocates are doing him an injustice with all the hype. I will vote for Dean. Dean is up-front and out there trying to get my vote the right way...not by inuendo.

[hippiechick]

21. ITA,

Shit or get off the pot, General Clark ...

[DoveTurnedHawk]

22. Three More Days

It'll be good. No one will care about this in a couple of weeks.

DTH

[Trajan]

25. Instant gratification ....

The world isnt an instant frothy latte powder in a bag .....

Funny how those who do not support Clark are the most worried about his timing .... why ? ...

WHY do those who oppose Clark worry that he is too late to wage a primary campaign ? .... isnt HE the victim of such a 'poor strategy' ? ....

[DoveTurnedHawk]

31. Stop Making Sense, Trajan!

It's no coincidence to me that DUers who don't support Clark always happen to be the first to trumpet their pessimism about Clark's chances.

I always tell them, we'll just have to see. I feel pretty confident that Clark will have the ultimate answer for them: success.

DTH

[juajen]

33. Please don't paint all of us with the same brush!

I am a supporter of Dennis Kucinich. But, I also like Clark. I think he's highly electable and I am perfectly willing to give him time to resonate with voters.

[hippiechick]

34. I'm neutral on Clark and his chances, but the dicking around

is detracting from the important part of this 'season' - the ISSUES and the general populace's opportunity to see ALL The candidates on the stump together, to make their decision who to support.

Clark's playing the fence makes it look like he's not really even sure he WANTS to be President, which leads to the conclusion 'If he's so unsure about getting in, will he change his mind once he gets there ? Will he back off from the nomination and just tell us all to endorse an unopposed Bush? Will he pull a switcheroo once he's in the White House and quit ?'

THAT is what bothers me about his procrastinating.

Perhaps thou should not be so quick with the castigation of those that have a critical thought to offer.

[MODemocrat]

30. That makes two of us GIN

Your post said just what I'm thinking.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

20. RELATED LINK: ADD'L INFO

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,K...

DTH

[VolcanoJen]

24. Looks like he'll announce in Little Rock!!!!!!!

Great link DTH!!!!

I have butterflies in my stomach, waiting for the moment in which he makes it clear to all that he's a candidate. In the meantime, check this out... and does he actually have an event scheduled in Little Rock, and if so, what day is that? Because that's going to be THE DAY, my friends!!


Clark on the front porch at the Knoxville home of actor David Keith


Sounding like a candidate, he said without hesitation, "I think I have a tremendous amount to offer this country, a lifetime of public service and leadership."

<snip>

"Let's be honest," Clark said, "When you haven't ever been in elective office before and you've commanded companies, battalions, a brigade, a division and (been) supreme allied commander in Europe, and somebody asks you to stand for elective office - it is about the presidency.

"That is the decision that is here. They don't have primaries for the vice presidency."

Clark, whose calendar includes a speech in Iowa late next week, said he will announce his intentions within "the next few days probably," most likely in his home state of Arkansas.

"It just seemed to me if I was going to go to Iowa, I probably ought to know what I was doing before I went there," he said.

[amazona]

23. interesting...

I'd love to see a Clark/Sharpton ticket or the other way round. The quality of the debates alone would be worth the price of admission.

Can you imagine a Cheney vs. Sharpton debate? Woo hoo! Talk about "smackdown."

Or Clark vs. Bush. "Hmm. Seems Milosevic is in the dock for his war crimes...and Osama bin Laden is...where?"

[VolcanoJen]

28. Salon: "... but I have my jacket off"

Here's a quote from Salon's versions of events last night in Knoxville, making it more than clear that Wes is ready for a fight:

http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2003/09/14/clark /

Clark, 58, who headed the U.S. Southern Command and was NATO commander during the 1999 campaign in Kosovo, said his 34 years in the military taught him, "The highest calling of the armed forces is not to wage war, but to prevent war."

Supporters chanted "Draft, General Clark. Draft, General Clark."

"Now I haven't made up my mind whether I am going to run," Clark, in shirt sleeves, told the crowd. "But I have my jacket off. And you can figure this out."

[Nashyra]

29. I can't believe it finally someone is picking up and repeating

the fact that the Clinton administration WARNED!!!!!!! the *'s administration and as of May 1st they still had not made it one of their top ten priorities. That's when they announced *#2 (cheney), hate to even type their names, would be in charge of a terrorist task force, by the time 9/11 came about the task force had not had one meeting. To other's credit some have had the guts to bring it up but the press has not repeated it often enough or loud enough. Maybe Clark will be the one to get the message to resonate in the media. That would be devastating to *, many people don't know that or have not made the connection.

[TacticalPeek]

35. The Big Dog's remarks in Iowa yesterday (about only 5% of citizens

knowing about aWol's trade-offs to get tax cut pay-offs for the rich), were mainly targeted at domestic and security issues like funding first responders, after-school, etc. WJC will probably mute criticism on foreign and natsec areas, water's edge/ex-prez and all that.

But the same small percentage idea applies to Iraq, war on terra, etc., and the mission here is the same as Clinton recommended: in the best way possible, inform people. I think Clark can do that in spades, and the media cannot avoid amplifying it. Same goes for domestic, too, economy, civil rights, etc.

Yes, making the connections will be devastating.