Hi longnshort; Re: "Bilow, that's why Tommy Franks and almost every gen who ever work with Clark won't vote for him."
That's simply untrue, in that very few generals tell the public who they're supporting. It's a mixing of politics and the military that does not go down well in the US. Here's two people who worked for Clark and are supporting his campaign.
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"General Clark is responsible for the fact that I am alive," said Eric Massa, a retired Navy Commander and Congressional Liaison Officer.
Massa served under Clark's command in Europe when Clark was NATO Supreme Allied Commander. While there, Massa began feeling ill. His wife became concerned and contacted General Clark. General Clark immediately scheduled a doctor's appointment for Massa.
Massa went to the doctor and was diagnosed with cancer. He was given only a few months to live. In just three days, Clark fought his way through layers of red tape and bureaucracy and had Massa on a plane back to an American hospital. Clark was the first person to call the hospital after Massa's surgery, and he continued to check up on Massa throughout the eleven-week bombing campaign in Kosovo.
"He's unlike any other high-ranking officer I've ever known," Massa said.
Today Massa is healthy and working for the Clark campaign in New Hampshire, reaching out to veterans across the Granite State.
Massa said his story was not an isolated event. "He did this kind of thing for everyone all the time."
In 1991, Clark was cited in his annual performance evaluation as a "great leader who takes care of soldiers and families."
In Clark's 1993 evaluation, he was praised for "focusing intently on the quality of life of the soldiers and families of the division."
Massa described one example of General Clark's work: his battle to improve schools for the families of his troops stationed in Europe.
Massa's son was in the fourth grade when he was stationed in Europe. His son had always been a straight-A student in America, but was struggling in his new school. Massa began to examine his son's textbooks and realized that they were poorly written. He showed the textbooks to Clark, who agreed.
After further investigation, Clark called an academic review conference at the base school and updated the school's curriculum for the first time in more than a decade.
In 1998, Clark went to Congress to fight budget cuts that would affect schools on military bases. "We must provide an environment designed to prepare students for success in a dynamic, global environment," said Clark. He continued, "We must look forward to making technology a reality in our schools. Technology and connecting our schools to the Internet will ensure our students, particularly those in remote areas, have the requisite tools to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Although, this may be an expensive short-term proposition, we must recognize its long-term value. Our children deserve the best, and we owe our service members an aggressive and vibrant education system that enhances all aspects of [quality of life] programs."
Clark's record of standing up for his soldiers and their families began long before he became NATO Supreme Allied Commander.
"Everything that impacts the soldier is critical to the mission," said Major Pat Williams (ret.), who served under Clark's command in the 1st Cavalry Division. "If a soldier's family is not cared for, the soldier cannot function."
Williams said that philosophy is one lesson she learned from Clark. While working for him in the 1st Cavalry, Williams was responsible for collecting readiness statistics. The division is a rapid deploying one, meaning it must be able to leave with just 48 hours advance warning at any time. That means every helmet, gun and piece of equipment had to be accounted for and ready to go on a moment's notice.
"It's a make or break division," Williams said. "You want to get those kinds of assignments."
As part of her job, Williams collected statistics on how many women and minorities were in the division of 22,000 people. When it became apparent that women and minorities were underrepresented, Clark got on the phone and demanded to know why more women and minorities were not being given the chance to advance their careers in this division.
"His only concern was, can you accomplish the mission?" said Williams. "There was no bias in his approach."
Williams said Clark often took a personal interest in his soldiers' lives. He made sure to learn the names of their spouses and children, and he regularly solicited their opinions on various issues.
"I was in the Army for 12 years before I came to the 1st Cavalry," Williams said. "I encountered leaders of all walks of life, but I didn't see a true leader until General Clark."
Both Williams and Massa say they believe Clark is the right man to be president.
"He's never shrugged his responsibility as a leader," Williams said. "He always acted ethically and honorably."
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clark04.com
Tommy Franks was the general in charge of the Iraq disaster. Of course he doesn't support Clark, LOL.
The other example of a general who does not support Clark (note that our military leadership tends towards Republicans and are not inclined to support any Democrats), is Hugh Shelton. For example:
Frag Officer -- Hugh Shelton smears Wes Clark.
William Saletan, Slate, September 29, 2003
I have a problem with Wesley Clark's former boss and current bad-mouther, Gen. Hugh Shelton. The problem has to do with Shelton's integrity and character. Let's just say that if Shelton runs for office, he won't get my vote.
A couple of weeks ago, Shelton, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was asked at a forum in California, "What do you think of Gen. Wesley Clark, and would you support him as a presidential candidate?" Shelton replied, "I've known Wes for a long time. I will tell you the reason he came out of Europe early [i.e., was forced to step down as commander of U.S. forces in Europe] had to do with integrity and character issues, things that are very near and dear to my heart. I'm not going to say whether I'm a Republican or a Democrat. I'll just say Wes won't get my vote."
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slate.msn.com
But the simple fact is that Hugh Shelton is not an apolitical observer, nor is he a supporter of President Bush. He's supporting John Edwards for President, LOL:
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Last weekend, Chris Hernandez, an Army veteran who led Clark's military security detail in Europe, gave Clark high praise as a leader and attributed the generals' remarks to jealousy.
And yesterday, Clark's aides said they had found another motive for Shelton's criticism: He serves an adviser to North Carolina Senator John Edwards, one of Clark's primary rivals.
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boston.com
Also see:
google.com
-- Carl
P.S. I do not support Clark for President, nor have I ever worked for him. |
