We Clarkies have taken some heat lately for publishing "gushing" diaries instead of holding Wes's feet to the fire on the issues. So, I'm posting this diary as an opportunity for all of us to talk about Wes on the issues. To get us started, I'm going to post a bunch of his stuff from the 2004 campaign.
I'd like to lead with Wes Clark's talking points for supporters from 2004:
Talking Points for Clark Supporters
Wes Clark is a four-star general who served his country with distinction for thirty-four years in the U.S. Army. He has the courage to make the tough calls that will get our economy back on track and help Americans feel safe again – both at home and abroad.
As NATO Supreme Allied Commander and Commander in Chief of the United States European Command, General Clark led the combat action that saved 1.5 million Albanians from ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.
As a General, Wes Clark made taking care of our troops his highest priority. During his time in the military, he worked tirelessly to improve health care, education, and housing for the military families under his watch.
General Clark's campaign is dedicated to promoting a New American Patriotism based on:
- Service: Giving back to our country is a proud American tradition. All Americans should serve – in the armed forces or in their communities, volunteer or paid, part-time or full-time.
- Principled dissent: Criticizing the government isn't wrong or unpatriotic – it's one of the highest forms of patriotism. We should embrace dialogue, dissent, and open debate, especially about the issues that matter most.
- Opportunity for all: We must help all Americans reach their full potential. That means fighting for health care, education and job creation.
- Responsible global leadership: America stays strong not by building walls, but by building bridges and reaching outward. We must work with international institutions and use force only as a last resort. General Clark is a strong Democrat: he is pro-choice, pro-affirmative action, pro-environment, pro-health care and pro-labor. And he wants to bring people together – Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and people who've never voted before.
Everyone is welcome in his campaign.
All that... just to get to the "Clark is a strong Democrat" part. Sorry. I love those talking points. Anyway, let's talk about the issues.
Pro-choice (actually, I'm just going to go ahead and post his position on women... which doesn't include the fact that he gives great hugs...)
Valuing Women
Throughout my career I have worked hard to recruit and promote women in our armed forces and in business. And I was proud to see more and more women move up the ranks. Because the wider the military opened its doors, the stronger it got. That’s why I will work hard to expand the number of women-owned businesses, break through the glass ceiling that keeps women from and eliminate the pay gap between men and women. I will start with my Administration by ensuring that women are in leadership roles in the White House.
- Equal economic opportunity. Opportunity starts with jobs—which is why I want to repeal Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy and invest $100 billion in a job creation plan. But we also need to make sure that women have equal opportunities in the workplace. I think we need to take proactive steps to do that. As a start, we need to eliminate the pay gap. Until women in this country earn 100 cents on the dollar all of us are being shortchanged.
- Tax Fairness: We need a tax code that values work and family, not one that provides large tax breaks for the wealthiest who need them least. My plan will restore progressivity to the tax code, relieve the working family squeeze, and reduce poverty. The cornerstone of my tax reform plan is simple: families of four making under $50,000 will not have to pay a single penny in federal income tax. And all families with children making under $100,000 will get a tax cut. Finally my tax reform plan will simplify the tax process, eliminating dozens of pages of forms and boiling down hundreds of pages of the tax code down to one easy-to use form.
- Protect and Support families. Americans, women and men, are the hardest and most dedicated workers in the world—and it seems like we’re working longer and longer hours. I understand the pressure that puts on families. During my time in the Army I learned that a soldier, woman or man, didn’t perform to his or her full potential when they were worried about their family or kids. That’s why I am going to work with employers and employees to make sure that we are getting American workers the flexibility they need—including child care, paid leave to take care of sick loved ones, and elder care—to be productive and take care of
their families.
- Reproductive freedom. I’m pro-choice. The government has no business coming between a woman, her family, and her doctor in making such a personal, private decision. Every woman deserves complete information and access to birth control so that families can be planned and so that every child is a wanted child. I will oppose measures that interfere with the ability of woman and her doctors to make choices about her reproductive health.
