Gen. Wes Clark Discusses Cole Bomber Charges Being Dropped

The optics on this really stunk. How does the court "dismiss" the charges the day before Obama is to meet with the families of victims of the USS Cole and 9/11, and the ex captain of the Cole is scheduled to "chat" on Morning Joe? Anyone else wonder about this? Wes Clark does a good job of straightening it out.

Wes Clark In Florida For Obama

I'm liking all those older white faces. More about Clark's visit here and here.

Wes Clark "Not Going" To DNC

Can't comment, all there are is cuss words.

General Wesley Clark is not attending the Democratic National Convention. I was told by General Clark's personal office in Little Rock that he would not be attending.

Clark was informed by Barack Obama's people that there was no reason to come.

General Clark has been given no role of any kind at the convention.

Oh wait, Matt found some words-

Clearly, we'd rather hear about how to handle this delicate military tussle from Evan Bayh and Ken Salazar. I do want to point out how deeply we respect John McCain's service to his country, though of course, Wes Clark's 34 years in the military and near fatal wounds in Vietnam are kind of yawners.

UPDATE- Clark's son (yes, it's verified that it's his son- he's been posting at Kos for a while) has some additional comments here.

Changed title from "Disinvite" to reflect more of what is being said in the above diary.

Wes Clark on MSNBC : Liveblog

By GottaLaff

Wesley Clark is discussing his military credentials... national security.

Wes: McCain's service doesn't have anything to do with being able to wrestle with national policy.

Andrea Mitchell: (interrupts) Neither does Obama have that experience....

Wes: It wasn't my decision to bring this up. I haven't made the ruckus.

Andrea: You answered it.

Wes: I answered it the way he asked it to me. That's not always done in politics, but I answered. It's important that there's a distinction between courage and commitment in military, and the judgment to be president. Obama's not claiming experience in military, but if you look at their policies on war on terror and Iraq, Obama has better judgment.

Andrea: Republicans say there's an organized campaign... John Aravosis (AMERICAblog) wrote about it. [shows quote about McCain's propaganda] Nobody said McCain did any propaganda as Aravosis said. McCain was an extraordinary man, but the issue of an organized campaign against his military service...? [Shows MoveOn.org's ad, the one with the mother and baby]...

Wes: That says nothing about his career, it's about his judgment. What I said has nothing to do with the Obama camapaign, I've been saying it for months. It's about judgement...

Andrea: You could be a v.p. choice. Do you think this helps or hurts?

Wes: First, I've heard nothing about this except press rumors. It's immaterial. What I was asked was my judgment based on my experience and that's what I gave. The relevance of military to the office of president is the only issue that's important.

Andrea: Obama's judgment, and McCain's: Will either have the flexibility they claim they do, in Iraq? Won't conditions on the ground be releveant?

Wes: Obama will look at conditions, and more.. he'll open a diplomatic dialog with Iraq's neighbors. He'll develop a stratetgy... start to withdraw imediately, within a month of being elected.

Andrea: Thanks for sticking to your commitment to being with us today, you kept your word.

Wes: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to say I honor everyone who served, especially John McCain.

Wesley Clark: "I'm Not Backing Away From Anything I Said"

Via TPM.

John Sidney McCain: Secretary of P.O.W.s

By GottaLaff

I love Mark's writing. He sums issues up so well, including the needlessly crescendoing Clark story:

On Face the Nation this weekend, Gen. Wesley Clark made the obvious observation that John McCain’s captivity in a North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp was not a qualification to be president. McCain’s ordeal was certainly horrific, but not leadership training. Clark’s comments will no doubt be controversial, but the reality is that living in a hut for five years, far removed from any management or policy development responsibilities, does not prepare one for executive leadership positions. McCain has other experience to promote, like his tenure in the Senate, but if he is considered to be qualified to be president solely on the basis of his time spent in jail, then Martha Stewart is qualified to be his Attorney General and Snoop Dogg his Secretary of State.

Or Jack Abramoff as Secretary of the Treasury. Oh, but that would be nepotism.

Surrounded By Wussies

By Paddy


Why is every D talking head on MSNBC falling all over themselves to discredit General Clark's words? AND the R just used "Swift Boat" again. Bad enough the script is that General Clark "blasted" McCain, and saying that Obama "surrogates" did it, implying more than one. Please, just one Dem with a spine? Is that too much to ask?

Follow the bouncing meme

Just got back to the computer and saw Gotta's post. Seems now, almost 10 hours after General Clark made his comments on FTN (very similiar to the comments he made two weeks ago on Morning Joe-see vid), the McCain campaign has run it by their focus groups and sent the email to the Blackberries of their cronies to spread the word. See this, and this-

In a personal attack that will almost certainly backfire, retired Gen. Wesley Clark blasted Sen. John McCain's military credentials on Face the Nation.

Said Clark: "I don't think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president."

Love ya Taegan, but no, I don't see why this will "almost certainly backfire". What was it he said that was so bad? No Swift Boating, no matter what Rick "AyYiYi" Sanchez says. What was it that he said that was a lie? McCain has been playing the soldier card for a long time, and another (much more experianced btw) soldier called him on it.

Expect to hear much more about this very soon.

CNN: "Wesley Clark tried to Swiftboat John McCain today."

By GottaLaff

I haven't been around all day, but I cannot ignore this. I'm livid right now.

Rick Sanchez's lead-in to his next segment just now on CNN:

"Wesley Clark tried to Swiftboat John McCain today."

I'm liveblogging. He goes on to say:

"It will reverberate for weeks. Wes Clark tried to diss McCain's military record, that his service doesn't qualify him to be president."

Rick Sanchez is mad.

Now his Democratic and Republican guests are wondering why Clark said it. They're scratching their heads so hard, their scalps are falling off.

The Republican talking head is fuming, making the usual Republican fuming points.

Rick Sanchez, to the Democrat: Does this make Clark less likely to be a v.p. candidate?

The Democratic talking head just got cut off by Sanchez:

"Now you're just making the usual Democratic talking points, and that's one thing we don't tolerate on this show-- talking points."

Now he's sputtering about how:

"Obama is moving to the right! ... Even his Democratic counterparts are saying this! This is coming from liberal talk show hosts, and liberal bloggers!!! What's going on?.. Listen to what Ralph Nader said about him!... He's a politician, and I'll use a word used during the Clinton administration, 'triangulating'... Another thing, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton not speaking."

He showed a video clip: The quote from Ralph Nader was his Obama's "trying to act white" comment.

That does it. Back to nursing my very pulled, very painful shoulder. After hearing all that blatant hypocrisy and obvious ratings-inducing bias, I could use some meds.

***** UPDATE VIDEO-

General Wesley Clark Slams John McCain On "Morning Joe"