Clark is said to want to join race (NY Times)

[quinnox]

Wesley K. Clark, the retired four-star general who has been contemplating a run for president, has told close friends that he wants to join the Democratic race and is delaying a final decision only until he feels he has a legitimate chance of winning the nomination.


"It's safe to say he wants to run," said a longtime friend who has had frequent political conversations with General Clark. "But he approaches this like a military man. He wants to know, Can I win the battle? He doesn't want to have a situation where he could embarrass himself, but I'm absolutely certain he wants to run."

"He is going to do it," said another of General Clark's friends. "He's just going back and forth as to when" to announce.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/28/politics/28CLAR.html?hp

The article goes on to say Clark will probably make his announcement after Sept. 15, a key date for financial reporting purposes.

[leftyandproud]

1. A Clark/Dean ticket would win in a LANDSLIDE!

Clark would be like Collin Powell, getting broad support across the board...He is a lefty, but appeals to the right wing with his military background, etc

[Pronsack]

2. Has anyone seen this?

I'm new and can't start a thread, so I apologze.

NYSE pays out $139m to Richard Grasso
http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1059479361616&p=1012571727088

How can this be just? How can anyone allow this to happen?

[TAH6988]

5. Who's gonna stop it

and why should they?

[Pronsack]

12. OK

I guess I meant that figuratively. It just seems to wrong to give anyone this kind of money when so many are in need. I'll never understand it. How does someone deserve this much?

[leftyandproud]

16. the NYSE is a private organization..

what do you expect?
at least he will pay a HELL of a lot of taxes on that income..

[Pronsack]

17. Maximum Salary

Is the idea of a maximum salary still alive out there? There should be some check against this sort of outright greed when so many are suffering. I'm just now learning to be aware of things, so forgive me if I am sounding naive.

[salin]

19. this is the part that makes it seem way out of wack:

The sum is more than the exchange's combined net income for the last three full years. The NYSE said it consisted of $40m from an executive savings plan, accrued retirement benefits o f $51.6m, and $47.9m relating to previous incentive awards.

[newyawker99]

18. Hi Pronsack!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[ima_sinnic]

3. er, he has to stick his neck out in the first place

sorry Wesley, sometimes ya gotta take a chance--and you just MIGHT lose.

Thank goodness there are 8 others (I'm leaving out LIEberman) willing to take risks. We have all greatly benefited by their voices in opposition to Bush. Yes, 7 of them are going to be "embarassed"--sheesh. Luckily they put public service and standing up for what they believe ahead of their own discomfort.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. I Hope Anybody Can Appreciate His Predicament

He is the classic Uber Achiever....


First In His Class At West Point

A Rhodes Scholar

SACEUR

I'd bet my life his 1 Q > 150

Lots of folks with awesome resumes have failed in their quest for the presidency.....

It's a big step...

He has much to lose....

[ima_sinnic]

7. well, gee, if he's that afraid of losing

he probably won't win anyway

There is something definitely "not right" about him, all round.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. What's Not Right With Him?

None of them are perfect....

I could do a whithering critique of any of them if that was my raison d'etre.

But I give all nine or ten a pass.


Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good

[ima_sinnic]

13. what's "not right" (for one thing) is that he puts his own glory

ahead of what he could do for the country. Is that how he is going to make the tough calls that a PRESIDENT has to make? gee, I might make a wrong decision, better not do anything at all. sheesh and double sheesh.
He will run ONLY if he KNOWS he will win?? Now waiting until after September 15th? (Meanwhile Dean will have collected how many more enthusiastic voters and contributions?)

Between this and the other threads contemplating his PNAC/AEI ties and that phone call from one of his buddies in the current regime or with ties to it (or whoever the hell it was, he won't come clean on that one) asking him to link 9/11 to Hussein--to outright lie--I think I prefer someone with nothing to hide, no dubious buddies, no professional cheerleaders (which the "Draft Clark" people do appear to be), nothing that has to be speculated on or wondered about to the degree we are forced to do with Clark. Dean doesn't have mysterious people calling him up asking him to lie for them and that's the way I like it.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

15. Are you suggesting if

someone smeared Clark I shouldn't support Clark without finding out if the smear is true or not.

People said Clinton was a liar, a rapist, a murderer, and a drug dealer and I i-g-n-o-r-e-d them.

If I embraced your logic I would have voted for Bush and Dole.

Your logic is flawed...

Bobby Kennedy got in the Democratic race in March of 68 after McCarthy knocked out LBJ by embarassing him in NH.*

If Dean is as strong a candidate as you imply than he'll make mincemeat of the General.

"There's nothing to fear but fear itself"

*LBJ won NH but he was embarassed by McCarthy's strong showing...

[clar]

8. My thoughts exactly

You think you can make a difference? Then get in there, broadcast your vision and fight for it to become a reality. A couple of months ago I really liked General Clark and was eager to hear what he had to say. Now some of my enthusiasm has diminished. In addition, I worry that Clark is becoming the DLC's bright haired boy; their last hope at stopping Dean. Should his announcement be followed by the immediate endorsement of the Clintons and the DLC, I'll be disgusted. I've heard all the explanations about his waiting so long: He's playing a savvy tactical game, he's not declaring party affiliation in order to garner more republican and independant support, it's still early; Bill Clinton didn't announce until October, etc., and I'm becoming less and less comfortable with these explanations the longer the whole Waiting for Clark thing goes on.

[ima_sinnic]

9. "Waiting for Clark"--good one

now we find out we're waiting for him only because he's a big scaredy

[DemocratSinceBirth]

11. How Can Clark Be The DLC's Boy

when he opposed Iraq War 2 which was a cardinal issue for them.

When you substitute inference for fact you owe it to your readers to at least get the premise correct.

[Kahuna]

4. I think Clark doesn't want bushco to have too much notice of his..

announcement. The bushies will certainly contrive a news event to obscure his announcement.

Run Wesley, run!

[Jivenwail]

14. ITA!

Run, Wesley, run!