General Clark, Admirals and Veterans to Hold Press Conference on Kerry

[incapsulated]

General Clark, Admirals and Veterans to Hold Press Conference on Kerry Plan to Keep America Safe and Secure

To: Assignment Desk, Political Reporter
News Advisory:

Tuesday, August 17, highly distinguished veterans of America's armed forces will host a press conference to support John Kerry's plan to make America stronger at home and respected in the world. General Wesley Clark (ret.), Admiral William Crowe (ret.) and Admiral Stansfield Turner (ret.) will join with several of the men who served on John Kerry's Swift Boats in Vietnam to address the tremendous veteran support for John Kerry and his plans to make America safe and secure.

Tuesday, August 17- 10:00 AM Generals and Veterans for Kerry

National Press Club

Murrow Room

529 14th Street - 13th floor

Washington, DC

202-662-7500



Paid for by Kerry-Edwards 2004, Inc. Web: http://www.johnkerry.com


http://www.usnewswire.com/

[hlthe2b]

1. Thank God for Wes, and all the Generals, Admirals, Veterans.....

I am immensely grateful for their support and efforts...

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Sparkly]

2. This is great news

Any chance it'll be televised? C-Span, at least?

[incapsulated]

3. I hope so

C-span tends to cover National Press Club events. :)

[Jai4WKC08]

10. You can write C-SPAN and ask 'em to

From their website:

PROGRAMMING QUESTIONS & SUGGESTIONS
Viewer Services: Questions about our schedule, how to buy videotapes, and for any other general comments about C-SPAN -- [e-mail]

Suggest Events: Submit a public event that you think C-SPAN should cover -- [e-mail]

[incapsulated]

12. Cool

Thanks, jai. :hug:

[FrenchieCat]

17. I wrote to C-Span....

told them that I had heard an awful lot about these Swift-Boat Veteran for Truth (cough-cough) and had heard next to nothing about those Veterans who support John Kerry. Asked them to televise the press conference tomorrow and pasted a copy of that U.S. Newswire press release. If many of us do it, it will be shown, if not tomorrow, then this week-end.

[Auntie Bush]

23. Thanks Jia...I just wrote C-Span making a request.

We should all write them. I mentioned that I wanted to make a decision as to whether Bush is playing politics with troop movement or if it really is a good move. Of course I really already know.

If Clark says it's political...IT IS POLITICAL!

Damn that Bush...playing politics...in spite of all the harm it would cause. Is there nothing evil this president wouldn't do?

[Gloria]

4. I hope Carl Levin isn't lurking somewhere, ready to undercut Clark

like he did on Inside Politics today on troop redeployment...

Gee, someone must have taken my advice! (LOL) To repeat---make Clark the key spokesman on military affairs, making daily assessments and meetings with the press...including press conferences....

Damn, let's start focusing the message, people!!! And knocking back the crap from the GOP...

[incapsulated]

5. *cringe*

I missed it, what did Levin say?

[Jai4WKC08]

13. Ol' Carl just got caught asleep at the switch

I think.

He was on CNN before Clark, not on IP, and he was saying, well, it's been discussed for a while and some redeployments are probably in order blah blah blah.

Then I saw him again later on Blitzer or Dobbs show (can't remember which one) and he hadn't exactly changed his tune, but he was far less supportive of the Bush announcement.

I would have thought he'd have better sense and see what this is all really about: punishing NATO and pandering for votes.

[tomfodw]

6. 24/7

That's what Kerry needs to do with Clark, put him out there 24/7 from now until Nov. 2. And then make him Secretary of State.

[Auntie Bush]

24. I AGREE with that idea 100%

Someone needs to tell Kerry...maybe we all should.

[tedzbear]

7. Exzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzellent.

This will keep Rove up at night.

[iwantmycountryback]

8. Clark is great

I've seen him on a couple of shows and he does a great job of expressing the beliefs of the Kerry campaign. He is especially a great spokesman for military matters. This guy will be the Secretary of Defense IMO. (Biden for Secy. of State)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. Yes, Clark is great, but he can't be SecDef.

This has been noted umpteen times, and here's the umpteenth plus one... By federal statute, you have to be out of the military for at least ten years (unless Congress grants a waiver) in order to hold that position.

[iwantmycountryback]

11. Didn't know that

Damn shame though. Any possibility that congress does grant a waiver though?

[Jai4WKC08]

14. Happened once before

Back in 1951, I think. Exception was made for General Marshall during the Korean War.

But don't hold your breath. It would take both houses of Congress, and I doubt it's a battle that a brand new president would care to wage. There are other qualified candidates.

Wes Clark should be Secretary of State. I think it will be Holbrooke, but Clark is better qualified, having worked both defense and diplomacy, and during NATO's only war. Besides, what's really needed is leadership & management skills, which Clark has all over Holbrooke. Or Biden, for that matter. Not a slam on either guy--it's just what Clark does.

But in the final anaylsis, it's not what will matter.

