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| 15 SEP 2003 at 11:16pm |
JoGuild Master
Posts : 3313
Joined: 3 NOV 2002
Location: AU, Qld.
Status : Offline | Continued:-
In addition to being first in your class at West Point, a four star general from Arkansas, and the former Supreme Commander of NATO -- enough right there that should give pause to any peace-loving person -- I have discovered that...
1. You oppose the Patriot Act and would fight the expansion of its powers.
2. You are firmly pro-choice.
3. You filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in support of the University of Michigan's affirmative action case.
4. You would get rid of the Bush tax "cut" and make the rich pay their fair share.
5. You respect the views of our allies and want to work with them and with the rest of the international community.
6. And you oppose war. You have said that war should always be the "last resort" and that it is military men such as yourself who are the most for peace because it is YOU and your soldiers who have to do the dying. You find something unsettling about a commander-in-chief who dons a flight suit and pretends to be Top Gun, a stunt that dishonored those who have died in that flight suit in the service of their country.
General Clark, last night I finally got to meet you in person. I would like to share with others what I said to you privately: You may be the person who can defeat George W. Bush in next year's election.
This is not an endorsement. For me, it's too early for that. I have liked Howard Dean (in spite of his flawed positions in support of some capital punishment, his grade "A" rating from the NRA, and his opposition to cutting the Pentagon budget). And Dennis Kucinich is so committed to all the right stuff. We need candidates in this race who will say the things that need to be said, to push the pathetically lame Democratic Party into have a backbone -- or get out of the way and let us have a REAL second party on the ballot.
But right now, for the sake and survival of our very country, we need someone who is going to get The Job done, period. And that job, no matter whom I speak to across America -- be they leftie Green or conservative Democrat, and even many disgusted Republicans -- EVERYONE is of one mind as to what that job is:
Bush Must Go.
This is war, General, and it's Bush & Co.'s war on us. It's their war on the middle class, the poor, the environment, their war on women and their war against anyone around the world who doesn't accept total American domination. Yes, it's a war -- and we, the people, need a general to beat back those who have abused our Constitution and our basic sense of decency.
The General vs. the Texas Air National Guard deserter! I want to see that debate, and I know who the winner is going to be.
The other night, when you were on Bill Maher's show, he began by reading to you a quote from Howard Dean where he (Dean) tried to run away from the word "liberal." Maher said to you, so, General, do you want to run away from that word? Without missing a beat, you said "No!" and you reminded everyone that America was founded as a "liberal democracy." The audience went wild with applause.
That is what we have needed for a long time on our side -- guts. I am sure there are things you and I don't see eye to eye on, but now is the time for all good people from the far left to the middle of the road to bury the damn hatchet and get together behind someone who is not only good on the issues but can beat George W. Bush. And where I come from in the Midwest, General, I know you are the kind of candidate that the average American will vote for.
Michael Moore likes a general? I never thought I'd write these words. But desperate times call for desperate measures. I want to know more about you. I want your voice heard. I would like to see you in these debates. Then let the chips fall where they may -- and we'll all have a better idea of what to do. If you sit it out, then I think we all know what we are left with.
I am asking everyone I know to send an email to you now to encourage you to run, even if they aren't sure they would vote for you. (Wesley Clark's email address is: mailto:info@leadershipforamerica.org). None of us truly know how we will vote five months from now or a year from now. But we do know that this race needs a jolt -- and Bush needs to know that there is one person he won't be able to Dukakisize.
Take the plunge, General Clark. At the very least, the nation needs to hear what you know about what was really behind this invasion of Iraq and your fresh ideas of how we can live in a more peaceful world. Yes, your country needs you to perform one more act of brave service -- to help defeat an enemy from within, at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, an address that used to belong to "we, the people."
Yours,
Michael Moore
Lottery # 275, U.S. military draft, 1972
Conscientious Objector applicant
mailto:mmflint@aol.com
http://www.michaelmoore.com
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| 16 SEP 2003 at 12:05am |
| Deleted User | Actually I remembered I hadn't visited his site for ages earlier today and wanted to know what he was up to. And I found this. Interesting post, although I think Gen. Clark won't follow his advice.
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| 16 SEP 2003 at 6:07pm |
GayleSchattenjger
Posts : 2544
Joined: 12 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Ahhhhhh, the power of the pen
http://www.msnbc.com/news/967357.asp
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| 16 SEP 2003 at 7:18pm |
| Deleted User | WOW!!!
Ok, so I have no idea about what made him make the decision, but who knows... It is not unlikely that he's read Michael Moore's words.
I wonder how much political influence Michael Moore can actually reach. Surely he's big with the masses. And suppose he helps boosting Clarke's campaign and at the same time has managed to dig up some serious dirt about the Bush family, releasing Fahrenheit 911 just before the election, revealing shocking new information to the public. It could be big!
Seems to me that the one thing that can threat the Republicans is if the Democrats shows some backbone, and for that they need the right candidate. Clarke is a general, which should go down well with the people, and with these ideas and the Iraq disappointment he might gain popularity enough to challenge Bush.
