Money is the necessary ingredient to continue to win delegates. At this point there is some good news in the Howard Dean camp. It is reported that fundraising is coming in at around $10,000 per hour. Not enough to match Kerry or get Dean back into the Feb. 3 round, but it will set Dean up for Michigan (Feb.7) and Wisconsin (Feb. 17).

Meanwhile, Kerry has dragged in over $500,000 since New Hampshire’s election. He has raised $1.6 million online since the Iowa Caucuses.

Bad news came in for Sen. John Edwards and Wesley Clark.  They have opted into the public financing of elections program. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is not able to pay 100 percent of the money owed. So, They will be paying out 43 to 45 cents on the dollar. Rep. Dennis Kucinich had been expecting $2.4 million in his February check; Wesley Clark, $1.4 million; Joe Lieberman, about $389,000; and John Edwards, about $302,000.

Candidates normally borrow against the money owed by the FEC.

Howard Dean

Howard Dean got some good news and some bad news in the poll numbers. The good news is that Sen. John Edwards is now 4 percentage points ahead of Sen. John Kerry in S. Carolina. The bad news is that Kerry is solidly in the lead in five of the other six states and has pulled within 3 percent of Clark in Oklahoma. Dean needs Clark and Edwards to slow Kerry’s gathering of delegates. His best hope is in these words from pollster John Zogby:

"Edwards moved up a couple of points over Kerry in South Carolina, is running respectably in Oklahoma and is within striking distance of achieving delegates in Missouri," Zogby said.

"Clark appears poised for a solid second place showing in Arizona. If Clark can couple that with a victory in Oklahoma, he will certainly make this pollster look twice."

If Kerry continues to build momentum, Dean will have a very difficult time creating a firewall. One of the big problems facing Dean is the latest USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll that has Kerry beating President Bush 53 percent to 46 percent. In the same poll Dean loses to Bush 45 percent to 53 percent. The other problem is that the number one factor for Democrats voting for a candidate is the question of who can beat Bush. The other candidates fail to beat Bush in the latest poll. The CNN poll also showed Edwards beating Bush, 49% to 48%.

Wesley Clark

Clark needs the second place finish in Arizona and the win in Oklahoma just to stay in the race. Edwards has to win S. Carolina to stay in the race. Money will dry up for both of them if they do not make a decent showing.

"Our intention and our focus is to go forward," said Chris Lehane, a senior campaign strategist for Clark.

As of Monday the poll numbers showed that Clark could still be in the race. We will see if the numbers translate to voters today. One of the factors for Arizona is the fact that half of the votes in that state have already been cast prior to today’s primary. Many of the votes were cast before the New Hampshire Primary.

Another factor is that Arizona is having bad weather today and polling places will be hard to find because they are only using 1/3 of the number of polling places than usual today.

McAuliffe asks for Unity Pledge

Democrat National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe is asking candidates to sign a unity pledge he has mailed out, "Another four years of a George W. Bush presidency would be a disaster for the nation and the world. I pledge to stand with the Democratic Party and support the Democratic nominee for President in 2004. I will do everything I can to help win back the White House for America."

What happens after today…

After today’s election results, there will be candidates who have run out of money and hope and the pledge will be important.

Also after today’s election we may still see John Edwards, Howard Dean and Wesley Clark creating such scenes as envisioned by ABC’s The Note, “…we can look forward to several weeks of attacks on special interest ties; comparisons of life experience; accusations of a do-nothing Senate record; talk about a French castle, off-shore tax shelters, the Big Dig, voting rights for felons, and the death penalty; and Roy Neel blog postings.”

However, if Kerry moves forward as the inevitable nominee, The Note suggest that we can look forward to: “tax cuts for the wealthy; Iraq credibility; Halliburton; manufacturing job losses; the Texas National Guard; Maverick Media finally doing something visible for all that money; several weeks of attacks on special interest ties; comparisons of life experience; accusations of a do-nothing Senate record; talk about a French castle, off-shore tax shelters, the Big Dig, voting rights for felons, and the death penalty; and Chris Heinz and Laura Bush blog postings.” (2/3/2004)

Who can win in the South

One of the questions that’s supposed to be answered today is which Democrat can win votes in the South. Sen. John Edwards must win South Carolina -- the state where he was born -- or he will not be able to claim that title of Southern vote winner. 

