|
 Wesley
Clark
 excerpts
from
the Iowa Daily Report
September
1-15,
2003
…
Pro-Clark computer junkies ready to roll, but
lack one essential element – a candidate.
Headline from Sunday’s Washington Post: “Web
Sites Ready To Help a Clark Campaign”
Report by the Post’s Lois Romano: “While
retired Gen. Wesley Clark ponders whether to
become the 10th candidate to join the
Democratic presidential race, an independent
online Clark campaign stands ready to lend an
organizational hand should he decide to run.
Two Web sites, which have for months been
managing a draft Clark movement, have
developed potentially useful field
organizations and resources for Clark. In
addition, more than 10,000 supporters have
signed up for Clark at Meetup.com -- a
free Web site that helps organize meetings
across the globe for those with specific
interests. An aide to Clark said last
week that the former NATO supreme allied
commander has done nothing organizationally to
prepare for a race except give speeches and
talk to reporters. Clark supporters hope
the online organizations will end up being a
ready-made campaign for him in the same way
Howard Dean's campaign has harnessed its
extraordinary online support. ‘We're human
capital,’ said Jason McIntosh, director of
DraftClark2004.com, based in Little Rock,
Clark's home town. Larry Weatherford, the
site's political director, said that he has
coordinators in every state who are willing to
work for Clark, and versed in the legal
requirements for getting on the ballot in each
of the states. The other site,
DraftWesleyClark.com, based [in
Washington], has pledges of more than $1
million for Clark. John Hlinko,
co-founder of the site, said the organization
has field ‘platoon leaders’ in almost every
state, and thousands of volunteers. Still,
political operatives question whether Clark --
who has never held elected office -- can truly
pull off a campaign starting just four months
before the first votes are cast in a
fast-paced front-loaded system that favors
organization and money. While his online
support is impressive, it does not come close
to Dean's 100,000-plus online
volunteers and 94,000 Meetup supporters.
Clark has said he will make his decision early
in September -- perhaps at a scheduled speech
in Iowa. Skip Rutherford, a longtime Bill
Clinton operative in Little Rock, said
Arkansans stand ready to support another
favorite son, but that Clark has not
given them the go-ahead. ‘He truly hasn't made
a decision,’ said one source close to Clark.
‘He keeps going back and forth. His wife still
has a lot of reservations.’”(9/2/2003)
… On the Clark Wannabe Watch: Under the
subhead “Clark's 'artillery'” in
yesterday’s Washington Times, Greg Pierce
reported in his “Inside Politics” column: ”Wesley
Clark's closest friends say the retired
general leans toward jumping into the race to
become the Democratic Party's nominee for the
2004 presidential race, Newsweek reports.
‘I've got recon out there,’ Mr. Clark
told the magazine, rejecting the notion it
might be too late to enter the race. I've got
some heavy artillery that can come in. I've
got logistics, I've got strategic mobility.’
But Mr. Clark, who would become the 10th
candidate for the nomination, did not say
specifically that he would enter. Mr.
Clark, 58, was the supreme allied
commander in Europe and led NATO forces in the
war against the Serbs in Kosovo in 1999. Mr.
Clark slammed President Bush's recent
speech in which he painted Iraq as the main
theater in the worldwide fight against
terrorism. ‘You can't win without a
vision, and that means working with allies,’
Mr. Clark told the magazine. ‘It means
using force when it's appropriate, and as a
last resort, and not because it looks easy.
Because, as we're finding out in Iraq, it
isn't easy.’”(9/2/2003)
… “FOBs
For Clark” – subhead from Paul Bedard’s
“Washington Whispers” column in U. S. News &
World Report. The report: “Clintonites
tell us to ignore all the chatter that Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton wants to jump into the
2004 presidential race because she's afraid
former NATO boss Wesley Clark could win it all
and postpone her march to the Oval Office
until 2012. In fact, they say, she's
holding a strategy meeting this month to talk
about fundraising for her Senate re-election
and helping Clark. And that makes sense
because Clark is winning the backing of the
so-called FOBs, or Friends of Bill Clinton.
