Conversation with the Candidates Transcript

Wesley K. Clark
Democratic Candidate for President
Wednesday, November 5, 2003; 1:00 PM
Brooklyn, N.Y.: General Clark:

Several Democratic candidates have taken the position that the United States should pull its troops out of Iraq and cede control to the U.N. The Rev. Sharpton went so far as to say "...that we are willing to submit to Kofi Annan for a multi-lateral redevelopment plan."

Do you think this position could backfire on the Democrats, making them appear unsupportive of our troops, weak, unpatriotic and unwilling to fulfill the grave commitment we now have in Iraq?
Thank you, and the very best of luck to you in your campaign!

Wesley K. Clark: I think that the best thing that we can do for our troops there is to give them a real plan that has a chance of succeeding. This Administration doesn't have a plan... it just wants a blank check.

In my plan we would try to get the U.S. out of the lead on the political development—that should go under the UN or some other international authority. And we want to give the Iraqis their country back as soon as possible. That means transferring authorities to the Iraqi Governing Council as soon as we can. We might have to augment them a little. And we have to also create an effective Iraqi force that can do much of the stability and security ops in Iraq. We should be lethal, light, and agile.
Let the Iraqis guard the fixed installations, patrol neighborhoods, and secure ammo dumps. The sooner we can fix our force structure there, the better. I think the U.S. is in trouble in Iraq. We can't just pull out, but we should not hesitate to criticize the Administration if we have better ideas. And we do.

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Los Angeles, Calif.: Most politicians either ignore or attack funding for the arts. If elected president, would you use the weight of your office to increase the budget of the National Endowment for the Arts to $250 million and direct that more funds be given to individuals, rather than just to institutions?

Wesley K. Clark: I believe that the arts are very important to the future of our America,. A country has a soul, and we have to continually find and examine our own. Arts help us do this. .So I believe in restoring funding for the NEA. I haven't fixed any given level, except that I want to raise the prominence of the arts in our daily lives, and I want to reopen the idea of giving grants to individuals. We just have to create the right mechanism to find merit and promise.
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Seattle, Wash.: What is your position on missile defense?

Do we need to keep up the research and development ?

What effect do you think missile defense has on our international alliances?

On terrorism?

Wesley K. Clark: We need a national goals process which helps us define where to place our R and D efforts. We should be using grants and tax expenditures to insure that we retain or gain leadership in a broad range of technologies. I am especially interested in energy and ecology tech which could not only help us gain energy independence but also make us world leaders and major exporters in these areas. What if we could rival the value of oil exports from the mid east with our own energy tech exports?
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Manchester, N.H.: General Clark, please describe your West Point experience. Why were you so successful? Did you simply walk-in as an all-star, or did the institution itself have a positive transforming effect on you?

Wesley K. Clark: West Point was a challenging experience! I did bring a lot to the experience in terms of academic preparations, leadership, and attitude, but I was also given a lot. We had wonderful role models in our assistant professors, great classmates who were capable, smart and idealistic, and the entire West Point experience taught practical leadership. I don't think I could have had a better start in my professional life!
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Hoyt, Ky.: Respectfully, sir, your answer last evening to the question about the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy was somewhat murky. Would you please clarify it; do you support a policy allowing gays and lesbians to serve OPENLY in the military?

Wesley K. Clark: I don't believe sexual orientation is a matter for the military to worry about, so long as behavior is appropriate. I will challenge the military to review the existing policy, and if it doesn't work, which all evidence suggests is the case, will ask the military to come up with something more fair and better for the people concerned and the country. In my view, every person who is qualified should be given the opportunity to serve, and each person should be treated with dignity and respect. There are other models, like don't ask/don't misbehave which some armies have adopted, and they should be looked at.
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Iowa City, Iowa: General Clark,

I am an active supporter of your campaign, yet many of my fellow Iowans are upset with your decision to "abandon" Iowa. How would you respond to these people?

Wesley K. Clark: I regret that there wasn't time to compete in Iowa caucuses. Please don't forget about me. I'll be there in
Iowa, and very much want your support. I just couldn't put in the time to be there personally that the other candidates have invested, because I started so late. I just ask for your support, and will be coming from time to time.
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Hammond, La.: I suppose you noticed the Democrats lost two governor's races in the South yesterday (and they are on the verge of losing another in Louisiana). The last three Democrats elected president were from the South. Why do you think Democrats from outside the South are no longer elected president, do you think of yourself as a Southerner, and what about your Southern background will make you a better national candidate and president?

Wesley K. Clark: I am concerned that so many people in the south don't understand how much better we could be doing as a nation. The Republican Party has had a long record of using fear and divisive policies to gain support from many in the south. I am a southerner, and with my background, beliefs and experiences, I can bring the country together in a way that no one else can. The south is patriotic—so am I. The south respects people who like the outdoors—I do. And the south respects its native sons. I am one.
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Baltimore, Md.: Last night during "Rock the Vote" there was some heated discussion regarding Governor Dean's Statement concerning the Confederate flag. I was hoping you would have had the chance to add your opinion. Would you care to elaborate on it now?

Wesley K. Clark: The Confederate flag is a divisive and racist symbol of American history. I am proud to have served and fought under the American flag. That's what I want to see waved and supported. Perhaps some of those who have used the Confederate flag in the past don't realize how offensive it is to others. But I believe we have to take account of its association with practices that all America regrets. It is time to put that past behind us and move on into a future where we are all united.
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Orlando, Fla.: Gen. Clark,

Would you please give us your opinion of the death penalty?

Wesley K. Clark: I believe that the state has a right to impose the ultimate sanction. But the way the death penalty has been imposed in America is discriminatory. Every existing case on death row should be reevaluated if modern technologies like DNA testing are available to confirm or deny guilt. More broadly, I am concerned that justice today is less than equal, given the vast disparities in sentencing and confinement rates between various groups.
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New York, N.Y.: Last night there was a question about AmeriCorps and for some reason it was directed at Ambassador Braun. You did not have a chance to discuss your feelings on the Bush cuts to this program and what could be done to drive community and national service higher. Do you wish to discuss that here and now?

Wesley K. Clark: Three weeks ago, I introduced a new concept of public service. to go beyond AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps. The National Civil Reserve Corps would enable Americans of all ages to volunteer for service in a variety of endeavors inside the U.S. and abroad for periods up to six months. The programs would ask volunteers to register their interests and skills, and then would inform them of the opportunities available, so that they could pick and choose those of most interest to them.
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Arlington, Va.: Is it possible at this point to persuade Kim Jong-Il to give up his nuclear weapons? How would you handle the situation in North Korea?

Wesley K. Clark: I would talk to the North Koreans immediately, to persuade them that their security is enhanced if they give up their nuclear weapons. We don't know what it will take to persuade them, but we can't learn it without talking to them.
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Wesley K. Clark: Thanks so much for joining me on the Web cast. I wish I could have answered every question, but let's do it again. Please stick with me. Wes Clark