Clark was the person who boasted that when the campaign turned South he would be in the driver’s seat. But now his best shot is in Oklahoma. If Edwards loses South Carolina and is out of the race, Clark will get the chance to prove he is the candidate that can win in the South in some head to head race with Kerry. He certainly ski-daddled out of S. Carolina, as a Southerner would put it. Clark is also faced with a delegates problem – with the exception of Florida, there are not a lot of delegates in the South. And Florida is not considered a real Southern state anymore… then again, Southerners seem to question whether Clark is real Southerner, too.

If Kerry beats Edwards in South Carolina can he claim the title of Southern vote winner? Well, I wonder what former Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi -- who is appearing on Hardball as an election analyst tonight -- will say about it.

Electability continues to be the driving force for all candidates and winning in the South is important only so far as it demonstrates the ability to win needed electoral votes.

The Wall Street Journal writes, "With the war issue fading, the party's 2004 competition increasingly revolves around an issue normally confined to strategists' back-room discussions: the candidates' 'electability' in November. The focus on electability reflects a country more sharply polarized between Democrats and Republicans than at any time in a generation. Mr. Bush has become both a symbol and a cause of that polarization. And it is increasingly clear that Democrats' antipathy toward him is driving primary voters far more than are familiar intraparty splits pitting the liberal left against the moderate center, or the old guard against a new generation."

The NY Daily News reports if Edwards wins South Carolina he will be going South:

Edwards' strategists said he would likely bypass the Michigan and Washington votes on Saturday to focus on Virginia and Tennessee next Tuesday.  (2/3/2004)

Clark on Bush’s budget

Wesley Clark criticized President Bush's proposed budget, which projects a $521 billion deficit for Fiscal Year 2005:

"Today's budget proposal makes it clear what President Bush's priorities are: tax cuts for the rich and tough luck for everyone else. Bush's new budget slashes funding for agriculture, the environment, and small businesses. And he wants to make his tax cuts for the rich permanent, creating deficits as far as the eye can see. George Bush is leaving our children to pay off his record debt increases.

"Worst of all, President Bush has resorted to cheap gimmicks to disguise the full cost of his plans. The President says we're at war, and he's right. So where is the money in this budget for Iraq and Afghanistan? He's going to wait until after the election to tell the American people what this war is really going to cost. I will bring a higher standard of leadership to America, and that means being honest with the American people about how the government spends their money." (2/3/2004)

Clark endorsed by ambassadors

Fifty-five former U.S. ambassadors and diplomats, women and men who have served in some 36 countries during the last four administrations, believe that Wesley K. Clark is the right choice to lead America at this critical time in the world.

"Serving as representatives of the United States has allowed each of us to meet with world leaders and see what terrific leadership looks like," said Cynthia Schneider, Ambassador to theNetherlands and co-chair of Ambassadors for Clark. "We know that the world is more interconnected than ever before, and so the impact of good and bad leadership impacts Americaand the world more than ever before. Wes Clark appreciates that and ambassadors understand the interconnectedness of the world and the critical need for a new leader to repair and strengthen our global ties."

"I am thrilled by the endorsement of those that have the respect of world leaders on every continent," Wesley Clark said. "They understand the importance of rebuilding America's alliances and restoring our country to a position of leadership based on cooperation and respect."

Ambassadors and Diplomats for Clark grew out of the unique phenomena of the Draft Wesley Clark movement. Not only did Wes Clark receive encouragement to run from thousands of individuals from across the U.S., the letters of support came from people, both U.S. citizens and citizens of many other nations, who understand that Wes Clark is the person we need to lead America at this crucial moment in history. The full list of ambassadors and diplomats is below.

