Clark urges more stress counseling for Middle East veterans

Clark urges more stress counseling for Middle East veterans Clark: "The Bush administration needs to get its priorities right and start taking care of our troops." Friday, May 12, 2006 By AP Writer via Gazette Online
DES MOINES, IA - Former Democratic presidential hopeful Wesley Clark warned Friday that soldiers returning from the Middle East should get more help in coping with delayed stress symptoms.
The retired Army general and NATO commander joined Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Iowa, and veterans at a Statehouse ceremony to push for increased funding for treating post-traumatic stress disorder, which affects nearly 20 percent of troops returning from Iraq.
"I've seen a lot of people in this administration wearing the American flag pin on their lapel," Clark said. "If you want to take credit for the American flag, and that's a flag that belongs to all of us, you better support the men and women who are serving."
Clark related his own story of delayed stress surfacing years after he was wounded in the Vietnam War in 1970. It took nine years before he could purge himself of repressed feelings -- a revelation that came as he was shaving one morning, he said.
"I could see where I was just before I was wounded," Clark said. "I'm feeling anger and guilt that he shot me and I didn't shoot him. All of a sudden I finally got out of me what was inside me."
He said the war in Iraq has been particularly difficult because there aren't clear battle lines, and troops who are doing traditional support duty often find themselves in violent situations.
"They are not line soldiers but they are getting shot at," he said. "They are in a mess hall or working on vehicles when they're attacked."
During his two-day Iowa swing that started Friday, Clark was also campaigning for Boswell, who faces a stiff challenge from state Senate Republican President Jeff Lamberti, of Ankeny. Clark will also visit eastern Iowa to raise money for Democratic congressional candidates and appear with gubernatorial hopeful Mike Blouin.
Clark sought the Democratic presidential nomination in the last election cycle, and his appearance raised the issue of running again. Clark touts his military background, saying he would act firmly in the war on terror and would ensure that soldiers get the counseling they need.
Friday's event also allowed Boswell to underscore his own military background. He was in the Army for 20 years, and served two tours in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot, returning with a string of decorations. Boswell argued that it's "absurd and unacceptable" to shortchange returning soldiers by offering broad counseling programs.
"Post-traumatic disorder is the real thing," Boswell said.
"We must address the human cost of war. Once you get back from the battlefield, the battle is not over."

Investigate phone spying, Clark says

Investigate phone spying, Clark says The former NATO commander is stumping for Leonard Boswell on a two-day Iowa visit. Friday, May 12, 2006 By THOMAS BEAUMONT REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Des Moines -- Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark said in Iowa Friday that the Bush administration's tracking of millions of private telephone calls as part of its war on terrorism warranted a full congressional investigation.
The former NATO commander and 2004 Democratic candidate for president said Congress needs to sort out the controversy as a way of maintaining its check on the presidential power.
"If you have a president, for reasons he believes are legitimate for national security, who is accused of misleading people about the extent of the program, and nobody knows what the extent of the program is, then I think a full congressional investigation is mandated," Clark said.
The Bush administration is facing questions about its regard for civil liberties after the disclosure that the National Security Agency collected information on millions of Americans' telephone calls.
At the heart of the matter is Gen. Michael Hayden, who was in charge of the surveillance program and is now Bush's nominee to become director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Clark was on the first leg of a two-day Iowa trip, campaigning for U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, a Des Moines Democrat seeking re-election this year.
Clark planned to meet with Polk County Democrats Friday before traveling to Cedar Rapids today to meet with activists who supported him in 2004.
Clark also plans to headline a meeting of the Hawkeye Labor Council in Cedar Rapids tonight.
Although Clark has said he is weighing a second presidential bid in 2008, he declined to discuss it Friday.
Iowa will host the lead-off Democratic nominating caucuses in 2008, and some party activists hope Clark runs again.
Lu Ann Pedrick of Urbandale was a Clark supporter in 2004, although Clark did not campaign in Iowa. Pedrick, a project coordinator for the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care, said Clark's tactic of skipping Iowa was a mistake she hopes he does not repeat if he runs in 2008.
"I hope he does run," Pedrick said. "And this time he should come to Iowa."
However, some party activists say Clark has not worked as hard as other would-be candidates to stay in touch with potential backers.
Clark, who was making his second trip to Iowa since the election, said he was focused on helping Democrats retake control of Congress.
However, Clark has said he would consider running if national security remained a top priority for voters in 2008.
"I haven't really thought about that," he said. "What I want to talk about is 2006."

