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July 1, 2008
transcript by Reg NYC

Andrea Mitchell: Good day, I'm Andrea Mitchell live in Washington. Welcome to MSNBC's Super Tuesday special coverage. Today we are going in depth on the politics of the war in Iraq, a reality check on what is happening on the ground and where the candidates stand. Here with us now retired U.S. General Wesley Clark. The General is an MSNBC analyst and a Barack Obama supporter after having supported Hillary Clinton during the primaries. General Clark, welcome. We want to talk to you about Iraq-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Thank you very much, Andrea.

Andrea Mitchell: -and about foreign policy. First, we want to give you an opportunity to respond to a lot that's been said since Sunday when you went on Face The Nation and had the following exchange between yourself and Bob Schieffer. Let's watch:

(on tape)

Bob Schieffer: How can you say that John McCain is un- untested and untried? General?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Because in the matters of national security policy making, it's a matter of understanding risk. It's a matter of gauging your opponents, and it's a matter of being held accountable. John McCain's never done any of that in his official positions. I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He, he was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and millions of others in Armed Forces as a prisoner of war. He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and he has traveled all over the world. But he hasn't held executive responsibility. That large squadron in Air- in the Navy that he commanded, it wasn't a wartime squadron. He hasn't been there and ordered the bombs to fall. He hasn't seen what it's like when diplomats come in and say, 'I don't know whether we're going to be able to get this point through or not. Do you want to take the risk? What about your reputation? How do we handle it-'

Bon Schieffer: Well-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: ' -it publicly.' He hasn't made those calls, Bob.

Bob Schieffer: Well, well, General, maybe-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: So-

Bob Schieffer: Could I just interrupt you. If-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Sure.

Bob Schieffer: I have to say, Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down. I mean-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be President.

(end tape)

Andrea Mitchell: Now, of course, what people are focusing on is your final comment that riding in a fighter plane, getting shot down isn't a qualification to be President, but you also make the point that John McCain didn't have executive experience. This has caused, as you know, a ruckus. Barack Obama has not had executive experience either. So, why criticize John McCain for something that your own candidate can't, can't claim to.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, Andrea, thanks for giving me a chance to be on and talk about this issue, because these are comments I made some time ago in general about John McCain long before I had supported Barack Obama several months ago based on my own experience in 38 years in uniform. I was a company commander in Vietnam. I came home on a stretcher. I'd been hit by four rounds. I had a broken hand, a broken leg, was in three hospitals. And so, I know what war's like at the cutting edge. And then I was later the Commander, as you would recall, in Yugoslavia in the, in the Kosova campaign for NATO, and I helped win that battle for the United States and for NATO. And so, I, I've seen war at the tactical level. I've seen it at the strategic level. So, in this campaign, national security's going to be very, very important as an issue. John McCain has to be recognized as someone who served his country in uniform. He served with courage. He served with commitment, and I honor that service. And as I said on the show, he's one of my heroes, but the service that he had wasn't the same as having been in the White House or in the Pentagon or at a high level command and having actually had to wrestle with national policy and national strategic issues. And that's the point I'm making.

Andrea Mitchell: But as I say, neither has Barack Obama, and the political impact of this has been to take Barack Obama off-message on a day when he was giving a major speech on patriotism and in fact had to insert this following comment into his speech yesterday. Let's watch:

(on tape)

Barack Obama: For those like John McCain, who have endure physical torment in service to our country, no further proof of such sacrifice is necessary. Let me also add that no one should ever devalue that service, especially for the sake of a political campaign (applause) and that goes for supporters of both sides.

(and tape)

Andrea Mitchell: Now, he didn't mention you, General, but we have been told clearly he was referring to you. Doesn't that cause you some concern.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Oh, I've talked to the campaign about this.

Andrea Mitchell: Okay.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: But Andrea, it wasn't my decision to bring this up on Sunday, and I haven't made the ruckus. But I think an important point in this is that-

Andrea Mitchell: But you answered it the way you answered it as we've shown.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I answered it the way Bob Schieffer asked it to me. I just answered a direct question. It was like, 'Is the sun shining?' I said, 'Yes, the sun is shining.' And I know that's not always done-

Andrea Mitchell: Well-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -in politics, but I answered a direct question. So, let me explain why I think this is an important issue and why I think it's important that our, our viewers understand that there's a distinction between having shown your courage and commitment as a soldier, sailor or airman in the United S- marine in the United States Armed Forces and having learned from that the judgement that will make you a better President. Because I think ultimately this is a question about who has the better judgement to be Commander in Chief. Barack Obama is not claiming any experience having been in the Armed Forces, but I think if you look at their record of what they've said on things like Iraq and what they've said on the war on terror and how they're approaching the use of all of America's powers, not only our military power, you would make a strong case with me that Barack Obama has shown the better judgement.