Like: former White House consigliere Bruce
Lindsey, whose car sports a ‘Draft
Clark’ sticker.”(9/3/2003)
… And the wait goes on
and on and on as Clark tests patience – and
commitment – of his followers. Headline
from yesterday’s Boston Globe: “Draft Clark
contingent hopes candidacy is near”
Excerpt from report – datelined Dover, NH – by
the Globe’s Joanna Weiss: “In theory, this
is when it all comes together, the wishful
thinking, the hours of work. Across the
country, volunteers have spent months begging
retired General Wesley K. Clark to run for
president. They've set up tidy offices and
skeletal field operations, staged events and
visibilities, collected thousands of online
petitions. And now, it looks as though it
might be paying off. Might. Clark,
the retired four-star general who headed
NATO's 1999 operations in Kosovo, is still coy
about whether he'll enter the Democratic fray.
He says he'll make a decision within weeks.
And some of his devoted fans feel confident,
at last. ‘It's the way that he carries himself
on television,’ said Tyrus Gordon, 25, the
Massachusetts coordinator of Draft Clark
2004, one of several national groups that
have organized on Clark's behalf. ‘He
gives no reason at all to believe that he
isn't.’ These are heady times for members
of the Draft Clark movement, who believe Clark
is what the Democratic Party needs: a general,
to offset the old saw that Democrats can't
talk convincingly about defense; a Little
Rock, Ark., native for Southern appeal; a
telegenic straight-shooter who works the talk
show circuit with blunt criticism of the Bush
administration. But it's a precarious
moment, too, for the volunteers and the
would-be candidate himself. If Clark enters
the race, everything changes. A
multiheaded beast born on the Internet becomes
a top-down structure, with a staff that could
say ‘no.’ And Clark trades a long and
flattering flirtation for the bruising
realities of a late-entry campaign. It would
be a big step, for someone enjoying the
freedom of postmilitary life, his second
career as a consultant, corporate board
member, and television analyst. ‘I like
schlepping my own bags and driving my own car
and carrying my own cellphone,’ Clark
said by telephone from Washington.”(9/3/2003)
… OK, Wes Clark
decides that he’s a Democrat – but who’s going
to tell him it takes more than being an
Arkansas guy and Rhodes scholar to become the
Dem nominee? Headline from today’s The
Union Leader: “Retired general pledges
allegiance to Democrats” Excerpt
from report by AP political staffer Will
Lester: “Wesley Clark still won't say
definitively whether he will seek the
presidency, but the retired Army general
finally revealed his political affiliation
Wednesday: Democrat. ‘As I looked at where
the country is now domestically and look at
our policies abroad, I have to say that I'm
aligned with the Democratic Party, I like the
message the party has. I like what it stands
for,’ Clark said in an interview on
CNN's ‘Inside Politics.’ For months, the
former NATO commander has said he belongs to
no political party and is not raising money,
though many expected him to enter the
Democratic presidential primary. In recent
days, Clark has said he is getting closer to a
decision and will make his intentions clear
before a speech in Iowa Sept. 19. ‘I'm
closer to working my way through it, I'm
closer to understanding what partisan politics
is about,’ he said Wednesday. ‘My family and I
are moving toward closure on this issue.’ If
Clark enters the race, he would be the
10th Democratic candidate. He would be far
behind his rivals in organization and fund
raising at this stage in the process, although
he would bring an extensive military
background and national security credentials.
The 58-year-old Clark is a Rhodes
scholar who graduated first in his class at
West Point and served as NATO commander during
the 1999 campaign in Kosovo. Clark now
works as a businessman and consultant in
Arkansas. Clark said he has talked to
potential staffers and held discussions about
money, but has not made a final decision. He
said he hopes his announcement on party
loyalty ‘helps clarify the situation,’ adding:
‘I am proud to be a Democrat.’”
(9/4/2003)
… “General
Clark Edges Closer Toward Entry Into Campaign”
– headline from yesterday’s New York Times.
Report says at times he “sounded very much
like a candidate.” Excerpt from coverage
by the Times. Michael Cooper: “Gen. Wesley K.
Clark, who has been thinking about
running for president as a Democrat, moved a
step closer to joining the race yesterday by
announcing that he is indeed a Democrat.
General Clark, who was the supreme allied
commander of NATO, said he had still not made
up his mind about running. But after months of
saying he belonged to no political party, he
announced in an interview on CNN and later at
a forum at New York University that he was a
Democrat. At the forum, which was held by
the Oxonian Society, the four-star general,
who attended Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, at
times sounded very much like a candidate.
