Misleadership
Frank Gafney:
"Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, we are told endlessly, is running on his record. Never mind that he has no record to speak of on most domestic policy matters. What is really troubling is that, when it comes to his putative area of expertise — national security, Mr. Clark seems perfectly prepared to run away from his record, or at least to dissemble about it.
"A prime example is Mr. Clark's position on the war in Iraq. He got into trouble on this score as soon as he announced his candidacy by saying that, had he been in Congress, he would "probably" have voted for the congressional resolution authorizing military action against Saddam Hussein. Within hours, he was denying that was his view and insisting he opposed the war all along.
"In fact, as the race has tightened, Mr. Clark has become in some ways even more strident than Howard Dean, the most vociferous antiwar candidate among the mainstream Democratic presidential hopefuls. Citing his authority as a professional military officer, Mr. Clark has made a signature issue of what he regards as George W. Bush's diversion of firepower and intelligence capabilities from the real war on terror — the pursuit of Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda — to the needless overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
...
"Unfortunately for Mr. Clark, if voters do judge him on his record, they are likely to be deeply troubled by serious questions it raises about his integrity and conduct.
"Such questions were notably prompted by the revelation last week that Mr. Clark gave testimony on the eve of congressional action on the Iraq war resolution that sounded virtually indistinguishable from the views of the Bush administration...."
Frank Gafney:
"Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, we are told endlessly, is running on his record. Never mind that he has no record to speak of on most domestic policy matters. What is really troubling is that, when it comes to his putative area of expertise — national security, Mr. Clark seems perfectly prepared to run away from his record, or at least to dissemble about it.
"A prime example is Mr. Clark's position on the war in Iraq. He got into trouble on this score as soon as he announced his candidacy by saying that, had he been in Congress, he would "probably" have voted for the congressional resolution authorizing military action against Saddam Hussein. Within hours, he was denying that was his view and insisting he opposed the war all along.
"In fact, as the race has tightened, Mr. Clark has become in some ways even more strident than Howard Dean, the most vociferous antiwar candidate among the mainstream Democratic presidential hopefuls. Citing his authority as a professional military officer, Mr. Clark has made a signature issue of what he regards as George W. Bush's diversion of firepower and intelligence capabilities from the real war on terror — the pursuit of Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda — to the needless overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
...
"Unfortunately for Mr. Clark, if voters do judge him on his record, they are likely to be deeply troubled by serious questions it raises about his integrity and conduct.
"Such questions were notably prompted by the revelation last week that Mr. Clark gave testimony on the eve of congressional action on the Iraq war resolution that sounded virtually indistinguishable from the views of the Bush administration...."
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