NEWSWEEK: Wesley Clark Lobbied Bush Administration for Contracts (oops)

Newsweek ^

[Pukin Dog]

NEW YORK, Jan. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- As an Arkansas businessman, Wesley Clark lobbied Vice President Dick Cheney, Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, aides to FBI Director Robert Mueller and his former chief deputy commander in Europe on behalf of a company eager to get post-9/11 security work, Newsweek reports in the current issue. The aim: to get a contract for Acxiom, a Little Rock firm whose "data mining" techniques are useful in tracking terrorists.

The lobbying -- for which Clark was paid about $400,000 -- must have helped: Acxiom got a contract. Everything was aboveboard and disclosed, says Chris Lehane, who does opposition research for Clark. But Clark's eagerness to do a deal was ironic, given his more recent criticism of the Bush administration's handling of security, report Chief Political Correspondent Howard Fineman and Investigative Correspondent Michael Isikoff in the January 26 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, January 19). And the Howard Dean campaign, furious at weeks of attacks on their own candidate, took the occasion to fire at will. "Clark portrays himself as an outsider when he's really just another Washington insider," says Dean spokesman Jay Carson. "It turns out that this guy was a registered lobbyist long before he was a registered Democrat."

[Pukin Dog]

Okay, so the other shoe has dropped on Clark, when I thought it would wait until after the Democrat nominee was selected.

Here is the point;

CHENEY NEVER SPOKE TO CLARK.

Remember Clark saying that he may have become a Republican if Cheney had returned his phone calls? The point is that Clark sold himself to a number of Corporations based upon his ability to lobby the White House.

He was paid major dollars because he claimed he could talk directly to the administration. In short, HE LIED. In doing so, he defrauded those Corporations for millions of dollars. Some companies got contracts even without Clark's help. I wish it could have waited, but the sharks will be out for Mr. Clark next week. He literally stole from companies. The best news is that Clark either lied about not getting his calls returned, or he lied about having access to the Adminstration to every company who hired him to lobby on their behalf. Either way, Clark is done.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Somebody just one-upped Chris Lehane.

[maica]

WOW!!! Have you ever connected the dots!

I believe that Clark has been lying to people his entire life. And got a long way with that talent. But he isn't going to get any farther.

[eureka!]

lying empty suit bump...

[Peach]

Man, you really nailed it.

One would think the hot shots at Newsweek could connect the dots, but noooooo.

It takes a Freeper to do it and you did it well.

[Leroy S. Mort]

Somebody just one-upped Chris Lehane.

What makes you think himself Lehane didn't leak this? Remember who his Mistress is.

[Pukin Dog]

Thanks, but it's common knowledge at the Pentagon. Clark is considered to be radioactive. No one speaks to Clark. Maybe that nutcase O'Neill did, but Clark would not get millions for talking to him. Newsweek did Clark a favor by getting it out now instead of later.

[sinkspur]

In doing so, he defrauded those Corporations for millions of dollars.

Except for Axciom, which got the contract.

Clark was a lobbyist, and was obviously cozy with somebody in the Bush administration.

This ain't gonna do much to burnish his image as an outsider.

[Pukin Dog]

Clark was a lobbyist, and was obviously cozy with somebody in the Bush administration.

You think so? Nope.

Axciom getting the contract was a coincidence, nothing more. Note that Clark did not end up on their board until after the contract was awarded. They may have thought that Clark had done something for them, but he didn't if no one spoke to him.

[Ragirl]

After reading the aricle, I keep going back to something I read months ago...Gen. Clark has integrity issues BIG TIME.

Retired Gen. H. Hugh Shelton, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark has some "integrity and character issues" and won't be getting his vote.

Shelton, who was Joint Chiefs chairman on 9-11, made the comments at a celebrity forum at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, Calif., earlier this month, the Los Altos Town Crier reported.

After a presentation reviewing the historic events of his 38-year military career, Shelton took questions from the audience.

One question came from Dick Henning, moderator of the event: "What do you think of Gen. Wesley Clark and would you support him as a presidential candidate?"

According to the report, Shelton took a drink of water before answering.

Said Henning, "I noticed you took a drink on that one!"

"That question makes me wish it were vodka," said Shelton, according to the Los Altos paper. "I've known Wes for a long time. I will tell you the reason he came out of Europe early had to do with integrity and character issues, things that are very near and dear to my heart. I'm not going to say whether I'm a Republican or a Democrat. I'll just say Wes won't get my vote."

