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November 7, 2003 – Wesley Clark,
Jr., son of Democratic Presidential hopeful General Wesley Clark,
said at a fundraising event last night, "President Bush has the
'Anti-Midas' Touch." He then ran down a list of examples of
how President Bush's life offers example after example of him being
given gold and turning it to shit.
The list included a number of businesses
the President had previously been handed, which went into a nosedive
after he was put in charge, "trading Sammy Sosa," and, of course,
the economy and military prestige President Bush was handed when he
took office, which he has since, said the young Clark, not done so
well with.
"My father, on the other hand," said
General Clark's son, "could take a... excuse the expression... shit
sandwich and turn it to gold."
The event was part of a new trend among
the Democrats this season which opt toward hip, fun places not
normally associated with politics. A few weeks ago, President
Clinton headlined an event at a three-story club in Washington D.C.,
which featured all sorts of dance and hip-hop music and ran - at
least was billed to run - until 3 AM.
Last night, this Clark event forewent
the coffee shop type settings the Dean people have been making their
staple and instead took over a very hip LA nightspot just a mile or
so from the Pacific Ocean.
The night included everything from clips
of General Clark during the recent Rock The Vote debate in Boston to
a singing dog. Ira Reiner, a prominent LA political figure,
was there to talk on Clark's behalf as well.
"The invasion of Iraq was planned in the
80's," said Reiner. "Wolfowitz drew up a plan back then, and
in the 90's Rumsfeld and Cheney worked on the plan as well."
The idea, said Reiner, was to take advantage of a "brief window of
opportunity after the Cold War was won," to use our status as the
unparalleled military power to reshape the middle east for our
"economic advantage."
"Within hours of 9/11," said Reiner, the
idea was put forth to use the "opportunity" to implement this
long-held plan.
A female lawyer, named Steinberger, told
of her recent meeting with the General. She had been expecting
to hate him, she said.
"I walked right up to him in front of
250 people and asked, 'What is your position on tort reform?'"
However, she said, his answer completely
changed her mind.
"He addressed the topic in detail,
laying out his policy. It was clear he fully understood the
situation." And, according to her, he is on the right side of
it policywise, though she did not elaborate on what that meant.
It was what the General said after his
answer though, said Steinberger, that truly and fully won her over.
She said after addressing her question
in front of the crowd, the General looked her directly in the eyes
and said to her, "Now, Ms. Steinberger, I need you to help me."
This humble request from the former commander of NATO warmed her
heart and ever since she has been making the rounds speaking on his
behalf, she said.
The young crowd seemed to have a very
good time. And it was not just Democrats in attendance.
"I am a moderate Republican," said one
attendee. "I'm going to bring my friend to the campaign meetup
next month. We are both moderate Republicans who think we have
to do something about what Bush is doing to the country."
The young man added, "If it wasn't for
(Clark,) I wouldn't be here," saying he wouldn't have considered
voting for one of the other Democratic hopefuls.
Can Clark really be the man in the
middle, the true moderate independent that people of both parties -
and no party - will be able to rally around?
If so, people will have to start
re-registering as Democrats so they can choose him in the primaries,
or else he will never get to the election to begin with.
Asked if he was considering
re-registering, giving up his long-held membership in the Republican
Party just so he can vote for Clark in the Democratic primaries, the
young man said, "I already have."
Hold on to your hat, Dean-loving,
fired-up "Democratic wing of the Democratic Party," your opponent
might be gaining on you from the right - the middle-right, that is.
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