REPORT: Gen. Clark speaking in Dallas, Texas on Friday, December 14
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on December 14, 2007 - 11:00pm.
Wesley Clark
Hello Everyone:
Gen. Clark spoke at a World Affairs Council luncheon in Dallas, Texas today. He also signed copies of his new book "A Time to Lead: For Duty, Honor and Country" after his speech so I was able to get both of my books signed.
It is always a thrill to see Gen. Clark when he comes to Dallas and it was great that a lot of people showed up there to see him speak!
Gen. Clark started out by saying how he wished that foreign policy was discussed more in the Democratic Presidential candidates debate on Thursday and he went on to give a brilliant speech about the importance of our having a sound foreign policy when the next President takes office.
He started by talking about Iraq, the major role that Iran is playing in Iraq right now, and the importance of the next President engaging in right kind of regional diplomacy (which includes talking to countries like Iran and Syria who we do not always agree with) and getting directly involved in the Middle East Peace process. He also mentioned China and its big economic growth.
He then went on to discuss how he was told by an official who he knew at the Pentagon that there were plans in the making to invade Iraq just 10 days after 9/11/01. Sometime after that, he was told about plans to invade seven countries ending with Iran!
To give some background about this, Gen. Clark mentioned how in 1991 after he went to briefly visit with Colin Powell, he met with Paul Wolfowitz right after that. Wolfowitz mentioned to Gen. Clark how that he did not agree with George H.W. Bush and with Brent Scowcroft to not remove Saddam Hussein from power after the first Gulf War.
Gen. Clark made the point how that Wolfowitz, Cheney, and other ideologues like them were able to hijack our foreign policy after 9/11 because we did not have a specific sense of purpose about our foreign policy after the cold war was over.
He went on to speak out forcefully against torture and he mentioned a previous war where the use of torture was regretted.
He also spoke out about Global Warming and The Bush Administration's unwillingness to do anything about it along with important domestic issues.
Gen. Clark took a few questions after his speech and he was asked specifically why he is supporting Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama right now. Gen. Clark said that after speaking with nearly all of the announced candidates, he thought that Hillary was the best candidate because of four main reasons:
1) Experience: He mentioned her being the First Lady of Arkansas, First Lady during the Clinton Presidency, and her being in the Senate.
2) Knowledge of the issues: He mentioned how that she has been deeply involved in many different types of issues going back to the 1960's.
3) Character: He mentioned how that being President is not the easiest job in the world because you are criticized for many things you say trying to get there and you have to defend what you did when you leave office. He mentioned how he believes that Hillary is running for all of the right reasons and how that she has already been there in the White House.
4) Decisiveness: He said that he has known Hillary for 24 years and definitely considers her to be very decisive when it comes to making tough decisions.
He said that Hillary Clinton has all of these qualities to a much better degree than Barack Obama does.
If I was to summarize the main points that Gen. Clark was trying to make, I would say that he would like to see much more of an emphasis being made about publicly discussing foreign policy along with how very important it is that the next President gets it right on foreign policy when they take office!
I got to talk with Gen. Clark for a moment which is always exciting to me. He mentioned that he does read the blogs here.
Mitch Dworkin
http://www.securingamerica.com/
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/10756
StopIranWar.com: "War is not the answer"
Submitted by Wes Clark on February 21, 2007 - 11:40am.
http://www.securingamerica.com/ccn/node/7191
Listen to Gen. Wes Clark fight for Dems on Sean Hannity's radio program: An excellent example for all of us to follow and what we all need to be doing to help fight back against extreme right wing Neocon smear propaganda!
Yes, he does read the blogs here. Hi Sir! 
Sounds like a great speech, I could listen to him for hours!
When you drink the water, remember the spring.
~Chinese Proverb
I hope the infighting doesn't drive him as nuts as it does all of us.
When you realize that he might read whatever you might post, it can alter what you might REALLY want to say from time to time, LOL.
I can vouch for it, though. Months and months ago I got a call to look up a post I had made, 'cause the General had seen it and wanted to use it. He wanted the exact text preserved.
I about fell out of my chair.
I suspect he saw another of my posts even longer ago. I had asked the question regarding the planned surge in Iraq, "What are we going to do, put a platoon on every street corner?" Almost those very exact words came out of his mouth in some interview about two days later. I hadn't heard that language from him before.
So...I guess the lesson is, if you want him to hear something from you, post it. If you'd rather he not hear it, don't post it.
And thanks, Mitch, for the FHA, and I'm delighted you were able to attend. I don't suppose there were any official-looking video cameras around, were there?
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Don't settle for less.
Make America All It Can Be!
Well, I've gotten more calls along the line of "Why the hell did you say THAT?" or "You shouldn't have said/done that!" than I have congratulating me, LOL.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Don't settle for less.
Make America All It Can Be!
Hi Stan:
I did not see any official-looking video cameras around but people were taking pictures.
Mitch
Hi LJM:
I am glad that he reads our blogs as well.
I only talked with Gen. Clark for about 2 or 3 minutes and of course he did not mention the infighting to me.
Mitch
It's great to know that Wes continues to pack in the crowds wherever he speaks.
Proud to be an American.
Hi Nelsons:
He spoke in a big hotel banquet room where people had reserved tables of 10 and there were a lot of reserved tables there!
Mitch
The visual of General Clark engaged with his latest book --- speaking about what he knows best --- is a wonderful way to start to mellow-out as we wind down to the new year.
It must have been a satisfying experience for you.