[iwantmycountryback]

15. I've seen Holbrooke mentioned

But I would prefer if Joe Biden got that job. Then again, I think Clark needs some job in the cabinet and the secretary of state is one that best suits him. As much I fucking hate Dumsfeld, I can't wait till we have an attorney general who actually upholds the constitution. I don't know who it should be except not John Asscroft who should burn in hell.

[juajen]

18. Elliot Spitzer

EOM

[FrenchieCat]

16. I also believe that

Wes Clark is better qualified than Holbrooke for SOS in these times. Plus he seems to have a better temperament for it. Guess that Holbrooke was first come, and therefore will be served the glory. Too bad, cause I see Clark as earning it in spades. It's kind of a shame, but I know that we can't count on Kerry to do something THAT insightful, can we?

[juajen]

19. I think he's been damn insightful!!

EOM

[FrenchieCat]

20. Good!

That means Kerry will realize that Clark is not just good to have around because he was a 4 star General, but because he is really a special man who has what is required to get us where we need to go internationally.

Glad to know that Kerry will show some insight soon and announce a prominent position for General Clark.

Like I said, he has earned it so many times, it's not even funny.

Again, I'm sure Holbrooke is a great guy, but why does he get dibs on that position? Is there a book out there or something that I don't know about?

Anyway, Write to C-Span.....and help them with their insight.

[Jai4WKC08]

21. "Holbrooke is a great guy"?

Actually Holbrooke has a reputation as sort of a pompous jerk, but very competent, very knowledgable, and a tough negotiator.

All of which Clark is too, and then some.

But running a department as big as State takes more than just being an ambassador or envoy. Foggy Bottoms is a huge organization, then there are embassies and consulates far flung throughout the world, and hundreds of other special teams and missions. The management function of the Secretary is tremendous, and foreign service officers need leadership just like military officers do. Clark is far better qualified than Holbrooke.

Furthermore, at the very top, the Secretary of State is responsible for working (and competing unfortunately) with the Depts of Defense, the intelligence community, and various other federal agencies. Again something in which Clark has the experience that Holbrooke doesn't.

But I do think Kerry will pick Holbrooke anyway.

[Jai4WKC08]

27. Ummm... except for the "pompous jerk" part.

Oops. That didn't come out quite right. :)

[Sparkly]

22. Did I miss it? Is it being televised anyplace?

I'm just seeing people milling around in preparation for a meeting with Rummy on CSpan. :(

[Sparkly]

25. What does it take to get these things televised?!

Does Kerry himself need to appear at these things just to get a live feed there? Does there have to be a star, like Clinton, standing with the admirals and generals?

(I'll bet if Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant or Scott Peterson were there, the camera crews would be fighting for terrority.) :mad:

[WiseMen]

28. Have to do lies or scandal to get media attention. It's horrible.

[Jai4WKC08]

26. Smackdown!

CNN played a clip from the press conference about 40 minutes ago. Very short unfortunately. I'll post the transcript when it becomes available.

Bottom line is Clark said, if Bush had "the leadership he claims to have" he would get those swift-boat ads off the air and get down to talking about issues that matter.

[Leilani]

39. I was channel surfing

And FOX news with Brit Hume LED their show with this story, I believe.

Anyway, they showed Wes making the statement you quote.

He was great...FOX reported the story pretty straight, then later put a spin on during their panel discussion.

FOX treats Wes with kid gloves...they know he is too senior & accomplished as a military man, to try & smear him.

[democracy eh]

29. who wants to bet how much(err little) mainstream press this gets?

this group has come out before with statements, etc... and there has been a resounding 'ignore' from the media. now if someone mentioned Bill Clinton's penis at the event, that would get front page headlines.

[ItsMyParty]

30. I know Clark is retired, but could Kerry bring him out of retirement to

be Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff????

[Jai4WKC08]

32. Yeah, he could...

Might take some kind of congressional approval. Not sure about that, if no promotion were involved (altho 5 stars ought to come into the picture at some point).

I don't know if recalling a senior commander to active duty has been done before--recently that is. I believe it was back in the Civil War, and of course there was Washington (who had resigned his commission after the French and Indian War). But not since the defense laws currently in effect were enacted.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs makes some sense, depending on who the Secretary of Defense will be. Because while the CJCS works for the SecDef, he's also, by law, the President's personal military advisor.

Personally, if Clark were to be brought back to active duty, I'd rather see him either as the CENTCOM CinC, or in a newly created position in charge of the War on Terror, with authority to draw resources from all the regional forces. Something a little more hands-on. The CJCS isn't in command of anybody--he just coordinates the actions of the service chiefs, and of course advises the President and Secretary. It's essentially just staff job, albeit about as high-level as it gets. Clark would be good at it, but he's better as a commander.

I still think Sec of State would be a better use of Clark's talents and experience, but Holbrooke looks to be in line for the job, and Kerry may be reticent to repeat Bush's having selected a retired general, just because, well, Bush did it.