Gen. Wesley Clark visits Iowa August 31-September 1, 2005.

Gen. Wesley Clark (ret.) visited Iowa on August 31-September 1, 2005, joining Iowa Democratic Party Chair Lt. Governor Sally Pederson for a series of events in Northern Iowa.

On August 31 they attended a breakfast to benefit the Iowa Democratic Party at the Hotel Winneshiek in Decorah (Winneshiek County); held an activist luncheon at Rose Bowl Bowling Alley in Mason City; an activist meeting at Iowa Lakes Community College in Emmetsberg (Palo Alto County); and a reception benefiting the Iowa Democratic Party at the home of Rosemarie and Dennis Ward in Okoboji (Dickinson County).

On September 1, he spoke at a breakfast fundraiser at the Holiday Inn in Sioux City.

• General Clark's remarks at a reception benefiting the Iowa Democratic Party
  Watch Wes Clark in Okoboji, IA 8/31/05 (WMV - 87.5MB)




• General Clark's remarks at Iowa Democratic Party Fundraiser
  Watch Wes Clark in Sioux City, IA 9/1/05 (WMV - 95MB)

[video courtesy of Ruth O.]

9/02/05: TPMCafe: "Looking back, and looking forward"

Blogging at TPM Cafe:
Looking back, and looking forward
By Wesley Clark
September 2, 2005

This week on TPM Café has been a tremendous experience for me, and I hope it's been a good one for you as well. Blogs are changing politics by opening the door to new voices and providing a new way to work the issues together. They allow us to talk and debate directly in the finest tradition of American politics, in a way that has not been possible in this age of mass media and mass politics. I wish I had the opportunity to answer even more of your questions. But I hope you will follow up on our discussions here, or on the blog on my own site, SecuringAmerica. com.

As I think back on this past week, here on TPM Café as well as during my travels through Wisconsin and Iowa, I have been overwhelmed by the strength and resilience of our people, even in the face of national crisis like what we've seen across the Gulf Coast this week, and by their desire to move past the bumper sticker politics of Washington.


Faith is not a red or blue value. Neither is love of our country or support for our troops. Neither is our common belief in the need for opportunity for all people or to invest in our schools and hospitals. These are American values, and it is past time for Democrats to reclaim them from right-wing Republicans in Washington.

What I see right now is a failure of this Administration and Congressional Republicans to go beyond their rhetoric and live up to these values. There is no strategy for real success in Iraq. There is no commitment to support our returning troops through a new GI Bill. And when disaster struck the Gulf Coast, it took President Bush days to get off his mountain bike and back to the White House. The victims of this disaster are now suffering terribly from an obvious lack of planning to deal with this catastrophe.

Over the longer term, scientists tell us that global warming could lead to more devastating hurricanes like Katrina. But, the Bush Administration continues to keep its head in the sand and pretend this problem doesn't even exist.

There is a leadership vacuum in Washington, and it is up to us to end it. Democrats can reclaim Congress and the White House, but only if we become a full-service party: strong on national security, standing up for our values, and not giving an inch to the scorched earth smear tactics of Karl Rove.

Thanks for participating in this discussion over the past week. I've enjoyed it, and I've learned a lot. I hope you have too. I look forward to continuing this dialog with you here, at SecuringAmerica. com, and across our great country.

Thank you.