Andrea Mitchell: Well let me, let me point out what some of the critics from the Republican side have pointed out, that there seems to be an organized campaign and - whether or not you played into this - that also on Sunday a liberal blogger John Aravosis on americablog.com wrote, "Honestly, besides being tortured what did McCain do to excel in the military?" That was the title of the blog. Down in the blog, he said, "Getting shot down, tortured and then doing propaganda for the enemy is not command experience." Now, first of all, there's a factual issue there, because no one has proved to my satisfaction that John McCain ever did any propaganda for the enemy. To the contrary, he resisted all efforts to use him as a tool with his father being the Admiral in charge of the fleet and refusing to let himself be-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Mm hm.

Andrea Mitchell: -released and become, you know, a tool-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Yeah.

Andrea Mitchell: -of the North Vietnamese at the time.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I'd agree.

Andrea Mitchell: That said, there has been an argument.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: He was a very honorable prisoner of war.

Andrea Mitchell: And he was an extraordinary man, and he showed a great deal of courage and has had a career-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Absolutely.

Andrea Mitchell: -since he was a prisoner of war, which he can be judged on-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Right.

Andrea Mitchell: -his Senate career. But that-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Right.

Andrea Mitchell: -there's a whole issue of whether there is an organized campaign against John McCain's military service, which Barack Obama can stand above-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: No.

Andrea Mitchell: -and say, 'I honor his service.' Take a look at the-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Absolutely not.

General Wesley Clark on The Ed Schultz Show

July 1, 2008
transcript by Reg NYC

Ed Schultz: 1-877-934-6833 Good to have you back with us here where America comes to talk, The Ed Schultz Show. Well, it all unfolded on, it all unfolded on Face The Nation with General Wesley Clark and Bob Schieffer. This is the exchange:

(dead air)

We'll get to it here in just a few moments. Let's go to General Wesley Clark joining us here on The Ed Schultz Show. General, good to have you with us.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Ed, thank you, and thank you for being such a stand-up guy yesterday in, in all this controversy.

Ed Schultz: You know, General, I, I don't, I don't know where the controversy is. I thought you were very clear on Meet The Press saying you were talking about experience on the job. That's how I took it.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, that's what I meant, and I think the controversy, someone asked me this morning on the MSNBC show, "Was this an orchestrated by- attack by Democrats." I'd say no.

Ed Schultz: Hm.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: The only orchestration was by the Republicans. I think that since John McCain's hired the, the Swift Boating team to protect his military record, they just decided they would launch a pre-emptive strike.

Ed Schultz: Clearly, they have taken your comments and turned it into an attack on Barack Obama and also of course, you know, I'm independent. I'm not on anybody's payroll but my own Ed Schultz Show payroll. I'm not connected with the Obama camp other than being a reporter and doing my own stuff as a talk show host. I don't have any special line to anybody. I was asked by the Democratic Party back in April to go warm up the crowd for 20 minutes. And we started talking about McCain, and I, I always thought he was a warmonger based on his Iraq policy. And so-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, he's certainly shown bad judgement, because he always sort of jumps and, and calls for the use of military force first, and you know as a military guy (chuckles) I'd like us to be called last after everything else has failed. Don't throw us in first.

Ed Schultz: Alright, here's the exchange you had with Bob Schieffer on Face The Nation:

(on tape)

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and he has traveled all over the world. But he hasn't held executive responsibility. That large squadron in Air- in the Navy that he commanded, it wasn't a wartime squadron. He hasn't been there and ordered the bombs to fall.

Bob Schieffer: I have to say, Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down. I mean-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be President.

(end tape)

Ed Schultz: Did you go too far, General Clark?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I mean, if someone asked you is the sun is shi- if the sun is shining, you said, 'Yes, the sun is shining,' you wouldn't have HAD to say that. You could've said, 'Well the sky's blue and there are no clouds,' but basically I just answered the question that was asked.

