I feel like this is pissing into the wind . . . . . but why not Wes Clark, SOMEplace in this admin?

[Stinky The Clown]

Now that Patreus is gone, that's a job he could take.

We all know he would be a great SoS after Clinton leaves.

He could go to Defense, as there is strong talk that Panetta is about to retire.

Chief of Staff.

The list of jobs for which this guy is qualified is pretty damned long. Plus he's a no shit Democrat.

[FSogol]

1. Add Jim Webb too.

Is Panetta really going? I've only heard it on DU.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. The professional chatterers have been speculating on it for a while.

The DU mentions are echoes. Well founded echoes, as it happens, but echoes none the less.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

40. Jim Webb is a true patriot who deserves more recognition

I think General Clark or Jim Webb would be great as Secretary of Defense...if Panetta steps down!

[godai]

2. Maybe he doesn't want these jobs? n/t

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

3. Wesley Clark is brilliant - I don't understand it either, why he hasn't had a role in the admin

unless Clark wants it that way.

[roguevalley]

20. ditto times a million

[Horse with no Name]

33. I remember reading a few years back

that it had something to do with the timing of his retirement and the beginning of this administration...but I don't remember the particulars--surely someone out there can fill in the blanks!

[gateley]

4. From the beginning, I seem to remember the administration kind of shutting him out.

You know how we hear that Letterman surrounds himself with a bunch of Harvard guys and it's become a difficult-to-penetrate club? I've gotten that same sense of Obama's inner circle -- especially when Rahm and Robert Gibbs were in residence. It's always made me angry that they've shunned him.

[Stinky The Clown]

8. Every administration has some degree of that. I see up and down sides to it.

Reagan had it. Nixon had it. Kennedy for SURE had it. So did Carter and Little Bush.

Clinton was kind of outside the mold in that respect.

Obama is more normal with insiders mixed with outsiders.

No . . . there's something deeper Obama has with Clark. I recall Clark attempting to stand up for Obama somehow and Obama kind of throwing him under the bus. This was in the 08 cycle (late 07) after he was our nominee but before he beat McCain.

[gateley]

10. Yeah! I remember feeling he was thrown under the bus, too. Something is niggling

at my memory that Clark made some statement that didn't sit well with the administration -- or something lie that.

It's also always pissed me off that they've ignored Howard Dean, too.

[bluestate10]

16. Clarke went out and fought to re-elect the President. He needs to be considered seriously

for the SOS and SOD jobs.

[sabrina 1]

24. How many progressives are in Obama's current cabinet? Seems fine to surround yourself

Harvard Grads so long as they are Liberal. I can't think of one truely progressive cabinet member off the top of my head. The entire Economic Cabinet is far from being progressive eg. The education Cabinet also not progressive.

But we the people have done our part, we have put eight more progressive candidates in Congress and will be working to get more elected each time there is an opening. We have also put three extra progressive candidates in the Senate.

It was Progressives once again who won this election for the President, a majority of them women.

We would now like to not be marginalized as we were throughout the first term.

Gen. Clark would be a wonderful addition to any cabinet. I hope he is being considered. Petraeaus was a Bush guy, Gates, and so many others. It did nothing to get Republicans to compromise one bit to give them these positions of power after we threw them out.

So there is no reason at all to continue that policy, we know it doesn't work.

[MoonchildCA]

6. Yes!!

Please! Wesley Clark somewhere. Here or Secretary of State would be great.

[Filibuster Harry]

7. Sec of State? Maybe Kerry

All good names: Kerry, Clark, how about Colin Powell?? Just throwing that out there.

[Stinky The Clown]

9. I'd be okay with Powell. I prefer other over him, but I'm okay with him

Well . . . . there was that WMD lie to the UN . . . . and there was that mess at My Lai all thos emany decades ago . . . .

On second thought . . . . nah. No Powell.

[rhett o rick]

12. Fuck no Powell. nm

[GoCubsGo]

11. You never know.

I'd be fine with him in any of those jobs. All the speculation I have heard so far comes from the media, and I take no stock in their speculation, whatsoever.

[moondust]

13. "Stars Earn Stripes"

IMHO that was terrible judgement.

