This morning Wes Clark was interviewed on The Big Talker Show:
listen/read transcript here:
http://securingamerica.com/...
Clark talked about why the truth about Pat Tillman's death and the subsequent cover up is important:
"....our country's safety depends on the integrity of the men and women in uniform and their ability to tell the truth under adverse circumstances."
That view disturbed right wing apologist and co-anchor Suzanne LaFrankie who interrupted the interview and General Clark's answer to accuse those who wish to investigate the cover up of conspiracy think.
Clark, sharp as ever went on the offensive and clearly spelled out the facts as he sees them and brought the argument back to the high road of full disclosure and accountability.
In this excerpt, Clark explains that the cover up likely goes all the way up the chain of command and into the White House: - "people got scared"
Dom Giordano: Well, General, give me your overall sense, would you please, of what happened here. You believe in the Tillman investigation, and I want you to kind of analyze that based on your sources in the military and your sense of being in command at those levels.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, my sense is that this was reported all the way up the chain of command to the Secretary of Defense and the White House and that people got scared because it looked like things that happened that were wrong.
Dom Giordano: Mm hm.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: It wasn't right. And people got carried away with trying to protect the institution instead of reaching the truth and letting the chips fall where they may.
Dom Giordano: General-
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: So, I think, you know, the evidence shows that we had one Three-Star General who didn't tell the truth and-
Dom Giordano: Mm hm.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: (inaudible) how high up this went. We don't know what the instructions were. I'm, you know- The, the most likely thing is that Pat Tillman died in a friendly fire accident, but I looked at the investigation results. Some of them, the ones I've seen, show that it occurred at extremely close range. I don't understand how they could make that kind of a mistake, even under, even under poor lighting conditions. And now I understand there was a doctor's call for, for investigation concerning murder, and I think that should've been followed through on.
Dom Giordano: General, let me talk to you about the murder issue, and I agree, it all should be followed through, and that's fair. When you were on with Keith Olbermann the other night, by the way it came out, and of course it's spontaneous on TV, of talking about his and how far it must go, does it trouble you that a number of bloggers, somewhat prominent websites, are now saying, 'Well, an authority like General Wesley Clark is postulating murder in a, you know, in a sense of the possibilities, and that it could go all the way up to the White House'? Your, your response to how it's been put out there.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, what I said is the investigation, the information about Tillman's death probably went up to the White House. I think when doctors say it has to be looked at and examined as a possible murder because of these three rounds supposedly that were in his forehead - again, I have not seen the autopsy results myself - then I think it needs to be looked at. And that investigation should've been, they should've asked that question..
Here Suzanne LaFrankie attacks the general and the general returns fire:
Suzanne LaFrankie: General Clark, Suzanne La Frankie. You know, I'm looking ant this and it, to me, it, it's an old story. I mean, this happened. It's a tragedy. I think there was cover up, but I don't see any new wrinkles in this and, to, to, to go off on this possibility of conspiracy, I think is irresponsible.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well I'm not quite sure what you're saying, but let's, let, let's talk about what the story is. The story is that a man who was a professional football player and his brother volunteered to serve in the Army Rangers, and he died under circumstances that were at best a friendly fire accident, that the family was given an award which wasn't earned or merited, an award for heroism in action when the chain of command, someone in the chain of command knew that there wasn't any enemy force there. He never was in contact with the enemy, which-
Suzanne LaFrankie: General Clark, with all due respect though that is, that is-
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: (inaudible under interruption) But let me finish!
Suzanne LaFrankie: But that is old.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Excuse me!
Suzanne LaFrankie: That is old news.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Excuse me, sir. Excuse me.
Suzanne LaFrankie: Ma'am.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: You're asking, you're making an implication of something I said that was improper. Is that right? So, I'm going to explain it. I'm saying that this family has never received the information from the government they've requested. And the chain of command should not cover up incidents like this, and that is NOT an old story, sir. That is a very important live story, because our country's safety depends on the integrity of the men and women in uniform and their ability to tell the truth under adverse circumstances. And that's why this is an important issue.
Suzanne LaFrankie: I'm not saying it's not important. And my name is Suzanne.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well.
Suzanne LaFrankie: I'm a woman, but thank you.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I couldn't tell who you were ma'am. I don't know you. Al I know is that you cut me off when I, after you'd asked me a question. Didn't give me a chance to explain.
Dom Giordano: Alright, General, that's-
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: So, I don't think that's-
Dom Giordano: Okay.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -the right interviewing technique.
Suzanne LaFrankie: (snickers)
With people like Suzanne LaFrankie trying to obfuscate the truth and distract us with nonsense, we are fortunate to have Wes Clark stand up for the truth willing to let the chips fall where they may because that strengthens the foundation of our democracy.
Sadly, our broken election system will continue to make it exceedingly difficult for our most qualified and well meaning candidates to run for office. General Clark has said many times that he hasn't said "no" and thinks about running every day but he feels that he has so far been unable to achieve some preconditions that he deems necessary for a successful run in 2008. Why isn't this whole country alive with calls for Wes Clark to run for President? We've never needed him more.
In Wes Clark's recent interview with Charlie Rose he shared with viewers his personal views, his wise solutions and his appreciation of the "gift" he was given to help improve peoples' lives when he served in the military:
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: It wasn't just that, Charlie. It was being a Battalion Commander and working with soldiers. It was being the Commanding General at the National Training Center and fighting for housing. it was worrying about schools at Fort Hood. It was making sure that school boards in Europe were right and changing the curriculum. Those were opportunities, they were gifts really, that were given to my family and me that we could work on, and I'm really grateful for them. It's, yeah, it's too bad I didn't get into politics early and become a Senator or become governor, but I'm really happy with what I was able to do. And-
Charlie Rose: Mm hm.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -hopefully I'm not finished.
and his views on what's important for Americans:
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I, I think the defining struggle in America right now, in America, is the question of the distribution of income and whether we're going to keep the doors of opportunity open for all Americans regardless of what their family income status is, whether there's still a chance for ordinary Americans to make it to the top, or whether the screening process starts early with admission to preschool and, you know, and which elementary school you've gone to to determine-
Charlie Rose: Yeah.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -whether you're going to make the scores to get to Harvard, to get to Harvard Business School to end up at some elite financial institution or whatever.
Charlie Rose: The kind you consult with.
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: The, the kind that I'm very familiar with.
Charlie Rose: (laughs)
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: And, you know, right now those institutions are filled with a bunch of really ordinary Americans, people who come from all across, with all kinds of family backgrounds. America is a wide open society. I hope it'll continue to be that in the future.
http://securingamerica.com/...