Gen. Clark Won't Rule Out Running as Republican

NewsMax.com ^ | 7/02/03 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

Former NATO Commander Gen. Wesley Clark said Tuesday that he hadn't ruled out running for president as a Republican.

Clark hails from Arkansas and was appointed to head NATO by Democrat president Bill Clinton, who praised him last week as someone who would make a good chief executive.

But Clark refused to be pinned down on his party affiliation during the following exchange with Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes" co-host Sean Hannity:

HANNITY: All right, I want a straight answer. I was watching you on Russert a couple of Sundays ago. You clearly are moving in the direction of running for president, correct?

CLARK: Well, I am certainly considering it.

HANNITY: Yes, and you would not run as a Republican under any circumstances you can think of?

CLARK: I haven't said that.

HANNITY: Would you?

CLARK: I just haven't said that. I just haven't crossed that bridge. So I'm not going to cross it.

HANNITY: Have you ever voted for a Republican in your life?

CLARK: Absolutely.

HANNITY: Are there Republicans now that you admire that you would tell us about?

CLARK: Well, I served in the Ford administration. I was a White House fellow. I worked for Paul O'Neill and Jim Lann in the Office of Management and Budget.

HANNITY: You seem to be leaning pretty heavily Democrat. I read up on you a lot. But you don't want to go there. Why the mystery? Why can't you say if I run I'm going to be a Democrat? If I run, I'm going to be a Republican? What's so mysterious about that?

CLARK: I served 34 years in uniform. I was 38 years, counting my West Point time. I had "U.S." on both collars. I'm essentially non-partisan, but I do have some views about what the country should be doing. [End of Excerpt]

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
2004 Elections

[kattracks]

So, will clinton's buddy do a Ross Perot?

[grumple]

General Clark (Supreme Arrogant Nasal Commander) does not need to worry about "Ruling out". I'm sure Conservatives will do it for him...

[Petronski]

[Dan from Michigan]

Let's see the scenarios.

1. Clark causes a damaging primary.
2. Clark does a Perot or John Anderson
3. Clark runs as a dem against as many as 10+ other candidates.

[Arkinsaw]

So, will clinton's buddy do a Ross Perot?

Yes, as soon as my winning lottery ticket gets cashed in.

[CFC__VRWC]

General Clark (Supreme Arrogant Nasal Commander) does not need to worry about "Ruling out". I'm sure Conservatives will do it for him...

Indeed - we have plenty of real military men to choose from. We don't have to settle for a perfumed prince whose greatest accomplishment in uniform was to accidentally bomb the Chinese embassy in Belgrade from 30,000 feet.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

"I'm essentially non-partisan, ..."

"... I thought this country was founded on a principle of progressive taxation.” Wesley Clark, Meet the Press, 15 June 2003

Earth to Wesley. Commies are partisan, putz.

[anton]

Hahahahahahaha! A Republican? Wesley Clark is about as Republican as Eleanor Clift.

[jpl]

I saw this guy last night, and calling him pathetic doesn't even begin to cover it. Real soldiers probably laugh at him behind his back.

[TexasBlues]

So the initial tactic is to stand for nothing until maximum personal gain can be factored in. He fits right in to Washington.

[anton]

Hey, wait a minute. Maybe Wesley Clark is Eleanor Clift! Has anyone ever seen them at the same time?

[colorado tanker]

Where would Clark get the money to do a Perot?

[beaversmom]

I thought this country was founded on a principle of progressive taxation

I heard that quote the other day on the Mike Rosen show. Mike was dissecting his performance--unbelieveable that someone considering running for Prez would say that. He's definitely not a Republican and he's not going to be much of factor on either side of the aisle.

[winodog]

This is scary. Since he is good buddies withe big apple antichrist and her husband, they will pay him millions to run as a independant.
He can run on a platform of smaller gov.org, increased pay for the military, he will have a good plan for preventing terrorism (which he will say P Bush is not doing a good job off) He will have a plan for Iraq which might be a total mess by the time we have elections.
He will take the illegal issue and say they are stealing our jobs, if I am elected I will close the borders and kick any illegal out and they will not get back in (over 70% of the public love this idea).
I think what we are seeing is the big apple antichrist paving the way for election as the next P of America and I think it will happen.

[OREALLY]

Bump !

[onyx]

Wesley Clark can't even pass for a RINO. A West Point man, he's an exception, since most service academy graduates lean to the Right!

[Prodigal Son]

The dems are going to be gutted.

[aristeides]

I don't see Clark getting many Republican votes, either in Republican primaries or if he tries to pull a Perot. I think he is a possible RAT veep candidate, if the RATs want to burnish their national security credentials.

[aristeides]

And in that Meet the Press appearance, Clark also refused to rule out running as a Republican.