Clark was supreme allied commander of NATO forces during the Clinton-era bombing campaign against Serbia. Shelton relieved him of duty in 2000, several months earlier than Clark expected.

[sinkspur]

You may be right.

I still think the Bushies have their guns loaded and, if Clark gets the nod, are going to unload on him with both barrels. There's a lot of people who've got a lot of stuff on this guy.

[Jorge]

I believe that Clark has been lying to people his entire life.

This alone qualifies him for the Democratic nomination.
It amazes me how Democrats have no problem supporting known and proven chronic liars.
Al Gore almost made it to the White House and this is a man who was famous for lying and making up stories.

[albee]

The last president of our country who graduated from a Military School was none other than Jimmie Carter who managed to screw up this nation so badly that he became a one-term president. His pathetic performance (amnesty for draft dodgers, runaway inflation, sky high interest rates, mile long gas lines, imprisonment of our diplomats in Iran, canceling America's participation in the Olympic Games and his stupid fireside chats while wearing a ratty sweater to show how he is conserving energy immediately come to mind.)

Perhaps Weasely Clark is taking some tips from Jimmie and his brother, Billy.

[Hon]

"The point is that Clark sold himself to a number of Corporations based upon his ability to lobby the White House.

In short, HE LIED. In doing so, he defrauded those Corporations for millions of dollars."

Clark may have served on a number of corporate boards, and possibly for the reasons you mentioned, but the only group he was a registered lobbyist for (as far as I know) was Acxiom -- for which he claims to have only been paid $50K a year.

[ladyinred]

Well, well, well. It seems the other shoe has dropped. Saner heads must have finally decided it is time to get this nutcase off the campaign trail.

[HAL9000]

Clark was a lobbyist, and was obviously cozy with somebody in the Bush administration.

I think Clark's lobbying work was contracted through Stephens, Inc., The Stephens family has done a lot of fundraising for the Bush campaigns, so there is the connection.

That thing that isn't getting reported is that Stephens fired Clark because he was a total flop as a businessman.

[Hon]

Related report from a few months ago:

Wesley Clark Keeps Acxiom, Other Board Memberships: Reports
Direct Marketing Business Intelligence ^ | September 18, 2003 | Richard Levey

Wesley Clark, the former Army General who announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination on Sept. 17, has not given up his board memberships, according to published accounts.

Since retiring from the military in 2000, Clark has held a variety of industrial positions, including jobs with a Washington, DC-based technology firm, an investment company, and director or advisor positions with six other organizations. In most cases he was brought on board to assist with military or government contracts.

One such company is Acxiom Corp., the Little Rock, AR-based data firm. Clark joined Acxiom in December 2001, and played a part in the company’s efforts to market its services to federal organizations involved in homeland security, according to Acxiom spokesman Dale Ingram.

Ingram did not comment on whether Clark’s actions resulted in any new business for Acxiom.

While Clark is maintaining his position on Acxiom’s board of directors, he did terminate his consulting agreement with the company upon announcing his candidacy. That contract was valued at $150,000 per year, said Ingram.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/987209/posts

[Hon]

Yes. Here is something you posted earlier on the subject:

http://public.thecorporatelibrary.net/Transactions/rel_ACXM_2003.html

"...During the past fiscal year we had an agreement with an affiliate of Stephens Group, Inc. ("Stephens"), whereby we retained the consulting services of a former Stephens employee who is also one of our board members, General Wesley K. Clark, in connection with our pursuit of contracts with various government agencies. Under the agreement, commissions were payable to the Stephens affiliate on revenue from government contracts attributable to Clark's efforts, which commissions were to be offset against an annual consulting fee of $300,000. As of March 1, 2003, General Wesley K. Clark resigned from Stephens and founded Wesley K. Clark & Associates, a business services and development firm. As of that date we replaced the agreement with the Stephens affiliate with an agreement with Wesley K. Clark & Associates for the consulting services of General Clark. Under the terms of the new agreement, Acxiom will pay Clark an annual retainer of $150,000 plus commissions for new business obtained through Clark's efforts, which commissions will be offset against the retainer."

[Happy2BMe]

Just Who In The Hell Is This Guy Clark?

[governsleastgovernsbest]

"Clark portrays himself as an outsider when he's really just another Washington insider," says Dean spokesman Jay Carson. "It turns out that this guy was a registered lobbyist long before he was a registered Democrat."

Sure sounds like the Dean people aren't envisioning Clark for the VP spot on their potential ticket.

Which raises the interesting issue of who Dean might take if he gets the nomination.