Democratic presidential candidate Wesley
Clark
launched
one of the most blistering attacks of the presidential race
in a speech in Bush's home state of Texas and passionately made
the case that democracy itself is at
stake. He called the Bush administration a threat to what "
this
nation stands for" and said "
we need to get
him out of the White House...and we're going to do it."
Clark gave the speech before an audience of 500 in Dallas at a
fundraiser. Personal
accounts
on the Clark blog from those who attended tell about the
electrifying impression that Clark's speech made on the crowd as
he talked about taking America back.
"I think we're at risk with our democracy," Clark
told an audience of about 500 people at a fund-raiser at the
Westin Galleria hotel. "I think we're dealing with the most
closed, imperialistic, nastiest administration in living memory.
They even put Richard Nixon to shame. They are a threat to what
this nation stands for, and we need to get him out of the White
House. And we're going to do it."
When a supporter yelled out, "Give it to him!" Clark
responded: "We're going to give it to him, and you're going
to have to take him back, right here in Texas. Let him chop
cedar."
-
The talk was magnificent, and had people roaring to their feet
and cheering over and over. When he finished, he walked off the
stage and through the ballroom, stopping to talk to people, shake
hands and take pictures...He is a genuine thoroughbred, you can
be sure. We are very fortunate that someone of his caliber was
willing to wade into the sorry mess that our political arena has
become. Meeting him in person was something I'll never forget.
Anyway, that's the news. Vote your favorite candidate, but
please, please be sure to vote this time around. As Clark said
last night, the threat to global stability, the environment, the
economy, and education are real and critical, but the most
serious threat right now is to democracy itself. I'm more
optimistic than ever.
-
When Clark took the stage, he did not disappoint! His
speech had the crowd roaring. His timing and delivery were
perfect. And he was not afraid to lay out his policies...
his policies on taxes, policies on higher ed funding, affirmative
action, the environment - which were all tied to his message
on family values. He got it absolutely right when he spoke
to that - "family values" have been used by that other
party to create fear and division in this country which is clear
evidence that they have no clue about family values!
Now being seated right up front, I was able to catch something in
Clark's speech that I think many others in the room may have not
noticed. When he spoke about visiting the slums in Haiti
and restoring pride in America - not just pride from within our
country - but restoring it abroad so that others in the world
could look to us as a friend and role model, Wes's eyes swelled
up with tears. I could see right then the veracity of his message
and the sincerity in his heart - Wes wants to continue to give
back to this country. His heart is so big, and he, like so
many of us, has grown frustrated with the direction our country
has been led; and he wants to do all he can to change that.
Not only that, but in listening to him last night and in seeing
him in person and in shaking his hand, for the first time in my
life (and it has been only 28 years at that), I sincerely feel
that I want to give back, too. Wes has made me proud as I
have ever been to be an American.
Rob is the
founder and editor of the progressive news site robwire.com and is a
frequent contributor to rob.dailykos.com