General Clark: Memorable Lines

The New York Times has an interesting little tidbit of information about General Clark today.

Less than a year before he entered the race for the Democratic nomination for president, Gen. Wesley K. Clark said that he believed there was a connection between the Iraqi government and Al Qaeda.

The statement by General Clark in October 2002 as he endorsed a New Hampshire candidate for Congress is a sign of how the general's position on Iraq seems to have changed over time, though he insists his position has been consistent.

"Certainly there's a connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda," he said in 2002. "It doesn't surprise me at all that they would be talking to Al Qaeda, that there would be some Al Qaeda there or that Saddam Hussein might even be, you know, discussing gee, I wonder since I don't have any scuds and since the Americans are coming at me, I wonder if I could take advantage of Al Qaeda? How would I do it? Is it worth the risk? What could they do for me?"

How does he justify in his own mind the attacks he makes on President Bush? How does he justify saying the following on January 4th of this year.

"There was no imminent threat from Iraq, nor was Iraq connected with Al Qaeda."

There is a lie inherent in taking both sides of this argument, no matter how he spins those earlier statements. Complaining that Bush has handled the situation improperly is one thing, but the accusations of a "bait-and-switch" are simply dishonest.

The thing that I dislike about Clark the most, aside from his politics, is this dishonesty and opportunism. The man's ego, though, is immense; where I always felt that Bill Clinton was one of the most self-aggrandizing Presidents to ever hold the office, Clark puts him to shame.

His recent assertion that no September 11th type attacks would occur on his watch was symbolic of that ego. Somehow, with Clark's immense super powers, he would protect us all from the dangers of terrorism. He would fly around and ensure that our borders were safer, our nuclear plants untouched, and our water supply untainted.

If he were simply to say that he would enact safety measures that would do their best to ensure the safety of the United States, I would listen to hear what those measures might be. We happen to live in a relatively free society, though, and only so much can be done to secure our borders. The best defense against terrorism is the continued pursuit of the war on terror, and even that doesn't guarantee completely the safety of our borders.

As witness to that, I give you the first World Trade Center bombing and the Oklahoma City bombing. There are dangers associated with freedom, and those dangers don't simply go away because the Magical Wesley Clark has taken the position of President of the United States.

What one word would you use to describe Clark? The word I'd choose is "hubris."

Read the story and make up your own mind.

Posted by zombyboy at January 12, 2004 01:17 PM | TrackBack