4/15/06 Fox Transcript - Wes on Rummy
Submitted by Melange on April 15, 2006 - 2:10pm.
Jamie Colby: Six retired generals now calling for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to resign. They claim he mismanaged the war in Iraq but do other retired generals agree? Well, joining us on the phone from Little Rock, Arkansas, retired NATO commander and Fox News analyst, General Wesley Clark. General, good afternoon.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Good afternoon.
Jamie Colby: Thanks for being with us. Let me ask you first, is it appropriate for a former general to comment on the Defense Secretary’s performance when we’re at war?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Of course it’s appropriate. In fact, it’s more than appropriate. It’s their responsibility to provide the access to the American public to military information and ideas. Not disclose classified information but to give their honest opinion. If called on or to volunteer it – that’s a democracy and they have some specialized information and it’s a good thing that they share it.
Jamie Colby: Well as a former general as well, what is your take on Secretary Rumsfeld’s leadership?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I ran for president in 2004 because I felt that the administration’s entire direction of policy with regard to the war on terror was a mistake. We should have fought in Afghanistan and finished off Osama bin Laden. The war in Iraq was unnecessary. Secretary Rumsfeld was the officer in charge as the Secretary of Defense. He’s the number 2 in the chain of command to the president and I believe Secretary Rumsfeld hasn’t done an adequate job. He should go.
Jamie Colby: When you look at the position of number 2, can you put into perspective the need to follow the orders of the commander in chief versus the ability to present a different strategy?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well certainly. I mean, I ran to be president of the United States because I thought the commander in chief should be replaced. Ultimately he’s the person responsible. The American people didn’t understand how bad the situation was in the election of 2004. Now these generals are taking it upon themselves to speak out on behalf of people who are still in the army. They’re relating their experiences and they feel like they haven’t…that people in uniform were not listened to. That we didn’t go in with enough troops; we didn’t have the right approach for the inter-agency; we don’t have a policy process to reinforce the military efforts with diplomatic efforts in the regions. All of these things ultimately come back to the president but his right hand man is Don Rumsfeld.
Jamie Colby: Would you, if you would General, listen to what Secretary Rumsfeld has to say? I have some sound that I want to play.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Sure.
<Audio of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld>: There are people on the outside who are retired who look back and say ‘oh this or that’ and that’s fine, they can do that but it doesn’t make them right.
Jamie Colby: So point blank General, should Secretary Rumsfeld go?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Yes. <crosstalk>
Jamie Colby: And is this an appropriate time for that with our soldiers in combat?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I think that it’s more than an appropriate time. This country needed a better policy from the 2001 period on. We should have stayed in Afghanistan and finished it. Rumsfeld and Vice President Cheney wanted us to go to Iraq. It had no connection to the war on terror. They pressed for this, they pressed for open warfare before the diplomacy was finished. It was a tragic mistake. It’s a strategic blunder. It was wrong and the American people just didn’t understand it or they wouldn’t have reelected George Bush. They did…reelect him. Now these officers are saying ‘at least give us somebody in the military chain of command who will listen.’ That’s why Secretary Rumsfeld has lost their confidence. He’s made bad policy choices. It’s time for new leadership.
Jamie Colby: Alright, General Wesley Clark on the phone from Arkansas. Thanks for being with us and for weighing in on something that was the talk of…not only on the air but certainly in Washington this week. Thank you so much.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Thank you.
http://www.foxnews.com/fnctv/index.html
Scroll down to the 8:00 p.m. slot. Confirmation is in process, so if it doesn't happen, you didn't hear it from me. It replays at 1:00 a.m. EDT.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
BE THE CHANGE you wish to see in the world.
If not us, WHO? If not now, WHEN?
Thanks, General Clark
And thanks Melange for posting this so quickly.
This is not a time for a candidate who will offend no one; it is time for a candidate who takes clear stands and kicks ass.....Molly Ivins
"Look, I'm not going to let Tom DeLay or Dick Cheney or those guys who've never served in uniform take away from the right of men and women who served honorably in this country's armed forces to criticize policy. If soldiers' lives are at stake, the time to criticize the policy is now, not when it's over. I think the height of patriotism is to speak out. Even in wartime in a democracy, you need a democracy. You need people with the courage to stand up and voice their opposition without being labeled unpatriotic. I've always thought that the height of loyalty is to ask questions and help sort things out."
- Wes Clark, the Rolling Stone interview
Thanks!
Now if we could get the transcript of Rumsfeld while he was watching it!!! :)
%*&%#$*&%$##^!! 
'Of course it’s appropriate. In fact, it’s more than appropriate.'
Thanks Melange.
I am glad I watched it, and I am glad that Gen. Clark and more retired Generals are sitting around the democratic round table.
I am glad to hear that Gen. Clark emphasized why he ran for president in 2004 and used the "felt" word to describe his motives how he would secure the America. Usually when you use "feel or felt" word means you are concerned about individual’s being or humanitarian welfare because you are not only intellectually dealing with a problem but also understanding it from a human perspective. In this case, oil or other reasons, that are undisclosed to the public, should not be the primary concern but the security of America and allied countries and then of course the economy and everything that is connected to peaceful and prosperous country… I mean, that is the impression I am getting from Gen. Clark.
I give Gen. Clark and retired Generals a lot of credit… because they know that they are positioning themselves in Republican's den and are still courageous to turn this mess into a better direction.
I am surprised that Defense Secretary Rumsfeld had only this to say about the retired Generals:
<Audio of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld>: There are people on the outside who are retired who look back and say ‘oh this or that’ and that’s fine, they can do that but it doesn’t make them right.?"
Ammmmmm, if they are retired wouldn’t these Generals want to enjoy their retirement and not deal with this mess? And I am surprised, well at this point I should say I am not surprised, his only answer was and very vague:
‘oh this or that’ and that’s fine, they can do that but it doesn’t make them right.?" ‘
In the begging, I wanted to listen to Defense Secretary Rumsfeld because he has the smarts, but why is he going toward wrong direction as a Defense Secretary?
Also, is Bush’s administration under a spell of "my preccccccciousssssssss" (From the movie Lord of the Rings)?
I think it was a great idea to show a clip of a wounded soldier lying on a hospital bed because it’s easy to forget what our troops are going through... May God bless them and their loved ones, especially those who are in Iraq during this Easter season. They are in my prayers…
Gen. Clark, keep pushing… Happy Easter to you and your family!
No evasiveness, not tricky answers, no wavering. Just telling it like it is.
And it is what we all have come to expect from the next President of the United States.
It was Wes at his superb best! Right on target. Decisive. To the point.
And FOX is still covering his statements - twice in the past hour they've replayed part of it. And they're giving lead-ups to it before commercials. Beyond that, there is an announcement at least twice an hour that he will be speaking on the topic on "Heartland" (of something like that) tonight.
Wes is the man!!
As I noted yesterday, I had just finished reading Kevin Phillips' "American Theocracy." And now I've started Morris Berman's new book, "Dark Ages America." We're very near the edge of a cliff, metaphorically speaking. I'm not sure it's not too late. BushCo has done so very much damage. Both books note how badly we need visionary leadership. But doubt we will turn to such leadership. Empires in decline usually select or otherwise end up with mediocre leaders. Reading these books I keep realizing how very badly we need the kind of leadership Wes can offer. Kerry won't do. Clinton won't do. Edwards won't do. Etc., etc. We need an individual who understands the complex world we're living in. One that can provide inspiration for our youth. One that garners the respect of Congress and other world leaders.
Leadership means lifting people up. --Wes Clark