Wesley Clark stumps for Fawcett
Administration can’t get us out of Iraq, he says
July 20, 2006
By ED SEALOVER | THE GAZETTE
Colorado Springs, CO -- Former Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark, a retired Army general, said Wednesday that the current administration is “leading us down the road to failure.”
Clark was in town to stump and help raise funds for Jay Fawcett, the lone Democrat among the seven men looking to succeed GOP Congressman Joel Hefley. He spoke to a crowd of about 80 at The Retired Enlisted Association in Colorado Springs.
The former commander in chief for U.S. European Command spent much of his talk criticizing President Bush’s decision to go to war in Iraq unilaterally. He endorsed Fawcett by saying the retired Air Force officer will not rubber-stamp Bush’s policies as the current Congress has done.
“It’s going to take a lot of strong diplomacy and strategy to get us out (of Iraq),” Clark said. “This administration can’t do it.”
The theme of the speech mirrored Fawcett appearances in which he has tried to set himself apart from the six Republicans seeking the seat. At a recent forum, each of them backed continuing the war in Iraq, saying it is a necessary and vital component of the larger war on terror.
Clark said that if he were president, he would have opened up dialogue early on with Syria and Iran to ease Middle East tension and helped Lebanon in its struggle with terrorists.
Fawcett said that if elected, he would support moving U.S. troops from cities to the borders, where they can train Iraqis and stem the flow of terrorists into the country.
The men lambasted Republicans for partisanship before urging the Democratic-heavy crowd to introduce Fawcett to friends in this GOP-leaning district. Clark said later that he hopes his presence will aid Fawcett because “I help draw a crowd.”
Clark also has been mentioned as a possible 2008 presidential contender, and signs around the room read: “Colorado4Clark.” He said afterward, though, that he was here merely trying to help elect Democrats to Congress.