1.      Morton Abramowitz, Ambassador to Turkey and Thailand, Assistant Secretary of State

2.      Brady Anderson, Ambassador to Tanzania.

3.      Christopher Ashby, Ambassador to Uruguay.

4.      Jeff Bader, Ambassador to Namibia, Senior Director National Security Agency

5.      Robert Barry, Administrator, Agency for International Development; Head, OSCE

6.      J.D. Bindenagel, Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues.

7.      Donald Blinken, Ambassador to Hungary

8.      Amy Bondurant, Ambassador to OECD

9.      Avis Bohlen, Ambassador to Bulgaria, Assistant Secretary of State

10.  George Bruno, Ambassador to Belize

11.  Paul Cejas, Ambassador to Belgium

12.  Tim Chorba, Ambassador to Singapore

13.  Bonnie Cohen, Under Secretary of State

14.  Nancy Ely-Raphel, Ambassador to Slovenia

15.  Ralph Earle, Deputy Director of State, Chief U.S. Negotiator, SALT II Treaty

16.  Thomas H. Fox, Assistant Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development

17.  Mary Mel French, Chief of Protocol

18.  Edward Gabriel, Ambassador to Morocco

19.  Richard Gardner, Ambassador to Italy & Spain

20.  Robert Gelbard, Ambassador to Indonesia & Bolivia, Assistant Secretary of State

21.  Gordon Giffin, Ambassador to Canada

22.  Lincoln Gordon, Ambassador to Brazil, Assistant Secretary of State

23.  Anthony Harrington, Ambassador to Brazil

24.  John Holum, Under Secretary of State

25.  William J. Hughes, Ambassador to Panama

26.  Swanee Hunt, Ambassador to Austria

27.  James Joseph, Ambassador to South Africa

28.  Rodney Minott, Ambassador to Sweden

29.  John McDonald, Ambassador to the United Nations

30.  Stan McLelland, Ambassador to Jamaica

31.  Gerald McGowan, Ambassador to Portugal

32.  Arthur Mudge, Mission Director for Agency for International Development

33.  Lyndon Olson, Ambassador to Sweden

34.  Donald Petterson, Ambassador to the Sudan, Tanzania & Somalia

35.  Kathryn Proffitt, Ambassador to Malta

36.  Edward Romero, Ambassador to Spain & Andorra

37.  James Rosapepe, Ambassador to Romania

38.  Nancy Rubin, United Nations Commission on Human Rights

39.  James Rubin, Assistant Secretary of State

40.  David Sandalow, Assistant Secretary of State

41.  Howard Schaffer, Ambassador to Bangladesh, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State

42.  Teresita Schaffer, Ambassador to Sri Lanka & Maldives

43.  David Scheffer, Ambassador at Large for War Crimes

44.  Cynthia Schneider, Ambassador to the Netherlands.

45.  Derek Shearer, Ambassador to Finland

46.  Richard Schifter, Assistant Secretary of State

47.  Thomas Siebert, Ambassador to Sweden

48.  Richard Sklar, Ambassador to the United Nations

49.  Peter Tarnoff, Under Secretary of State

50.  Peter Tufo, Ambassador to Hungary

51.  Arturo Valenzuela, Senior Director, National Security Council

52.  William Walker, Ambassador to El Salvador & Argentina, Head, Kosovo VerificationMission

53.  Vernon Weaver, Ambassador to the European Union

54.  Phoebe L. Yang, Special Coordinator for China Rule of Law, State Department

55.  Andrew Young, Ambassador to the United Nations  (2/3/2004)

Poll watching

Zogby tracking polls as of Monday:

Arizona, 55 delegates: polls open at 8:00 am ET and close at 9:00 pm ET.

John Kerry 40 (36)

Wesley Clark 27 (24)

Howard Dean 13 (14)

Joe Lieberman 6 (6)

John Edwards 6 (4)

Dennis Kucinich 1 (3)

Al Sharpton less than 1 (less than 1)

Undecided 5 (13)

Missouri, 74 delegates: polls open at 7:00 am ET and close at 8:00 pm ET.