- Affordable health care. My health care plan would make insurance for everyone more affordable, and help families make sure their children, up to age 22, have coverage.
- Education. We need to invest in education and our future, America’s children. If we really want to leave no child behind, then we’ve got to put our money where our mouth is by working to reform and fully fund No Child Left Behind and expanding access to early childhood education. Real education reform needs to start in pre-school and continue through college.
- Fighting Violence Against Women. I am for significantly stepping up our efforts to fight violence against women. Because sexual assault and domestic violence are human rights violations, plain and simple. I stood up for human rights in Bosnia. I stood up for human rights in Kosovo. And I’ll stand up for human rights here in the United States of America.
Pro-affirmative action
Throughout my career, I have seen the meaning, consequence, and importance of affirmative action firsthand. I was proud to join a group of retired military officers who filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of affirmative action at the University of Michigan. I think such policies are necessary to facilitate diversity within, and thus the legitimacy of, the nation's leadership. And the Supreme Court agreed on the importance of diversity, relying on the successes of the military model. America cannot be a great nation without the leadership of our very best – of all races, from all parts of the country. Affirmative action ensures that future leaders who might otherwise never get a chance are brought to the forefront. As a result, Americans – all Americans – benefit.
Pro-healthcare. I think Wes has since moved toward single-payer healthcare now.
In countless ways, the United States has the greatest health care in the world. We have the best-trained doctors, the most well-equipped, state-of-the art hospitals, and we lead the world in cutting-edge medical research. Health care is also an enormous source of jobs. The health care industry employs more than 11 million Americans, and it’s one of the fastest growing sectors of our economy. America’s role as a world leader in health care ought to be a source of pride for all of us. But our health care system also faces major challenges: the United States spends more on health care per capita than any other nation in the world, but we rank ninth in the world in life expectancy and an unacceptable 28th in infant mortality. Health insurance premiums have increased by 40 percent since 2000, costing typical families $2,700 more per year. Four million people have joined the ranks of the uninsured since 2000, bringing the total number of uninsured Americans to forty-four million.
President Bush has not addressed the rising premiums and the rising number of uninsured Americans. He has offered nothing but a small, ineffectual plan first proposed three years ago – a stale bill that doesn’t acknowledge the extent of the problem, and which he’s made little effort to move through Congress. Americans know that, despite President Bush’s neglect, our health care system has tremendous potential – but we need new leadership to drive through the necessary improvements.I strongly believe that every American should have affordable, quality health care. That’s why I have proposed a plan to improve the quality of health care for all Americans, with better preventive care and a focus on improved outcomes and greater efficiency. My plan would help make health care more affordable for tens of millions of families, while providing insurance to 32 million Americans who today lack coverage, including all 13 million uninsured children and college-age adults. It also provides universal access to more affordable, more reliable, and higher quality coverage for all Americans who don’t have access through their employers. My three-part vision for better and more affordable health care stresses:
- Value through prevention: More bang for the health care buck. Costs are increasing rapidly without contributing to better health outcomes. My plan focuses on getting more bang for the health care buck, helping to improve health outcomes for all Americans while restraining the growing cost of premiums. I would create incentives for both the government and private sector to employ preventive care, improve disease management, and utilize evidence-based medicine. I would promote the use of information technology to reduce medical errors, improving outcomes and reducing costs for all families. And I would make certain that coverage truly insures people from high health care costs.
- Affordability: Tax credits for families making up to $90,000. Since 2000, health insurance premiums have risen by 40 percent, amounting to $2,700 per family. Skyrocketing premiums squeeze middle-class households and trigger family bankruptcies. My plan would provide tax credits to make health insurance more affordable. These credits would be available for those feeling the squeeze most – for example, up to $40,000 in annual income for individuals, and up to $90,000 for a family of four.