He criticized the Bush administration,
saying it should have appealed to the United
Nations for help in Iraq long ago, lamented
the United States' loss of jobs and framed
what he said he saw as the issues in the
coming presidential election. ‘The real
issue in this election is going to be whether
we believe in a two-party system and the
ability of reasonable people of good intent to
disagree and work through those disagreements
to produce a higher-level product for the
American people,’ said General Clark,
who is retired. And, weaving the themes of his
military service and his vision for the
country together, he said: ‘I fought for the
right of people to disagree. I fought for the
right of people to protest. I fought for the
right of people to question the president, and
not just to question, you know, what did he
eat today and how far did he run.’…’I fought
for the right of privacy,’ he went on. ‘I
fought for freedom from government intrusion
of our personal lives. I fought for the belief
that every American is a human being who is
worthy of respect and who should be treated
fairly and equally, regardless of race,
religion, creed, sexual orientation or any
other discriminating factor.’ General Clark
spoke of experiences leading the campaign in
Kosovo, did an uncanny impression of Slobodan
Milosevic, the former Yugoslav president,
and praised former President Bill Clinton, a
fellow Arkansan and Rhodes scholar, as a
‘tremendous leader.’ He was received
enthusiastically by the Oxonians, including
some who said they were Republicans.
Outside the forum, several groups that have
been trying to draft General Clark to run for
president handed out fliers and Clark candy
bars.”(9/5/2003)
… “General
strike poses threat to Dem field” –
headline from yesterday’s Boston Herald.
Report – by the Herald’s Noelle Straub – says
Clark would take military/veteran votes from
Kerry, antiwar support from Dean. Excerpt:
“Retired Gen. Wesley Clark probably
wouldn't be able to knock Sen. John F. Kerry
out of the ring of White House contenders, but
he'd at least have the Massachusetts Democrat
seeing stars -- four stars, to be exact.
The former NATO supreme commander and
four-star Army general could pull the plug on
one of Kerry's main campaign themes:
being the only Democratic contender with
military credentials, able to stand up to
President Bush on national security issues.
‘Wesley Clark gets in and at least part
of the Kerry rationale of courage and
strength under fire and serving his country
for years, part of this is undercut,’ said
political analyst Stuart Rothenberg. ‘Clark
has the potential to take some support out of
Kerry's hide.’ But Kerry spokesman
David Wade insisted that Kerry would not alter
his strategy if Clark joins the race.
‘John Kerry's message has never been
affected by anyone joining or leaving this
race,’ Wade said. Clark has said he will
decide whether to enter the race by Sept. 19,
when he is scheduled to give a speech at the
University of Iowa. Most political
analysts agree it would be an uphill battle
for Clark, who would trail other
candidates in fund raising and recruiting
activists in key states and has few ties
inside the Democratic Party. In fact,
Clark only declared last week that he's a
Democrat. ‘I think he'd enter with a lot
of fanfare and attention,’ said Rothenberg.
‘He'd spike up in the polls from one or two
points to six or seven points. (But) he has no
organization. He has no money. He's unproven
as a candidate.’ Former Vermont Gov.
Howard Dean has said he often seeks
advice from Clark and that he would
make a good vice presidential running mate.
But Clark seems determined to run for
the top office, and some political
observers say Clark could draw supporters from
Dean, because both appeal to anti-war voters.
So far, Clark's support comes from two
Internet groups, one based in Washington and
the other in his home state of Arkansas, who
are pushing him to enter the race. But he'd be
far behind on the ground in states with the
first caucus and primaries.” (9/9/2003)
… “Dean
asks Clark to join campaign” – headline
from this morning’s The Union Leader. Coverage
– excerpt – by AP’s Ron Fournier: “Democrat
Howard Dean has asked retired Army Gen. Wesley
Clark to support his presidential campaign if
Clark decides not to enter the race. The
pair met in California on Saturday to discuss
the presidential race that Clark is
expected to enter as early as next week,
becoming the 10th Democratic candidate.
Dean, the current front-runner, asked Clark
for his support on the outside chance that
Clark doesn't seek the presidency on his own.