My best to you in 2008 Mitch.
Hi Gordon:
Gen. Clark is always inspiring to listen to and that was definitely "a satisfying experience" for me!
I was not aware of what he was told about plans being made to invade Iraq 10 days after 9/11 and about his meeting with Paul Wolfowitz back in 1991 so I learned some new things!
I always enjoy talking with him as well!
It is absolutely amazing how much that Gen. Clark knows and how articulate he is!
My best to you in 2008 Gordon,
Mitch
Great account.
And,General,if you are reading.....please find a way to at least do a book signing in Columbus, OH. That's all.
;)
"The Right always knows who its enemies are" Lance Mannion
Sounds like an excellent event!! Great FHA!
The General gets it right.
Competence--What a concept!
So appreciate the FHA's! Happy you got to go and got a moment with our General!
Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right.
Did Wes talk about the recent NIE regarding Iran?
I'm wondering if he thinks this crew has given up their pipe dreams of attacking Iran (PNAC). That seems to be the popular opinion out there. I'm not so sure.....and am concerned we're going to get caught flat footed on this somewhere down the road.
Just curious.
Thanks for the report. Glad you got to see Wes again. :)
Hi marinerfan:
Gen. Clark talked a lot about Iran but I do not remember what he specifically said about the NIE.
He made so many different points that it was very difficult to remember everything he specifically said unless you took notes or recorded the speech.
I tried to be careful in my reporting of this post only to report what I know for sure I heard him say and I was more general about the topic if I did not remember all of the specifics that he mentioned about it.
I can tell you for certain that he is very concerned about Iran and that the next President gets it right on foreign policy!
Mitch
And I hope Obama's number is still on his Blackberry.
"Dissent is the highest form of patriotism" - Whoever said it, it's true.
Hi Paul:
I think that you need to be more respectful in your comments about Gen. Clark, especially on his own blog!
I doubt that Gen. Clark had very much to say to candidates like Mike Gravel or to Dennis Kucinich (I am sure that he knows exactly where they are coming from and that they are just running right now to make a statement) so with his very busy schedule, I do not think that it is unreasonable that he may not have actually talked with EVERY announed candidate!
Gen. Clark did specifically say that he looked at Barack Obama, John Edwards, and Bill Richardson and that he knows all of the Democratic candidates:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0709/16/le.01.html
CNN LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER
Interview With Wesley Clark; Interview With Congressmen Lantos, Pence
Aired September 16, 2007 - 11:00 ET
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: "I want to get to that in a moment. But you made some news over this weekend by endorsing Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination.
GEN. WESLEY CLARK, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I did.
BLITZER: Why do you think she would be the best president?
CLARK: I think the next president of the United States is inheriting a crisis right at the get go. And if you look at the record of the American presidency over the last 50 years, almost every president confronts an immediate foreign policy crisis as soon as they're in office.
You need someone with experience. You need someone with character. You need someone who does their homework, who doesn't just operate on slogans. And I think Hillary Clinton is the right person.
BLITZER: I assume you looked at Barack Obama, John Edwards, Bill Richardson...
CLARK: Certainly.
BLITZER: ... all the other Democratic...
CLARK: I know them all.
BLITZER: And what did you like about her more than about the others? What did she bring that they didn't bring?
CLARK: She brings character. Boy, she's solid.
BLITZER: Barack Obama doesn't have character?
CLARK: She has been through it, not only in the politics of the American political cauldron, but she's been through it inside the White House. She knows about how decisions are made. She knows about the kinds of pressures. And she knows what it's like to get up the next day, after you've had to make some really tough decisions.
She was there. She came to the Balkans in the mid '90s. She was there right after we won the war In Kosovo. I mean, she's very, very experienced and I think she's very courageous personally and very solid. I think she's the kind of president we need at this time in this country..."
Have you looked at Gen. Clark give his specific reasons about why he is supporting Hillary Clinton right now and see the direct answers that he gave to people's questions about this?
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/12725
I’m proud to endorse Hillary Clinton
Submitted by Wes Clark on September 15, 2007 - 12:10pm.
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/12726
I'm not going anywhere -and I'm going to need you with me every step of the way
Submitted by Wes Clark on September 16, 2007 - 3:45pm.
I definitely agree with Gen. Clark's decision to endorse Hillary for the following reasons that are mentioned in this post which I hope that you have at least considered:
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/13356
ANALYSIS: Why I agree with Gen. Clark's decision to endorse Hillary!
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on September 17, 2007 - 9:09am.
Mitch
I hope he will have the ear of our eventual nominee, don't you?
"Dissent is the highest form of patriotism" - Whoever said it, it's true.
You comment "I'm glad he's spoken with "nearly all the announced candidates" sounds to me like you are criticizing Gen. Clark for not actually speaking with all of the candidates despite the fact that he looked at all of them and he knows all of them!
As for your comment "And I hope Obama's number is still on his Blackberry," I am sure that Gen. Clark would contact Obama if he felt the need to do it. That comment in my opinion seems to imply that Gen. Clark would probably not contact Obama even if he felt the need to do so!
Will you be joining the caravan going to Iowa on the 27th and 28th. I am interested in car pooling if you are going.
Hi clairtx:
I will not be able to go because I have a full time job.
I wish you the very best in Iowa!
Have a nice trip,
Mitch
Thanks for posting this wonderful account!
"Our public servants work for us - we don't work for them. We have an obligation, as citizens of this country, to always remember that - and to never let them forget it." - DeadMessengers