Restore American Leadership Abroad

• Lay out a concrete success strategy for Iraq; win the war on terror.
  
  

• Combat global threats by fostering global cooperation and maintaining
  moral stature abroad.

Create Jobs in America

• Invest in strenghtening America's homeland security, provide relief
  for state and local governments, and provide targeted tax credits for
  job creation.
  
  

• Revitalize America's manufacturing and technology sector by bringing jobs back to the United States.
  
  

• Repeal Bush's tax giveaways for the wealthy and use the money to
  create jobs.

Promote Long-Term Growth

• Reduce the deficit so that we are not passing an enormous debt on to our children.
  
  

• Cut government waste, end corporate welfare, internationalize the Iraq
  effort, and repeal Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans -- those
  making more than $200,000 annually.

Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda network pose one of the greatest
threats to the United States. More than two years after President Bush
said he would find bin Laden -- "dead or alive" -- the United States
continues to hunt for Osama bin Laden and many of the other leaders of
Al Qaeda. As a result of the Bush Administration's inadequate and
misguided efforts, bin Laden and Al Qaeda continue to pose a great
threat to the U.S., our friends and allies, and various other states.
Wes Clark proposes a three-pronged strategy to refocus our energies on
hunting down bin Laden and destroying the Al Qaeda network.

1. Press Saudi Arabia to work with U.S. forces to create a joint
   U.S.-Saudi commando force.
   • This joint U.S.-Saudi commando force would work the Afghan-Pakistani
     border where bin Laden is thought to be hiding.

   • The Saudi regime is as responsible as anyone for the rise of Al Qaeda.
     With the bombings in Saudi Arabia over the last months, the Saudis have

Reprinted with permission.

By WESLEY K. CLARK (NYT) Op-Ed 469 words, April 28, 2004
Late Edition - Final, Section A, Page 21, Column 2

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - When John Kerry released his military records to the public last week, Americans learned a lot about Mr. Kerry's exceptional service in Vietnam. They also learned a lot about the Republican attack machine.

The evaluations were uniformly glowing. One commander wrote that Mr.
Kerry ranked among "the top few" in three categories: initiative,
cooperation and personal behavior. Another commander wrote, "In a combat
environment often requiring independent, decisive action, Lt. j.g. Kerry
was unsurpassed." The citation for Mr. Kerry's Bronze Star praises his
"calmness, professionalism and great personal courage under fire."

In the United States military, there's no ideology — there are no
labels, Republican or Democrat — when superiors evaluate a man or

Address - 2004 Democratic National Convention
Boston, Mass
July 29, 2004
(courtesy of C-SPAN)
Duration: 11:15

I am an American soldier.

Our country has been attacked. We are at war. Our nation is at risk. And we are engaged in a life-and- death struggle against terrorists who are seeking nuclear and biological weapons.

As we are gathered here tonight, our armed forces are in combat.

Our freedoms were won in war. Our freedoms have been protected by generation after generation by the selfless service and sacrifice of men and women in uniform.

From Bunker Hill to Bastogne, from the frozen hills of Korea to the steaming jungles of Vietnam, from Kabul to Baghdad, American men and women in uniform have served with honor. They've given us so much; they've asked for so little.

Tonight, please give them a round of applause. Honor them, our veterans, our families. Give them a round of applause. We love our men and women in uniform.

They have given so much.

I want all America to see our party and how we respect the men and women who serve.

And I want to thank my wife, Gert, my son Wesley, his wife Astrid, their son, and all of the military families especially who've stood year after year behind those who have served in uniform.

But I ask you now to observe with me just a moment of silence to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, so that we could have the freedoms that we exercise here tonight.

(moment of silence)

May 8, 2004

(As prepared for delivery)

Good Morning. This is General Wesley Clark, United States Army retired.

This week the world has been shocked and angered, and America’s moral leadership’s been undercut, by the terrible pictures of a small number of our US military people abusing Iraqi prisoners.

The President apologized; he’s recognized and stated that these acts were 'stains on our honor'. And it’s right that he’s done so.

But apologies are not enough. These criminal acts of abuse must be investigated fully and those responsible must be held accountable under law. We must fix our training and procedures so this cannot happen again. Amends must be made to Iraqis who suffered these humiliations through real and symbolic gestures, such as the dismantling of Abu Ghraib prison itself.

The issues at stake here go to the very heart of the American mission in Iraq. For, by our own claims, we’re different. We came to liberate, not to occupy. We came to 'free', not to imprison. With our character, we don't torture, or maim, or coerce. And if the mission was endangered by the prospects of our use of heavy force against insurgents in Fallujah and Najaf – and it was so endangered. It is no less endangered by the loss of credibility caused by the misconduct of a few American soldiers. This is a mission in trouble.

Little Rock, AR
February 11, 2004

(As prepared for delivery)

Thank you all for coming out this afternoon. Over the last five months, I've been to more than thirty states. And I can say one thing for certain, there's no state like Arkansas. There's no city like Little Rock. And there's no place like home.

I'd like to begin this afternoon by thanking all the foot soldiers in this battle: our terrific staff, our dedicated volunteers, our thousands of loyal supporters. And most of all, those who believed in me long before anyone even knew who I was: the people who drafted me into this race. The thousands who joined together to enlist me to serve.

You have proven what a General can do when he has the greatest troops in the world. And I can't tell you enough how honored and humbled I am by your commitment, your spirit, and your sacrifice. Because of all of you, this has been a cause, as much as it's been a campaign.

And I want to thank my family for always standing by my side, especially my wife of 36 years, my best friend, and my partner, Gert Clark. She is the general's general, and I wouldn't be standing here today without her. And I'd like to thank my son, Wes, Jr., and my daughter-in-law, Astrid. I am so proud of them and so proud of all they have done for this campaign. And, of course, I'm proud of them for making me a Grandpa.