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Wednesday, June 11, 2008


To Make Himself Look Good On National Security Obama Could Recruit An Anti-War General As VP

One Wesley Clark, to be specific.

On Tuesday, Sen. Kent Conrad revealed that Sen. Barack Obama is including “former top military leaders” among the approximately two dozen names currently rattling around in a not-so-short vice presidential short list.

Such figures don’t come much more “top” in either political party than retired four-star General Wes Clark, the former Supreme Allied Commander Europe for NATO during the Kosovo War. After a late entry into the Democratic 2004 presidential race, in which he won the Oklahoma primary and finished second in three other contests, Clark turned himself into a popular surrogate on the stump for Democratic congressional candidates during the midterm elections.

Relatively new to partisan politics, he seems to have taken to the enterprise with gusto. As an early backer of Sen. Hillary Clinton, Clark traveled in the last year to Iowa, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Ohio, Texas, Indiana and South Dakota. But even now that the spouse of his former Commander in Chief is out of the race, Clark isn’t done for the season. In an email pitch to his nationwide network of supporters last week, Clark urged party unity and described the call to elect Obama as a “critical mission.”

If Obama were to choose someone like Clark for VP I’d take it as a tacit admission from Obama that he’s weak (to put it nicely, “clueless” and “naive” to put it more accurately) on foreign policy and needs to do something to reassure voters.

Whether or not having Clark on the ticket would actually reassure voters is something that remains to be seen.

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Comments

I’d love to see his file opened and why Bill Clinton of all people had to remove him from the head of NATOE.  (a little Danism.)

That’s a story that hasn’t been told.


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The Whistler's signature
The Whistler on June 11, 2008 at 08:45 am
Avatar for dm

Got linked to the huff. (and puff) post.
And seems like Gen. Clark also walks on water.
I did not know that.

dm on June 11, 2008 at 10:16 am
Avatar for Nunez

Gen. Clark said about McCain, “The truth is that, in national security terms, he’s largely untested and untried.”

Nunez on June 11, 2008 at 10:17 am

Kent Conrad revealed that Sen. Barack Obama is including “former top military leaders” among the approximately two dozen names currently rattling around in a not-so-short vice presidential short list.

But isn’t Raul Castro busy running his own country?

Wing Chun Geologist on June 11, 2008 at 10:18 am
Avatar for dm

I guess that makes b.o. the man on national security?

dm on June 11, 2008 at 10:21 am

Maybe Barack is looking at a merger, Raul could be President and Obama would be vice.


1% of Americans pay 40% of the income tax.
5% of Americans pay 60% of the income tax.
10% of Americans pay 70% of the income tax.


The Whistler's signature
The Whistler on June 11, 2008 at 10:22 am
Avatar for Nunez

“Anti-War General”? Anybody who is pro-war has some screws loose.

“I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting. I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as a method of settling international disputes.” ~GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR

Nunez on June 11, 2008 at 10:25 am

The best way to do that is to kill everyone else.


1% of Americans pay 40% of the income tax.
5% of Americans pay 60% of the income tax.
10% of Americans pay 70% of the income tax.


The Whistler's signature
The Whistler on June 11, 2008 at 10:28 am

...admission from Obama that he’s weak (to put it nicely, “clueless” and “naive” to put it more accurately)

I’m not sure that teaming up with the cluesless Clark would help much.

electnixon on June 11, 2008 at 10:28 am
Rob
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Anybody who is pro-war has some screws loose.

Fair enough.  My wording was awkward.  Nobody wants war (you’d do well to remind your “Bush is a war monger” liberal fellows of that, Nunez) but sometimes war is necessary whether we want it or not.

Clark is anti-Iraq war.  Which means he clearly doesn’t have the grasp on foreign policy he thinks he does.


The purpose of government shouldn’t be to do good, but simply to refrain from doing evil.

Rob on June 11, 2008 at 10:32 am

Nunez,

Your Douglas MacArthur quote certainly goes a long way toward establishing how those who have been to war feel about it… especially professional military personnel.

But abolishing war requires, almost by definition, the means necessary to enforce the abolition.  Otherwise, any rogue nation, murderous autocrat, or conquer and subjugate ideology would be free to impose itself on the rest of humanity.

Ronald Reagan’s “Trust… but verify.” is a far safer and more prudent admonition than the twilight rambling of Douglas MacArthur.  Particularly in an era of weapons of truly mass destruction.  We no longer have the luxury of the time it took in MacArthur’s day to marshal the resources and the manpower necessary to respond to an attack.


“Capitalism is optimism monetized.”

Bat One on June 11, 2008 at 10:53 am

Kent Conrad revealed that Sen. Barack Obama is including “former top military leaders” among the approximately two dozen names currently rattling around in a not-so-short vice presidential short list.

Are we talking an American general? What about former Spetznaz officers?

Wing Chun Geologist on June 11, 2008 at 03:02 pm

Maybe he could get someone who liberated Auschwitz with his uncle.


1% of Americans pay 40% of the income tax.
5% of Americans pay 60% of the income tax.
10% of Americans pay 70% of the income tax.


The Whistler's signature
The Whistler on June 11, 2008 at 03:16 pm
Avatar for steve kern

Clark should be the most reviled creature to walk this planet. he is a man who almost started World War 3 by his incompetence in running Bill Clinton"s heroic bombing of Serbia from 5 miles up.When the Serbs were on the verge of surrender, the Russians sent a batch of Spetznaz troops ( their version of our Green Berets), to secure the main airport in Serbia, much to General Clark’s embarrasement!!!!. When Clark found out, he ordered General Sir Mike Jackson of the Britsih contingent of NATO, to attack the Russian Special Forces and take back the airport. This lame-brained, moronic ploy could have caused a hot shooting war between NATO and what was still a potent Russian Military….possibly going nuclear. All for the vainity of one single insane person who should be spat at and hated by all living things. Only the smart, sane, savvy British general, who refused the order, saved our bacon ( and possibly the planet!!!) My Fellow Americans, no matter your party, no matter your creed or religion, no matter any differences…..Wesley Clark should be the most hated an alive…never to be allowed to serve anything in any capacity… He si to be despised and reviled as the ultimate War Criminal in history!!!!!

steve kern on July 1, 2008 at 07:57 am
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