Draft Clark 2004 Declares Victory Draft Movement Succeeds in Recruiting Clark - "Mission Accomplished" Little Rock, AR - September 16, 2003 - The entry of General Wesley Clark into the presidential race brought celebration to the Draft Clark 2004 headquarters and to volunteers across the country. "We have created a new force in American politics based on the idea that a group of committed patriots can determine the future of our great nation," said John Oeffinger, one of the founders of the Draft Clark 2004 movement. "We are proud to say 'mission accomplished' for the draft phase, and it is our hope that all of our dedicated volunteers will help Gen. Clark's campaign." The Draft Clark 2004 for President Committee will close its doors shortly according to the movement's founders. "Everything accomplished by Draft Clark 2004 supporters and volunteers was done with an eye toward the day Gen. Clark would announce," said Michael Frisby, Communications Director for Draft Clark 2004. "This organization will end as expediently as possible. While it was unusual to have no contact with the candidate, we have worked in every way to reflect Gen. Clark's leadership, integrity, and vision for our country. We are honored by his willingness to serve and hope that our volunteers will work even harder for his election than they did to draft him into the race." Draft Clark 2004's accomplishments include: Field organizations in all 50 states and several territories 252 Regional Coordinators, mobilizing support and executing outreach projects A campaign office in New Hampshire A national headquarters in Little Rock 200,000+ visitors and 500,000+ page views to DraftClark2004.com A Draft Clark 2004 National Day of Service with 300 hours of community service provided in 17 cities Tens of thousands of bumper stickers, buttons, and flyers distributed About Draft Clark 2004 Draft Clark 2004, the first political committee to advocate drafting General Wesley Clark for President, is leading the way to convince Clark to declare his candidacy. DraftClark2004.com has organized 252 regional coordinators in 50 states across the country to support a potential Clark campaign. Thousands of volunteers are mobilizing Clark supporters nationwide to organize local grassroots activities on behalf of the national draft movement. In addition to its national headquarters in General Clark's hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, Draft Clark 2004 operates a campaign field office in New Hampshire. The Draft Clark 2004 for President Committee has filed as a PAC with the Federal Election Commission but is not affiliated with General Clark, who is not a candidate. For more information on General Clark and the nationwide effort to draft him into the 2004 presidential race, please visit http://www.draftclark2004.com. Company Website: http://www.draftclark2004.com Draft Clark 2004 Press Contact: Jeff Dailey email: jeff@draftclark2004.com __________________ http://www.draftclark2004.com/
Draft Clark 2004 Declares Victory Draft Movement Succeeds in Recruiting Clark - "Mission Accomplished" Little Rock, AR - September 16, 2003 - The entry of General Wesley Clark into the presidential race brought celebration to the Draft Clark 2004 headquarters and to volunteers across the country. "We have created a new force in American politics based on the idea that a group of committed patriots can determine the future of our great nation," said John Oeffinger, one of the founders of the Draft Clark 2004 movement. "We are proud to say 'mission accomplished' for the draft phase, and it is our hope that all of our dedicated volunteers will help Gen. Clark's campaign." The Draft Clark 2004 for President Committee will close its doors shortly according to the movement's founders. "Everything accomplished by Draft Clark 2004 supporters and volunteers was done with an eye toward the day Gen. Clark would announce," said Michael Frisby, Communications Director for Draft Clark 2004. "This organization will end as expediently as possible. While it was unusual to have no contact with the candidate, we have worked in every way to reflect Gen. Clark's leadership, integrity, and vision for our country. We are honored by his willingness to serve and hope that our volunteers will work even harder for his election than they did to draft him into the race." Draft Clark 2004's accomplishments include: Field organizations in all 50 states and several territories 252 Regional Coordinators, mobilizing support and executing outreach projects A campaign office in New Hampshire A national headquarters in Little Rock 200,000+ visitors and 500,000+ page views to DraftClark2004.com A Draft Clark 2004 National Day of Service with 300 hours of community service provided in 17 cities Tens of thousands of bumper stickers, buttons, and flyers distributed About Draft Clark 2004 Draft Clark 2004, the first political committee to advocate drafting General Wesley Clark for President, is leading the way to convince Clark to declare his candidacy. DraftClark2004.com has organized 252 regional coordinators in 50 states across the country to support a potential Clark campaign. Thousands of volunteers are mobilizing Clark supporters nationwide to organize local grassroots activities on behalf of the national draft movement. In addition to its national headquarters in General Clark's hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, Draft Clark 2004 operates a campaign field office in New Hampshire. The Draft Clark 2004 for President Committee has filed as a PAC with the Federal Election Commission but is not affiliated with General Clark, who is not a candidate. For more information on General Clark and the nationwide effort to draft him into the 2004 presidential race, please visit http://www.draftclark2004.com. Company Website: http://www.draftclark2004.com Draft Clark 2004 Press Contact: Jeff Dailey email: jeff@draftclark2004.com
