The only controversy I see is highlighted in the column sited by Mango... ............................... The controversial rules have left thousands of troops who supported the conflict from bases in England, Spain, Turkey, Germany and Belgium ineligible for the medal. In order to get the award, European Command officials say Clark must have been given a waiver by either the Defense Secretary or Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Henry Shelton. At presstime, Pentagon officials were unable to determine who actually had given him the waiver. Clark says he was awarded the very first medal to be minted at his retirement ceremony on June 23, 2000, in Washington, D.C. Clark thinks it’s ridiculous that he needed a waiver at all and said that it was even worse that so many troops who supported the war have been left out in the cold. "My intent was that every man and woman who participated in the campaign — from the fliers to the supporters on the ground — would be recognized with this medal," said Clark, reached at his new office in Washington, D.C. Clark was both NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander of Europe and the head of EUCOM, before handing over both reins to Air Force Gen. Joseph W. Ralston shortly before retiring last year. "This was an unconventional conflict fought from afar," Clark said. "It was not a war huddled up around Yugoslavia." For that reason he argued the medal should be awarded based on what troops did, not on where they were. The Kosovo Campaign Medal, he said, "was never meant to be a danger- or location-based award, but a service-based award." B-2 bombers, he noted, flew from as far away as Missouri. Additional support — everything from aerial refuelers to intelligence analysts — were staged at bases throughout Europe. Clark’s own battle staff worked around the clock at his headquarters in Mons, Belgium. European Command officials say no other waivers have been granted for the campaign medal and was surprised to find out the Clark had gotten one. Clark said he wasn’t even aware that he was granted a waiver or even needed one before being awarded the medal, but was furious that so many who supported the campaign have not been able to pin on the award. "They should be recognized," said an agitated Clark, explaining that the medal had been embroiled in controversy among top brass at the Pentagon from the very beginning. "The campaign medal was as controversial within the Pentagon as the campaign itself," said Clark, declining to elaborate. Air Force leaders, who had the lion’s share of troops supporting the mission from outside the combat zone, have lobbied intensely to expand the criteria. The Air Force also is in the tough position of having awarded scores of Bronze Stars for action during the air campaign — in places like Missouri and the Pentagon — to people who are now not eligible to wear the campaign medal itself. Almost a year after the new medal was first announced, the European Command is still mulling over what to do. Officials refuse to say what options are being considered, who is considering them or even when a decision is expected. All that they’ll say is that the issue is still "under active review."
Guys, if a guy can go AWOL for two years from the National Guard during a war, and *still* be appointed president, a few blemishes on Clark's record won't mean jack crap.
Well it sure is nice to know that our Marine Corp thinks preventing needless murder is "a waste of time" I think this statement by you shows just how selfish and hypocritical your views are.. example : "liberating" the people of Serbia from the clutches of an evil man who murders his own people is "waste of time" "liberating" the people of Iraq from the clutches of an evil man who murders his own people is NOT a "waste of time" the difference (according to you) ? OIL aka vital American interests what a bunch of "half-brained" dog crap the only selective use of power on display is by YOU and republicans. when you choose to use your military power in irresponsible, unilateral ways under false pretenses, that is evil and wrong
You forgot to add that the Iraqi's and the rest of the world don't want us in Iraq where as most people wanted us in the the former Yugoslavia.
Clark has quite a bit of explaining to do after his Meet the Press fiasco where he lied about the White House asking him to explain the link between Iraq and Al Queda, then later admitted it was a "Canadian friend" who asked him to go on the show, and not the White House. I'm sure this is the tip of the iceberg with Clark. His squeaky clean image will be debunked soon enough. Once again, the liberals are so desperate for a piece of good news, that they are willing to pounce on anything that can even be remotely construed as good for their failing party. Their desperation is transparent.
Read the articles. I don't think the Stars and Stripes article is a slam at all. It is a legitimate controversy within the service. In the high tech mode of warfare in today's military, do you use the narrow confines in use to not award campaign medals when forces are flying combat missions from hundreds and thousands of miles from the theatre? If it's directed from Germany or, like much of Afghanistan and Gulf War II, Florida... does that mean those running the war weren't involved in the campaign? Hackworth's is an opinion piece and the "counterpunch" article is rediculous.
I'm sure of that, I bet the righties are oiling up the old arkansas dirt-digging/hate spewing machine right this second. I bet the Mellon Scaifes are writing out checks right now. Clark scares the sh-t out of you guys. You better hope you find something good.
i literally laughed out loud when i read this. no one is scared...who freaking cares? we're over a year away from election day...i'm sleeping easy.
I laugh at this! What do we really know about Clark, other than his reputation for being mean-spirited (not going to play well with voters) and his complete and total lack of political experience? Scared? I laugh!
Madmax, I'm not talking about you, I'm just messing with die hards like TJ who have been trashing him in the silliest possible fashion ("he's worked for an INVESTMENT BANK!!")since March. In addition, I noted this comment from David Brooks, who is not only a Republican, but an Editor of the neocon journal, the Weekly Standard, in a column about Howard Dean in this mornings times:
I don't know that much about Clark either, you and Johnheath seem to know more about him than anybody else on this board. I wonder why?
Today is a great day for American politics and the Democratic Party. This announcement by Clark has republicans quivering like a naked Chiwawa in a snowstorm. W. Clark is the spark the Democratic Party so badly needed and now that the snowball has been dropped at the top of the mountain there is nothing to do but stand back and watch his candidacy gain size, strength, and momentum.
Give me a break....Clark is a bumbling fool as is the rest of the Dems who have thrown themselves in the ring (and to the wolves, I might add). I don't mean to crow about someone I'm not going to vote for, but you guys are going to look pretty stupid come a couple days after the election and Bush wins in a landslide. I will enjoy it tremendously, to see you guys offer excuses and whine and cry about this man you so ridiculously and small-mindedly impugn every single day on this board. What did Bush ever do to you? Cripes, you people are unbelieveable. It is you guys, the liberals who are trolling out the hate machine, calling Bush every single dirty word you can think of. To see you guys eating crow for another four years will be hilarious.
Dude, that's DEMOCRACY. There are *supposed* to be different people running in elections. I'm voting for the person I believe best represents what I believe, not who I think will win. That's not "stupid" -- that's democracy. But if Bush gets the most votes this time, I'll be happy. If he loses, I'll be happier, but democracy is about an exchange of ideas. I attack Bush for the same reason you guys attack Clinton -- we want the best for our country. Saying that you'll "enjoy tremendously" the loser looking "stupid" says more about yourself than your ideas, I'm afraid.
I never questioned the workings of our REPUBLIC (we are not a democracy, not quite yet and hopefully will never be). Of course the opposition has to trot out candidates. But it is the fact that as the days go by, you guys on the left become more and more shrill and downright mean-spirited when it comes to our C in C. You know what they tells me? It tells me that you guys know you're going to lose and lose big. The more you realize that fact, the meaner you guys will become.
You are hands down the funniest poster here. Four legs good two legs bad Four legs good two legs better.
did it ever cross your "half brain" that those of us that don't agree with Bush, don't agree and attack his policies because WE DONT LIKE THEM AND THINK THEY ARE BAD FOR ALL OF US? as much as it must hurt to realize this, but we arent just a bunch of sore losers (like Rush repeats daily) or are we doing anything just to be mean-spirited
