While Democrats are giddily fawning all over their very model of a modern Major General, Wesley Clark, they would be wise to listen to the remarks of other military men:
Retired General H. Hugh Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 9/11, shared his recollection of that day and his views of the war against terrorism with the Foothill College Celebrity Forum audience at Flint Center, Sept. 11 and 12.
His review of that historic event and his 38 years in the military kept the audience’s rapt attention throughout. But it was his answer to a question from the audience at the end that shocked his listeners.
“What do you think of General Wesley Clark and would you support him as a presidential candidate,” was the question put to him by moderator Dick Henning, assuming that all military men stood in support of each other. General Shelton took a drink of water and Henning said, “I noticed you took a drink on that one!”
“That question makes me wish it were vodka,” said Shelton. “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.”
Ouch. Character issues with a Clinton lackey- who would have thunk it? Guess it is time to start a smear campaign on Hugh Shelton- you know, he hasn’t been the same since he fell off that ladder. Be the first to spot the Democrat’s smear machine kick into high gear.
(via RealPolitik)
*** Update ***
Kevin Drum is the first out of the gate in what knew would be the lefty race to smear Shelton since he dared to say something negative about Clark:
If Shelton wants to say why he doesn’t like Clark, fine. Go ahead and say it. But to make a weasely accusation like this and then pretend to a faux nobility by not going into details is just plain cowardly, and Shelton should be ashamed of himself.
Gen. Shelton- weasel and a coward. Heh. From Shelton’s bio:
Honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award the United States Congress can bestow, Shelton has been internationally recognized for his public service and, in 2001, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth.
Among his many military awards, he has received four Defense Distinguished Service Medals, two Army Distinguished Service Medals, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor and the Purple Heart. He has been decorated by 15 foreign governments. Highlights of his civilian awards include North Carolina’s highest Award for Public Service, the Eisenhower Award from the Business Executives for National Security, the American Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award, Intrepid Freedom Award, and recognition as National Father of the Year, among others.
I hope enough people goad Gen. Shelton and others into dropping the bombs on Clark- the way the left has rushed to embrace Clark, sight unseen, it could leave them in the dark on security issues for another 50 years.
*** Update #2 ***
Apparently more than just Kevin think Shelton should back up his charges (I would like him to as well, if only to watch the fall-out). I still object to him being called a weasel and a coward.
Robin Roberts
Yep, John, we’ll see the Shelton smears any minute now …
st
Following hard upon the Clark smears we’re already seeing…
Gary Farber
“Shelton was on a 757 en route to Budapest for a conference when he learned that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Knowing that New York had perfect weather and there were no computer problems, he determined that it was a terrorist attack and immediately turned the plane around”
Um, how?
I’m also wondering: people in the chain of command are “lackeys” of their President? How does that work? Who does and doesn’t it apply to?
Clark was fired by Clinton’s (Republican) Secretary of Defense (digression: what an old-fashioned idea it was to have members of the opposite party in your cabinet; thank goodness Mr. “I’m a Uniter, not a Divider” forsaw that sort of thing to keep evil traitors out); how does Clark getting fired by Clinton make him a Clinton “lackey,” exactly?
Gary Farber
I don’t think I was clear: did Shelton rush to the cockpit and kill the pilot and seize the controls, or did he swoop outside the plane and use his super powers to carry it back to NY in his arms? I wasn’t aware generals get to “turn” planes around. I thought they needed to, like, ask permission, and ask pilots, and all that boring, less macho, stuff that is so tedious to account.
Gary Farber
Lastly: it’s amazing to see the words “Clark” and “smear” in the same sentence. Heaven forfend anyone smear Cark! No Republican could do that against a SACEUR and Silver Star winner!
No, it couldn’t be!
No smearing is going on! It’s all just profound policy disagreements! Not at all like anything any Democrat has done! (Against the “Republic” Party)
John Cole
Gary- I think it is pretty widely acceptedthat Clark is a Clinton protege and that Clinton is in favor of Clark’s candidacy.
The firmest proof of that is this denial from Hillary:
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) today denied reports that she and her husband are the agents behind retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark’s presidential candidacy, reiterated that she will not run for the White House in 2004 and said the reelection of President Bush would be “an overwhelming setback for this country.”
And yes- I was being snarky.
JPS
Gary,
Bill Cohen was a pretty nominal Republican. Anyway, what’s that got to do with Clark getting fired? If Cohen were a true-blue Democrat, would Clark have remained SACEUR?
And Bush has Democratic cabinet secretaries, at least Mineta and I think possibly Rod Paige.
greg
Yeah, Gary, your pompous rants aside, Norm Mineta is a Democrat in the Bush cabinet.
I’m sure you’ll say “but Transportation isn’t as important as Defense”. Your side is getting predictable.
John Cole
Hey- play nice in the comments sections- and if pompous rants were a crime, I would be facing a life sentence.
Sean Hackbarth
I wouldn’t call Clark a “Clinton lackey.” That administration did fire him, and they weren’t close. But it’s very, very interesting that so many of Clinton’s people are helping and working for Clark.
David Perron
“…and if pompous rants were a crime…”
Feelin’ your pain, John.
Kimmitt
I’m surprised; Clark is the anti-Dean. I’d think that between that and his military record, y’all would be on him like frat boys on beer.