MORE at TPMCafe

9/02/05: In Iowa, Clark declares Bush mishandled storm

In Iowa, Clark declares Bush mishandled storm
Thursday, September 2, 2005
By JOLENE STEVENS
DES MOINES REGISTER CORRESPONDENT

Sioux City, Iowa — Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, traveling in Iowa on Thursday, was sharply critical of the Bush administration's preparation for and response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

"I think it's awful that we left 100,000 people stranded in New Orleans," Clark told reporters at a Sioux City news conference.

He said federal officials had plenty of warning and should have been more prepared.

"First of all, we all saw the storm coming. This did not come in the middle of the night like a terrorist attack. It was very clearly presented for hours before it struck," he said.


"We should have mobilized a joint task force, pre-positioned the National Guard, and lined up the evacuation assets," Clark continued.

"We can do much better than this in our country," he said.

President Bush, who will tour the Gulf Coast disaster region today, acknowledged the frustration of people who need food, water and shelter.

"I fully understand people wanting things to have happened yesterday," he said in an interview Thursday with ABC's "Good Morning America" program. "I understand the anxiety of people on the ground. . . . So there is frustration. But I want people to know there's a lot of help coming."

Bush has proposed an initial $10 billion in federal money for disaster relief.

Clark, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, has been traveling in Iowa with Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson, the state party chairwoman, to help stir up support in advance of the 2006 elections.

The Arkansas native has said he's not focused on his political future but hasn't ruled out running for president in 2008. He spoke Thursday morning at a closed-door fundraising breakfast attended by about 50 local Democrats.

Addressing the high gasoline prices in the wake of damage to the oil industry on the Gulf Coast, he said that "assuming we can get the materials out and ease supply restraints," he would support a move to tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve at this point to ease gas and oil prices.

"The reserve is for use in times of supply disruption," he said. "We're seeing the impact of this happening now, and spreading from the Gulf Coast into neighboring states in supplies of both car and aviation fuel."

For the longer term, he advocated an alternative energy policy, including using ethanol, to ease the country's reliance on fossil fuels.

9/01/05: TPMCafe:"It all comes back to leadership"

Blogging at TPMCafe:
It all comes back to leadership
By Wesley Clark
September 1, 2005

From my days in the Little Rock Boys and Girls Club and all through my years at West Point and the Army, I learned and taught that leadership means lifting people up; challenging them to push themselves to succeed where they before thought success was out of reach. That philosophy was captured well by our Army motto, "Be All You Can Be," which also means helping others to be all they can be. What we need to do as individuals and a party is to stand up and speak out to create equal opportunity for economic success. To treat others the way we want to be treated. To reach out and help those who are in pain. Most importantly, leadership means calling on others to do all these things too.


In short leadership is everything we are not getting from this White House. Instead of challenging us to push ourselves to accomplish great things, we get platitudes. We can do better than that.

I hope you had a chance to read today's editorial in the New York Times, called "Waiting for a Leader." If you haven't read it yet, please take a few minutes to do it. The Times is asking an important question. It's one I've been asking for a long time as well: Where is the leadership in America today?

With respect to Iraq, "stay the course" is only a slogan, not a strategy. What is our strategy for success in Iraq? Where is the leadership?

The president's own Republican party just passed an energy bill which has absolutely no effect on gas prices for now or the forseeable future, and moves us no further along the path to energy independence. Where is the leadership?

Every day American technology and manufacturing skills are sent abroad, along with American jobs. Where is the leadership?

Again, just this past week, there was at least 36 hours notice that a major hurricane was going to hit the Gulf Coast, including likely a devastating blow to New Orleans, which certainly came to pass. The President continued with his regular schedule on Monday and Tuesday in California, Arizona, and Texas to hold some staged Medicare events and enjoy more vacation time, while finally returning to the White House yesterday. The joint task force including National Guard set up by the Pentagon failed to be on the scene in New Orleans in a timely manner to stop the looting and assist in the evacuation. Where is the leadership?