‘They've gotten together several times,’ said
Joe Trippi, Dean's campaign manager.
‘They talk about a lot of issues. Every time
the governor talks to him he asks for
Clark's support. I don't think there's any
news in that. I hope every Democrat is asking
for support.’ Trippi and Clark's top
political adviser, Mark Nichols, talk
frequently about the race. Officials
familiar with the conversation say neither
Trippi nor Dean have asked Clark or his
advisers to stay out of the race. News of
the meeting, first reported by The Washington
Post, raised questions about whether Dean
was trying to strike an alliance with Clark
early in the nomination fight, perhaps
promising him a spot on the presidential
ticket should Dean be nominated.
Officials close to Dean said there is no such
agreement in the works. The meeting took
place on the sidelines of Dean's public
embrace of California Gov. Gray Davis, who is
fending off a recall effort. Clark, a
former NATO commander, has never run for
political office. Other candidates have
also courted Clark, including Sen. John Kerry
of Massachusetts, who spoke to the retired
general in the past couple of weeks seeking
his support. Dean's advisers,
recognizing that the former Vermont governor's
lack of foreign policy experience could be a
liability, have long been intrigued by the
idea of drawing the retired general into
Dean's inner circle. Both Dean and
Clark opposed the war in Iraq, and both are
producing excitement on the Internet with
grass-roots activists. Still, Dean's
advisers hold out little hope that Clark
will do anything other than seek the
presidency himself.” (9/11/2003)
… Service
Employees International delays decision as
Edwards gains – and Kerry stumbles – in the
endorsement derby. Excerpt from report by
AP’s Leigh Strope: “The largest union in
the AFL-CIO decided Wednesday to delay making
a presidential endorsement, although John
Edwards surged from unknown to contender while
John Kerry stumbled. Service Employees
International Union officials said members
weren't ready to commit to one of nine
Democrats vying to challenge President Bush
next year. An endorsement probably won't
come until November, said President Andy
Stern. Even so, the top contenders shuffled
slightly after 1,500 state and local union
leaders heard from the candidates Monday.
Edwards, the North Carolina senator,
catapulted into the top three, pushing out
Kerry, the Massachusetts senator. Former
Vermont governor Howard Dean and Rep. Dick
Gephardt of Missouri, the traditional labor
favorite, remained on the list, Stern said.
He would not disclose rankings and vote
totals…SEIU members before Monday didn't know
much about Edwards. But he
‘introduced himself powerfully, and moved from
having almost no support to being one of the
top three candidates that the members leaving
this conference are interested in,’ Stern
said. Several SEIU members said they liked
Edwards' populist message and his John F.
Kennedyesque good looks. In nearly every
speech he gives, and Monday's was no
different, he highlighted his working-class
background as the son of a mill worker.
Stern cautioned that Kerry, who has lost his
front-runner status to Dean, still had a lot
of support in the union, with the rankings
reflecting just the views of the 1,500 leaders
at this week's conference. Conference
participants were asked to rank their two
favorites before and after they heard the
candidates. Many arrived already
enthusiastic about Dean, and after hearing
him, ‘their enthusiasm is unabated,’ Stern
said. ‘I think Howard Dean is making a series
of statements that are very important and
powerful,’ he said. Gephardt, who
has been plagued with concerns about his
ability to excite Democratic voters,
increased his support, Stern said, noting that
members responded favorably to his fiery and
passionate speech. He too emphasizes his
blue-collar roots and his Teamster father in
his speeches. Gephardt has staked his
presidential ambition on support from
organized labor, and has received 12 union
endorsements so far. No other candidate has
won backing from an international union. But
Gephardt's support is mostly from trades and
industrial unions, reflecting the common
divide in organized labor between traditional,
blue-collar unions and public and service
sector unions. SEIU is the nation's
fastest growing union and among the most
liberal and racially diverse, making it an
enticing prize for Democrats seeking labor
support. Its members are janitors, nursing
home workers, home health care workers,
hospital nurses and government employees. Many
are Hispanic. Gephardt, who stumbled in
his 1988 bid, must convince leaders like Stern
that the lectern-pounding, red-faced,
emotional candidate of Monday is for real if
he is to have a shot at a laborwide, AFL-CIO
endorsement next month. It's a difficult
task made even tougher by Dean, who is wooing
labor leaders with the large crowds he has
attracted and his successful Internet
fund-raising. The wild card remains Wesley
Clark. Stern said his union would take a
serious look at the retired Army general who
has been flirting with a run. Clark
was invited to this week's conference, but was
unable to attend. SEIU leaders hope to meet
with him in the next week or two, Stern said.
