Kerry: Clark will have to answer for his support of Nixon and Reagan

[CMT]

Sen. John Kerry warneed Tuesday that retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, whose entry into the race for the Democratic presidential nomination has reshaped the campaign, will have to answer for his past support of Republicans Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan...

"I know that when he voted for Reagan and he voted for Nixon, I was fighting against both of them, Kerry said in an interview with the Miami Herald.

"I think your life history is what you're offering people," added Kerry...

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/6846484.htm

[Padraig18]

1. I do want to hear him explain.

I want to hear his explanation, and until I do, I'm reserving judgment. I won't shove a knife under his 5th rib without giving him a chance to explain, unlike some here who seem more than willing to do.

[renie408]

2. The votes alone

don't make me condemn him. It is more the total package of problems that have come to light, of which the votes are only part.

[StephNW4Clark]

3. Very true

But I think some historical context may be necessary in this case. Of course, I think General Clark should explain this for himself because people do deserve to hear the answer from him. That said, I think we also need to remember that the PLATFORM Nixon ran with was very different from his actions within the Oval Office.

Nixon, remember, said he had a plan to get the US out of Vietnam - where General Clark saw soldiers and civilians dying. Vietnam was the issue during that election. Also remember that Lyndon Johnson - a Democrat - escalated the war in Vietnam. Let's not throw stones in glass houses, people. Nixon also started the EPA (nothing like its current perversion under the Bush administration).

I'm not trying to put words in General Clark's mouth, but the passage of time tends to dull people's memories and create a selective picture of what occurred, instead of remembering how everything unfolded.

[renie408]

4. You have indirectly

targeted why I think it is VERY important to review the votes someone has made, the way they have presented themselves over time, etc and why some of the stuff about Clark bugs me. Because the platform they run on can be VERY different from their actions as President. I am sure that few of us have problems with the candidates platforms as they are stated. It is their history of sticking to what they say that is important. I know I have been saying this a lot lately, but that is why I am for Edwards. I trust him to do what he says he is going to.

[virtualobserver]

6. People can change

I made the same change myself. I supported Reagan twice.

I didn't change my thinking until 1986.

I supported Dukakis in 1988....proudly.

[renie408]

8. Did you work a Republican fundraiser two years ago?

[virtualobserver]

10. that would be a tad different.

did clark do that? more detail, please.

[KittyWampus]

34. So A General Who Speaks PROFESSIONALLY Must Decline Any Job

if it's at all related the GOP?

Gee, you know Paul Krugman used to work for ENRON... using your f*cked up logic.

[xJlM]

36. Nixon said that back in 1968

"Peace with honor", wasn't that the line of shit he was spouting? Honor, of course, involved bombing the hell out of Cambodia. I was only seven years old in '68, but thanks to my dad I knew what a lying sack of shit Nixon was way back then.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

5. Can John Kerry explain his support for the war???

:eyes:

[NewYorkerfromMass]

12. He has but some refuse to listen

:eyes:

[George_Bonanza]

35. *Yawn*

Please return with intelligence.

[phillybri]

7. Clark will answer to this tomorrow night....

Kerry is dead-on with respect to fighting Nixon and Reagan.

That being said, I wouldn't necessarily hold Clark's votes against him. Hell, everyone in my family votes straight ticket Republican!!!

[renie408]

But they aren't running for the DEMOCRATIC nomination, are they?

[phillybri]

14. True, but....

They're also not pro-choice, pro-affirmative action, anti-tax giveaways, pro-environment....

[Feanorcurufinwe]

9. It's not about Clark, but I was struck by this in the same article:

Kerry, who has criticized aspects of the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba, made headlines earlier this month when he expressed his support for the embargo.

In the interview Tuesday, he staked out a more moderate position, defending his past support for easing restrictions on travel and humanitarian aid.

''These are things that help undermine the isolation that in my judgment helps Castro,'' he said.

He said the so-called wet-foot-dry-foot policy that allows Cuban refugees who reach dry land to remain in the United States is ''uneven'' because it gives Cubans rights not afforded to Haitians.

As for his comments in 2001 that the trade embargo exists only as a result of Florida politics, Kerry said: ``I was being honest.''
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/6846484.htm

Being honest. What a concept in politics. That is the kind of President we need.

