Clark returns to Dan Abrams show
Apparently his break was only two weeks, because Clark is back on TV as a surrogate for Obama. And doing a good job too.
The key part of his appearance on the Dan Abrams show is where he explains the respective roles of the president and military commanders:
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Can I just underscore something here, Dan? Look, as the Commander in Chief, he does not have to take the advice of the Commander on the ground.Dan Abrams: As a General, you don't necessarily say 'you have to listen to me?'
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: No. You don't rule Washington. I mean, what Barack Obama's saying is he appreciates General Petraeus's judgment but he's got concerns that go beyond Iraq. He's mentioned Afghanistan. He's got the health of the United States Armed Forces. He's got other contingencies. He's got the War on Terror. So, Petraeus is in charge of, right now, one theater of this conflict and what Barack Obama is saying is 'I see it, I understand your concerns about risks, it's my job to evaluate the trade-offs of the risks and this is the way I see it.'
Dan Abrams: Let me play you
Tara Wall: If I can just ask. Real quick, General Clark, given you know...obviously respect for the fact that you are a general, but if you're saying to the Commander in Chief, 'here is a strategy I believe that works, we need to try this, we should give it a shot, give it time, let's see if it works,' I would think that you would hope that that Commander in Chief would take that seriously into consid...not just into consideration but give it an opportunity, whether it's a surge strategy or any other strategy you might be anticipating.
Dan Abrams: That's the distinction, because Barack Obama has said he would take it into consideration and it sounds like what Tara is saying is, shouldn't he at least say 'yes?'
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: And the answer is no - he's not obligated to say that. That's not the obligation
Dan Abrams: You say 'give it a shot,' I mean, how long more do you have to give it a shot?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: The President of the United States does not...is not subordinate to the Commander in Chief in the theater of conflict. He just isn't.
Complete transcript and other resources available at WesPAC.
