General Wes Clark will be a guest on Big Ed Schultz in a few minutes...

[snowbear]

~~~~~~~ (( ))

[azmouse]

1. I've got my radio on.

Clark is a hero. :patriot:

[tishaLA]

2. He's on

Just got back from Northern China!

[Clark2008]

3. Damn - that man goes EVERYWHERE

He makes Matt Laurer look like George Bush. :7

[ultraist]

18. Clark was in China for business, his consulting firm with Witt

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Business/120605_profile.html

The worse things get, the better James Lee Witt performs — managerially and, these days, financially. Witt, the former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under President Clinton and, now, the CEO of James Lee Witt Associates, has become the darling adviser to governments, nonprofit organizations and businesses preparing for or facing natural or man-made disasters.

Until Hurricane Katrina shoved him back into the political spotlight, universities, state and local governments, Allstate Insurance, Nextel, the Harris Corp. and startup companies selling new products to government emergency-management agencies hired Witt with little fanfare. His firm does some pro bono work for nonprofit clients or will accept a deal in which an outfit just pays for expenses, said Witt, whose firm brings in $7 million annually.

Witt also noted his role as CEO of the International Code Council, a nonprofit group that establishes uniform rules for building, plumbing and electrical work. Asked to reconcile the nature of his business — that when trouble strikes, he profits — Witt said, “It’s crazy, isn’t it?”

Last year, at Clinton’s suggestion, Witt formed a business partnership with retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who had just run a losing bid for the Democratic nomination for president, and former Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, a lobbyist at Patton Boggs, Clark said in a phone interview from China.

“We want to provide a full-spectrum response to businesses and governments, a complete range of services,” Clark said, adding that the firm has advised the Cayman Islands and several California-based companies on security issues. The firm has expanded so quickly that it moved into a new downtown office this fall.

****

I'm sure Clark supporters aren't going to like this, but I really don't think Clark is going to run again. He's primarily focused on business ventures, doing a lot of for profit consulting work, and has a job with Fox news. If he were positioning himself for another run, it seems to me that his primary focus would not be on working for 'for profit' businesses but working in the public sector.

[Tom Rinaldo]

19. Different Take

Most all of these business ventures have Clark directly involved with leaders from nations around the world, dealing with some of the biggest international issues. I would rather he be doing that than raking in the bucks on the chicken dinner lecture circuit or taking some esteemed visiting part time Professor for Public Policy position at a well healed prestigious University offering him a cushy teaching schedule.

[tishaLA]

4. OK now about Iraq....

We are training people but we don't know who they're loyal to. Iran is emerging as the big winner in Iraq. They are taking control of he country through the Shi'ite militias.

While we have been working aginst the Sunnis, the Iranians have been working in the south....The WH doesn't understand that they have opened the door to Iran by what we have done in Iraq.

[Clark2008]

6. And, according to the Reich-wing media, Clark is cookoo..

... yet, he predicted this would happen back in 2002 and it IS happening.

I guess the Reich-wing media needs to be reminded of how stupid they are.

[PeaceProgProsp]

8. Did he explain why this is a bad thing?

[tishaLA]

9. I think IU'm not understanding your question

[Crunchy Frog]

10. Probably not a bad thing for Iran.

Probably not the best thing for U.S. interests in the region, but then again, I guess it's the sort of thing you can expect when you go off half cocked and invade a country for no good reason.

I'm guessing it's not the outcome most Americans were hoping for when they were all "rah, rah" for the war, three years ago. I have no idea what the real aims of the neocons were, or are.

I fuck'n missed it too. Hope it gets posted somewhere later.

[FrenchieCat]

11. It's a bad thing cause the Bush Administration has been threatening

Iran with military action.

Also please remember that the U.S. backed Iraq against Iran in their last war. We gave Iraq the biochemical weapons they used against Iran.

Also remember that we helped topple and installed the government there at one point (the Shah of Iran)...which the Iranians later toppled.

Muslim Fundamentalists now run Iran.

All and all, I don't think they "like" us very much.

I think that's why it isn't good.

[RadiDem]

5. I'm listening too

[snowbear]

7. Why can't we have a president that talks as eloquently..

..as General Clark?

