Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark
spoke before a wildly enthusiastic crowd in Pembroke, New
Hampshire on Saturday at a rally that was one of the largest of
the presidential season in New Hampshire. He was
introduced by filmmaker Michael Moore who said "I
want to see that debate: the general versus the deserter".
In addition to Moore a number of other Clark supporters who were
present on stage with Clark include JFK speechwriter Ted
Sorensen, author of some of the most famous speeches in American
political history, filmmaker Barry Levinson (Wag the Dog, Rain
Man, Diner), former Congressman and Dukes of Hazzard star Ben
"Cooter" Jones, former U.S. Senators Dale Bumpers and
David Pryor, Congressman Rahm Emanuel, Congressman Anthony
Weiner, Harvard Professor and author Samantha Power (A Problem
from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide). In a gym so crowded
there were no places to sit or even stand, Clark electrified the
crowd with a speech attacking Bush and the neo-cons. At one point
the fire alams actually went off in a room that steamed into the
80s in the frigid winter of New Hampshire.
As a crowd estimated between 2,000 and 2,500 entered
the building they were entertained
outside by a group of 5 or 6 Kucinich supporters wearing
circa Burning Man uni-suits who were doing a rap drum dance as a
single LaRouche supporter drove back and forth screaming from a
megaphone. On the same day that Clark's now famous
sweater (which he announced last night on Bill Maher's how)
went up for
bids on eBay, many in the crowd said afterwards they sensed
another turning point had been reached in a week as the momentum has grown. Proceeds from the sale of
the sweater will be donated to Liberty House a transitional
shelter for homeless veterans in Manchester, New Hampshire. It
will use the money to help homeless veterans get back on their
feet. When fully operational, Liberty House will offer shelter
and counseling for drug, alcohol and post-traumatic stress
disorder issues.
"Two weeks ago, I thought there was no way to touch
Dean," said Dick Bennett, who posts a new poll on the
Internet every day tracking voters' views of the candidates.
"But now I sense an electricity in the air about
Clark."
David W. Moore, who runs the Gallup poll in New Hampshire,
said he still believed that Dr. Dean, the former governor of
Vermont, was "the odds-on favorite" but that the lead
was not insurmountable.
Rob is the
founder and editor of the progressive news site robwire.com and is a
frequent contributor to rob.dailykos.com
