Attending the Eric Massa/Wes Clark event in Manhattan last night was almost like a homecoming. Jacques’ loft, where the event was held, was one of the home bases for the NYC Draft Clark movement and I have fond memories of being there and stapling Draft Clark business cards to mini Clark bars to hand out at a local Democratic Club dinner and making homemade Clark04 buttons on the night that Wes announced he was getting in the race. That night we later paraded out onto Broadway with bags full of mini Clark bars and huge Clark ’04 signs. We were jubilant. We’d successfully drafted our man.

So last night I was back there again and, as it is with these things now, it was a chance for me to catch up with both some of those whom I worked with on the campaign back in ’03-’04 and some of my new internet buddies. (Yes, Icantbelieve…’s husband really does exist! Or at least someone posing as him last night does. haha!)

I met Melange on the way in and we walked up to the fourth floor with a man, now from New Jersey, formerly from Uganda, named Charles and a young woman who was with him.

Eric was already there when I got there, working the crowd. Wes showed up soon after. Cute, he filled out a little name tag for himself “Wes Clark”, you know, in case anyone should forget his name. That’s our “regular guy” Wes.

Tom Rinaldo, who was there with his wife, introduced himself to Wes for the first time but I messed up on the picture I was trying to take of that first meeting. :( I, myself, hardly spoke to Wes. Just said hello, gave him a hug. He was just too surrounded by well wishers. Boy, he is a popular guy in a crowd.

The speeches were great. They were also recorded and the crack CCN transcription team (both Reg and Melange) was in attendance so I imagine there will be a transcript at some point…..

So I’ll just copy Tom’s posts from the GD thread here:

"We are involved in an endless War for nefarious purposes. There hasn't been anything like this since the founding of our Republic, in my opinion."

General Wesley Clark
NYC 6/19/06

That is how our good General started out his comments at the Eric Massa fundraiser held in Manhattan last night. Unfortunately I don't have time to blog about it, we got home after midnight and I am packing to very shortly leave on a trip, but I wanted to make sure this quote got recorded.

And our good Commander Massa last night said, among many wonderful things, "Questioning of Government Officials is not dissent, it's the way things are meant to work."

The friendship these men have for each other is something wonderful to be in the presence of. When Eric made his comments, he delivered Democratic Fire and Brimstone onto the Republicans running our nation aground, and Wes was standing off to the side through all of it, grinning from ear to ear, watching his friend get worked up into a righteous fury.
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Clark said that when he heard in 2002 that Karl Rove planned to run Bush as a War Time President for re-election (Eric Massa used the word "re-selection" in his comments by the way), he immediately put that together with the PNAC plans for multiple military conquests that his military contacts had told him about. When told the Administration wanted War with Iraq, Clark said he asked Why, and Generals he knew said "Sir, when the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail." They knew it was a mistake according to Clark.

Clark said the War on Terror was the perfect war for Republicans to attempt to twist to their political purposes: "They can't say when it is going to end, and if you oppose them you are called "unpatriotic", and advocating for "cut and run". He said: "Sending our young people to War, except as a very last resort, is Unwise, Un-patriotic, and Un-American."

General Clark and Commander Massa are both clearly furious over how this Administration misuses our military.

(He was taking notes….I was trying to take pictures.)

And I’ll just touch on a couple of things.

The speaking area was set up in this big open space and, when people gathered to hear the speakers, they congregated around the edges of the space, close to the walls. Jacques gave some brief remarks, then introduced Wes. When Wes got up to speak, he asked all of those who were ‘lurking around the edges’ to move up closer, like a football huddle…so we did.

It is, as Tom says, a pleasure to watch these two men together. They have such a mutual respect, admiration, really affection for each other…Kind of reminds me of watching Wes and Charlie Rangel together. It’s like you’re witness to something special. And I recalled the first time I met Eric, at a Rangel event that Wes attended, and how excited he was to see “the boss” again.

Wes talked about Eric’s illness and how they had a, basically, ‘good bye, we’ll miss you as we send you home to die’ party. “The Christmas lights were strung in the chateau”, they remembered. I think both men were moved as Wes spoke of it, Eric standing off to the side watching and nodding. It’s hard sometimes to imagine or remember what Eric’s been through. He’s so alive and vital now. It’s hard to remember how close he came to dying.

Wes talked about the neo-cons plans to run through all of these Middle East countries, stuff we’ve heard before….Yet, it seemed there were some in the crowd hearing it for the first time judging by their reactions.

Wes also spoke of what veterans, in particular, can bring to Congress and observed how it just so happens that almost all of the Vets running happen to be Democrats…hmmmmm….

Eric was really fired up for this one. His remarks started a little more laid back but grew in intensity as the speech went on. He related the story of how he came to work for Wes, “That’s why they call them orders, not invitations.” He spoke of taking back the flag from Rove and so many other things. He mentioned his 15 year old daughter, who was in attendance and how, after she saw him speak at one of these functions and saw the intensity, she told him she didn’t think she wanted him to win anymore. If he won, she said, she’d never get any boy to date her. They’d be too scared of her father. He said he told her “Why do you think I’m running?” which got a hearty laugh from the crowd.

He also told of how she’d stolen one of his T-shirts and painted on it “My dad is so not-Kuhl!” How clever is that? They had pins at the event “Not Kuhl”. When I complimented him on his lovely daughter afterwards, he said there would be hell to pay later from her because he embarrassed her. She really is a dear, though. I spoke to her briefly. Nice kid…and quite proud of her dad.

I later spoke to someone from ACT NY who I’ve worked with before. ACT NY is continuing on locally, even as the national ACT has gone south. They are concentrating on local races, NY and PA, it seems, and are considering Eric’s race as one to focus on. They were scouting Eric out last night and the guy I spoke to was impressed….Still, it all comes down, sadly, to money. How Eric does fundraising will make a difference…..

So make sure you donate to Eric’s campaign. You can do it here, through WesPAC’s Act Blue page.

Also, be sure to vote for Eric at Mark Warner’s mapchangers. You have to register with Warner’s PAC but Eric could get $5000 from this so please take the time.

And, finally, I leave you with this, my best (well, really only acceptable) picture of Eric and Wes together….(notice the name tag).