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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rascal who wrote (28409)	9/22/2003 11:10:54 AM
From: jlallen	Respond to of 89467

Go George!!!!!!!

To: Rascal who wrote (28409)	9/24/2003 11:48:22 PM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

Try Telling Clark He’s Not a Patriot ________________________ by Joe Conason The New York Observer nyobserver.com From the awful autumn of 2001 to the triumphal photo op on the deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln this spring, Karl Rove’s strategy has been consistent and clear: run every campaign as a referendum on the "wartime" presidency of George W. Bush. That plan has succeeded in mitigating the inherent political weaknesses of the Bush administration, and in concealing the damage done to American security by its foreign and security policies. Mr. Rove must almost be grateful for the continuing cooperation of the opposition party, whose confused, hesitant reactions have lent Mr. Bush more credibility than he has earned. Of course, the Democrats are in a trick bag. If they criticize the President’s conduct of the war on terrorism, they’re smeared as unpatriotic; if they endorse his policies, then why should anyone vote for the Democrats in an era of national peril? That quandary reflects deeper problems and divisions within the Democratic Party. Unless they can mount a Presidential campaign that addresses valid concerns about terrorism and security and confronts the Republican appeal to those fears, they will be unable to exploit the President’s poor record on domestic issues. Of the current hopefuls, John Kerry possesses both a sterling military record and an extensive Senate record in foreign policy. Those were among the reasons why Al Gore almost selected the Massachusetts Senator as his running mate in 2000. He has demonstrated a powerful capacity to stand up against the Republican tactic of questioning the loyalty of their opponents, a gambit that would boomerang badly if used against this decorated Navy captain. But while Mr. Kerry has made a strong start, partly by articulating the most thoughtful critique of Bush policies, he has lately gotten bogged down in sniping with Howard Dean, the highly competitive anti-war candidate. The Republicans plan to caricature Mr. Kerry as an "elitist liberal" like Michael Dukakis, the last nominee from the Bay State. All those factors explain the sudden appeal of Wesley Clark, the retired general, television commentator and political flirt who has yet to declare his interest in the Presidency or even his partisan affiliation. In theory, he personifies the Democratic answer to the Rove strategy. A native Arkansan, Mr. Clark graduated first in his class from West Point, won several service decorations, went to Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, and completed his Army career with victory in Kosovo and four stars as supreme allied commander of NATO. Aside from Mr. Kerry, he is the only candidate with real military experience—and that includes both the incumbent President and the Vice President, each of whom found a way to avoid their generation’s war. Smart and telegenic, Mr. Clark easily transcends the old stereotype of the Southern military man. He supports abortion rights and affirmative action. His opinions about tax cuts, health care, education and the environment are all well within the progressive Democratic consensus. Speaking as a career Army officer, he might be able to persuade independent voters who tend to be suspicious of traditional Democrats. In his 2001 book, Waging Modern War, he explains his liberal stance simply but effectively. "I grew up in an armed forces that treated everyone as a valued member of the team. Everyone got health care, and the army cared about the education of everyone’s family members. It wasn’t the attitude that you find in some places, where people are fending for themselves and the safety net doesn’t work." More significant than Mr. Clark’s views on domestic policy are his willingness and capacity to speak out credibly against the Bush administration’s security policies. During his stint as a CNN commentator on the Iraq conflict, he skillfully critiqued Pentagon strategy and White House diplomacy without getting himself singed. In an interview with The American Prospect magazine last March, he articulated an outlook that would serve the Democrats well. "Terrorism is a multilateral problem," he told Michael Tomasky. "You cannot defeat it in one nation. You need international police work, teamwork, international harmonization of laws against terror. You act unilaterally, you lose the commitment of your allies to make it work. That’s the one thing that will kill you in the war on terrorism." To him, America represents "the embodiment of the Enlightenment," which calls for "a foreign policy of generosity, humility, engagement, and of course force where it is needed. But as a last resort." Both Mr. Clark and the nascent movement to draft him may already have missed their moment. He was expected to announce an exploratory committee two months ago. Back in his home state, some Democrats suspect he is actually running for Vice President. He would be more than an adornment to any Presidential ticket next year. And whatever the merits of all the other candidates, it would badly complicate Mr. Rove’s "patriotic" strategy if Messrs. Bush and Cheney were required to confront not one but two progressive Democrats who served in Vietnam.