Meanwhile, Clark has promised to reveal
his presidential plans by the end of next
week.” (9/11/2003)
… Clark friends
say he’s looking more and more like the Tenth
Wannabe. Headline from this morning’s
United Leader: “Clark poised to shake up
Democratic candidate field” Excerpt from
report by AP political ace Ron Fournier: “Retired
Army Gen. Wesley Clark has told friends he is
likely to become the 10th Democratic
presidential candidate, a move that could
shake up the crowded field just four months
before the first ballots are cast. Clark,
58, has not made a final decision, but the
Arkansas resident is aggressively recruiting
campaign staff and plans to announce his
intentions next week, friends and party
officials said on condition of anonymity.
He could still put the brakes on a campaign,
they said. While mulling his options, Clark
has met with several presidential contenders
who covet his endorsement and might consider
him for a vice presidential slot. He met
Saturday with former Vermont Gov. Howard
Dean, who said it is too soon to talk
about political alliances. ‘There is a lot of
vetting that would have to be done before you
would have those kinds of discussions,’
Dean said when asked whether he had
discussed the vice presidency with Clark.
A senior adviser to another Democratic
contender described Clark's talks with his
candidate as ‘almost an audition for the vice
presidential sweepstakes.’ If Clark
were to enter the race, it would be to win the
nomination and not simply position himself for
the No. 2 slot, friends said. Clark has a
resume that unnerves potential rivals --
Rhodes scholar, first in his 1966 class at
West Point, White House fellow, head of the
U.S. Southern Command and NATO commander
during the 1999 campaign in Kosovo. A Clark
White House bid would grab the political
spotlight and undercut the strengths of
several in the nine-way Democratic race.
Dean's effort to solidify his
front-runner status might suffer from the
distraction of a Clark candidacy. Sen. John
Kerry of Massachusetts would no longer be
the race's only decorated combat veteran. Sens.
John Edwards of North Carolina and Bob
Graham of Florida would face another
Southerner.” (9/12/2003)
… Washington Whispers:
“They’re already flocking to Clark”
Report by Paul Bedard in his “Washington
Whispers” column on usnews.com: “Wes Clark
mania threatens to go nuclear next week if, as
expected, he becomes the 10th and last
candidate to join the nine other running for
the Democratic presidential nomination.
Whispers learns that once in, top Democratic
elected officials, strategists and donors are
ready to join the Clark Brigade. Many
of Clark's team-in-waiting are
Clintonistas, like the former president's
handyman, Bruce Lindsey, scandal spokesman
Mark Fabiani, and maybe even ex-deputy chief
of staff Harold Ickes, who's close to New York
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Also, New
York Rep. Charles Rangel has pledged to round
up endorsements from House and Senate members.
What's more, www.DraftClark2004.com,
the Web site that's cheering Clark's
entry, has lined up 200 coordinators in all 50
states, says spokesman Michael Frisby,
president of Frisby & Associates, a
Washington-area PR firm. And forget about that
talk that all the retired four-star general
and former NATO boss wants is the veep
nomination. Supporters say that's a
dirty-tricks campaign pushed by rival Howard
Dean who's scared of a Clark candidacy.
Says Frisby: ‘Wes Clark firmly believes
that he is the best choice to be president,
not be vice president or hold any other
government post.’” (9/12/2003)
…
Clark Campaign
Update No. 5,786,049:
Iowa Campaign Event – or Letdown – of the
Week: Clark comes to Iowa City. Report by
the Orlando Sentinel’s Mark Silva: “Attention!…Gen.