Kerry 50 (43)

Edwards 15 (14)

Dean 9 (8)

Lieberman 4 (3)

Clark 4 (3)

Sharpton 3 (3)

Kucinich less than 1 (1)

Undecided 11 (22)

Oklahoma, 40 delegates: polls open at 8:00 am ET and close at 8:00 pm ET

Clark 28 (25)

Kerry 25 (23)

Edwards 21 (18)

Dean 8 (8)

Lieberman 7 (8)

Kucinich 1 (1)

Sharpton 1 (1)

Undecided 9 (16)

S. Carolina, 45 delegates: polls open at 7:00 am ET and close at 7:00 pm ET.

Edwards 31 (30)

Kerry 24 (23)

Clark 11 (12)

Sharpton 10 (10)

Dean 9 (9)

Lieberman 4 (3)

Kucinich 1 (1)

Undecided 10 (12)           (2/3/2004)

Moving on

The race moves next to Michigan, 128 delegates and Washington state, 76 delegates on Saturday, then on to Maine, 24 delegates on Sunday, and Virginia, 82 delegates and Tennessee, 69 delegates both on next Tuesday.

Clark squeaked out a victory in Oklahoma, allowing him to stay alive for a while longer. Sen. Joe Lieberman should have heeded his staffs’ advice after New Hampshire and quit then. The race is beginning to look like it will be a battle between Senators John Edwards and John Kerry.

Howard Dean never made it into the top two in any of the Super Seven states. Dean is facing a big challenge Saturday in Washington where he hopes he can find the Democrat wing of the Democrat Party. Dean is not expected to do well in Michigan, making Washington state all the more important before Wisconsin, 72 delegates, Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Wisconsin is the only race on that Tuesday and the Southerners will have to show up in the North as well. Howard Dean has put his campaign future on the line in Wisconsin.

"This entire race has come down to this: We must win Wisconsin," the former Vermont governor said in a memo to supporters. "A win there will carry us to the big states on March 2 -- and narrow the field to two candidates. Anything else will put us out of the race."

Dean is asking supporters for $50 contributions so he could raise $700,000 by Sunday to pay for advertising in Wisconsin.

The Associated Press, Bloomberg, Fox News, CNN and others have reassigned their top Dean reporters to cover Kerry, Edwards or Clark."

Edwards announced that his campaign will begin running the 30-second television ad "Two Americas" in Wisconsin on Thursday. The campaign also announced that Senator Edwards will stop in Milwaukee on Saturday, February 7.

The ad "Two Americas" renews Edwards' pledge to create an America that works for all of us. Under George Bush, America has become divided-with one America that is doing well and another that is living paycheck-to-paycheck and struggling to get by. Edwards will create one America by taking on the insiders and big corporations and strengthening the middle class and helping working families.

Script for "Two Americas:"

"It seems today, we have two Americas. With two health care systems...one for the privileged; another rationed by insurance companies. Two public school systems...one for the haves: and one for everybody else. Two tax systems...where the wealthy and corporations pay less; working families pay more. Two governments one for powerful interests and lobbyists; the other for the rest of us. I'm John Edwards. And I approved this message because together you and I can change America and make it work for all of us."

Edwards was in NY hoping to raise $200,000 - half at a Fifth Avenue party with actress Glenn Close and the other half in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., before doing the "Top Ten" list on Letterman.  (2/5/2004)

Who is the Southerner?

With Senator John Edwards and Wesley Clark still both in the race, the question of who is the person who can win in the South remains contested. They are both concentrating on Southern states. So, we will know which one stays in the race and which one is out of the race soon. The best bet is that Clark is already done and doesn’t know it.

However, Edwards cannot have a chance at winning the nomination with another pretender to the throne dividing the vote in the South. Kerry could be perceived as not being electable in the South. This could provide Edwards with votes he needs to challenge Kerry for the nomination. Edwards needs to defeat Clark in two upcoming states.

