Reply #25: Clark rationally explains why cutting troop funding is not the best option.

[Clarkie1]

Ed Schultz: Would you uh, be in favor of cutting the funding for this surge, General?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: You know, I'm really not in favor of that at this point. What I'd like to see us do is demand that the administration put the non-military resources into the Iraq mission that have been required - and missing - for a long time. I'm talking about economic advisors, um justice advisors, agricultural advisors, petroleum experts, uh all of the non-military skills that it takes to run a modern economy. They're missing in Iraq. They need help from us and we've been really remiss in not providing it. Instead we've dumped all the burden on our soldiers. And our men and women in uniform are great but they can't make up for a lifetime skill in let's say the oil industry or an understanding of justice and... and, and how to set up courts and things like that. So there's a lot of work that needs to be done over there. I don't think we needed the surge, but the fact is that the policy's been announced at this point and I know there's tremendous anger out there that Bush is ignoring the wishes of the American people, but I think what we really need to do is find a winning strategy in Iraq and then get our troops out.

<snip>

"I'm working the policies, not the politics."

much more....
http://securingamerica.com/node/2262