No, I'm not endorsing Wesley Clark for President in 2008. Sure, I was part of the Draft Clark movement in 2004, and I still love the guy, but I agree with Jim Webb on this one - it's too early to be endorsing someone for 2008 at this point. I also think Mark Warner is great, but why not wait and see what the issues are and who emerges as a strong, Progressive voice as we approach 2008?Well, speaking of strong, Progressive voices, Wesley Clark is one of the greatest in the country these days. Don't believe me? Watch this speech, delivered as the keynoter at the Texas Democratic Convention in Ft. Worth this past Friday. Seriously, this is amazing.
Look, I know that Wesley Clark and his campaign weren't quite "there" in 2003/2004. Clark knows it too. That happens sometimes with novice candidates running for President. But this speech, THIS year, represents the Wes Clark of today, after three years of learning the political ropes.
And this speech isn't just good, it's much better than good. It's an awesome speech, the distillation of everything Democrats stand for, combined with a blistering attack on the Bush Administration and Republican "leadership" in general. It's an attack on "CEO-led government" (are you listening, Harris Miller, when you spout your McNamara-style nonsense about war being like a business?). It's an attack on the politicization and perversion of science by the Bush Administration and their allies - like George "Bush's 97% Rubber Stamp" Allen - in Congress. As Clark forecefully declares, "That's not America."
Clark contiues: "We could be so much more, if only we had the leadership in this country to take us there." Leadership like Wes Clark. And leadership like the man in Virginia we MUST nominate this Tuesday, the man Wes Clark strongly endorsed back in March. That man, of course, is Jim Webb, ANOTHER Republican-turned-Democrat like General Wesley K. Clark.
Now here's the test for Virginia Democrats. Will we do what we did to Wes Clark back in 2004, hounding him about whether or not he was "really" a Democrat instead of welcoming him with open arms into our party? Will we lose yet ANOTHER great opportunity, last time to have President Clark instead of President Bush, this time to have Senator Webb instead of Senator Allen?
This Tuesday, we must make the right choice for Virginia, and for America. As Wes Clark said back in March 2006, Jim Webb is a man who understands national security, who understands the importance of "checks and balances" in our system of government, and who will "have the courage to say what's right regarldess of where the chips fall" politically. Clark added at the time that Jim Webb "sees the glass clearly," and is a man who will always strive to "know the facts and make the right call." Finally, Clark stressed that Jim Webb is the kind of man that will put the interests of the people of this state first, and who will "take his fight to the floor of the U.S. Senate," who "won't back down from any challenge," and who "will focus on the job he is elected to do."
As Clark said this past Friday: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. It's time to take our country back from the corporate lobbyists and the special interests, and give it back to the people. It's time to throw out the "conservatives," and replace them with proud Progressives - proud Progressives like Jim Webb.
To paraphrase Wes Clark from Friday, "this is a fight for America's future, and it begins here in [Virginia]!"
P.S. One more point by Clark. This election in 2006 is NOT "local." It's "national," as much as the Republicans try to turn our attention from Iraq, Katrina, NSA spying, torture, Jack Abramoff, massive budget deficits, etc. Don't let them do it!
The man who introduces Clark is a Texas Rep and was a Clarkie in the draft days. His speech is the best, bar none, introduction Wes Clark has ever received.
Please sit down sometime today for 30 minutes or so to watch this thing, start to finish. You'll see why America needs to listen to what Wes Clark has to say, and why he and Jim Webb have so much in common-primarily a deep and abiding love for their country, and an intelligence and vision to turn it around and set us on a positive course.
As Virginia Centrist said, you can fix a campaign, but not a candidate. Webb's campaign can be improved. Miller's lack of appeal to anyone outside the Dem base (and maybe not even all of the base) cannot be fixed, not with all the slick mailers in the world.
Seriously, if your reason to back Miller is that his campaign has slicker ads and more money, then there's just no hope for you.
Sorry something went wrong with my cut and paste.
Perhaps this is why Webb wouldn't automatically endorse Warner for 2008? Hell, me neither. Clark is still my man.