Politics: A Four-Star President?
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Retired four-star general Wesley Clark is considering entering the Democratic presidential race
By Michael Isikoff
NEWSWEEK
July 7 issue
msnbc.com
Does the already crowded Democratic presidential race have room for another entry? Wesley Clark is seriously teasing the field. “I’m thinking about it,” Clark tells NEWSWEEK. He expects to make his decision in a “couple of months.”
THE RETIRED FOUR-STAR general turned investment banker had intense discussions with Senate leaders during a recent foray to Capitol Hill and is getting new encouragement; a Draft Wesley Clark committee will start running radio ads in Iowa and New Hampshire this week, touting the commander of the war in Kosovo as a modern-day Eisenhower. (Like Ike, Clark bemoans the lack of “teamwork” in Washington, and boosters say he brings impressive national-security credentials to the field.)
Many party insiders say Clark is really playing another game: angling for the vice presidential nomination. According to this analysis, Clark can’t possibly raise the money to sustain a candidacy this late in the game. “It’s preposterous,” sniffs one rival strategist. (The same financial burden holds for another possible late entry: Sen. Joe Biden.) Clark doesn’t completely reject the veep scenario. He’s “honored” to be considered, but insists that’s not his goal. Meanwhile, party officials are bracing for new fund-raising reports this week that could actually narrow the Democratic field. Advance word is that John Kerry will lead the contenders with more than $6 million in new funds raised in the last three months, but Howard Dean will make a surprisingly strong showing with about $5 million. Sen. Joe Lieberman, who insiders say has raised only about $4 million, is expected to lag behind both as well as Dick Gephardt and John Edwards. This could generate new pressure for the Connecticut senator to pull out. In any case, all the Democrats have been completely outpaced by President Bush, who, thanks to a recent fund-raising blitz, is expected to report a jaw-dropping $30 million in campaign funds. |
