Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kevin Rose who wrote (463564)	9/23/2003 1:16:15 PM
From: JakeStraw	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

Gaffes, Kosovo Criticisms Seen as Early Setbacks for Clark Lawrence Morahan Senior Staff Writer (CNSNews.com) - Apparent waffling on his position on the Iraq invasion, new reports about his conduct during the Kosovo campaign and a lack of a political organization in key primary states have somewhat dulled retired Army General Wesley Clark's high-profile entry into the presidential race, analysts said Monday. "He is a general, and he's known for thin skin, so we have to see more of him out there. This was not a great start, though," pollster John Zogby said. Within days of becoming Democratic presidential hopeful No. 10, Clark found himself backtracking on a statement he made that he probably would have voted for the congressional resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq. This statement appeared to undermine the rationale for his candidacy and challenged his credulity. Clark also is facing criticism for advocating the use of ground troops when he led allied forces as NATO supreme commander during the Kosovo conflict in 1999. He was called "reckless" for ordering British and French paratroopers to block Russian military units from taking over Pristina airport in June 1999. The British commander refused to comply with Clark's order, and Clark eventually was forced to back down. Clark also finds himself in the middle of a furor over an incident in which he exchanged hats with the Bosnian Serb commander and indicted war criminal, Gen. Ratko Mladic, in 1994. Clark reportedly ignored U.S. warnings that Mladic - who is still being sought by NATO peacekeeping forces - was suspected of being the mastermind of the Srebrenica massacre of Muslim civilians. Zogby likened Clark's transition from draft candidate to full-fledged presidential candidate to that of a popular movie actor of the silent era transitioning to talkies. It was not a transition Clark managed to his advantage, and his gaffes could cost him his candidacy