Clark has become more strident in his campaigning. His latest statement expresses his tone:

"I'm not part of the Washington problem. I'm part of the solution," Clark said during a stop in Jackson, Tennessee. "There are some people in this race that are part of the problem. The people I am talking about are John Kerry and John Edwards."

"General Clark is not a Washington politician, but it's questionable whether he's a Democrat either," replied Kerry   (2/5/2004)

Edwards responds to Clark’s attack

Edwards’ Tennessee campaign spokesman Colin Van Ostern today issued the following statement in response to the negative attacks launched by Wesley Clark earlier today:

"It's sad to see General Clark making these negative attacks. The fact is, Senator Edwards voted against Bush's tax cuts and has proposed rolling back his tax cuts for the wealthy, he has a plan to fix and fund No Child Left Behind, and has been a strong advocate for more international involvement in military action and reconstruction in Iraq."   (2/5/2004)

• "They've spent months on the campaign trail criticizing George W. Bush and his reckless policies, when, in the 107th Congress, both men voted with the president almost 70 percent of the time," Wesley Clark said.

• "What I said is that I'm in favor of choice..." Wesley Clark explained. "I would hope that it would be done only on rare occasions, but it's a woman's right to choose."  (2/7/2004)

Delegate Counts

As of Saturday, February 7: John Kerry 274 delegates, Howard Dean at 121, John Edwards at 110 and Wesley Clark at 82. It takes 2,162 to win the nomination.

Upcoming delegates to win: Michigan had 128 delegates at stake in caucuses, and Washington offered another 76. Maine, with 24 delegates at stake, was holding caucuses on Sunday.   (2/7/2004)

Clark hitting harder

Wesley Clark is hitting harder against his opponents. Clark is not likely to be a factor after Tuesday’s voting if he doesn’t win something. Under this pressure, he has turned to parsing his opponents’ voting records, and using that as his basis for accusing rival John Edwards of not supporting veterans.

"When it came to decide between special interests and veterans, Sen. Edwards blinked and he didn't support our veterans when the going got tough," said Clark.

Clark also accused Edwards of voting against spending an additional $1.3 billion for veterans in 1999 and another $650 million for veterans health care in 2001.

This week Clark has repeatedly sidestepped reporters' questions about whether he will quit the race if he loses in Tennessee. Instead, he has acknowledged he is an "underdog" in the campaign, having launched his candidacy late and being without previous political experience.  (2/7/2004)

Clark & Kosovo

Clark’s past actions and claims in his often stated heroic campaign in Kosovo are coming under questioning in the Washington Post. His historical papers are being reviewed and it seems his claim that he fought the White House to continue the war might not be accurate. What seems to be more accurate is that the White House was not sure of the way Clark was conducting the war:

In his papers, Clark made clear that he frequently urged a harder line than Washington and its allies preferred, accusing the Defense Department at one point of urging "a sellout" in 1998 negotiations over a plan to begin international monitoring of Serbian activities in Kosovo. Berger, Clark said, believed at the time that the risks posed by those actions were "not real" and favored a weak solution.

"All along, I always had a terrible feeling about Milosevic, that we were really sort of making a compromise with Hitler in 1943," Clark said. He expressed particular regret that both Washington and Europe had failed to intervene against Yugoslavia in the summer of 1998, when, he said, Milosevic had timed a campaign of ethnic cleansing to coincide with Western officials' summer vacations.

Berger disputed Clark's account of his views, calling it "garbled hearsay that is just incorrect," because "I was a strong advocate of action on Kosovo."

