Posted on 01/16/2004 11:13:22 AM PST by Happy2BMe
Clark Urges Rivals to Release Records "I challenge all Democrats in the race to follow suit," Clark told a news conference as he released military, voter registration and financial records. "Everybody ought to be open about what they've done in public office." Clark, along with several other candidates, has criticized Dean for not opening all of his records as Vermont governor. Clark also urged President Bush to reverse policies the retired general contended have shut out citizens from government. He charged that Bush had run "the most closed administration" since President Richard Nixon. Clark called on Bush to stop hiding documents through classification extension and rollbacks of the Freedom of Information Act and to cooperate with investigations into the Sept. 11 terror attacks and the administration's secret energy task force. "It's time President Bush played it straight with the American people," he said. "President Bush has shut the people out of government and told them they have no right to know what he says to special interests in the Oval Office. As president, my administration will be an open book." Clark said he would establish an "openness doctrine" that would restrict the assertion of executive privilege, eliminate secret task forces, disclose all meetings with special interests, require lobbyists to reveal more, and use the Internet to make government transparent. Clark made personal records available to the public at a Manchester hotel and on his campaign Internet site. Not a Democrat Until 2002 Voter registration records from Arkansas show Clark, who has been accused by Dean of being a closet Republican, was a registered Democrat in 2002. Registration records from 1996 and 2000 do not show a party affiliation. His tax records, which were reported by The Associated Press in December and released to the news media Friday, showed his income rising from $92,673 in 1998 to $1.6 million in 2002. Speaking fees and serving as a military analyst for CNN provided Clark more than $1 million in income in 2002. He received $25,000 to $30,000 an appearance in speaking fees. As a military analyst, commenting mostly on the conflict with Iraq, he earned between $10,000 and $38,000 a month from CNN. Tax Me More! Clark's income places him in the group he believes should lose tax cuts instituted by President Bush, families with incomes over $200,000 a year. Under the Clark tax program, families with incomes of $50,000 or less would pay no taxes. Clark has been gaining ground in polls for the Jan. 27 New Hampshire primary, narrowing the gap with front-runner Howard Dean. The retired general said increasing criticism from Dean and other Democrat rivals, and from Republicans, reflects the tightening race. "I'm Karl Rove's biggest nightmare," Clark asserted Thursday night at a town-hall meeting, referring to Bush's chief political strategist. Clark portrays himself as the most electable of the eight Democrats seeking to limit Bush to one term. Earlier Thursday, at a news conference in Manchester, Clark said it was up to Congress to determine whether Bush's march to war in Iraq amounted to a criminal offense. Clark's Latest Flip-Flop "I think that's a question Congress needs to ask. I think this Congress needs to investigate precisely" how the United States wound up in a war "that wasn't connected to the threat of al-Qaida," he said. Clark defended his comments against the war after both of his Democrat rivals and top Republicans complained that the statements were inconsistent with past remarks, including testimony to Congress in 2002. Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie criticized Democratic candidates Thursday in Arkansas, Clark's home state. He singled out Clark, contending that he had changed his position on the war for political gain.
A Call for War Against Saddam
Clark said an RNC-released transcript of his testimony to the House Armed Services Committee in 2002 took out of context his remarks. The RNC quoted Clark as calling Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein a clear threat and contending that military action could not be postponed indefinitely. Clark released Friday full transcripts showing he urged that the Bush administration do everything possible to win United Nations support for any action against Iraq and not to go it alone.NewsMax.com Wires
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Wesley Clark on Friday challenged his rivals for the Democrat nomination for president to join him in releasing financial and other personal records, a clear prod at Howard Dean.
Friday, Jan. 16, 2004
Hmmm... a "closet" Republican . . . . hmmm.. . .
Tommy Franks . . calling Tommy Franks . .
"I challenge all Democrats in the race to follow suit," Clark told a news conference as he released military, voter registration and financial records. "Everybody ought to be open about what they've done in public office."Yep. Thanks, Weasley ! ...
CIVILIAN VEHICLES WERE BOMBED EIGHT TIMES
London Telegraph, April 20, 1999
By Ben Rooney
Excerpts:
NATO went into briefing frenzy yesterday, producing a flood of information to explain the most tragic error of the four-week air campaign.
Having spent the previous five days denying it was involved in the attack on a civilian convoy south of the Kosovan town of Djakovica last Wednesday, it admitted that it had attacked it, eight times.
Stung by criticism that the alliance was dragging its feet to explain its position, US Air Force Brig Gen Dan Leaf, who commands the 31st Air Expeditionary Wing at Aviano air base in Italy, said he had devoted the past five days to trying to establish the facts as best he could.
In a highly detailed press conference he explained how the events of that tragic day unfolded, but would not admit that his pilots had hit anything other than a military target. He did admit that from the comfort of the briefing room, the video of the attacks appeared to show alliance aircraft attacking what seemed to be tractors. But he stressed that pilots of F16s had only a pair of monochrome 4.5in screens by their knees to study.
He emphasised that the lead vehicles of the convoy of more than 100 had "several characteristics of military movement - uniform size, shape and colour as seen from the air, as well as consistent spacing between vehicles and a relatively high speed".
He also hinted at, but would not elaborate on, other sources of information that led the pilots to believe they were attacking Serb army forces involved in ethnic cleansing. He explained how aircraft made multiple passes over the convoy, releasing 500lb bombs.
It was not until someone in the air force HQ in Italy suggested almost an hour later that the Serb army does not travel in large convoys [silly!] that someone re-checked the target. It was only then they realised it contained civilian vehicles. "It is possible there were civilian casualties at both locations," he said.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
