Reply #20: Thanks, Jai. Clark leans heavily toward the diplomatic process and

[MissMarple]

the democratic process.

The chicken hawks just jumped right into the the military option in 2002 and were in way over their heads. I was about to post something on the ports debacle, but you were here ahead of me. I think Clark gives a outline of the problem and how we can begin to address it. I don't think Stephanopoulos got it. He is not opposed to HC's legislation, out of hand. But he does understand that this issue needs a national, as well as a congressional, discussion. We were all blind sided by this and are not all up to speed about the complexity of the global business community. Using American naivete for political gain is what the GOP is doing, and Hillary's legislative effort follows them down the aisle. and Clark doesn't do that. He is looking at the reality, not the misperceptions of many Americans. Americans need to be treated like adults, not fearful hysterics hiding under the bed covers.

"GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, when we go through the legislative process, there's going to be some hearings. We really need to take this apart. Homeland security has not received the emphasis and attention it needs and, in particular, port security hasn't. There've been any number of initiatives, there's money that's been laid out, but it hasn't been pulled together. So, I think we need to look through the issue of ownership, the issue of control, the issue of regulation, the issue of how we relate to the ports overseas. All of that needs to be on the table, and then find our way through it. <crosstalk>

George Stephanopoulos: But you just said that we can't wall off America so

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: We cannot wall off America.

George Stephanopoulos: We can't wall off America so that means that you wouldn't prohibit foreign investment in these kinds of operations, doesn't it?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I think you've got to recognize that it's a very complicated place out there, economically. You know, even labeling who is an American to own it, it's not a single American individual, it's an American company, can it have foreign ownership in an American company? Can it be an international company with headquarters abroad but majority US ownership? It gets pretty complicated. What we need to be focusing on is how the ports are regulated and how we're dealing with the ports abroad. It's much more important. <crosstalk>"