The often told stories of Clark’s recklessness in confronting the Russians, who were allies of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, are confirmed in the papers:

Clark told the historian he was unperturbed by the unlikely prospect of a direct clash once the British forces pushed the Russian vehicles with their own. "Yes, they could shoot. When they shoot, we're gonna shoot. And guess what, there's a lot more of us than there are of them," Clark said, recounting his feelings at the time. "So my guess is, they're not gonna shoot!"  (2/7/2004)

Money check

John Kerry's campaign said it had raised $4.5 million since his come-from-behind win in Iowa on Jan. 19. John Edwards’ campaign said it had raised about $200,000 online in the first 24 hours after his win in South Carolina, and Howard Dean's aides said they had raised about $400,000 on Thursday after his dramatic e-mail plea for help in Wisconsin.   (2/7/2004)

Clark denies Kosovo pressure

Wesley Clark, clashing with his own record of recollections, denied he was put under pressure by the Clinton administration to end the war in Kosovo to avoid damaging Al Gore’s newly emerging presidential campaign.:

Clark, campaigning in Virginia ahead of that state's Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday, said President Clinton and his national security adviser, Sandy Berger, "were totally committed to this operation. I never had any political pressure to do anything but succeed."

Clark’s official papers of his 34-month stint were requested by the Washington Post and widely reported to show Clark frequently at odds with the Clinton White House and the Pentagon. Such revelations this week brought this response from Clark:

Clark did not say he was misquoted. Rather, he called the report "a stream-of-conscious dictation" with a historian. "I had to assemble all of my memory and think about what had actually happened. It was such a complex period of time," Clark said.

He said he was never given any deadline to end the war and there was no desire by the White House to end bombing in Kosovo.

However, Clark’s told NATO's official historian, "There were those in the White House who said, 'Hey, look, you gotta finish the bombing before the Fourth of July weekend. That's the start of the next presidential campaign season, so stop it. It doesn't matter what you do, just turn it off. You don't have to win this thing, let it lie.'"  (2/8/2004)

Clark touts taxes in Tennessee

Heading into the Tuesday primaries in Tennessee and Virginia, Wesley Clark has turned to his tax proposals to sway voters his way. Despite rival polls showing him in a virtual tie with rival John Kerry for the lead in Tennessee, Clark made clear his belief he’d win there on Tuesday.

Appearing on CNN’s “Late Edition” yesterday, Clark also repeated his stance of not accepting a vice president spot, if offered to him, and asserted his goal of staying in the race through "Super Tuesday" March 2 – the 10 state primaries day.  (2/9/2004)

Clark & Edwards spar over taxes

John Edwards and Wesley Clark – the “Southern” fellas – are making a ruckus over taxes, namely, who’s got the best plan. The Raleigh News & Observer gives a full report, citing Clark as he mounted a full front attack on Edwards (and Dem leader John Kerry):

“Real middle-class tax cuts aren't just a matter of rhetoric --they're a matter of action," Clark said. "And while both men talk a lot about middle-class tax cuts ... they're all talk," said Clark….Clark said his plan would provide about $1,500 in tax relief for "typical families" -- a figure much higher than his rivals' plans provide.

That did set too well in the Edwards camp. Jennifer Palmieri (Edwards spokesperson) cried foul and accused Clark of faulty conclusion. Palmieri said Clark only used part of the relief Edwards proposes as the basis of his attack:

"The fact is, Senator Edwards' plan offers thousands of dollars in tax relief to millions of middle-class families and helps them with the toughest challenges they face today -- building their savings, buying a home, taking family leave and giving their children a better future," Palmieri said.  (2/9/2004)

"...they're all talk," said Clark" -- Wesley Clark, referring to rivals Kerry & Edwards' tax proposals. (2/9/2004)

Kerry wins Virginia & Tennessee

John Kerry has won convincingly in Virginia and Tennessee. with over half the vote in Virginia and 41 percent of the vote in Tennessee, according to the Associated Press story, making him the victor in 12 of the first 14 contests:

"East. West. North. And, today, in the South," a triumphant Kerry told The Associated Press. "It's exciting and gratifying."

With 69 percent of the vote, Kerry had 50 percent, Edwards 26 percent, Clark 9 percent, Dean 7 percent, Al Sharpton 3 percent and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio 2 percent.

Kerry’s fellow candidates had little to nothing left to cling to after tonight. The numbers, according to the AP story are:

With 99 percent of the vote in Virginia, Kerry had 51 percent, Edwards 27 percent, Clark 9 percent, Dean 7 percent, Al Sharpton 3 percent and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio 1 percent. In Tennessee, with 92 percent reporting, Kerry had 41 percent, Edwards 27 percent, Clark 23 percent, Dean 4 percent and Sharpton 2 percent.