[Jai4WKC08]

33. Looks like they won't in fact get much media attention

As someone predicted up-thread. Big surprise there. Not.

Here's the transcript of the short clip played this morning on CNN. I haven't heard it repeated, or seen any other reports from the press conference in google news. In fact, Jeff Greenfield just did a bit on the redeployment issue, and didn't mention word one from Clark or anyone else involved at the National Press Club this morning. Gee, they sure give the Swift Boat Vets for Bush and awful lot of air-time... can't be bothered with the real heroes? You know, the ones who DON'T make stuff up?

Anyway, here's what they did let slip thru, probably by accident:

GEN. WESLEY CLARK, U.S. ARMY (RET): If George Bush is concerned about the negative ads and so forth, let him show the leadership that he claims he has and get those ads stopped. Stop the Swift Boat campaign, pull it all off the air. Let's get down to the issues. Is America safer now or not?
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0408/17/lt.02.html

[iwantmycountryback]

34. Clark's a freakin genius

That was the real lesson of the Kosovo campaign at the highest level: NATO worked. It held political leaders accountable to their electorates. It made an American-dominated effort essentially their effort. It made an American-led success their success. And, because an American-led failure would have been their failure, these leaders became determined to prevail. NATO not only generated consensus, it also generated an incredible capacity to alter public perceptions, enabling countries with even minimal capacities to participate collectively in the war. As one minister of defense told me afterwards, "Before Kosovo, you couldn't use the word 'war' in my country. War meant defeat, destruction, death, and occupation. Now it is different. We have won one!"

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0209.clark.html

I guess this is a couple years old but it shows just how necessary alliances are. If only Shrub would read this.

[Jai4WKC08]

35. Good article to bring forward

Clark wrote more recently in Washington Monthly, comparing the War on Terror (and more specifically the battle against islamic extremists) to the Cold War, showing how BushCo just doesn't get it.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2004/0405.clark.html

And when everybody was weeping over Reagan's death, Clark was on NPR, pointing out that even Reagan never invaded a country to push democracy at the point of a gun. OK, so Reagan helped some others to, within their own countries fwiw, but the point was well made, that Bush43 is no Reagan--a message a lot of people need to hear.
http://www.here-now.org/shows/2004/06/20040610_5.asp

Clark summed up essentially the point on lessons from the Cold WAr on Scarborough Country (guest hosted by Pat Buchanan) last week:

*********************
BUCHANAN: Vice President Cheney said today that—and he cited John Kerry about being more sensitive in the war on terror. And he said, we don‘t need to show sensitivity. We need to show a lot more toughness and finish these people off. Your response?

CLARK: I think the vice president is engaging in the lowest form of politics, which is personal attack.

John Kerry is on solid ground and he knows exactly what he‘s talking about. You cannot win the war on terror simply by finishing people off. You may have to attack and kill terrorists, but you must have a whole panoply of measures, international law, diplomacy, the exchange of information, law enforcement, economic development.

Ultimately, we‘re going to have confront terrorism and Islamic extremism as an ideology that is hostile to what we believe in. We fought an ideological battle against communism and we won it. We can win an ideological battle against Islamic extremism, but you can‘t take a military shortcut on this and win it.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5694682/

[buycitgo]

36. what if they gave a press conference......

and nobody came?

[Jai4WKC08]

37. CNN airs another short clip

And Clark scores with another shot on goal.

Clark said Kerry volunteered to join the Navy, volunteered to go to Vietnam, and volunteered a third time for to command a swift-boat, one of the most dangerous assignments possible. But Bush "scrambled, and used his family's influence to get out of hearing a shot fired in anger. That's the comparison."

You shoulda heard the Repub "campaign strategist" whine about it afterwards.

[Jai4WKC08]

38. Well, someone must have attended

Because AP picked up the last part of Clark's quote about how Bush "used his family's influence" and now it's all over the internet, to include major print sources.

'Course, they're using it to undercut Kerry's "condemnation" (AP Fournier's word) of the moveon.org ad. Even tho the two really have nothing to do with each other. Moveon.org went on to say Kerry was AWOL (which he was), whereas Clark and Stansfield Turner were talking about getting into the Gurad. As far as I'm concerned, there's NO basis to doubt the latter. Little reason to doubt the AWOL charge either, but it's not the same thing.

[Jai4WKC08]

40. The second (and last) CNN video clip

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (D), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: One man volunteered to serve his country. He volunteered to go to Vietnam. And he volunteered a third time to command a swift boat in one of the most dangerous activities in the war. The other man scrambled and used his family's influence to get out of hearing a shot fired in anger. That's the comparison.
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0408/17/ip.01.html

[FrenchieCat]

41. Thanks for keeping

us informed Jai.....at least a played a bit on CNN.

Media hates accomplished heros. Wes Clark is too much of a patriot for them. Knowing how they have fallen on their J-o-b, Wes is just an unpleasant reminder.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

42. Well I guess there's not much else to say.

Except IN YOUR FACE, shrubco!