It's not too late ...

... for Clinton to take her Presidential campaign off "suspension". Because we need a fighter. And I don't think she would have done what Obama did today to Wesley Clark.

Obama needs Wes Clark on his side! Clark is a famous general who is widely credited (and rightly so) with having won the Kosovo War. He's been in the public eye ever since as an author, Presidential candidate and commentator on public affairs. With the Republicans touting Maverick McCain as the world's greatest living saint and using his "war hero" status as a major selling point, Obama needs every credible voice on military affairs that he can find attacking McCain and supporting Obama's national security credential.

I don't think there was anything wrong with what Clark said. And I'm not inclined to comma-dance over it. Clark has been a leader of the anti-Iraq War movement and one of the leading voices against a military attack on Iran. His position has been better on Iraq than Obama's, and his position on Iran infinitely better. Obama should be defending his friends and supporters, not trying to show the David Broders and Chris Matthewses of the world how quickly he will disown them if the Republicans and media nutcases whine because they think Clark may have hurt poor John McCain's feelings. Much more than feelings are going to be hurt if McCain becomes President and attacks Iran.

For reporting and commentary on this latest faked-up controversy, see:


General Wesley Clark on CBS's Face the Nation with Bob Shieffer 06/29/08 Securing America (video included); Wesley Clark boldly goes where few have gone before by Steve Benen Salon 06/30/08; Obama fights back against questions on patriotism by John Whitesides, Reuters 06/30/08; Wes Clark Walks Into McCain’s Giant Wood Chipper by Jane Hamsher, Firedoglake blog 06/30/08; Don't Want to Say I Told You So... by dday, Hullabaloo blog 06/30/08.

Clark's Web page for his Securing America WesPAC is http://securingamerica.com/.

Hillary Clinton knows how to fight. She knows a Democratic Presidential candidate can't win by pandering frantically to the media gallery of fools who adore McCain as a demigod. Or by fighting your own allies instead of the Republicans who want to invade Iran and abolish Social Security.

Does Obama want to win this thing? Or does he want to prove to David Broder that he's "bipartisan"? Because he can't have both.

(Update: VoteVets.org has an online petition here to support Wes Clark in the face of these media attacks and unwillingness by Obama to back him up.)

Tags: barack obama, hillary clinton, wesley clark

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