If Wes Clark had not made a presidential run in ‘04, if it did not seem that he may do the same in ‘08, it's highly unlikely that we would be seeing his name in diary titles at Dkos.
But he did and he may, so we must try to search out not only who he is today, but also ask, is the picture of the man we see today consistent with the man he was before coming into very public notice.
Checking the before against the after is just one way of learning more about the individuals who want to represent "we the people". One way of discerning the truth behind the public persona presented to us during heated campaigns.
So what of Wes Clark? Is the consistency lacking?
Does what came before jive with what we see today?
Does what came before give us a window into what a President Wes Clark would be like if he would run and win?
What follows is an attempt to connect the dots between the past and the present with an eye to shedding light on the future
The vital statistics as to birth, parentage, etc. are readily available and have been posted here and at other blogs so I’m not going to repeat them here. For anyone who may not have seen them previously, the front page of http://www.securingamerica.com will provide a link to a short bio. Another source is found at http://www.dkosopedia.com/...
From those bios we find Wes Clark did not have a privileged background. At best it seems that after his mother’s marriage to his step father they may have been qualified to be considered middle class.
We also learn that after his time at West Point, after being shot 4 times while serving in Vietnam, after recuperating and after serving the time required to fulfill his obligation to the United States Army, he chose to remain in the Army—to be a "lifer".
Why?
Why would a man who had been first in his class at West Point and won a Rhodes scholarship, a man who obviously had enough intelligence and savvy to make a financial killing had he opted to go into business, choose to remain in a profession that would never make him rich? A profession that could never provide the kind of freedom to get all that he could get and the devil take the hindmost and would always carry with it the distinct possibility that one day he might once again find himself in a position to take a few more bullets?
What kind of man would subject his family to a nomadic life that included 31 different houses in 34 years? Houses that ranged from shanty-like base housing with a hole in one wall, to an actual palace with all the amenities and attendant staff required to keep it up and running. That palace was a long time coming, and though it finally came it was never home in the sense most of us think of the term. None of the homes the Clark’s occupied were ever theirs. The fulfillment of the American dream of home ownership was not part of the equation during those years of service.
What kind of a man, once retired, would not immediately seek out a top paying position in the vast military industrial complex where he would be welcomed with open arms, as so many other top ranking service members had done?
I am not trying to imply that Wes Clark isn’t interested in making money. Not at all. I’ve heard that he has said he would very much like to earn a few million—enough to secure his family and to still have enough in the bank to become a philanthropist for causes in which he believes.
I do believe Wes Clark is a man who is frugal with the money he has. I believe that same sense of care would be exhibited were he given the National checkbook.
I do believe he lives by the belief that those who are fortunate in life should be first in line to help those who are less fortunate.
I do believe he does not believe in amassing wealth for wealth’s sake, but for the sake of the good that wealth can accomplish in the world—in the lives of his fellow human beings.
SERVICE OVER SELF?
Many of us living today were inspired by John F. Kennedy’s words, "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."
They not only inspired my & Wes’ generation but still echo strongly in many who have come long after those words were spoken.
Some chose to serve in the Peace Corp, some in their local communities, some in politics, some chose to serve in uniform.
Wes chose the uniform and with it the discipline, commitment to excellence, and the physical and mental rigors that come with that territory.
He swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States as a young man and has not abandoned that oath even though the uniform he wore when he swore it may now be stored away. Like any of us who have lived something for decades--have believed in something for decades, it remains within him, part and parcel of who he is.
That is why I believe this man, Wes Clark, would ask his family to live the nomadic life, would forego riches, and would believe that service is the highest form of patriotism.
I do believe that he means every word when he says; the most important legacy we can leave on this earth is our Constitution and our Environment. And I believe he would fight with every ounce of his intelligence and his physical strength to insure their survival.
I am not surprised when lessons learned early in is life, lessons he spoke of in his interview with Dan Rather for 60 Minutes,
http://www.cbsnews.com/...
DAN RATHER: You grew up in Little Rock at the time. In fact, you were in school, were you not, at the time of the desegregation orders and Little Rock became the epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement. How old were you? What was that like?