Wesley Clark, the retired four-star supreme
commander of NATO threatening to become the
10th Democratic candidate for president, will
give a long-awaited address Friday at the
University of Iowa's College of Law. His
appearance is part of a campus lecture series
and was booked last winter, ‘long before
anyone considered him a presidential
candidate,’ university spokesman Tom Snee
says. It's not a political event. But the
school is setting up a news conference for the
general, too -- though Snee warns that any
real news is likely to break out before
Friday: ‘He's been telling people that
he'll announce beforehand, before he gets to
Iowa City.’” (9/14/2003)
…
Clark Campaign
Update No. 5,786,0492: Clark would be an
immediate Top Five player among Dems -- if he
jumps into campaign.
Headline from
this morning’s Times: “Gen. Clark gains
favor fast in poll” Excerpt from report by
Times political ace Donald Lambro: “Retired
Gen. Wesley Clark immediately would become one
of the top five candidates for the Democratic
nomination if he enters the presidential race,
according to the latest Gallup Poll.
As Gen. Clark prepares to announce his
decision sometime this week about whether he
will get into the contest, a national survey
of nearly 500 Democrats for USA Today and CNN
found that the former commander of NATO forces
in Europe could take away nearly 10 percent
of the vote from his potential rivals.
If Gen. Clark decides to run, he would start
out in fifth place in the Democratic marathon,
with 9 percent of the vote. Moreover,
virtually all of his vote will come at the
expense of the top four rivals ahead of him:
Rep. Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri,
who is in first place with 15 percent; former
Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, 13 percent;
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, 12
percent; and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry,
11 percent. Gallup's survey shows that if
Mr. Clark becomes the 10th candidate in the
race, he would take two points away from Mr.
Gephardt, two points from Mr. Dean, one point
from Mr. Lieberman and three points from Mr.
Kerry. Five other Democratic candidates
remain stuck in the low single digits,
including former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun,
Sen. Bob Graham of Florida, Sen. John
Edwards of North Carolina, the Rev. Al
Sharpton of New York City and Rep.
Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio. The
results of Gallup's comparative match up, with
Gen. Clark in and out of the race, suggest his
candidacy would further splinter the
Democratic vote and possibly make it more
difficult for the party to develop a national
political consensus around its strongest
candidate. As the race stands now — with
little more than three months to go before the
party caucuses and primaries begin in January
— the top-tier candidates (including Gen.
Clark) are bunched together in the battle
for first place with no clear national
front-runner. But as the newest face in an
expanding field of candidates, the leader of
U.S. forces in the war in Kosovo would have
more room to broaden his support than his
potential rivals, who have been campaigning
for many months.” (9/14/2003)
… Clark Campaign
Update No. 5,786,0493: Watching and waiting –
to see where Bill Clinton fits into the Clark
campaign puzzle. Headline on Friday’s
“Best of the Web Today” by James Taranto: “William
Jefferson Clark?” Excerpt: “Has anyone
else noticed how unimpressive are the
Democratic presidential candidates' chief
claims to fame? Howard Dean
balanced a budget in Vermont. Joe
Lieberman was almost elected
vice president. Dick Gephardt
climbed the ladder of House leadership,
advancing from majority leader to minority
leader. And of course John Kerry
served in Vietnam. They may soon be
joined by retired general Wesley Clark, who
won a war in Kosovo. Granted, the
liberation of Kosovo from Slobodan Milosevic's
dictatorship was a worthy effort, and Clark
and Bill Clinton deserve credit for it. But
c'mon. As wars go, they don't get much
easier than this. Wesley Clark isn't exactly
U.S. Grant or Dwight Eisenhower. The New
York Times reports that Clark ‘is
moving closer toward a run for the White
House, having put together the frame of a
campaign organization.’ And the Clark
campaign is trying to shoot down reports,
which we noted yesterday, that the ex-general
is interested in being Dean's running
mate. Indeed, according to U.S. News & World
Report, Clark's supporters call the veep
rumors ‘a dirty-tricks campaign’ by the Dean
camp. We must say, it's refreshing to see
some real conflict in a campaign that up till
now has been little more than a contest to see
who can most witlessly insult the president of
this great country. Is Bill Clinton
orchestrating the prospective Clark campaign?
There are intriguing hints that he is. The
Times reported earlier this week that at a
cocktail party at the Clintons' home in
Chappaqua, N.Y., Clinton said ‘that the
national Democratic Party had two stars: his
wife, the junior Democratic senator from New
York, and a retired general, Wesley Clark.’
