Posted on 10/24/2003 7:19:05 PM PDT by kattracks
WASHINGTON (AP) ? One-time House candidate Katrina Swett said Friday that Democratic presidential hopeful Wesley Clark appeared completely familiar with the Iraq resolution when he advised her to support it.Swett, national co-chair for Clark rival Joe Lieberman, disputed Clark's claim that he didn't know what was in the measure when counseling her last year.
Clark, a retired Army general, now says he would not have voted for the resolution that authorized President Bush to launch military strikes against Iraq. But that's not what he said a year ago as Congress was debating the issue.
On Oct. 9, 2002, Clark was campaigning with Swett, a Democrat who was running for Congress in New Hampshire. He told an Associated Press reporter that day that although he was concerned about the country's move to war, he supported the resolution and would advise Swett to vote for it if she were in Congress.
Clark has based much of his candidacy on his opposition to the war. He says that in contrast to Bush, he is an experienced military leader who would not rush to fight.
On Wednesday, Clark pleaded ignorance when the Boston Globe asked why he said a year ago that he would have voted for the resolution and advised Swett to do the same.
"I wasn't following the resolution and I didn't even know what was in the resolution," he told the Globe, according to a report in Friday editions.
Swett said Friday that Clark was "extremely intelligent and well-spoken" on the resolution when discussing it with her.
"At that time, frankly, he spoke with great knowledge about Iraq and the upcoming vote," she said. "My impression is that he knew more about it than most of us."
The Clark campaign dismissed Swett's account.
"We're not going to sweat what an avowed Lieberman supporter says about our candidate," said Clark spokesman Matt Bennett.
Swett lost the congressional race last year.
Katrina Swett is the daughter of Tom Lantos, congressdemo from San Mateo CA. She married Dick Swett who was a former congresscritter.
A totally laughable candidate. He's got less credibility than Lyndon LaRouche...
LOL!
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