To: Rascal who wrote (28409)	9/28/2003 12:36:55 AM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

Clark enters N.H. race with patriotism campaign theme _________________________________ By Maeve Reston Post-Gazette Staff Writer Sunday, September 28, 2003 post-gazette.com DOVER, N.H. -- One needed only to drive past retired Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark's first New Hampshire campaign rally on the steps of Dover's City Hall yesterday to get an earful of what the central theme of his campaign will be in the four months before the New Hampshire primary. There weren't any hip new tunes playing as the crowd waited for the newest face in the Democratic presidential race to appear. Not even top-40 hits. Instead Clark's "New America Patriotism" -- a freshly minted campaign theme -- seemed to be blaring from the loudspeakers: the crowd of some 300 supporters bounced along to "This land is your land," "My Country 'Tis of Thee" and "Glory, Glory Hallelujah," as they waved American flags and anti war posters. Finally the first-time candidate appeared and seemed almost at a loss at how to drown out the shouts of "We want Clark!" to begin his speech. He held up his hand: "You said you wanted me, well, you got me." And before long he was off, telling supporters about his 34 years of military service and his opposition to the war in Iraq, and his concern that the administration of President George W. Bush has jeopardized American freedoms. "I've seen a new kind of American Patriotism in this country, it's not just about American flags," he said. "It's about more than just protecting our borders, it's protecting our rights.... It's a new kind of patriotism that recognizes that in a Democracy we're founded on dialogue, we're founded on discussion, we're founded on disagreement, and even dissension and it's not wrong -- It's the highest form of patriotism." While there were a number of New Hampshire voters in the crowd who had just come to listen, there were also die-hard Clark supporters -- many who were opposed to the Iraq War and determined to see Bush lose in 2004 who drove from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York, and New Jersey. Joyce A. Miller, who recently lost her job as a telecommunications worker, to help Clark win over primary voters. "I don't recognize America the way it is now and I would like to see America the way it was before Bush," said Miller, of East Orange, N.J. who became a Clark supporter early this year. "I'm very encouraged by what he has to say. He's a military man and a smart guy. I'm supporting him with my money even though I'm unemployed, I'll support him with everything. I think he's Superman." Mary A. Heth of Orleans, Mass., who is a publisher of a guidebook in Cape Cod, drove three hours to hold a sign telling Clark to kick "the bullies" out of Washington. "I'm so offended by our government, I feel like this country is headed off a cliff," she said. "This is the first time I've donated money to a candidate.... I feel like Clark can build bridges, he listens to people." Clark faced a tougher crowd Friday night in Henniker, N.H. at his first town hall meeting hosted by New England College, which was standing room only with some 300 people in attendance. Many said they were impressed by Clark's answers on questions about foreign policy ranging from the conflict in Liberia -- he would have gone in sooner and used a larger force -- to the threat of North Korea -- he believes America should be negotiating directly with the government and not through China -- to the war on terror -- he believes there should be more of a focus on finding Osama Bin Laden than on waging war in Iraq. But many New Hampshire voters leaving the town hall meeting Friday night, who are accustomed to meeting candidates three or four times before deciding, said they also wanted to here more details about what Clark would do to create jobs and improve the economy. "I'm fascinated by the perspective of someone in the military who is critical of the war in Iraq, as I am, but who is wearing a different lens," said Mary-Chris Duncan, a guidance counselor from Bradford, N.H. who is a Democrat. "I liked him and thought he was very honest, but I want to hear more specifics." New England College political pcience Professor Wayne F. Lesperance said the Clark event was better attended than those for any of the other candidates this year. "Clark comes to the race with a lot of energy," Lesperance said. "He's plain spoken and there's a certain sense about him that's he been around the world and dealt with weighty issues. There's the same kind of electricity that there was with [Arizona Sen.] John McCain... "I think there's a lot of interest out there." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------