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July 1, 2008
transcript by Reg NYC

Robin Roberts: As you know the McCain and Obama camps are divided on most things, but they have agreed on one, that the comment made by retired General Wesley Clark was out of line, a comment he is not backing down from. General Clark joins us now live from Little Rock, Arkansas for a morning exclusive. General, thank you very much for joining us-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, thanks Diane for-

Robin Roberts: -this morning.

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -giving me a chance to make sure Americans understand that as a retired serviceman, someone who came home from Vietnam on a stretcher, someone who spent 38 years in uniform, someone who's worked his way up through the ranks of the United States Armed Forces, I would never disv- discredit anyone who chose to wear the uniform. I fully respect John McCain and his service, and I said so repeatedly. My point is that there's a difference in preparing yourself for the highest office in the land depending on which levels you've served at in the Armed Forces. John McCain as a young officer demonstrated courage and character, but the service as President is about judgement. And the experience that he had as a fighter pilot isn't the same as having been at the highest levels of the military and having to make- work with the President and other heads of state and make those kinds of life or death decisions about national strategic issues.

You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkReBAQOYh4

June 30, 2008

Transcription by Melange

Dan Abrams: Breaking tonight, General Wesley Clark is with us live for his first interview since he ignited a major controversy yesterday by questioning the relevance of John McCain's military service as a POW in Vietnam. The question: how significant is it in this campaign? The McCain camp jumped on the comments by Clark, who's now an Obama supporter, linking them to Obama's campaign saying quote, "Obama's words don't really match up with the way he is running the campaign." Joining me now is General Wesley Clark. General Clark, thanks very much uh, for joining us. We appreciate it. Now, you set off quite a firestorm here with both McCain and Obama coming out and rejecting your comments. First let me play the comments at issue from CBS yesterday.

<Video Clip>
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and millions of others in Armed Forces as a prisoner of war. He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and he has traveled all over the world. But he hasn't held executive responsibility. That large squadron in Air…in the Navy that he commanded, it wasn't a wartime squadron. He hasn't been there and ordered the bombs to fall. He hasn't seen what it's like when diplomats come in and say, 'I don't know whether we're going to be able to get this point through or not. Do you want to take the risk? What about your reputation? How do we handle it publicly'

Bob Schieffer: Well
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: He hasn't made those calls, Bob.

Bob Schieffer: Well, well, General, maybe…

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: So…

Bob Schieffer: Could I just interrupt you. If…
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Sure.
Bob Schieffer: I have to say, Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down. I mean-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be President.
<end Video Clip>

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UPDATED with Transcript


Bob Schieffer: With us now from Little Rock, Arkansas Retired General Wesley Clark. He was for Hillary Clinton during the primaries. Once Hillary was out of it, he announced that he was supporting Barack Obama. And let's get right to it here, General. You heard what Senator Lieberman said. He said that Barack Obama is simply more ready to be President than, than Barack Obama. (sic)

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I think Bar- I think Joe has it exactly backwards here. I think being President is, is about having good judgment. It's about the ability to communicate. As one of the great Presidential historians Richard Newsted said, "The greatest power of the Presidency is the power to persuade." And what Barack Obama brings is incredible communication skills, proven judgment. You look at his meteoric rise in politics, and you see a guy who deals with people well, who understands issues, who brings people together and who has good judgment in moving forward. And I think what we need to do, Bob, is we need to stop talking about the old politics of left and right, and we need to pull together and move the country forward. And I think that's what Barack Obama will do for America.

Constitution Project | June 23, 2008

Blue Ribbon Committee Condemns National Security Courts

Critique_of_the_National_Security_Courts.pdf

Bipartisan Coalition Rejects Proposal to Create Separate Court System

Washington, DC - Today the Constitution Project condemned proposals to create a system of "national security courts" in a new white paper, "A Critique of 'National Security Courts.'" In recent years, and particularly in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's decision in Boumediene v. Bush affirming the constitutional rights of "enemy combatants" to challenge their detentions through habeas corpus, several scholars and government officials have called for the creation of specialized hybrid tribunals that would review the preventive detention of suspected terrorists (both within and outside of the territorial United States), conduct the detainees' criminal trials, or, in some cases, both.