Clark, who almost ended his campaign last week, seemed destined for quits-ville after tonight, with the dismal show of support for his candidacy. A Clark aide, speaking under the cover of anonymity, told AP political reporter Ron Fourier that the former general is indeed ending his candidacy, but will announce that formally tomorrow from Little Rock, Arkansas.

A question mark remains concerning John Edwards. Within this party torn with strife and infighting, Dem leaders call for laying down the hatchets. According to the article, former Clinton chief of staff Leon Panetta said, “I think Democrats need to unify behind John Kerry and refocus on winning in November.”

But Edwards has not indicated any end yet to his efforts to secure the nomination, saying he’ll be in through March 2nd – the Big 10-state election day.   (2/10/2004)

• “'You've got a front-runner, you've got a good lawyer and you've got an underdog.  I'm the underdog.'" Wesley Clark.  (2/10/2004)

Wesley Clark’s farewell

Here is the text of Clark’s farewell to supporters, posted on the Clark website:

Dear Friends,

Today, we end the campaign for the presidency. But the campaign for America's future -- for the future of all our families -- continues on.

You have proven what a General can do when he has the greatest troops in the world. I can't tell you enough how honored and humbled I am by your commitment, your spirit, and your sacrifice. Because of all of you, this has been a cause, as much as it's been a campaign.

Together, five months ago, we began our journey for the presidency. We had no money, no office and no staff. All we had was hope and a vision for a better America.

Today, after traveling the country, after visiting with the American people, we end that journey even more full of hope and even more committed to building a better America.

I will support our Party's nominee, to continue this campaign until we take back the White House next November. This soldier stands ready for duty. It's not going to be easy. So I've got one bit of advice for our nominee: give 'em hell and never retreat.

As a general who spent thirty-four years fighting for my country, here is my pledge: I will do everything I can - everything - to make sure George W. Bush doesn't play politics with national security.

For me, this race has been one of the most liberating experiences of my life. I've been able to talk about what I believe in and fight for it. You've given me the greatest gift a person can receive: the support to make that fight real.

I'd like to thank all the foot soldiers in this battle: our terrific staff, our dedicated volunteers, our thousands of loyal supporters. Most of all, those who believed in me long before anyone even knew who I was: the people who drafted me into this race.

I want to thank my family for always standing by my side, especially my wife of 36 years, my best friend, and my partner, Gert Clark. She is the general's general, and I wouldn't be here today without her. I'd like to thank my son, Wes, Jr., and my daughter-in-law, Astrid. I am so proud of them and so proud of all they have done for this campaign.

I'm going to fight on, and I hope you will join me, until we win the campaign to create a new vision for America in the twenty-first century. Because I believe America's best days lie ahead. Today, I end my campaign for the presidency - but our party's campaign to change America is just beginning. This old soldier will not fade away. I'll be in the field and out in front, working the issues, supporting our candidates, and doing all I can to contribute to building a new and better America.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.   (2/11/2004)

• "I started this campaign not a politician, and in the end, I'm still a soldier -- not a politican." Wesley Clark.

• Another week in the Democratic nominating battle, another candidate gets voted off the island. -- writes MSNBC’s First Read.

• "We may have lost this battle today but I will tell you what, we are not going to lose the battle for America's future," Clark said.   (2/11/2004)

Clark’s out

Former General Wesley Clark officially withdraws from the race at 3:00 pm ET (or a bit later) at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas today. Word of his plans to drop out were widely carried in the media late last night.