Worrisome article about Clark. ************* MEDIA ADVISORY: Wesley Clark: The New Anti-War Candidate? Record Shows Clark Cheered Iraq War as "Right Call" September 16, 2003 The possibility that former NATO supreme commander Wesley Clark might enter the race for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination has been the subject of furious speculation in the media. But while recent coverage of Clark often claims that he opposed the war with Iraq, the various opinions he has expressed on the issue suggest the media's "anti-war" label is inaccurate. Many media accounts state that Clark, who led the 1999 NATO campaign against Yugoslavia, was outspoken in his opposition to the invasion of Iraq. The Boston Globe (9/14/03) noted that Clark is "a former NATO commander who also happens to have opposed the Iraq war." "Face it: The only anti-war candidate America is ever going to elect is one who is a four-star general," wrote Michael Wolff in New York magazine (9/22/03). Salon.com called Clark a "fervent critic of the war with Iraq" (9/5/03). To some political reporters, Clark's supposed anti-war stance could spell trouble for some of the other candidates. According to Newsweek's Howard Fineman (9/8/03) Clark "is as anti-war as Dean," suggesting that the general would therefore be a "credible alternative" to a candidate whom "many Democrats" think "would lead to a disaster." A September 15 Associated Press report claimed that Clark "has been critical of the Iraq war and Bush's postwar efforts, positions that would put him alongside announced candidates Howard Dean, Sen. Bob Graham of Florida and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio as the most vocal anti-war candidates." The Washington Post (9/11/03) reported that Clark and Dean "both opposed the war in Iraq, and both are generating excitement on the Internet and with grass-roots activists." Hearing Clark talking to CNN's Paula Zahn (7/16/03), it would be understandable to think he was an opponent of the war. "From the beginning, I have had my doubts about this mission, Paula," he said. "And I have shared them previously on CNN." But a review of his statements before, during and after the war reveals that Clark has taken a range of positions-- from expressing doubts about diplomatic and military strategies early on, to celebrating the U.S. "victory" in a column declaring that George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair "should be proud of their resolve in the face of so much doubt" (London Times, 4/10/03). Months before the invasion, Clark's opinion piece in Time magazine (10/14/02) was aptly headlined "Let's Wait to Attack," a counter-argument to another piece headlined "No, Let's Not Waste Any Time." Before the war, Clark was concerned that the U.S. had an insufficient number of troops, a faulty battle strategy and a lack of international support. As time wore on, Clark's reservations seemed to give way. Clark explained on CNN (1/21/03) that if he had been in charge, "I probably wouldn't have made the moves that got us to this point. But just assuming that we're here at this point, then I think that the president is going to have to move ahead, despite the fact that the allies have reservations." As he later elaborated (CNN, 2/5/03): "The credibility of the United States is on the line, and Saddam Hussein has these weapons and so, you know, we're going to go ahead and do this and the rest of the world's got to get with us.... The U.N. has got to come in and belly up to the bar on this. But the president of the United States has put his credibility on the line, too. And so this is the time that these nations around the world, and the United Nations, are going to have to look at this evidence and decide who they line up with." On the question of Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction, Clark seemed remarkably confident of their existence. Clark told CNN's Miles O'Brien that Saddam Hussein "does have weapons of mass destruction." When O'Brien asked, "And you could say that categorically?" Clark was resolute: "Absolutely" (1/18/03). When CNN's Zahn (4/2/03) asked if he had any doubts about finding the weapons, Clark responded: "I think they will be found. There's so much intelligence on this." After the fall of Baghdad, any remaining qualms Clark had about the wisdom of the war seemed to evaporate. "Liberation is at hand. Liberation-- the powerful balm that justifies painful sacrifice, erases lingering doubt and reinforces bold actions," Clark