The U.S. News report cites numerous
‘Clintonistas’ who are ‘ready to join the
Clark Brigade,’ including ‘the former
president's handyman, Bruce Lindsey, scandal
spokesman Mark Fabiani, and maybe even
ex-deputy chief of staff Harold Ickes.’ How
much will Clinton's backing help Clark? The
former president boasts a singular political
talent, but there isn't much evidence that
it's transferable to other candidates. Clinton
had no coattails in either 1992 or 1996, and
in the 1994 congressional elections his party
suffered its worst drubbing in decades.
Unlike Ronald Reagan, Clinton's popularity was
not enough to get his vice president, Al Gore,
elected -- though whether Gore was hurt by his
association with Clinton or his campaign's
distance from him is one of the great
imponderables of recent American history.
Last year six Clinton administration officials
ran for office. Only two won: Rahm Emanuel,
who sought a safe Democratic House seat, and
Bill Richardson, who had previously held
elective office. Of the other four, two
lost in primaries (Janet Reno and Robert
Reich), one dropped out under pressure from
the Clintons themselves (Andrew Cuomo), and
one lost the general election (Erskine
Bowles). The offices those four sought are all
now held by Republicans. Clinton did manage
to help his wife get elected to the Senate,
something no other president has done. And you
can credit him with some modest down-ballot
victories in the 1998 congressional race, when
Democrats defied expectations by picking up
several seats. Those gains, though, were a
consequence of a backlash against President
Clinton's impeachment. To give Wesley Clark
a boost next year, maybe Clinton can persuade
Congress to impeach him again.”
(9/14/2003)
…
Clark Campaign Update No. 5,786,0494:
Headline
from CNN.com – “Clark rules our vice
presidential bid for now” Excerpt:
“Former NATO commander Wesley Clark said
Friday he will make a decision ‘sometime
pretty soon’ about whether he'll seek the
Democratic nomination for president.
He also ruled out -- for now -- any possible
run as a vice presidential candidate.
‘There's only one decision to make: Run for
president or stay in private business,’
Clark said during an interview on CNN's
American Morning. ‘You have to really
understand what the process is and what the
variables are in the process that will make
for an effective candidacy.’ Clark was
responding to reports that he and Democratic
presidential hopeful Howard Dean, the
liberal anti-war former Vermont governor, met
in recent days to discuss the possibility of
Clark as a running mate. Asked what
he thinks of Dean, Clark said he likes ‘all of
the people who are running,’ admiring them for
their stamina, organizational skills and
courage. ‘I think the American people
should be really proud of the political
process we have,’ he said. Several
Democratic sources have said Clark -- the
leader of NATO forces during the 1999 war in
Kosovo and a former CNN military analyst --
has begun the process of putting together a
campaign team, including talking to potential
campaign managers, and could announce his
candidacy next week during a trip to Iowa.”
(9/14/2003)
… How do you
run a campaign without a candidate? In
an article in today’s
WashingtonPost’s OnPolitics by staff
writer Jonathan Finer reports that
Wesley Clark supporters in New Hampshire
are keeping up the good fight -- alone.
Headline: “Clark's 'Troops' Stand By
For Orders on the Ground . N.H. Volunteers
Aren't Waiting for Official Word”.
Excerpts: “The office has all the usual
trappings of a campaign headquarters: a stable
of idealistic volunteers, red, white and blue
bunting and news articles tacked up on a
bulletin board. But the eight large
photographs that plaster the walls show the
graying visage of a man who has not yet
said he will run for president. Which
prompts a question for those already
crisscrossing New Hampshire on behalf of
retired Gen. Wesley Clark: How do you
run a campaign without a candidate? "We
can't contact him, and he's had no
communication with us, but we just want
him to know we are here with a structure when
he decides to enter the race," said Susan
Putney, the New Hampshire director for
Draft Clark 2004. "It is already
underway." On a recent Wednesday evening at
the office -- which opened in July on the
same Dover street as the front-running
campaigns of Sen. John F. Kerry
(D-Mass.) and former Vermont governor
Howard Dean. The speculation is that
Clark finally will make his announcement this
week, before a speech in Iowa on Friday.
But his New Hampshire volunteers aren't
waiting. …” (9/15/2003)
 September
1-15, 2003
September
16-23, 2003
September
24-30, 2003
Clark
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