The interview was too short though..

[chicagiana]

12. I didn't like it ...

This is the first time Clark has turned me off.

1) He went into the mush-mouth "need to complete mission" like all the other Democrats. There is no talk of upping troops to do the job if the mission is really THAT vital.

He criticized Murtha and Murtha is the only guy who's talking straight on the issue. Either mobilize and get enough guys in their to root out the terrorist and get everything running smoothly or ... GET OUT ASAP.

2) Clark was talking about travelling in China on business. I don't trust anybody who does business in China. It's all about exploiting people.

BTW, to see the nature of our foreign trading policy, listen to the latest "This American Life" www.thislife.org. It goes into the details on the plight of Cambodia that took the "fair trade" route. Their protections have lapsed and now all their business is moving to China.

[FrenchieCat]

13. Well, I will wait for the transcript--but according to this thus far

Were you listening to the same interview?

Clark on Schultz show: #47090
Posted by jen on December 5, 2005 - 4:31pm.

On how the training of Iraq forces is going:

We are training but we don't know who they're loyal to. Most of us don't speak Arabic. We're not hearing the chit chat. Iran is emerging as the big winner from our invasion of Iraq. They're reaching out through the Shia. The idea you can stand up the forces and bring our forces home doesn't reflect reality of what's going on.

While we been in the north fighting the Sunni insurgence, Iran is strenthening Shia allies in the south.

Iran wants to dominate the region. On the way to China I stopped in Persian Gulf - that's what they say - they're very converned about Iran. If we don't change our strategy, all the hard work, danger, sacrifice or troops have made, Iran comes out winner.
We have the strength, troops give us muscle on the ground to deal with Iran, but we have to use the muscle the right way.

I'd love to get our troops out and I'd love to do it right away - but mission comes first. Yes it's hard - our troops are suffering but nobody should bet against our armed forces. If our country needs them to stay and serve they'll do it and do it well but they need a winning stragtegy.

sorry I fell apart at this part

We leverage against shia and kurds in Iraq - change the constitution, disarm Shia. Talk to insurgents, get them back into society. Protect borders. We need the insurgents to lay down their arms and get back in the country and vote. Some are foreigners some are jihadists - most of the people fighting are motivated by concern that U.S. is tranferring power inside Iraq that will strike at them.

Ed asks briefly about Saddam's trial: Clark says it further polarizes population.

Back to war talk - Ed asks about poll numbers that majority of Iraqis want us out and that large percentage thinks it's okay to attack Americans:

Real tragedy the numbers's that want us out of there. I wish we could explain to Iraqis why were there. Doesn't seem like we are doing that.

(I think Ed asks about Russia/Iran?):

strengthening their forces cuz they been named one of he members of axis of evil. Russians are after money -like several other countries they have technology to sell. Russia feels if US does well, it hurts Russia - they'd like to see us not do so well.

Deeper issue - always after foreign exchange in Russia and they don't want us to get too full of ourselves.

Ed: Do we need more troops?

We need more troops to do the mission, but FIRST the mission has to change, strategy has to change. We have to see it for what it is.
---------

He was really hammering on the fact that the Bush policy risks turning Iraq over to the Iranians.

[Auntie Bush]

14. Thanks Frenchie How do you do that? Type while he's talking!?

[Tom Rinaldo]

15. The thing is, Clark never tells us the things we want to hear

He tells us what he thinks is true, whether we want to hear it or not. For virtually all of my adult life I found leaders usually telling us what they thought we wanted to hear so they could keep doing what ever it was they wanted to do. Best case scenario, they tried to keep us calm while doing what they thought was best for the nation. Worst case scenario, they tried to keep us calm while doing what they thought was best for their friends and allies.

But Clark simplifies everything. He just tells us what he thinks is best for our nation, period.

Bush really got us into a mess this time.

[Clarkansas]

17. Yes, that is Clark!

I am definitely attracted to politicians who don't sound like politicians.

[judy from nj]

16. Caught it

It struck me that he thinks things are really bad there. That Iran is practically taking over the country, while we are busy fighting the Sunnis. The Bush administration either through laziness or stupidity just keeps on doing the same old thing, and never thinking about the implications of a Iran-Iraq alliance.