How rich is General Wesley Clark?

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

On a strictly superficial level, I always liked Clark's story and resume. He was a middle class guy who was super smart and worked very hard, graduated top of his class at West Point, and spent his career serving the country in the US Army. He was also quite successful in the top ranks of the officer corp, which I'm sure has politics as rough and shady as any we have in our local, state, and federal government. This includes wheeling and dealing with the defense contractors just like the civilian politicians do with all the corporations.

Is Clark really from a middle class background? Is he closer to the priviledge and wealth that Bush, Kerry, Dean, and Graham come from? Or is he an authentic "regular American" like Sharpton, Gephardt, Edwards, and Kucinich?

To get to a high level in business, the military, or politics, you have to have benefactors - people who have already made it helping you out and guiding you along. Who were Clark's benefactors? Did someone have to pull strings to get him into West Point? He sure as hell didn't get a "Gentlemen's C" like Bush did at Yale. Was it Clinton and his defense secretary that raised Clark through the ranks?

I think most of the Clark bashing is done by rival campaigns, and we've heard all the attacks against the other candidates as well. Clark is in my top four candidates at least, but Kucinich still has my heart. I bet more information on Clark's background and benefactors would help us all understand how Clark's nonpartisan career can translate into a progressive Democratic Presidency or Vice Presidency.

[molly]

1. I like Wesley Clark - he has creditbility

he has the education and the smarts to run this country. He's a guy that worked his butt off to succeed. He didn't come from wealth - he made friends along the way. I would presume it helped to be first in his class at West Point - the Rhodes Scholar - etc. He can talk to the "regular" people. I would be proud to vote for Clark if Kerry does not get the nomination.

[Pepperbelly]

2. Wesley's biography is real.

I know the economic conditions under which he grew up. The family was certainly not poor but they were a far cry from rich or even upper middle class. They lived in a reletively nice part of town but not the richest part or even close. Not bad, not dirt poor but certainly, at the pinnacle, middle class. Wesley went to public schools.