The general has entered the building...ahem, the race

[Tracy]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...k_23&printer=1

Wesley Clark to Enter Presidential Race
23 minutes ago

By RON FOURNIER, AP Political Writer

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who boasts a four-star military record but concedes he has gaps to fill on domestic policy, told political advisers Tuesday he will join the presidential race as the 10th Democratic candidate.





"The Arkansan immediately displayed his potential to shake up the nomination fight, gathering an impressive lineup of party activists for a strategy session that overshadowed Sen. John Edwards (news, bio, voting record)' long-standing plans to formally launch his months-old candidacy.


Senior officials close to Clark said he plans to announce his intentions Wednesday in Little Rock, Ark., at a boys and girls club. He enters the race late, against long odds. "


the article continues... I wonder how long those odds really are....

[JessicaS]

Hot Damn! I know who I am voting for. I have been whining about wanting him to run the whole time.

[TiredX2]

Hmmm, I can really see him being a super strong vice presidential candidate.

kay

[Tracy]

He certainly is appealing to Michael Moore. This was on his website on Friday.


http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/in...ate=2003-09-12


"Michael Moore to Wesley Clark: Run!


A Citizen’s Appeal to a General in a Time of War (at Home)

Dear General Wesley Clark,

I've been meaning to write to you for some time. Two days after the Oscars, when I felt very alone and somewhat frightened by the level of hatred toward me for daring to suggest that we were being led into war for "fictitious reasons," one person stuck his neck out and came to my defense on national television.

And that person was you.

Aaron Brown had just finished interviewing me by satellite on CNN, and I had made a crack about me being "the only non-general allowed on CNN all week." He ended the interview and then turned to you, as you were sitting at the desk with him. He asked you what you thought of this crazy guy, Michael Moore. And, although we were still in Week One of the war, you boldly said that my dissent was necessary and welcome, and you pointed out that I was against Bush and his "policies," not the kids in the service. I sat in Flint with the earpiece still in my ear and I was floored -- a GENERAL standing up for me and, in effect, for all the millions who were opposed to the war but had been bullied into silence.

Since that night, I have spent a lot of time checking you out. And what I've learned about you corresponds to my experience with you back in March. You seem to be a man of integrity. You seem not afraid to speak the truth. I liked your answer when you were asked your position on gun control: “If you are the type of person who likes assault weapons, there is a place for you -- the United States Army. We have them.”


the piece continues on the link.

[JessicaS]

[mahdokht]

***

[kama'aina mama]

This might be just what the Dems need! A war hero to run against their draft dodger. Heck, I may register to vote Dem to get in on this.

[JessicaS]

Definately. As former head of NATO I really think he has the experience a lot of people want and I bet he has a lot of clout with the military people who usually vote republican.

With all thats going on I would like to see someone in who knows what they are doing as far as the military goes.

[MirandaW]

I could totally support Wesley Clark. I wouldn't mind most of the Dem nominees, but Clark has a breadth of experience that would make him a very informed world leader.

[owensmom]

My friend is way into him (http://kilgore.blogspot.com/) - I've been reading his positions this morning since said friend agrees with them all. They are a bit hard to get my head around since they seem to be bits of sound bytes, not like he sat down and wrote them out. So his view on gun control ("I have got 20 some odd guns in the house. I like to hunt. I have grown up with guns all my life, but people who like assault weapons should join the United States Army, we have them") doesn't actually say what he would do about gun control. I dunno. I'll keep my eyes peeled and ears open on this one...

[JessicaS]

I forgot that quote was by him!!

but people who like assault weapons should join the United States Army, we have them

[JessicaS]

http://draftwesleyclark.com/

http://draftclark2004.com/

[Joyce in the mts.]

Check this out:

http://www.commondreams.org/news2003/0916-10.htm

It gave me pause.

I am still not committed 100% to any candidate and NO candidate is perfect for sure.

Still sure I will vote against Bush no matter what!