Robin Roberts
To many in the Pentagon, Clark’s career was over at two stars. His rise above that was perceived, correctly or not, as due to patronage at the White House. ( That’s not really smearing Clark – at that level, promotion of Generals and Admirals is obviously political ). The full tale of Clark’s fall from grace as SACEUR is not yet told, I suspect. And its not clear to me whether the full tale will reveal the clay feet of Clark or merely reinforce the image of the Clinton administration’s bumbling in foreign policy … or both.
But the presence of so many Clinton associates among Clark’s is the basis for people believing that Clark is a Clinton protege either still or again.
David Perron
I’m reserving judgement, Kimmitt, until the herd thins itself out a bit. Clark might not even be a major player for the nomination, so why worry about him?
I’m lazy that way, though.
Kimmitt
An eminently reasonable approach.
Gary Farber
“The firmest proof of that is this denial from Hillary:”
Surely. Since someone is deemed a compulsive liar, whatever they say must be a lie. That’s, of course, a compelling argument that will convince everyone who believes its premises.
Small problem there left as an exercise to the reader.
I assure readers, otherwise, I can be much more pompous, and far more ranting. Isn’t that kewl?
I’m glad to learn that, in fact, the Department of Transportation is far more important than the Department of Defense. I shall duly write down my lesson in my Book of Errors. I truly hope that we shall see scholars henceforce devote far more study to transport than war, and that we shall all learn more deeply the wrongness of the Democratic belief that the Department of Defense is more important than the Department of Transportation. Consider me corrected on that tired belief!
Rod Paige is, of course, a Democrat.
He is, you know, black. So what else could he be. Besides someone who makes up stats?
Oh, wait, that makes him a Democrat, right?
The notion that, interestingly, Bush is bipartisan (“a uniter, not a divider,” which, I’m sure, we can all agree was an accurate self-description foiled only horrible Democrats, and, wait, yet, not even foiled at all) because of Mineta, while Clinton is partisan slime, since Cohen is only a “nominal” Republican, people of Maine and lifelong career aside, is also highly respectable and worthy an opinion.
I’m so glad everyone here has bothered to check out all my knee-jerk partisan opinions on my blog. I’m so known for hysterical worship of Democrats, after all.
John Cole
Gary- Once again- I am sure you are aware of when I am being snarky- which is hat the Hillary comment was. IN fact, I addressed her rearks in a more serious manner above- which you no doubt read.
I am not sure if others read your blog, but they probably should.
Kevin Drum
John, do you really think this comment shows any honor on Shelton’s part? If he has something to say, he should have the guts to say it, not just pussyfoot it around with clever half-insults.
After all, you and I never pussyfoot, do we?
John Cole
I think there is really something bad in Clark’s past, so yes, I do think Shelton did the noble thing.
There also may be more to this than what meets the eye- rules may have been bent to give Clark a graceful out the first time around, and now Clark is banking on that to silence those around him.
I will put away my tinfoil helmet now, but I have some experience with how some officers/ticketpunchers operate.
Regardless, Shelton is not a coward or a weasel. The other shoe will drop in a fe more weeks- just let Clark keep talking.
Sean
what’s all that got to do with the sleaziness of the comment he made re: clark? i dont know of any immunizing effect (that goes for Clark too)… just because i’m a good guy generally doesn’t mean i’m never a jackass at some point. you start to sound like john kerry real fast if you keep makign defenses like your post (‘don’t you dare question my courage on iraq, i fought in vietnam 35 years ago you know!’), and you dont want to sound like john kerry, trust me.
>Among his many military awards, he has received four Defense Distinguished Service Medals, two Army Distinguished Service Medals, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor and the Purple Heart. He has been decorated by 15 foreign governments. Highlights of his civilian awards include North Carolina’s highest Award for Public Service, the Eisenhower Award from the Business Executives for National Security, the American Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award, Intrepid Freedom Award, and recognition as National Father of the Year, among others.
JPS
John,
I ran across a comment by Jonah Goldberg that made almost the same point Kevin Drum did. You’re right that some people will want to discredit Shelton for partisan reasons, but there are other reasons to disapprove. I tend to think that if he’s not ready to substantiate those suggestive comments, he should have just said he couldn’t vote for Clark–because that’s what he was asked–and left it at that.
Gary: I find your style a bit confusing. It sure does read like sarcasm, so are you saying that Paige is a Republican, and suggesting (you’d be wrong) that I assumed otherwise because he’s black? I thought I recalled a news story, when he was appointed, saying he was a conservative Democrat. Can’t easily find his party affiliation now, but if I was wrong it was an honest mistake.
I didn’t say Clinton is partisan slime because Cohen is only nominally Republican. I simply wondered what your point was, in noting Cohen’s political affiliation (it’s not as though he personally decided to relieve Clark for his political views). I then understood you to be saying that Bush, unlike Clinton, would never include people from the other party in his cabinet. If I misunderstood you, my apologies.
Emperor Misha I
I have no use for a failed and fired has-been vaudeville general like Clark, but that comment of Shelton’s really was a cheap shot.
If he won’t back up his charges (and he should, if there’s anything to them, which I’m pretty sure there is), he should excuse himself from answering at all.
I won’t call him coward or weasel, but it definitely ain’t cricket and I’d expect better from an officer and a gentleman, but that’s just me.