General Wesley Clark, candidate for Democratic nomination, was adamant about his support of NATO and the importance of strong allies. He served as Supreme Allied Commander for NATO from 1997 to 2000.
“We need to become an inclusive nation, not an exclusive nation,” he said referring to Bush’s unilateral action.
“Going about things unilaterally is a dangerous course…. Clark believes in alliances and working with other nations,” said USM Political Science and International Affairs major Shaun Quinn who is a volunteer for the Clark Action Team campaign.
“This is the single most electible person in the United States right now, said Jill Squire, the Maine state coordinator for the Clark Action Team, as she introduced Clark. Squire said she started supporting Clark because she was “an angry democrat,” and she saw in Clark a man who had the potential to beat Bush. At the time her interest in Clark grew there was no campaign in Maine. “I became the default coordinator,” said Squire. There are now more than 300 volunteers in Maine.
Wesley Clark, spoke to a crowd of about 150 in the State of Maine Room at City Hall in Portland last Wednesday. Clark greeted the audience with a humorous tone. “I thought Maine people weren’t supposed to show emotion,” he said to crowd that welcomed him with enthusiastic applause.
Clark spoke on his opposition to the war in Iraq and stressed though he believed in a strong military it should only be utilized as a last resort. He also clarified that though he disagreed with many of President Bush’s policies his intent wasn’t only to criticize. “I’m not running to bash George Bush, I’m running to replace him,” he stated to a crowd showing its approval with a burst of applause.
The Portland Press Herald reported that Clark has not always been a Democrat. “He has supported Republicans, including former Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush. The Maine Republican Party issued a statement calling Clark’s campaign confusing and inconsistent.”
Clark declared his intention to run in early Sept. which is considered a late start by many. Though earlier in the year he began speaking out against Bush’s policies he hadn’t declared intent to run and stated in many interviews he was unsure as to his course of action. During this time the “Draft Clark movement was gaining momentum by way of an online petition and his numbers of supporters were growing. After months of this campaign’s encouragement Clark declared his intention to run.
A four star general Clark served 34 years in the U.S. Army and graduated at the top of his class from West Point.
Christy McKinnon can be contacted at [email protected].