Then just this morning, the President claimed that no one could have anticipated the levee breaches we've seen in New Orleans after Katrina hit. That's not leadership, that's an excuse. In fact, people have predicted this kind of disaster for many years, including President Bush's own FEMA in 2001, when they ranked hurricane flood damage to New Orleans among the three likeliest, most catastrophic disasters facing America. Instead, funding was significantly cut back, leaving key engineering projects on hold. Instead, this Administration focused on the war in Iraq, tax cuts, and private sector economic growth without asking the American people to make needed sacrifices for the good of the country. Again I ask you, where is the leadership?

You've got to keep asking that question. What I learned about leadership is that you have to give people challenging goals and work with them and inspire them to reach them. You've got to have the courage to set goals and make a difference.

Leadership for America starts with the leader's vision of where you want the country to be. And that's the problem we have in America today. We need visionary leaders who can see the promise and potential of our country and take us there. We can find those leaders again -- and we must.

MORE at TPMCafe

9/01/05: Clark tells Democrats speaking out is patriotic

Clark tells Democrats speaking out is patriotic
September 1, 2005
By TIM HIGGINS
DES MOINES REGISTER STAFF WRITER

MASON CITY, Iowa — Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, in Iowa on Wednesday, called the war in Iraq a "strategic blunder" and said the Democratic Party needs to speak out against it.

"People of this party are every bit as patriotic as people from that other party," Clark told an audience of about 50 Democrats. "We can never let them forget that. You don't have to agree with the president to be patriotic in our country, and especially when our country is at war.

"Sometimes your most patriotic duty is to speak out and make your voice heard."


Clark, who sought the Democratic nomination in the 2004 presidential race but failed to make headway after skipping the Iowa caucuses, spent Wednesday making a cross-state trip to help drum up support within the state party for the 2006 elections.

He was to stop in Emmetsburg on Wednesday and wrap up his trip today in Sioux City.

The question about his plans for 2008 wasn't far from some minds.

While Clark said he isn't considering a run for the White House at this time, a bumper sticker on a car in the parking lot read: "Clark '08 for president."

"I haven't given it any thought. I haven't ruled anything out," Clark said. Instead, he said, his focus is on 2006.

"What we have to do is advocate a sensible way of correcting the mistake that was made in taking us into Iraq," Clark said. "It was a strategic blunder."

Clark warned, however, that pulling out troops would make more trouble, emboldening terrorists and making America look weak.

"Don't stay the course," he said. "Don't pull out, but change the course. Put in a winnable strategy in Iraq before it's too late."

The White House remained confident in its Iraq strategy.

"We are making progress in Iraq," spokesman Allen Abney said. "We are working with the Iraq government and people of Iraq. . . . The fight in Iraq is essential to our security here at home."

8/31/05: General Wesley Clark Rallies Democratic Support

General Wesley Clark Rallies Democratic Support
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
By Erin Leach
KIMT

MASON CITY, Iowa -- General Wesley Clark, who was a candidate for the democratic presidential nomination last year, made a stop in our area today.

He’s here to rally support for democrats for the 2006 election and to hear about your concerns, namely the war in Iraq.

General Clark tells KIMT NewsChannel 3, "It was a war that didn't have to be fought, it was a strategic blunder, it was poorly executed, poorly designed and right now, after two years, we still don't have a winning strategy."


But he does have a plan in mind and it doesn’t include pulling out our troops.
He says, "It'll be viewed around the world as a huge American defeat, it'll incite terrorist recruiting."

But his plan includes rethinking our strategy.

"We need to get an Iraqi government formed that can kind of hold itself together with enough military that we've trained to give them a chance of survival and then we need to get with the neighbors in the region and try to put a regulated umbrella around Iraq," he says.

General Clark spoke for almost an hour about the problems in Iraq, but when it came to talking about seeking a presidential nomination in 2008, he was a bit more tight lipped.
He says, "No, I haven't given it any thought, I haven't ruled anything out."

But a life of public service could be in the cards.

"I've always loved public service and being up here and talking about these issues, trying to help candidates and a party."

And that's all he says today's visit is about, helping his party.

During General Clark’s campaign last year, he skipped Iowa during the caucuses to focus on New Hampshire.

When asked if that was a mistake, he declined to comment directly.