Reviews...and some video!....from a variety of sources.....

[updating this to add this new one to the top...I love this one.]

From Capitol Hill Blue:

the power of netroots
July 18, 2008 - 9:41am.

by Robert A. Kezelis

Last night we were given one hell of a surprise. Not only was Dr. Howard Dean giving the keynote talk (as always, energized, on topic, and convincing), but we had an unannounced guest speaker. General Wes Clark (ret) He spoke for not less than 30 minutes, without teleprompters, notes, or a written speech. And he spoke brilliantly. He managed to let the audience know just what sort of problems we face and how it was up to individuals to do their part in fixing them.

It is easy to see how this man inspired troops to reach higher and give more, and to do their best for their leader, their country, and along the way, for themselves.

FromSFGate.com:

Wes Clark Calls Out "The Right Wing Freak Machine"

The real fun came from retired Gen. Wesley Clark, the ex-Hillary acolyte who went on before Dean. Now, we remember when The General -- as his peeps call him -- called out John McCain on "Face the Nation" a while back. Conservatives milked that one for about a week and McCain riffed a campaign commercial out of the dustup.

The General said he hates to say it but "I was taken out of context." How is that possible? Blame the "Right Wing Freak Machine."

"Someone said to me 'This is a playbook operation by the right wing freak machine, the great freak show where they take a statement, distort it, blast it out of context and make it personal. They are so good at it they did all three steps in three hours and you fought back and I'm grateful for you from the bottom of my heart.'"

God, that is the best band name we have heard in months: Right Wing Freak Machine. Dig it.

Btw, the General has become a lot smoother working a crowd than he was during his ill-fated 2004 presidential campaign. Speaking without notes, he threw a lot of love to the digiterati ("You have given me hope and inspiration"). Another five minutes on stage and The General might have said "You complete me."

From Todd Beeton on MyDD:

Netroots Nation: Thursday Night Keynote Liveblog
by Todd Beeton, Thu Jul 17, 2008 at 09:35:15 PM EST

Brandon Friedman of VoteVets introduced Wes Clark. You could tell he was very moved by the experience and needless to say when Wes Clark came on stage he got a standing ovation. He thanked us for standing up for him over the John McCain flap, which struck me as funny. I thought he was the one to be thanked. He said:

You'll never get the country to believe Democrats can defend our country until Democrats start standing up to defend other Democrats.

The place went nuts. Jonathan and I bonded over having voted for Clark in 04.

Clark is really about giving praise tonight. He had public servants in the room, from candidates to teachers to health care workers to veterans, stand up and get applause. His reasoning: what it means to be a Democrat:

We're people who believe in public service in general.

He ended by talking about how important bloggers are and thanking us for our passion and our fearlessness in spreading much needed information and ideas.

From statesman.com:

Gen. Wesley Clark exhorts Netroots Nation
By W. Gardner Selby | Thursday, July 17, 2008, 08:12 PM

Wesley Clark, the retired Army general who ran for president as a Democrat in 2004 (and who keeps his thoughts on securing America posted here), credited Netroots ‘08 bloggers for making it possible for him to run for office.

Before launching into issues stressed by nearly every Democratic candidate for office (universal health care, more of an emphasis on non-military rather than military solutions, an energy policy focused on alternatives to oil, human rights), Clark mentioned Darcy Burner, a U.S. House aspirant in Washington state whose house just burned down (yes, her name is evidently really Burner).

Clark later called Rick Noriega, the Democratic nominee against U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, “our next United States senator.” Noriega stood next to one of the many round tables in the hall and waved.

He shortly asked most everyone to stand—individuals ranging from officeseekers to nurses to police officers—but stopped short (they always stop short) of recognizing journalists in the room (though “The Onion” Web editor later gave props).

“Did I miss any professional group?” he said. “If I did, I apologize.”

Understandably, there was one more group he wanted to recognize, the Netroots’ nation of bloggers.

“You’re like the keel on the ship of state, you’re like the compass on the bridge,” the general said. “You keep America going in the right direction. You bring passion, you bring commitment, you bring your ideas and you bring your energy to American politics.

“We’ve needed you for so long in this country and we need you desperately right now.”

Referring to Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, West said: “Let’s move America forward. Together, Netroots Nation, you can do it. Let’s do it.”

From HuffPo:

Wesley Clark: : I Was Victim Of 'Right Wing Freak Machine'

Late Thursday night, General Wesley Clark cast himself as a victim of the "right wing freak machine" after his comments on John McCain's military service caused a bout of political pandemonium.

Speaking to an adoring crowd at Netroots Nation in Austin, the General said that he "was taken out of context" when, on CBS' Face the Nation, he remarked that McCain's time as a POW did not serve as a qualification for the White House

"There is just no other way to say it," said Clark. "Someone said to me 'This is a playbook operation by the right wing freak machine, the great freak show where they take a statement, distort it, blast it out of context and make it personal. They are so good at it they did all three steps in three hours and you fought back and I'm grateful for you from the bottom of my heart.'"

Putting aside the descriptive words, Clark's remarks were clearly used as campaign kindling for McCain, whose campaign held three straight days of press conferences to hammer both the general and Barack Obama on the issue. The presumptive Republican nominee and his surrogates said Clark had belittled McCain's service for political gain. In the process McCain trotted out a member of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth to not only defend the Arizona Republican but also attack Clark's record as well.

The irony continued soon thereafter, when the McCain campaign (after insinuating that military service was not fodder for a general election) put out a campaign commercial that focused greatly on his time in Vietnam.

TPM has video of an interview with Wes regarding Afghanistan HERE!

Washington Times has this story with video:

Video: Wes Clark says McCain flap pushed by right wing "freakshow"

AUSTIN -- Speaking tonight to the Netroots Nation gathering here, retired Gen. Wes Clark touched only briefly on the recent kerfuffle where he seemingly dissed Sen. John McCain's military service.

He said he was quoted out of context, and added that the reaction was more about the right-wing "freak show" cycle.

Youtube video link

Clark gave what one savvy blogger referred to as a "VP speech," even though his chances of being Obama's choice for No. 2 probably diminished with the dust-up.

"You've been a major force in my life," Clark told the group of about 2,000, noting that the Internet community encouraged and aided his 2004 presidential bid.

He lauded practically every group attending, from military veterans, public servants like police and firefighters, political candidates and organizers and health care workers. He even thanked the "lawyers," meaning public defenders helping make their cities safer.

He said progressive bloggers "keep america going in the right direction" and have brought unprecedented "passion ideas and energy to American politics."

He said so often politics degenerates into name calling and said the netroots have avoided that.

"It's not about partisanship and it's not about personal attacks it really is about getting it right for the United States of America," he said, adding: "You are the guiding compass for America."

The crowd laughed when he said of the wealth of ideas coming from the group, "And you spew them forth in great volume."

"Our country needs you needs you now more probably than at any other time in recent history," he said.

Clark also praised Sen. Barack Obama as a candidate "who can bring that change if we put him in office."

"But to bring that change you've got to bring the American people along with him," he said. "Netroots nation you can do it."

Not sure I agree with him at all about the netroots not engaging in name calling, though......I guess he was trying to be diplomatic.