"(Clark) is the only public figure I have heard to even tiptoe in this direction in public..."

[CarolNYC]

I liked the reactions to Gen Clark's talk at Stanford last month related in this article in The Stanford Review...
http://www.stanfordreview.org/Archive/Volume_XXXVIII/Issue_7/News/news2.shtml

Tyler Kirtley ‘07, Chair of Stanford in Government: “I thought he gave a great, insightful talk that exceeded our already high expectations for the event.”

Sagar Doshi ’09: “General Clark is a phenomenal speaker. He has a tremendous comprehension of the issues. There’s a tendency on these topics to give answers in terms of general ideals and he had the ability to hit them on a concrete level. I hadn’t heard about General Clark before, but now I’m really glad I came.”

Professor David Kennedy of the Department of History: “The single most striking thing to me is the candor with which General Clark discussed how Al Qaeda is not an existential threat to the United States of America, as the Soviet Union was. He is the only public figure I have heard to even tiptoe in this direction in public....There are so many public officials who know this but can’t say it because it’s so dangerous to challenge the existing orthodoxy. I really admired that and I hope he says more about that in every venue he can.”

And I liked these answers from the Review's exclusive interview with Clark....

The Stanford Review: “What was it like bridging the divide between military and political service?”

General Wesley Clark: “It’s not as great a divide as people first suspect. In high military positions, you have to earn the respect of the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and families that you lead. The difference is the mechanics of electioneering. There is surprisingly little difference between the ideals. People have the idea that the military wants to use force. Nobody wants to use force less than the people in uniform. They know what it means. It’s always unpleasant. Things don’t always work out, and usually unintended consequences follow. Most of military leadership is not about war, but about building institutions to perform.”
..........

"No torture or ‘rough measures’ of interrogation. It’s un-American, it’s counterproductive, and it’s morally reprehensible."

And then there was this question and answer....

SR: “Are you endorsing anyone for the ’08 race, or are you planning on running again?”

GWC: “I haven’t said I won’t run. I’m still hoping to find a way.”

So, Clarkies hoping to see an '08 run, don't give up quite yet....