wrote in a London Times column (4/10/03). "Already the scent of victory is in the air." Though he had been critical of Pentagon tactics, Clark was exuberant about the results of "a lean plan, using only about a third of the ground combat power of the Gulf War. If the alternative to attacking in March with the equivalent of four divisions was to wait until late April to attack with five, they certainly made the right call." Clark made bold predictions about the effect the war would have on the region: "Many Gulf states will hustle to praise their liberation from a sense of insecurity they were previously loath even to express. Egypt and Saudi Arabia will move slightly but perceptibly towards Western standards of human rights." George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair "should be proud of their resolve in the face of so much doubt," Clark explained. "Their opponents, those who questioned the necessity or wisdom of the operation, are temporarily silent, but probably unconvinced." The way Clark speaks of the "opponents" having been silenced is instructive, since he presumably does not include himself-- obviously not "temporarily silent"-- in that category. Clark closed the piece with visions of victory celebrations here at home: "Let's have those parades on the Mall and down Constitution Avenue." In another column the next day (London Times, 4/11/03), Clark summed up the lessons of the war this way: "The campaign in Iraq illustrates the continuing progress of military technology and tactics, but if there is a single overriding lesson it must be this: American military power, especially when buttressed by Britain's, is virtually unchallengeable today. Take us on? Don't try! And that's not hubris, it's just plain fact." Another "plain fact" is this: While political reporters might welcome Clark's entry into the campaign, to label a candidate with such views "anti-war" is to render the term meaningless. link
Clark is really a war hawk neo-con with the support of Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, who has been masquerading as a liberal in hopes of becoming the Democratic nominee. In a cruel twist, Clark plans to announce that he has tricked the fickle, capricious liberals into voting for him, but he is a true neo-con at heart. Clark then drops out of the race and hands Bush the Presidency. It is at this point that the Democratic party is forced to disband in shame and humiliation.
I guess your little general is not as big a peacenik as you think. He almost started WWIII with the Russkies! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/671495.stm
You and bamaslammer are doing your best to slam this guy. Keep trying. It does get amusing. When GWB talked about "compassionate conservatism" I knew it was BS. With Clark? We shall see. And anyway, quoting some p.o.'d British general who Clark was pushing around....? I would want a full context, an explanation from both sides, before I made my judgment on that. At least Clark has actually commanded troops before. The story bama didn't quote (I forget where I read it, though; it's been a year or more) was during the conflict in former Yugoslavia when men from Clark's command were driving a mountain road and crashed. Clark rappelled down the mountain himself to see if the men were alive (no such luck) then helped bring up the bodies. Also, as far as where Clark stands on war, I believe his stance simply came out to be, If we go into Iraq, let's do it the right way. How many people came out to say "Dubya is lying through his teeth but he wants his war"? Plenty of people had to tread cautiously. You never knew if Bush had actual info on actual weapons. Me, I'm pretty sure myself Iraq had some kind of weapons. Bush's father and members of that administration (and Reagan's) sold stuff to Iraq. Now, turns out that the stuff was reported as destroyed, but we weren't interested in stuff like that. Time to b****-slap Iraq to make an excuse of that country for others to follow. Meanwhile Saudi Arabia and Pakistan keep laughing into their sleeves. If we are blessed with a new president in 2004, it will be interesting to see what he makes of the mess that Dubya has wrought. And is still making: John Bolton's been in the news trying to start a new little war between us and Syria. Same story: "reports they have WMD," that sort of crap. Yay, team! Follow the script called "Rebuilding America's Defenses" by the neo-cons, written 10 years ago. Iraq, Syria, Iran, and North Korea. Let's git'im!
I thought he "declared" yesterday... I don't think "Draft Clark 2004" had much to do with his decision.
TJ and BS, your pathetic pre-emptive broadsides are like a pop-gun against the hull of a battleship. Great Warrior-Citizens: Cincinnatus Washington Clark
Sam, I (believe it or not) enjoy your very well-thought out and rational posts, even though I might disagree with them. But, seriously, putting Clark with Cincinnatus and Washington is taking it waaaaaaaaaay too far. Those guys were honorable men, great statesmen and won wars. Clark...he won if you want to call our action in Kosovo and the Balkans a win. Comparing him to those two is like comparing a Daewoo to a Bentley......ain't no comparison.