Burnt Orange Report

Clark Update

By Andrew Dobbs

Okay, things were going well with Clark in my opinion until I saw this article in the New York Times.

Gen. Wesley K. Clark said today that he would have supported the Congressional resolution that authorized the United States to invade Iraq, even as he presented himself as one of the sharpest critics of the war effort in the Democratic presidential race...

General Clark said he was conflicted. He offered the case on both sides of the argument, as he appeared to struggle to stake out positions on issues that have bedeviled four members of Congress who supported the war and are now seeking the Democratic presidential nomination...

A moment later, he said: "I don't know if I would have or not. I've said it both ways because when you get into this, what happens is you have to put yourself in a position — on balance, I probably would have voted for it."...

A moment later, he said: "I don't know if I would have or not. I've said it both ways because when you get into this, what happens is you have to put yourself in a position — on balance, I probably would have voted for it."

The general's remarks in a free-rolling 90-minute airborne interview suggested the extent of the adjustment he faces in becoming a presidential candidate.

"Mary, help!" he called to his press secretary, Mary Jacoby, at the front of the plane, as he faced questions about Iraq. "Come back and listen to this."

At one point, Ms. Jacoby interrupted the interview, which included four reporters who were traveling on the general's jet, to make certain that General Clark's views on the original Iraq resolution were clear.

"I want to clarify — we're moving quickly here," Ms. Jacoby said. "You said you would have voted for the resolution as leverage for a U.N.-based solution."

"Right," General Clark responded. "Exactly."

Okay, so in addition to being much further to the right on the issue of the war (later in the article he specifically says that he sees his opinion being closer to that of Lieberman and Gephardt than Dean) he also seems to be unable to articulate an opinion without the help of his handler. Perhaps I'm being too tough on the guy after one day of campaigning, but the way I see it he lost his biggest political assets- being an independent comentator, not being a politician- when he announced. So now he is in fact a politician, but not a very good one it appears.

He also said that he supported Nixon and Reagan at the time of their respective elections but turned Dem after Clinton inspired him. I have really no problem with that- so many Dems switched sides because of Nixon and Reagan its nice to see someone going the other way.