I'm looking forward to the debates.
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| 16 SEP 2003 at 11:36pm |
JoGuild Master
Posts : 3313
Joined: 3 NOV 2002
Location: AU, Qld.
Status : Offline | Can't believe it - heard the news this morning - only about an hour ago - on the radio. idn't think for a minute that he'd run. This should make things interesting.
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| 17 SEP 2003 at 1:27am |
szcaxJourneyman
Posts : 935
Joined: 12 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Thanks for the link, it was very interesting. I can't wait for Fahrenheit 911
Black holes are where God divided by zero
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| 17 SEP 2003 at 2:08am |
adventuredogGuild Master
Posts : 3255
Joined: 14 JAN 2003
Status : Offline | Too cool! I responded to the Moore letter. Looks like General Clark has some strong supporters. There is hope for this country yet! Hopefully we haven't gone irretrievably down the drain. It will certainly take a strong leader to pull us out of the hole we are in, get us back on track at home, and mend our relationships with the rest of the world. I wish him luck!
Thanks narji and Gayle!
Still adventuring after all these years!
Patiently awaiting The Last Crown: Haunting of Hallowed Isle, and Bracken Tor...
... and Asylum if it's not tooooo scary...
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| 17 SEP 2003 at 3:13am |
GayleSchattenjger
Posts : 2544
Joined: 12 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Here is a short article I just read. He is a little behind in the campaign trail stomping than the other Democrats but IMHO he is a much stronger candidate and why was this leaked to the public if he wasn't going to announce himself as a candidate.
He will pull people from the Republicans (I think that is a given) if he does get the nomination. Whether he is strong enough to topple Bush is another story but one can only hope............. at least I will be hoping he can
http://slate.msn.com/id/2088306/
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| 17 SEP 2003 at 5:41am |
JoGuild Master
Posts : 3313
Joined: 3 NOV 2002
Location: AU, Qld.
Status : Offline | Well hopefully being behind in the campaign trail may not be too much of a disadvantage to him.
I imagine your coming elections will be followed avidly this time by people who wouldn't normally give too hoots. Pity he still has to convince his own Democrats to be a candidate, - not quite sure how you go about it over there - makes you wonder why he really left running so late.
Running for President in the States is also obviously a very expensive exercise.
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| 17 SEP 2003 at 6:42am |
emmaPrivate Detective
Posts : 525
Joined: 12 OCT 2002
Status : Online | This is so cool! I read that letter with great interest, and I have to say, a recommendation from Moore is in my eyes a recommendation to count on! However, the irony don't pass me... Moore is now within the group of "power", and him being the one watching out what the powerful are doing! Doesn't really bother me, just thought it was kind of funny!
[URL=http://www.dvdprofiler.com/mycollection.asp?alias=emma]My DVDs[/URL] | [URL=http://www.adventuregamers.com/]AdventureGamers[/URL] | I haven't lost my mind, I've got a backup on a disc somewhere.
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| 17 SEP 2003 at 5:37pm |
| Deleted User | Hey, remember that those people burning flags and such are not representative for the whole Arab population. This is what I'm talking about. Media should put less attention on those that are damaging our relations and more on those that are just normal people, so we learn to see the difference.
Kewl!!! This news about Franks joining the campaign was mentioned in a radio news broadcast here in Sweden today. I never thought it would make news here.
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| 18 SEP 2003 at 12:52am |
| Deleted User | I need to learn more about Clark before I decide. ???
I have read that Clark has been talking behind the scenes about running for President for many months, so as much as Moore’s letter wants to protray him as being the final force that pushed Clark over the edge to be courageous, Moore’s letter has a certain tinge of grandstanding to it. : But Moore’s whole persona is one of grandstanding, so one shouldn’t be too surprised to see it here.
There is an interesting subtext to the whole 2004 election being murmured about. It is that if GW Bush is thought to be vulnerable enough, Hillary Clinton will toss her hat in the ring.
I actually more envision her in 2008 so as to complete the Bush/Clinton/Bush/Clinton ??history books.
Maybe Chelsea fits in somewhere, marrying into the Bushes, sort of a Romeo and Juliet thingy, where they have to hide their love for power over the populace and hide out in a convent that masks their mutual blind ambition as a kindness for protecting the people?
Just a thought. :
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| 18 SEP 2003 at 3:15am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16540
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | That's a very interesting scenario Daryl. Chelsea marrying into the Bushes. Now I'm not sure about all the branches on the family tree but I do know that GW has two daughters (who like a drink now and again), if one of them marries Chelsea, that will be a wonderful sock in the eye for Daddy Bush and his 'only one dangly thing per marriage' opinions, won't it?
But maybe you had something more traditional in mind? Chelsea to marry a WASP who is a captain of industry, heir to a long line of money? You traditionalist you....
There's another Bush isn't there in Florida - the state that can't count, but which seems to count plenty when the numbers are down..... Are they little Jeb Bushes running around?
I read a very sad quote by Hilary the other day about loving your man including the bad bits. But they're still together aren't they? Amazing.
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