- Coverage: Universal coverage for children and better access for all. Since 2000, four million Americans have been added to the ranks of the uninsured. My plan would extend health insurance to 32 million Americans, including all 13 million children and college-age students who currently lack health insurance. Every American without other means to buy insurance would have access to the same health plan as Members of Congress; tax credits and other measures would make this coverage affordable. In addition, my plan would help ensure that workers could keep their health insurance between jobs.
Pro-labor (Thank god. This infinitely long post covering the 5 topics mentioned in the 2004 Clark talking points is almost over!!!)
The history of American economic progress is largely the story of laborers who banded together into unions, in order to bargain collectively for the dignity, respect, wages, and benefits they deserve. I understand the lessons that this history provides. And that is why standing up for workers and unions will be one of my highest priorities as president.
President Bush’s record on labor is abysmal. He has taken every opportunity to weaken unions and set back the cause of workers’ rights. As President, I’ll take the important and long-overdue steps to assist American workers achieve better wages and benefits, access to health care, and a greater say in their working conditions. Here’s what I’ll do:
- Raise the minimum wage. The real value of the minimum wage has declined 25 percent since 1979. A living wage for all workers was the right idea back then, and it’s the right idea now. I support raising the minimum wage – and ensuring that it keeps pace with the cost of living in the future.
- Empower workers to organize. As president I’ll push for a "card check" law, requiring employers to recognize unions once a majority of workers have indicated their intent to unionize.
- End union-busting. Harassment, intimidation, and firing of would-be organizers is, unfortunately, not yet a relic of the 1930s. It happens today. My administration will be vigilant in identifying and prosecuting such illegal activity.
- Retain Federal wage provisions for workers. The government should set a good example for all employers by paying fair wages and benefits. The Davis-Bacon Act requires that federal contractors pay their workers local prevailing wages. The historic Fair Labor Standards Act solidified legal protection for overtime pay. As President, I’ll protect these vital safeguards from those who want to dismantle them.
- Protect workers on the job. The Bush Administration has instructed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ease penalties on employers who expose their workers to hazards on the job. Bush has also attempted to cut funding for OSHA, which employs fewer inspectors now than it did in 1980. These reckless policies put all workers at risk. I support stiff penalties for employers who violate the law, and increased funding for OSHA and its companion research agency. And I’ll replace the Bush Administration’s weak, voluntary ergonomics standards with real, enforceable rules that protect the health of American workers.
- Promote free and fair trade. Trade has the potential to raise living standards both here and abroad, but we must ensure that the terms of trade are fair, and that we are competing on an equal playing field. Labor rights are human rights, and I’ll treat them that way -- internationally-recognized core labor standards must be central elements of all new trade agreements. We must also improve our enforcement of labor provisions in existing agreements. Finally, we must be vigilant in our approach to unfair practices outside of the treaty context. For example, Bush has failed to prevent China from manipulating its currency, hurting American workers. As President, I’ll do better.
- Increase access to health care. My health care plan provides every single American with affordable access to health care. The plan reduces premiums for many who already have insurance through a system of tax credits. For workers without employee-sponsored health care, I also propose a new, low-cost insurance option: access to the same federal health care plan provided to members of Congress.
Of course, there's more. Wes had 34 of these position statements posted on his site in 2004. I snagged all of them. But I'll stop now.
OK, so these are his positions. He's pretty darn liberal. But y'all complain that's not what we Clarkies talk about. It's true. We talk about how he leads. That (to me at least) is because we know he's liberal. And that's not enough. We need someone who can take us there--not just agree with us on the issues, but get people who don't currently think this way to think this way. No, I don't agree with Wes on every single i-dot and t-cross. But first by listening to him talk about Iraq on CNN, then by reading his position statements, then by meeting him, and finally by throwing myself into his protege, Eric Massa's, campaign, I know that I can trust Wes to move our country in the direction we all think it needs to go.