Rivals Question Clark Commitment to Dems

Wed Sep 24,11:40 PM ET

By RON FOURNIER, AP Political Writer

WASHINGTON - Presidential hopeful Wesley Clark unveiled a $100 billion economic and homeland security plan Wednesday while two primary rivals questioned his commitment to the Democratic Party.

See:

Rivals Question Clark Commitment to Dems

http://makeashorterlink.com/?K1AD22206

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Only the Democrats would be stupid enough to run a Republican for President. Karl Rove would be proud.

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http://www.politicsus.com/

JUST WHEN -- AND WHY -- DID CLARK BECOME A DEMOCRAT, ANYWAY?

Former NATO Commander Wesley Clark, who today announced his candidacy for President, joined the field of contenders competing for the Democratic nomination. But as recently as two years ago, he was addressing Republican dinners in his home state of Arkansas amid speculation about a possible future Clark run for office -- as a Republican.

Speaking on May 11, 2001, as the keynote speaker to the Pulaski County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner, Clark said that American involvement abroad helps prevent war and spreads the ideals of the United States, according to an AP dispatch the following day.

Two weeks later, a report in U.S. News and World Report said Arkansas Republican politicos were "pondering the future of Wesley Clark:" "Insiders say Clark, who is a consultant for Stephens Group in Little Rock, is preparing a political run as a Republican. Less clear: what office he'd campaign for. At a recent Republican fund-raiser, he heralded Ronald Reagan's Cold War actions and George Bush's foreign policy. He also talked glowingly of current President Bush's national security team. Absent from the praise list -- his former boss, ex-Commander in Chief Bill Clinton."

Clark told CNN's Judy Woodruff earlier this month that he had decided to register as a Democrat. Left unsaid and unknown at this point is exactly when and why he decided to become a Democrat.

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/09/23/wclark23.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/09/23/ixworld.html

Clark 'chose Democrats after White House brush-off'

(Filed: 23/09/2003)

General Wesley Clark, who soared to the head of the field for the Democratic presidential nomination after his late entry to the race, found his momentum checked yesterday by a string of leaks aggressive even by Washington standards.

Senior Republicans revealed details of an extraordinary conversation in which Gen Clark, a decorated Vietnam veteran and former Nato supreme commander, complained that he had wanted to be part of the Republican Bush administration, but switched party after being given the brush-off by the White House.

The latest edition of Newsweek magazine reports that - after the Sept 11 attacks - Gen Clark thought he would be invited to join the Bush administration's national security team.

However, the proposal was reportedly squashed by the White House political chief, Karl Rove.

A furious Gen Clark apparently told two prominent Republicans: "I would have been a Republican, if Karl Rove had returned my phone calls."

Challenged by Newsweek, Gen Clark insisted his remarks were merely a "humorous tweak".

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Who Would Clark Bomb?

While Bush bombs Afghanistan and Iraq, and plans to move on to bombing Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Somalia and Sudan. Clark, instead, would bomb Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan:

http://english.aljazeera.net/Articles/News/GlobalNews/US+general+attacks+Bush+war+plan.htm