...Joyce in the mts.

[kama'aina mama]

Originally posted by owensmom
but people who like assault weapons should join the United States Army, we have them

My husband says the same thing about Hummers! (Not that we have twenty... that would be Ah-nold. That if you want to drive one you should join the Army.)

[Hilary Briss]

Do we really need someone who is ex-military as the leader of our country? What kind of message does that send to the rest of the world? :

[dentente]

He's ex-military and he's anti-war and specifically against the current conflict in Iraq.

Because he's been there, baby. Unlike someone I could mention who likes to dress up in a flight suit.

:LOL

I like Wesley Clark A Lot.

Denny

[kama'aina mama]

I don't know Briss. I don't know if we NEED a guy with a military resume. But I think we do need a guy who can defeat Bush. If this guys military career helps him do that... I say right on! As to the message we send to the world should we elect him: it has to be better than the message we send if we re-elect a draft dodger who bombed the snot out of a third world country and then strutted around gloating about it.

[kama'aina mama]

Originally posted by Nursing Mother
It never ends, does it? One guys as bad as the next.

Yes, yes, yes. I wonder what it would be like to get really excited about a candidate, not just grudgingly choose off the menu of evils.

[Els' 3 Ones]

Man, do I hear that, Kama!!!!


And, please, don't call Clark anit-war. He is not.

The spin around them all is already making me dizzy..........


El

[SoHappy]

The man who wrote the letter below is an activist on the Kucinich campaign in St. Louis. He has given permission to reprint his letter.
========

Mr. Moore,

I wanted to share with you a passage from a piece written by someone
who, until roughly a week ago, I considered a kindred spirit. The
letter, written on 15 April 1999 says in part,

"As we file our taxes today (procrastinators, all of us), and we sign
our names on the bottom line of our 1040 tax forms, perhaps we should
ask ourselves if what we are doing is signing a death warrant for
people we don't even know. Because each night, for the past three
weeks, millions of dollars of bombs and missiles -- that you and I
paid for -- are being used to kill people in the former Yugoslavia.
That makes you and I culpable in their execution."

As you know, <http://www.commondreams.org/kosovo/views/mmoore.htm>you
were the writer of this piece. So imagine my surprise when I read
your remarks last week about Wesley Clark, the architect of that war.
If you and I are culpable of the execution of thousands of
Yugoslavians, as I believe we are, what of Wesley Clark's
culpability? They were killed on his orders -- civilian targets were
bombed, cities full of Slobodan Milosovic's political opponents were
killed on his command. And, unlike you or me, he was personally
responsible for their deaths.

Is <http://www.zpub.com/un/clark.html>Wesley Clark's well documented
record now irrelevant to you?

Wesley Clark should be standing shoulder to shoulder with Milosovic
at the Hague. You believed it in 1999: what has changed? Are we
really so scared of Bush that we should cast aside our morality when
we cast our ballot?

Dennis Kucinich represents everything in which you believe -- at
least he did when you stood alongside Ralph Nader in 2000. The
difference is that he stands as a Democrat. Your endorsement of
Kucinich now would propel him into this race as a serious player
whether the same media that ignored Stupid White Men would
acknowledge it or not.

And you know this. Or at least you should. Yet you choose to lend
your powerful voice to a war criminal you once opposed.

I agreed with your letter back in 1999 when you said,

"Now, it is time for all of us to stop Clinton and his disgusting,
hypocritical fellow democrats who support him in this war. It is
amazing to watch all these 'liberal' congress members line up behind
the President."

So did Dennis Kucinich -- in 1999 and today. And, it should be said,
he was the only candidate in this race to do so (he's the only
serious anti-war candidate).

I've admired your bravery and your willingness to speak to power in the
past. It's a shame that out of fear you're turning your back on
those principles now, when the political embodiment of them so
desperately needs your support.

Best,
Shawn Redden

If you pass this on, please give credit to Shawn.