NCCM:  Conference for Change
UPDATE

Since early January, I have been working to form alliances and garner support inside and outside the Clark online community.  Further, as I mentioned in a previous post, the NCCM Committee has been working to form the kind of alliances to further our overall goal of getting Dems elected in November.  [More on alliances in a minute.]  From Washington D.C., to New York City, to Minnesota, to San Francisco, to LA and back again, the NCCM networking tour never ends.  Some of you have seen the brochures and buttons, other have not.  There will be a future posting on ordering brochures and buttons soon.

[Yes, I am still alive - flu and all.  Hugs to all the Clark Community family!]

To the good people who have already posted their detailed accounts of the San Fran event, thank you so very much.  It doesn’t seem to matter whether you’re at an event or not, someone else’s perspective is always appreciated.

THE PHOTO LINK IS HERE: http://community.webshots.com/album/547150669kOskEA

 A few thoughts to pass along about the San Fran event:

The good General was burdened with a cold that affected his voice.  Nevertheless, he carried on like the great leader he is and performed magnificently at the event and shared some rather entertaining stories, most of which you have already read from other’s accounts.  A memorable moment for me was meeting, face-to-face, the inimitable Sybil Liberties!  What a spitfire!  When we needed help at the registration table, Sybil was there.  In true Clark fashion, Sybil walked in, registered, and asked how she could help.  Kelly invited her to work the registration table and by golly, she jumped right in!  Syb, if you’re reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your valiant efforts.  A prominent Clark Community member greeting other Community members and interested parties is all good stuff.  And Syb?  You earned that hug from General Clark.  Yes, he truly does love his bloggers.

Robert Moran wrote a letter to the editor in the Sarasota Herald Tribute with his thoughts on Iraq.  By jove, I think he's got it!

Article published Nov 27, 2005
There's a way out of this ignoble war

How to get out of Iraq:

1. Stop building permanent military bases in Iraq.

2. Remove all U.S. contractors from Iraq -- no exceptions -- including companies having ties to the United States.

3. Assign Wesley Clark, former NATO commander and four-star general, to be in charge of all U.S. operations, including the Department of State, the CIA and anything else we have our fingers in. Clark has the trust of those other countries in the world which we need desperately to help us out. He may be the only American who is trusted enough to persuade the rest of the world, NATO and the United Nations to take over the job of securing Iraq. He also would be humble enough to drop the arrogant posturing and get the assistance we obviously need.

From the diaries -- Larry

http://community.webshots.com/user/ruthbenedict

Click above to see more photos from the Annual WesPAC event in D.C.

Most of the action was already competently and expertly covered by other Clark bloggers, but I would just like to add a few tidbits.  Thanks to all the great Clark bloggers who wrote so eloquently about the event!!!!

Wes Clark was looking tanned, relaxed, and well rested on Tuesday.  Totally on message and ready to take "The Hill" in 2006. 

(Submitted by Gordon Suber)
 
Dayton, Ohio -- November 18, 2005
 
"I'm General Clark's second cousin," Carla Steiger told me as we lunched on Chilean Sea Bass sitting next to a melange of fingerling potatoes at the Dayton Convention in Dayton, Ohio, yesterday.
 
I had come from New York City to attend a two-day forum on the Tenth Anniversary Commemoration of the Dayton Peace Accords.  Carla lives near Dayton.
 
"But I've never met him," Carla explained as she handed me her business card which explained that she is an artist/techer/writer and humanities champion.
 
"On which side?" I asked.
 
"His father. Our grandparents were siblings."
 
                                                                            * * * *                                 

From the Diaries -- Brent

WE LIFT PEOPLE UP!

So says the man that leads us.  With every day, and in every way, we strive to follow that promise.  Here on the CCN blog we find hundreds of ways to accomplish his mission, indeed, our mission.  From quilting, to phone cards, to rapid response, to the NCCM, the Clark Community has fought – in no small measure – to achieve the kinds of objectives laid out by our military-leader-statesman, Wesley K. Clark.  Yes, the culture of our community matters to a great extent, but we are also driven by our passion to lift people up.  Whether we sit behind our computers or whether we go out into our communities, we find a way to lift people up like no other political community on earth.  This is our culture and our passion:  Praise be uniqueness! 

From the diaries -- Larry 

GENERAL CLARK'S BIRTHDAY FUNDRAISER IS ON!!!!

From now until midnight December 23rd, the CLARK COMMUNITY has an opportunity to send their birthday contributions to WesPAC in honor of GENERAL CLARK'S 61st BIRTHDAY!!!!

Promoted from the Diaries - JOhn

NCCM 2006:  Conference for Change

Over the last year, General Clark has eloquently described how our country needs a change of leadership, a change in direction, and a change in the Democratic Party.  The Democratic Party needs to be a “full service party” in his view, in large part due to the opposition who claims to hold the mantle on vital issues like national security.  His broad vision reminded him that the Democratic Party is the party of national security and global understanding, and he continues to remind Democratic leaders of this important “F” word.  (Commonly known as “F A C T S” in Clark’s lexicon.)  There exists an illustrious history of Democratic leaders who have faced the military struggles of the 20th century with unprecedented success.  And it was leaders like Wilson, Roosevelt, and Truman, who understood the need for military power only, only, only, as a last resort.  The last resorts those leaders confronted helped to shape this nation and propel it into the future – not the past. 

THE CLARK COMMUNITY: OUR UNIQUE CULTURE

General Clark checked in with his thoughts today about a contentious issue that has concerned this community for some time. The issue is the General Discussion (GD) area of the CCN, which apparently General Clark would like to extinguish. The angst throughout the Community had been palpable until General Clark offered his thoughts on the matter today, and I cannot say with any certainty that his decision takes the unique culture of our Community into consideration.

This Community of human beings exists precisely because of the General Discussion area. A closer review of the GD finds that most CCNers want to engage in a free flow of dialogue: able to check in quickly to find out the latest happenings, catch up with others from across the country and to mobilize at a moment’s notice for newly announced Clark appearances and events. The GD was the catalyst for what the Clark Community has become over the last two years: FAMILY. We alert each other, cheer on the General with each other, laugh with each other, and cry with one another through the daily issues facing us locally and nationally. We check in with the GD to protect and love one another as we face these issues together. No other blog on the “internets” is like the GD on the CCN and it is what makes this Community unique. We cannot be molded into a TPM, a DailyKOS or any other popular blog site because one vital factor sets us apart: The Clark Community is a family. And like it or not, it is a family that General Clark created. (Probably much to his dismay at this point.) There is a culture inured in this Community that cannot be carelessly discarded in the name of “growing the community.” I would argue that growing this Community must first start with the charter members, the stalwarts, if you will, who need the support and encouragement from General Clark’s organization. This Community will grow only when the nucleus of the family feels engaged in the organization it supports. Removing the GD element splinters the family members into more dissent, and as we see here today, downright revolt. Now revolt is a strong word and one I do not use capriciously. Not recognizing this Community as a family and not nurturing the unique qualities of this culture will further divide our Community and render us nearly useless.

Greetings one and all to the NEW CCN!

For those of you just entering the new site, you are welcome to use this blog post to experiment with inital posts.

Take your time, take a deep breath, and we'll get through this together.

"Stay with me, hang in there, and we'll be alright." -- Wes Clark