A bipartisan coalition of political leaders, national security experts, and legal scholars - all members of the Constitution Project's Liberty and Security Committee or Coalition to Defend Checks and Balances - rejected such proposals this morning, contending that "they neglect basic and fundamental principles of American constitutional law, and they assume incorrectly that the traditional processes have proven ineffective. ... We believe that the government can accomplish its legitimate goals using existing laws and legal procedures without resorting to such sweeping and radical departures from an American constitutional tradition that has served us effectively for over two centuries." The signers describe the ability of traditional civilian and military courts to prosecute those suspected of terrorism and go on to recommend that Congress reject any proposals to create "national security courts."

The following may be attributed to Sharon Bradford Franklin, senior counsel at the Constitution Project: "Establishing an unprecedented and unnecessary system of tribunals risks undermining the constitutional protections enshrined in our criminal justice system. Plans to create a 'national security court' scheme incorrectly assume that existing civilian and military courts are not up to the task. The condemnation of these misguided proposals by respected leaders from across the political spectrum should give pause to those who would abandon fundamental tenets of the Constitution. The search for a national security policy that keeps us safe while preserving liberty is not a zero-sum game."

Notable signers of the white paper include:

• General Wesley Clark (USA, ret.), former Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander-in-Chief of the United States European Command;
• Mickey Edwards, former Member of Congress (R-OK) and Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee;
• Dr. Morton H. Halperin, Executive Director of the Open Society Policy Center and former Director of Policy Planning Staff at the United States Department of State;
• Philip Heymann, former Deputy Attorney General;
• David Kay, former Director of the Iraq Survey Group and Chief Weapons Inspector for the United Nations;
• David Keene, Chairman of the American Conservative Union;
• Harold Hongju Koh, Dean of Yale Law School and former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor;
• Thomas Pickering, former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs and United States Ambassador to the United Nations;
• William S. Sessions, former Director of the FBI;
• David Skaggs, former Member of Congress (D-CO) and Chairman of the Democratic Study Group; and
• Patricia Wald, former Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Photos by REUTERS/Jim Bourg (UNITED STATES)

Democratic US presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) speaks as retired Army General Wesley Clark (R) listens during Obama's meeting with generals and other military flag officers at a military and foreign affairs round table discussion in Washington June 18, 2008.

Democratic US presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) speaks flanked by retired U.S. Army General Merrill 'Tony' McPeak (L) and retired Army General Wesley Clark (R) as he meets with generals and other military flag officers during a military and foreign affairs round table discussion in Washington June 18, 2008.

More photos are available here from AP

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Gen. Clark: McCain Is "Untested And Untried" On National Security

On Tuesday, Sen. Kent Conrad revealed that Sen. Barack Obama is including "former top military leaders" among the approximately two dozen names currently rattling around in a not-so-short vice presidential short list.

Such figures don't come much more "top" in either political party than retired four-star General Wes Clark, the former Supreme Allied Commander Europe for NATO during the Kosovo War. After a late entry into the Democratic 2004 presidential race, in which he won the Oklahoma primary and finished second in three other contests, Clark turned himself into a popular surrogate on the stump for Democratic congressional candidates during the midterm elections.

Relatively new to partisan politics, he seems to have taken to the enterprise with gusto. As an early backer of Sen. Hillary Clinton, Clark traveled in the last year to Iowa, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Ohio, Texas, Indiana and South Dakota. But even now that the spouse of his former Commander in Chief is out of the race, Clark isn't done for the season. In an email pitch to his nationwide network of supporters last week, Clark urged party unity and described the call to elect Obama as a "critical mission."

In a wide-ranging interview with The Huffington Post, Clark offered opinions on the current state of American foreign policy, the Democrats' emergence as a more "full-service" party on security issues, and -- lest anyone doubt his potential use as a running mate for Obama -- the shortcomings of Sen. John McCain.

"I know he's trying to get traction by seeking to play to what he thinks is his strong suit of national security," Clark said of McCain while speaking from his office in Little Rock, Arkansas. "The truth is that, in national security terms, he's largely untested and untried. He's never been responsible for policy formulation. He's never had leadership in a crisis, or in anything larger than his own element on an aircraft carrier or [in managing] his own congressional staff. It's not clear that this is going to be the strong suit that he thinks it is."

Resume aside, though, Clark also took issue with the Arizona Republican's instincts on national security. "McCain's weakness is that he's always been for the use of force, force and more force. In my experience, the only time to use force is as a last resort. ... When he talks about throwing Russia out of the G8 and makes ditties about bombing Iran, he betrays a disrespect for the office of the presidency."

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