GEN. WESLEY CLARK: Well, I was in 8th grade. It was the fall of 1957, so I was 12 years old. I was in junior high school. We weren't anywhere near the scene of the action. All we got was the blowback from the local papers and the media coverage, and I think one time my parents drove me somewhere near Central High School. I looked, got a look at these Army trucks that were there. I don't remember if they were the National Guard or the 101st Airborne, but it brought to me an awareness of the issues of race, of segregation and integration and of the sensitivities of people on all sides. And it's a feeling I've never lost. It's a passion for justice and fair play. But a respect for the people who are going the wrong way but sometimes they don't see it.
led to an adult who would file an amicus brief for the University of Michigan affirmative action case, or that he would be the person that a friend would look to for support when he was ready to "come out". http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Scott Thompson, a colleague in the White House fellows program, is indebted to Clark for emotional support and advice when Thompson -- who was then married with children -- decided to publicly acknowledge that he was gay.
or that during the ’04 Rock the Vote debate he so eloquently spoke out for equal rights for the GLBT community by relating what he had said to a colleague during a conversation on the subject. If it were you’re son or daughter wouldn’t you want them to have the same rights as everyone else? (Paraphrased)
I am not surprised when a man who was willing to put his life on the line to protect our right to dissent in America speaks out against media consolidation which has proven to be one of the major stumbling blocks thrown in the path of those who wish to speak out and be heard.
http://www.fradical.com/...
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AdAge.com) -- The consolidation of American media companies should stop, and rules that safeguard local media company independence need to be reinstated, Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark said as he campaigned in New Hampshire over the weekend.
We expect our leaders to—well, lead.
So what kind of leadership could be expected if Wes Clark were to be made Commander in Chief?
There are some here, and elsewhere, who seem to think that generals are great at giving orders but haven’t a clue how to build consensus. Being a team player is not what generals are about seems to be their reasoning.
Is Wes Clark a tyrannical leader who says jump and all that is allowed is a, "Yes sir, General, sir, how high?
That doesn’t seem to be the impression Col. Hackworth got when he interviewed Clark in September of 2003.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/...
No doubt he's made his share of enemies. He doesn't suffer fools easily and wouldn't have allowed the dilettantes who convinced Dubya to do Iraq to even cut the White House lawn. So he should prepare for a fair amount of dart-throwing from detractors he's ripped into during the past three decades.
Hey, I am one of those: I took a swing at Clark during the Kosovo campaign when I thought he screwed up the operation, and I called him a "Perfumed Prince." Only years later did I discover from his book and other research that I was wrong – the blame should have been worn by British timidity and William Cohen, U.S. SecDef at the time.
At the interview, Clark came along without the standard platoon of handlers and treated the little folks who poured the coffee and served the bacon and eggs with exactly the same respect and consideration he gave the biggies in the dining room like my colleague Larry King and Bob Tisch, the Regency Hotel's owner. An appealing common touch.
Eric Massa certainly doesn’t portray his commanding officer as an overbearing, order spewing Caesar, nor does testvet, nor do the people who work on his staff.
The earliest example of Wes’ leadership style that I’m familiar with is the story of the swim meet where one of the relay team couldn’t make it. Rather than forfeit the race, Wes decided he would swim two legs and at least give the team a chance at a win.
Did he do that for his own glory or for the team? If they won would he get an extra medal or ribbon? I don’t think so.
What he did show was the ability to make a decision, take on the responsibility of his decision, the determination to carry it out to the best of his ability and his dedication to his team. (Oh yeah, and they did win the race—just a bonus)
Is it any surprise that he was called on to undertake ever more difficult and demanding tasks during his military career?
Are we surprised that he was involved in the formation of the Dayton Accords?
Is there any doubt that he recognizes the need to be decisive while at the same time being willing to listen, to negotiate, to try to bring the best answers to the table? Even during the "infamous" Pristina Airport incident that is so often tossed out as an example of his penchant for trying to start wars, we find that in fact, he called the boss of the guy that was having hysterics. He showed the ability to "hold it all together" when those about him (Jackson) was falling apart.
Isn’t that the kind of president we’re looking for? One that can hold it all together.
Who is this man, Wes Clark?
A man who from an early age was inspired to serve his nation.
A man who has inspired his contemporaries to trust in his friendship and support during difficult times.
A man who has consistently been known to speak out against injustice even at the expense of his own reputation and career.
A man who has consistently served his country with honor and dedication.
A man who has inspired thousands of Americans to request that he once again give up his private hopes and dreams in order to serve his country with honor just one more time.
He is not perfect. He does not walk on water.
We who support him don’t delude ourselves that he is some kind of savior of the universe.
We support him because we see a man whose present has been consistent with his past.
We trust that his future thought and action will not deviate from what has come before.