In his farewell speech, per an advisor, Clark will focus on the need to stand up to President Bush on national security and take back faith, patriotism and values for the Democratic Party.   (2/11/2004)

ABC’s delegate count

Kerry has 512 overall delegates and has nearly three times as many delegates as Howard Dean, who places second in ABC’s estimate with 179 delegates. Edwards has 159; Clark, 94; Sharpton, 11; and Kucinich, 2.  (2/11/2004)

Poll watching

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel gives Kerry 45 percent in the Wisconsin primary, Clark 13, Dean 12 and Edwards 9, with 17 percent undecided."  (2/11/2004)

Kerry endorsed by Clark: Clark speech

"The Army's here," said Wesley Clark in Wisconsin.

"I ask you to join me in standing up for an American who has given truly outstanding service to his country in peace and in war," said Clark in endorsing Sen. John Kerry.

"Welcome aboard" said  Sen. John Kerry and he told Clark he should be prepared "to walk point" in the campaign.

Here is the prepared text of Clark’s speech endorsing Kerry:

"It's great to be back in Wisconsin! And it's great to be standing here today with my friend, our leader, and the next President of the United States - John Kerry.

"I also want to recognize all the veterans here, the Draft Clark people, and all the others who rallied to my campaign and to our cause. Thank you for your faith in me and your devotion to our country. Now, I ask you to join me in standing up for an American who has given outstanding service to his country in peace and war - John Kerry.

"Senator Kerry, I admire your service with the U.S. Navy in Vietnam and here. 'The Army's come on board.' I will work with you to do everything I can to help you take back the White House for its rightful owners - the American people. I will do everything I can to help you win back a future of opportunity and prosperity for all Americans - jobs, health care, and education for all Americans. I will do everything I can to help when the Republican Mean Machine cranks up their attacks. I will do everything I can to help make sure George W. Bush doesn't get away with playing politics with national security.

"George Bush has compromised America's leadership around the world. And the American people should know the truth: that President Bush hasn't led America, he's misled America time and time again - and we have to put a stop to it.

"George Bush has had three long years to keep our country moving forward. But instead, he's done nothing but set us back - 3 million lost jobs, exploding deficits, 44 million uninsured, and the wrong war at the wrong time.

"Senator, as you've made clear, America simply can't afford three more years of George W. Bush. So I join you in saying three words that we all know George Bush will understand - 'bring it on!'

"Working together, we can build a better America. An America where we don't just talk about family values, but where we actually value families. Where a job, an education, and health care aren't just luxuries for the chosen few. An America where we don't just preach our faith - we practice it. Where those that have the most reach out to those with the least. An America where everyone has a shot at the American dream, no matter where they're from. Where we include everyone, recognizing that diversity is our greatest strength. An America where we understand that debate and dissent - that questioning your leaders and holding them accountable - is the highest form of patriotism. Where being patriotic means using force as a last resort, not as a political tool. An America where we look up to our leaders, and trust our commander in chief. An America that the world listens to and admires again.

"I'm here today because I believe John Kerry has the right experience, the right values, and the right leadership and character to beat George W. Bush. I believe he has the right message to bring back jobs and prosperity, provide affordable health care for all, move our economy forward into the 21st century, and make America safer and stronger in the world.

"And I believe he has the crucial experience and background in foreign policy to go toe-to-toe with George Bush on national security and win.

"Both John and I served in Vietnam - and know what it is to be tested on the battlefield, fighting for your country. John Kerry never quit fighting for his country. From a young DA sending criminals away for life to a courageous Senator standing up for what's right, John Kerry has been the kind of leader America needs. He will stand up to the Republican attack dogs and send them home licking their wounds.

"John Kerry is the leader our party and our nation need for the 21st century. And that is why I am so proud to endorse him as our next President of the United States. Ladies and gentleman, our leader, the next president, John Kerry!"  (2/13/2004)

Clark’s aide & sex story

It seems Clark's top aide, Chris Lehane (who was Gore's campaign press secretary in 2000) has long been shopping the Kerry sex story. Washington insider Craig Crawford of the Congressional Quarterly said in a widely circulated e-mail that Lehane had been "shopping" the story to reporters for a long time.

It is also reported that the Kerry camp has long expected to deal with this, and have assured party leaders they can handle it.  (2/13/2004)

top of page