After several months of saying he has not chosen a political party affiliation, Gen. Wesley Clark announced that he has finally picked one. Fortunately, he chose wisely.
On CNN yesterday, Clark said he’s a Democrat.
“As I looked at where the country is now domestically and look at our policies abroad, I have to say that I’m aligned with the Democratic Party, I like the message the party has. I like what it stands for,” Clark said. He added that he hoped his announcement about his party affiliation “helps clarify the situation,” and concluded, “I am proud to be a Democrat.”
Clark did not say whether or not he would launch a presidential campaign, saying only that he had his family “are moving toward closure on this issue.”
He hinted at a possible announcement date, noting that he has a “speaking engagement in Iowa on September 19.” Clark said, “So that is one of those benchmarks.”
Regardless, announcing his party connection to the Democratic Party is obviously an important step. A number of high-profile Dems — Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and consultant Donna Brazille, among others — have indicated they might support a Clark candidacy but were irritated that he has been reluctant to identify himself as a Dem. Yesterday, Clark said exactly the right thing. I was particularly pleased to hear him say that he isn’t just a Dem, but that he’s “proud” to be one. Perfect.
A few hours later, Clark sounded very much like a candidate at a forum at New York University, held by the Oxonian Society.
As the New York Times reported, Clark criticized Bush on a host of issues, including Iraq and unemployment.
“The real issue in this election is going to be whether we believe in a two-party system and the ability of reasonable people of good intent to disagree and work through those disagreements to produce a higher-level product for the American people,” Clark said.
Clark also emphasized the kinds of values he fought for in the military. “I fought for the right of people to disagree. I fought for the right of people to protest. I fought for the right of people to question the president, and not just to question, you know, what did he eat today and how far did he run. “I fought for the right of privacy. I fought for freedom from government intrusion of our personal lives. I fought for the belief that every American is a human being who is worthy of respect and who should be treated fairly and equally, regardless of race, religion, creed, sexual orientation or any other discriminating factor.”
It sounds to me like Clark is itching to run. I don’t know what he’s waiting for.