ClarkCast 3: General Wesley Clark & Nick Lampson
March 26, 2006
Transcription by Melange
Introducer: You are listening to the ClarkCast with Wes Clark from www.SecuringAmerica.com
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: This is Wes Clark and for today's ClarkCast, I have Congressman Nick Lampson joining me. Nick is a former Congressman, he's a Democratic candidate for Texas's 22nd congressional district, which is kind of a famous district…or I should say infamous district because it's the district currently represented by Tom DeLay. So, I'm really glad you're in politics and that you're challenging Tom DeLay this year, again. But, why don't you start with telling the folks a little bit of something about yourself.
Nick Lampson: You know, I've got to tell you Wes, the way I grew up in my life was somewhat difficult. I came from a poor family that struggled from the very beginning. My father died when I was only 12 years old. He was the son of immigrants to this nation.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I'm sorry to hear that.
Nick Lampson: He had worked in the shipyards during World War II and contracted a disease that took his life very prematurely. But, it was interesting to see us as a family with six children and my mother having only a 5th grade education. Our community stepped up and helped us because the Social Security programs that only meant a few dollars to us literally kept our family together and they gave us the opportunity to all get educations; all give back significantly more than what we ever took from this nation and our mother got her GED on her 80th birthday. That's the kind of commitment to education…
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: That's so wonderful.
Nick Lampson: …the kind of commitment to education I believe we need again in the United States of America.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well it represents what the Democratic Party stands for - this is being all you can be.
Nick Lampson: Indeed it does.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Whether you're 80 years old or 8 years old. And you've lived that life…
Nick Lampson: You bet. That's exactly what I want to go back to Congress for, to make sure that my children, your children, the grandchildren of the folks, folks that are listening to us and reading this will indeed be able to have opportunity for.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: And you were a Congressman before this Texas redistricting that was jammed through by the DeLay PAC that's in court right now, I guess, right?
Nick Lampson: It is indeed. I won my seat in the House of Representatives in 1996. I had come from a background of teaching and local politics and always wanted to give back to my community, do public service and I thought that I became quite good at it. I love people and I think that's what the Democratic party has stood for and will always.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: You were elected in '96, '98, 2000 and 2002…
Nick Lampson: …2002 and lost in '04 because of the redistricting.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: in a slightly jiggered district…
Nick Lampson: Eh…it was a little more than slightly, I might add.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: That's exactly right. And so I remember when you were running in 2004 when I was down here and I met you then
Nick Lampson: Indeed.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: You put up a great defense but I don't think the people of America really understood then exactly what was going on in the country and I don't think people understood exactly what Tom DeLay's role was. I think it's more clear now, isn't it?
Nick Lampson: Sure it is. Absolutely. People are understanding that it was about control, it was about directing the nation into something that has given him a legacy of debt, corruption and neglect and it's not just in his district where there's been neglect, it's been across this nation. We're not…the Republican party under his leadership has seen the highest deficits and the highest debt in the history of our nation and that's what it has become.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Basically he tried to run…he tried to run anybody that was associated with the Democrats out of Washington as I understand it, right? By denying them an opportunity to earn a living there in dealing with issues of public policy…
Nick Lampson: …which made the special interests driving the policy of the nation and it's what happened with the Medicare bill, as an example on November 22nd of 2003. If you remember, they kept the vote open for 3 hours. They were actually offering bribes on the floor of the House of Representatives.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well how's the race going? I think people were, you know…people were excited to know that there was a primary, a republican primary and DeLay had opponents.
Nick Lampson: He did indeed.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Now, he won that primary, didn't he?
Nick Lampson: He won it…he won it with 20% less than he normally got. Typically he got 80% in his primary, this time he got 60%. That was 40% of his base who refused to vote for him and I believe that that's a sign of a very positive opportunity for us to win this race.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: There have been some polls taken in the race between you and him in a theoretical match-up come November, right?
Nick Lampson: Indeed…about 7 of them and they certainly that many show a trend. The highest support that he's had for re-election has been about 38% so I know that that's going to change because he's spending huge quantities of money right now.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I think it's going to go down, isn't it, as they bring forth the charges…
Nick Lampson: That could certainly happen.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: That money he's spending is defensive…
Nick Lampson: That could certainly happen.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: He's trying to pay his way back into office
Nick Lampson: There's no question but that there are people that…who recognize that we need a representative who will make headlines for the right reasons.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: If you were going to name the 3 or 4 issues, other than Tom DeLay's character and misconduct, that would be motivating the voters in your district, what would they be?
Nick Lampson: Getting our fiscal house in order is a[n] absolute top priority because it prevents us from doing so many other things and it's a horrible thing to hand off to our children and future generations…this kind of debt that is coming down.
Homeland Security…
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: So people are worried about fiscal responsibility…used to be a Republican issue but of course they fumbled the ball under Tom DeLay
Nick Lampson: We stood up for this country and for Texans and voted against the increasing of the debt for the three times that I was in the House of Representatives and now they've raised it yet a fourth time.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: And homeland security
Nick Lampson: We're in an area here in southeast Texas, the Houston ship channel that's been identified as a potential terrorist threat
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: There's no doubt about it, it's a high-risk area.
Nick Lampson: We have seen inadequate attention given to it. You've heard just in the last several days through this debate about Dubai World Ports. Ports across the country have requested $3.8 billion for the needs to be addressed within those ports but our government has only allocated $708 million, just a little over 20%.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Do you think it's possible, Nick, that Americans will be able to deal with these threats from port security and homeland security and be comfortable and safe? Are we going to get past this climate of fear?
Nick Lampson: If we have the right leadership to make it the high priority that it deserves to be. That's what we have been not seeing under the leadership of Tom DeLay and others in our Congress and in this nation. And without changing it, I'm not convinced that we will, but I know that it can and I'm one who is an eternal optimist and believe that we will make it happen starting on November the 7th of this year.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: These guys like Tom DeLay, they thrived on scaring the American people. Am I right that I haven't seen an elevated terrorist threat alert color-coded warning since John Kerry lost to George Bush in November of 2004?
Nick Lampson: Well we certainly hope that it doesn't start happening again, but who knows, maybe that's the politics at the time that it is important for them.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I think that the greatest threat to the American people, what they really have to be worried about is the threat to liberty and democracy here in America and Nick we're real proud of you. You're running hard, you've got a great campaign organization. You've got people that really believe in you and yours is a race to see who can best take care and meet the needs, represent the feelings and the interests of the people of the 22nd Congressional District in Texas. This is a contest of national significance. This is Nick Lampson, 4-term US Congressman, fighting to regain the right to represent his people in Texas and our people across America. Nick, we're really proud of you. Now you've got a website, right?
Nick Lampson: I do indeed. It's www.lampson.com and Lampson is spelled L-a-m-p-s-o-n. We'd be honored if people would come and visit it, share the link with as many of their friends as they possibly can.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Nick Lampson, he's a “Beacon of Hope” in south Texas.
Nick Lampson: Indeed. And I want to congratulate you for what you have been doing in helping bring that “Beacon of Hope” back to life and to light for this nation. These are the kinds of things that if Democrats hear they'll respond and they're going to put me in office. They're going to change the politics of America and we're going to have a new day come November the 7th of 2006.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well we know we will with you running and winning this race, Nick. Thanks for being with me on the 'Cast today and I hope all of you who were listening will go to Nick's website and give this worthy leader your support. We need him in the United States Congress.
Nick Lampson: Thank you very much. Lampson.com, folks, and I look forward to having you back down here and to working with you and I think good things are coming for America with your help.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Great to be with you, Nick.
Nick Lampson: Thanks so much.