Free Republic

As of today, Sen. Barack Obama is about halfway through his "patriotism theme week" message cycle. As of 2008, Sen. John McCain is about seven-ninths through his patriotism theme life cycle. I guess that is the difference between the new politics and the old patriotism. The Obama campaign launched its new politics patriotism week last Sunday, with retired Gen. Wes "Speichellecker" Clark smearing John McCain's war record -- even to the point of the former general saying that "riding" in a fighter plane and getting shot down are not qualifications for being president. Well, in fact, McCain wasn't riding, of...

WASHINGTON -- Being shot down may not qualify one to be president, as retired Gen. Wesley Clark infamously said recently. But what men do under fire might tell us about the character we may discover in a president. Clark's precise words, aimed at undermining John McCain's executive experience, were: "I don't think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president." In fairness, Clark also praised McCain's heroism, saying that he honored his service as a prisoner of war and even that "he was a hero to me." Predictably, Republicans were outraged and Democrats...

Appearing on ‘The Daily Show’, Wesley Clark compared our troops in Iraq to “space invaders” who “bust down your doors and rough up your women and throw you on the ground.” Sounds exactly like what John Kerry said two years ago. Transcript: WESLEY CLARK: But if you didn’t have those rules of engagement, like we had in some units at the outset where you just sort of knocked on doors and roughed people up. Well, look, I mean, in America, think of how it would be. I’m from Arkansas, but think of how it would be anywhere in the...

From: "Gen. Wes Clark" [dccc@dccc.org] Subject: Isolated Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 13:24:58 -0400 Dear Lewis, Right now Americans are coming together with one voice to demand George W. Bush follow the will of the people and not veto the Democratic plan for change in Iraq. I've spent my entire professional career standing up for our men and women in uniform. I have carefully reviewed and considered the Democrats' plan for change in Iraq. More than any bill passed by the previous Republican Rubber Stamp Congress, it ensures our troops have the training and equipment they need - and our...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A Democratic Vietnam veteran running for Congress lashed out at his Republican opponent Friday after a series of Republican-financed attacks questioning his support for U.S. troops. In a rare display of anger, retired Air Force Maj. Charlie Brown called Republican Rep. John Doolittle (news, bio, voting record) a coward who is "hiding behind the flag" and slammed him for failing to serve in Vietnam. "While I was being shot at in Vietnam, John Doolittle was practicing his tennis game at (the University of California) Santa Cruz," Brown said during a news conference as he was surrounded by...

Democrats put their distinguished soldiers on stage at their state convention with messages of patriotism and a strong national defense. Four-star Gen. Wesley Clark and decorated Vietnam veteran Max Cleland, a former Georgia senator, told delegates Saturday that the administration has botched the war in Iraq and Democrats would be better at handling national security. "We're strong on defense. That's the message that I want people to hear," Clark said, during one of the few times he raised his voice during the keynote speech. "We've got to talk it up." Clark, who ran unsuccessfully for president in 2004, said the...

Former Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark accused the Bush administration Saturday of taking the nation on a "path to nowhere" with misguided moves on national security. The retired Army general and NATO military commander argued in the Democrats' weekly radio address that the United States needs a new plan to win the war on terror after failing to find Sept. 11 terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, fighting an unnecessary war in Iraq and stumbling in halting weapons proliferation in North Korea and Iran. Clark coupled his criticism of President Bush's policies with a renewed call for the Democratic plan on...

Dear upchuck, On June 6, 1944, more than 150,000 Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy and began the liberation of Europe during World War II. Then, just 16 days after D-Day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the "GI Bill of Rights" into law - landmark legislation honoring the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, providing key education and training benefits to thank them for their service. This Monday marks the 61st Anniversary of D-Day, an epic event in the history of our nation and the world. While we take time to remember this historic day and thank...

I was amazed to see that Wesley has Jamie Rubin as is advisor. Back in 1996 while there was slaughter going on in Rwanda Jamie Rubin refused to use the word genocide to describe the deaths of 100's of thousand. If he had used those very words, as he did to describe Kosovo, 100's of thousand would still be alive today. By US law if it were genocide we would have had to act. Some one should ask Clark if he were to win, would he use the same great talent out there like Jamie? While doing a bit of...

NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE—As the Democratic candidates began landing here last week, this state braced for a surge of whirlwind politics before the primary. But during the recent spate of bitter cold, this northern front lay relatively quiet as events played out in Iowa. Dennis Kucinich, though, stoked some fire by telling teenagers at a high school in Penacook that some of the Pentagon's budget should go to pay for universal free public education through college. He studiously avoided the topic of abortion; he once was against it. Joe Lieberman, at a town meeting in Concord, promised to reverse Bush's partial...

Strange as it seems, Michael Moore wrote a letter encouraging General Clark to run. September 12, 2003 Dear General Wesley Clark, I've been meaning to write to you for some time. Two days after the Oscars, when I felt very alone and somewhat frightened by the level of hatred toward me for daring to suggest that we were being led into war for "fictitious reasons," one person stuck his neck out and came to my defense on national television. And that person was you. Aaron Brown had just finished interviewing me by satellite on CNN, and I had made a...

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Democratic US presidential hopeful Wesley Clark did not reverse his Iraq war stance as Republicans and some media outlets have reported, his foreign policy advisor said. "He has made it clear that this is the wrong war at the wrong time," James Rubin said at the National Press Club. Journalist Matt Drudge reported on his website while Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie said in Little Rock Thursday that Clark's pre-war testimony to Congress differed from the candidate's anti-war platform as he runs against President George W. Bush. Rubin said Clark's testimony had been quoted selectively. "He...

MANCHESTER, N.H., Jan. 11 — Less than a year before he entered the race for the Democratic nomination for president, Gen. Wesley K. Clark said that he believed there was a connection between the Iraqi government and Al Qaeda. The statement by General Clark in October 2002 as he endorsed a New Hampshire candidate for Congress is a sign of how the general's position on Iraq seems to have changed over time, though he insists his position has been consistent. "Certainly there's a connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda," he said in 2002. "It doesn't surprise me at all that...

Dedicated to sharing the true positions, statements and actions of the Democratic Candidates, devoid of each's campaign spin.If you see or know of a link that isn't on this page about any of the candidates listed here, email us and help us spread the word.Army General Wesley Clark 08/04/99 - Clark fired from NATO SACEUR03/09/00 - British Gen to Clark: I will not start World War III for you05/15/00 - Newsweek: The Kosovo Coverup06/15/03 - Clark: 'This country was founded on the principle of progressive taxation' 08/21/03 - William Cohen - 'I rue the day I made him SACEUR'08/26/03...

Linda Bloodworth, the film producer from Arkansas, who, along with her ex-husband produced the influential Clinton documentary "The Man from Hope" for the 1992 campaign, is now repeating her act for another of Arkansas' favorite son. Bloodworth unveiled her newest film at house party fundraisers across the country. The biopic, "American Son" is about the life and times of Wes Clark. This film features Clark's family, life-long friends and the men and women who served under his command. It details Clark's accomplishments and tells the story of this American hero. American Son was also produced by Linda Burstyn, Cathee...

CANDIDATE CLARK CONTRADICTS CITIZEN CLARK’S PRAISE OF PRESIDENT BUSH Clark Praised President Bush, Economic Team During Tax Cut Debate . . . Now Attacks Tax Cut __________________________________________________________________________________ “Joe Lieberman accused ... Wesley Clark … of taking ‘a journey of political convenience, not conviction’ … Lieberman took issue with Clark expressing support for the Bush administration’s policies in a May 2001 address to the Arkansas GOP. Bush was pushing his tax-cut package at the time.” (Nedra Pickler, “Clark Criticized Following First Debate,” The Associated Press, 9/26/03) CITIZEN CLARK PRAISED PRESIDENT BUSH . . . May 2001: Clark Praised President Bush...

In this era of the War on Terrorism, senior Democrats have decided that the best - possibly the only - way to beat George W Bush in the 2004 presidential elections is to put up a soldier against him.A retired general, Wesley Clark, the supreme commander of Nato during its successful campaign in Kosovo, is widely expected to announce his candidacy for the White House in the next few days, backed by powerful members of the United States Congress.In an open field, where none of the nine current Democrat candidates has established a clear lead, a late entry by Gen...