General Wesley Clark at UAW Local 1314 in Huntsville AL

January 15, 2007
Transcript by Melange

You have to understand also, I taught economics and political philosophy. I’ve worked in the civilian side of the Office of Management and Budget in the White House, I’m a businessman.  I have, like, four different businesses. I consult for various different companies and I’ve been around the block a few times. So I’ve got strong ideas.

I believe we need to raise the minimum wage. We need to help small businesses in this country. We need to fix the access to the healthcare system. We’ve got to stop the unfunded mandates, that are running out for the No Child Left Behind Act. We’ve got to raise and enhance teacher pay and morale and performance. We’ve got to get preschool education for every child in America.

In America we’ve got to take a much more proactive role in helping Americans help themselves.  Families need help.  Families need leadership.  Families need an advocate. I’m not talking about someone who hands out dollars or food stamps in a program and who says “Oh, I’m sorry, you don’t meet the criteria for the program.” I’m talking about people who know that family and will stand up and argue for that family. And if the programs don’t work to help our people, they’ll get those programs changed. So, I think we’ve got to really have a broad front program to help this country.  If we don’t, we’re not going to be competitive in the larger, global environment. And ultimately, America’s strength, as General Eisenhower said is not our Armed Forces. It’s America’s economy.  It’s the men and women who work and the men and women who put those companies together and lead those companies. And it’s teamwork. And it’s about teamwork.

I think our labor unions have a vital role in this. Our labor unions have to be strengthened.  We need the ability to do real training,

(Applause)

And real education through the unions.

(Applause)

I think the union movement is the real secret weapon of the American economy. We just have to turn it loose.

General Wesley Clark on Fox News
May 17, 2006
Transcript by Reg NYC

Martha MacCallum: Well, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld backing the President's plan to put the National Guard along the Mexico border. Rumsfeld and some of his Generals assuring members of Congress that using the National Guard to help secure our border will not stretch our military too thin.

For more on this, I'm joined by Fox News analyst General Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. General Clark, good to have you with us this afternoon.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Thank you. Good to be with you.

Martha MacCallum: What do you think about what Donald Rumsfeld had to say today? Do you think 6,000 troops in a non-military capacity, in a helping-out capacity on the border will do the trick?

General Wesley Clark on the Fox News Live
May 12, 2006
Transcript by Reg NYC

Gretchen Carlson: ...Fox News analyst, retired General Wesley Clark, who's a former NATO Supreme Allied Commander. Good to see you.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Nice to see you.

Gretchen Carlson: So, how effective are these meetings?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I don't think they're particularly effective. They're mostly a photo op. I think it provides perhaps some reinforcement for some of the President's allies to say they've been in there and can take it from him. I, I think it's very hard in a meeting like that to get in any real substance, any real projection or to certainly make any significant recommendations as to courses of action.

Gretchen Carlson: So, you ran for President at one time. What would be your advice if you were invited to this meeting?