[Patiod]

18. I agree, and I'm a HUGE Clark fan

Bad choice. Probably needed money. But still, bad choice

[Fawke Em]

36. He didn't do it for personal gain.

The money went to various military charities.

[Renew Deal]

26. I agree

My biggest problem with him right now is that. Too reality TV.

[zonkers]

30. Thank you. He has bee exposed to reality TV. There is no cure.

[rhett o rick]

14. I like the way you stink (think) and am happy that Pres Obama defeated whatzhisname,

but I would be shocked if he turns progressive.

[bluestate10]

15. Clark would be an excellent SOS or SOD choice. As Supreme Allied Commander of NATO,

he has plenty international experience. He is an experienced military administrator, and would be good at the Pentagon. And he is a loyal Democrat who got out and fought to re-elect President Obama, plus, he is a southerner.

[The Wielding Truth]

17. Clark is certainly worth consideration. IMHO.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

19. K&R I also really admire Valerie Plame...

Joseph Wilson, and Richard Clarke...

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

21. I really liked Wes Clarke. Early in the 08 race I supported him for prez.

A friend was told by his professional military brother that there was some military scandal involving Clarke. Never could get more details out of him. The friend is a guy I respect, but I have a feeling he may be an R. And I've never met the brother.

So, anyone know of anything he may have been referring to?

[Sweet Freedom]

22. I was a supporter, too

IIRC, the scandal involved Waco. I don't remember the details, but I think way back then, I posted about it in the Propaganda Debunking group. Check there.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

25. I haven't found your post (don't see a PD group), but I found a very long thread that I'm

going to have to take the time to read later. Thanks.

For anyone who's interested:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1417462

[Sweet Freedom]

42. Oh, sorry. I bet it's archived.

FYI: here's the PD group--
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1022

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

44. Oh,thanks. I didn't realize those topics opened up with subcategories.

I still haven't finished reading the thread I referred to above. It is miles long! I'll get though it eventually, though. Very interesting.

[Renew Deal]

27. Haitian Man Boobs

Look it up

[madinmaryland]

29. DAMN YOU!!

A lozocollo thread!

[PufPuf23]

23. I like Wes Clark and usually don't care for pols with military backgrounds.

Wes Clark was my initial 1st choice in 2008.

We could get a hell of alot worse in new appointments.

[Horse with no Name]

32. Indeed. We would be lucky if he would take it.

What an honorable man.

[TrollBuster9090]

34. I agree, but the Democratic Party has been cold shouldering Clark for so long, I almost suspect they

must know something that we don't? (Like, is there an enormous skeleton in his closet???)

It didn't make sense that Kerry didn't offer him the VP slot in 2004! (If he had, we'd be at the end of the second Kerry/Clark Administration right now.)

It didn't make sense that Obama didn't offer him a job in his Administration in 2008, and

It doesn't make sense that he's not being talked about for a position NOW.

Secretary of Defense? Actually, I'm not sure about that one. He made a lot of enemies in the DoD during the second Bush term. (ie-he 'ratted out' a lot of things that old friends in the Pentagon had told him in confidence.) I don't think he could be effective there.

Secretary of State? I think there are better candidates for that job, like Bill Richardson, or even Joe Biden. (ie-move Joe Biden to Sec State, and then nominate CHRISTINE GREGOIRE as the first female VP.)

Ambassador to the U.N.? Maybe, but I think Uma Abedin should get that job. She needs to be given a more high profile job than the one she has.

But at the very least...how about AMBASSADOR TO KOSOVO???

[Fawke Em]

37. I think it was more about the fact that he's ex-military.

And not a Republican.

Weird, but that's the impression I got after supporting him in 2008.

[KoKo]

35. Sorry, Stinky. Thought you were promoting Colin Powell...as I just saw some Cable promoting

him and didn't read your post carefully enough...so deleted my replies posting info about Powell and the "Aluminum Tubes."

[Stinky The Clown]

41. For Powell, we can start with My Lai and build from there . . . . .

A very overrated guy.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

38. One of my posts from 2003 giving just some of the reasons why I admire the General

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=892837&mesg_id=895797

[gulliver]

39. Definitely!

[renate]

43. yes, please!