[MidwestTransplant]

11. Youthful Indiscretions!

n/t

[bowens43]

13. I agree. It bothers the hell out of me

that he didn't know he was democrat until a couple of weeks ago. He looks like an opportunist to me. I think that if the bushies had asked him on board, he'd be a republican right now.

[Cappurr]

15. I don't think you were watching very closely....

Clark "looked like a Democrat" from the moment he started talking on CNN about the then-proposed war in Iraq. I mean this "draft Clark" movement didn't just start two weeks ago. Its been going on for months and talked about on the political shows. And if you read Sidney Blumenthal's book you'll see that he looked like a Democrat long before then. Thats one of the reasons he didn't get along with the Pentagon brass.

[Padraig18]

16. Hypothetically speaking...

... ,would you have been one bit happier if he were running as an Independent, and not as a Democrat? I somewhat doubt any of us would be one BIT happier, if you want my gut-level read on things. Let's face it, he's sucked a HUGE amount of air out of the room. *shrug*

[blm]

20. Kerry and Clark are pretty tight, and it is not for

Kerry to answer for Clark on this, and the press is just trying to stir up crap between them. Clark was one of the few who came forward and backed up Kerry over a decade ago on Kerry's push to allow gays to serve openly in the military. That's HARDLY a Republican stance, especially back long before many pols advocated for gays at all.

[blm]

17. Shallow media. Before they would only ask Kerry about Dean.

Now all they want to ask him about is Clark?

[GOPBasher]

18. Kerry should answer for me,

why he thinks people can't change. I care about Clark's positions now, not the fact that it took him some time to see the light.

I hate Dems bashing other Dems. Hello, people! What if the person you're bashing becomes the nominee? Thanks for giving Repugs something to put in their commercials.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

22. Well, let's see

"why he thinks people can't change"

Gee, he didn't say that, did he?

"I hate Dems bashing other Dems."

Kerry said Tuesday that Clark's past support for Nixon and Reagan could be a ''legitimate question'' during upcoming debates.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/6846484.htm

Wow, that is some nasty attack politics Kerry is practicing, by saying it is a 'legitimate question'. Talk about an unfair bash!

lol

[GOPBasher]

23. I didn't see the exact quote.

Good point. I went by the subject line of this post, which said, "Clark will have to answer for his support of Nixon and Reagan." That seems much more harsh than his actual quote, where he simply said it's a "legitimate question." Sorry I didn't see that.

By the way, I seriously don't mean to attack Kerry -- he's actually my second favorite to Clark. I'm really hoping for a Clark/Kerry ticket.

[blm]

24. He's not bashing...

in fact, if you notice, Clark is aligning himself with Kerry on almost every issue so far. They are friends and a little parrying will divert attention from the rumor that Clark is running interference for Kerry.

[jerryster]

19. Clark

Let's remember that people can change their minds, their views and their politics. Whenever a Dem goes over to the repugnicant side he or she is immediately embraced and paraded in front of the cameras as proof that the repugs are right. (They're not.It's just that they are so good at saying they are). So my feeling is that the Dems should do the same when they get a convert. The Dems did an excellent job of that with Jeffords. Any chance of landing McCain? That would be great!

[genius]

21. One of the best liberal activists I know voted for them

While I have always voted Democrat, I have noticed that some of the best activists are those who more recently woke up and joined the party. They seem more committed to liberal causes than a lot of people who voted for Carter and Mondale. One woman, who used to be a Republican, says that she discovered they were simply liberal. One of the leaders in opposition to the selection and one of the most liberal individuals I know, voted the way they claim Clark voted. Watching her go after the Republicans is amazing.


While I can't relate to why anyone would ever vote Republican, I do know that when a person makes wrong choices, they become more aware of how stupid their wrong choice was. I initially worked on the Dean campaign. I am, in some ways ashamed of having been so gullible. However, waking up and seeing him for what he is, makes me see the whole election process much more clearly.

