WAPO - Same Committee, Same Combatants, Different Tune

[ZootSuitGringo]

Clark vs. Perle
aka
4 Stars vs. NeoconChicken
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32440-2005Apr6.html
It's pretty long

By Dana Milbank
Thursday, April 7, 2005

The two belligerents then went after each other, taking the hearing out of the control of the lawmakers. Perle wondered "why in the world" Clark would talk to Syria. Clark said Perle should learn to "eat the elephant one bite at a time." "What are you talking about?" Perle demanded.

Finally, Rep. Victor F. Snyder (D-Ark.) tried to regain the floor. "It is illegal to fight dogs in Arkansas," he said. "I'm not going to get in the middle."
>SNIP
It was not always thus. At the September 2002 hearing, GOP lawmakers joined in Perle's dismissal of Clark's argument that "time is on our side" in Iraq and that force should be used only as a "last resort."

Perle said Clark was "wildly optimistic" and called it "one of the dumber cliches, frankly, to say that force must always be a last resort." While Clark fiddled, "Saddam Hussein is busy perfecting those weapons of mass destruction that he already has."

In retrospect, Clark's forecasts proved more accurate than Perle's, and even Republicans on the committee made little effort yesterday to defend Perle or to undermine Clark. The exception was Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), who pressed Clark to acknowledge that the Iraq invasion should get some credit for signs of democracy in the region.

"We've got to do a lot less crowing about the sunrise," Clark rejoined.

When Hunter's GOP colleagues didn't join his line of questioning, he took another turn grilling Clark. The chairman likened President Bush's Middle East policies to those of President Ronald Reagan in Eastern Europe.

"Reagan never invaded Eastern Europe," Clark retorted.

[Democat]

1. Great quote

Hunter was in over his head, as usual. :)

[xxqqqzme]

2. Clark is good. That retort is HOT!

He shines under pressure.

[ZootSuitGringo]

5. I especially like the quote

Got to do a lot less crowing about the sunrise!

That's a classic there.

[Nothing Without Hope]

3. Wonderful! What an unequal matchup - so awful that the fool has the power

According to Wes Clark's web site ( http://www.securingamerica.com ) the audio and full transcript will be at the House Armed Services Committee site ( http://www.house.gov/hasc/schedules ) when it is made available. I just went there and there was a Windows Media file - but I have my Mac so can't comment on what it contains.

[Leilani]

4. Woo Hoo!!!

Clark was brilliant, & the Repubs knew it....knew they had been conned BIG TIME.

Could you please post this terrific article in GD Politics?

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. And (yet another) unbelievable claim from Perle

"There is reason to believe that we were sucked into an ill-conceived initial attack aimed at Saddam himself by double agents planted by the regime."

I'm genuinely confused about this. Perhaps Perle was talking about Iran before this - then it might make sense (although it's bending the truth so far, and trying to remove so much blame from Bush, that it's still outrageous). Or is he claiming that Iraq had double agents - and that they wanted the USA to attack Iraq?? Or did he just refer to the Office of Special Plans as 'double agents planted by the regime'???

[RBHam]

7. President Wesley Clark, anyone...

could be interesting...