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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JohnM who wrote (8226)	9/16/2003 11:34:09 AM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 793788

Moving on, here is an excellent "inside politics" on Clark. All these Generals tend to come across too stiff. washingtonpost.com Clark Mulls Run With Advisers Decision on Presidential Candidacy Expected This Week By Jim VandeHei Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, September 16, 2003; Page A09 Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark summoned a group of potential political, fundraising and legal advisers to Little Rock yesterday to discuss his possible run for the presidency, according to several people familiar with the meeting. Clark, who has flirted with running for months, is highly likely to become the 10th Democrat to seek the nomination to challenge President Bush in 2004, his friends said. An announcement is expected Wednesday or Thursday, but Clark first wants to determine if he can put together a presidential-caliber team this late in the game, which is the purpose of today's meetings in Little Rock, his friends said. Clark, a former NATO commander and harsh critic of Bush's Iraq policy, would shake up an already wide-open race for the Democratic nomination if he jumps in. Although he has no political experience, the retired general would enter the race with the backing of several friends of former president Bill Clinton, the only Arkansan to win the White House. That support might help Clark overcome what appears to be his most immediate problem: raising enough money to compete with several candidates who are on target to raise $20 million or more this year. A draft Clark movement said it has raised about $1 million. Clark also has impressed Washington powerbrokers such as Gerald W. McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, which suggests it is not too late for him to win the backing of the Democratic Party's most powerful allies outside government. The AFL-CIO's endorsement, which is the most coveted prize of the early campaign season, remains up for grabs, and Clark has asked union officials to hold off until he decides whether to run. Among those expected at today's strategy session are Ron Klain, a strategist for former vice president Al Gore; Mark Fabiani, a communications specialist for Clinton and Gore; Skip Rutherford, a Clinton fundraiser; and D. Vanessa Weaver, a Clinton appointee. Former Clinton White House lawyer Bruce Lindsey also backs Clark. Clinton is high on Clark and has encouraged him to run, according to a friend of both men, who said the former president has talked with Clark on several occasions but is unlikely to endorse him. It is unclear whether Clark has the personal and political skills to mount a serious run for the White House, according to Democrats who know him. He has never run for office and has virtually no experience with domestic policy. Several people who worked with him during the Clinton administration also found him abrasive and controlling, two traits that could hinder him on the campaign trail. Several Democrats who have met with Clark in recent weeks, however, walked away impressed with his ideas and confident he would quickly become a formidable candidate. His foreign policy expertise would be a huge and formidable asset in this campaign. With Iraq dominating the past two presidential debates, Clark would instantly become one of the most credible critics of Bush's foreign policy, Democrats said. Clark, the NATO commander during the successful war in Kosovo, would make national security -- and Bush's handling of the war in Iraq -- a centerpiece of the campaign, friends said. Democratic strategists said Clark probably would cut into the support for Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), a decorated Vietnam veteran campaigning as the war hero candidate, and former Vermont governor Howard Dean, the anti-war candidate. If Clark decides not to run, Dean and others would consider him a top candidate for vice president. Dean has met with Clark four times to discuss the campaign, and the two recently discussed the vice presidency, though no official offers were made. Kerry, who is looking to gain ground on Dean, parted ways yesterday with communications adviser Chris Lehane, who had urged him to mount a more aggressive challenge to Dean. Kerry has not ruled out additional staff changes. washingtonpost.com

To: JohnM who wrote (8226)	9/16/2003 11:36:04 AM
From: michael97123	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793788

Would you agree that a democratic court would be guilty of the same charge? By the way, I think it was the Florida court that was blatantly political while the SC followed established law and custom in making their decision in Florida. As for CA, I have no problem with what the CA court decided. If the machines are to be replaced in march, we can wait I guess. The problem though would be what to do with a governor who was corrupt under the CA system and was a republican?? I suspect the Appeals court would have a different decision for that one. And i think the USSC would have ruled the same if the bush/gore issues were reversed. mike