[OHdem10]

25. I would think on this seiously

Both Regan and Nixon received a huge number of Democratic Votes. In fact Regan brought a lot of Blue collar Dems into Republican Pary. I used to be a Republican saw the light and converted to Democratic Party. Some consider me a rabid Democrat because I truly understand what the Republicans believe and will do.
Yes I even voted for Regan but It was Regan who made me see the wrongness of the Republican Party. Does this mean on this day in 2003 I am a lacking democrat>? If these people in Conmgress had known what I know about Republicans they would not have stayed hidden up there in Washington; giving the impression they were afraid to stand up to Bush. Clark has a following of Republicans , Independents and Democrats. Maybe just maybe he an bring some more Republicans to the Dem. Party. I guess what I am saying is these
votes by Clark were in the past. I know I fight harder for the Dems than I ever did for Republicans.

OHdem10

[robbedvoter]

26. People change: some turn left (Clark) some turn right (Kerry)

:shrug:

[CMT]

27. overall and I say this as a Dean Fan

John Kerry has a overall quite liberal record in the US Senate. I have a feeling he would be a much more liberal president than Wes Clark--who is a moderate. Yes, and Kerry would be more liberal (I think) than Dean. But Kerry hurt himself with liberals when he sided with Bush on the war resolution.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

28. Reagan was obviously an idiot.

It's the second vote for Reagan that really disturbs me. Anyone who listened to his "Pacific Coast Highway Ramble" during his 1984 debate would have to be insane to have voted for him. There is no excuse.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

38. I love when I can agree with you!

Good point.

[sungkathak]

29. It's a political game.

W.Clark is a tool used by insider group to weaken Howard Dean. That's why he pretend to be a liberal and speak everything against war to take the votes away from Dean. That's his mission. Supporting Nixon and Reagan? He may support Bush again when Dean was pulled out. That's the political trick. Don't forget he had said he might have voted to authorize Iraq war power to Bush.

[JohnKleeb]

30. you know I find it pecular that Dean supporters are attacking Clark

for once voting GOP. Now for the record I dont like Clark much myself. I am a big Kucinich supporter but Dean grew up republican I know. This doesnt bother me but I think it is odd that Dean supporters are with the offensive attacking Clark for once voting republican. I dont know and I dont care if Dean voted for the GOP at one time, same with Clark. I have my reasons for being iffy on him.

[Cha]

32. Did you also know that Dean voted for Mondale and McGovern.?

I read it on DU today..so I don't have a link or how the poster knew ..but it's as much data as we're reading right now.

I personally don't give a rat's ass who Clark voted for ..I'm a political neophyte.
I didn't even vote in those days..politics turned me off. Time will tell about Clark...

Now I realize that you have to work at change if you don't like what's going on in your Country! :kick:

[sungkathak]

41. W. Clark is obviously a harasseer

If he is at the begining joined campaign for primary and had such opinion against war, I'll support him. But now, at the situation when Dean leads candidate and the only one with clear opinion against war, W. Clark's sudden jump out is apparently a harassment tactic which targets at to weaken Dean and this is the tactic the insider group used to use in election. It's not only support Dean's idea, it's against the dirty tactics of trying to sabotage anti-war power.

[Ediacara]

31. is Kerry going to ask this to his wife?

[Cha]

33. That's funny!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

40. Does anyone really care?

Is she running for president?

[returnable]

42. No, but

she's bankrolling someone who is :)

And according to the logic of some Clark-bashing folks here at DU, Kerry's known association with, no, make that LOVE of, a known Republican must mean his own politics are skewed.

Silly, ain't it?

:toast:

[burr]

37. lol...

Kerry is having serious delusions if he honestly believes large numbers of Cuban-Americans will vote in the Democratic primaries!! :crazy:

[DakotaDemocrat]

39. Don't we want people who voted Republican...

...to see the light of day sometime. I thought we were looking for the best and brightest to lead our fair country. Many people voted Republican before, and some have even helped the Republicans win the last time, even in the last election, but this administration has soured people to no end.

So we do not accept "transfer" who voted for Bush *, even though they have viewed our politics as more in line with their beliefs now?

Do only long-time (and thus, myopic) Democrats need apply?


Where does he stand on the tax cuts?
Where does he stand on abortion?
Where does he stand on the current administration playing divisive politics, not only with the world ("...you are either with us or..."), but also within our own borders ("...questioning the president during war is parallel with treason..")


See his vision, follow his speeches and look at his record. Like the General said in his words, we need dialogue when we disagree. And you are free to dissent, but have it on the issues...


By the way, if he's a St. Louis Cardinal fan, I'm not voting for him... (sarcasm off)