Clark Enters Crowded Presidential Race

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark enters a wide-open presidential race with no experience in elective office and no history on domestic policy. But he offers Democrats one thing they crave: New hope of undercutting President Bush’s wartime popularity.

“The most important issue in America today is our security at home and abroad. And that’s what Americans seek,” Clark said as he prepared to announce his candidacy at a boys and girls club here Wednesday. “I’m the best among any of the prospective candidates in terms of being able to work for America’s security.”

Clark, 58, will become the 10th candidate in a Democratic race that is up for grabs. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is the front-runner, but a solid majority of voters remain undecided and some party leaders believe the current field has underperformed.

With polls showing Bush vulnerable because of a weak economy and violence in Iraq, Clark’s late entry offers Democrats a four-star answer to Bush’s potential advantage on national security. Clark’s resume is made to order – a Rhodes scholar, first in his 1966 class at West Point, White House fellow and head of the U.S. Southern Command and NATO commander during the 1999 campaign in Kosovo.

But the retired general has never held political office – not even a student council election to his credit – and he has never been pressed to produce a domestic agenda.

Just four months before the first votes are cast, he has no formal organization in key states, little money and a patchwork staff culled from the political organizations of former President Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore.

Wednesday’s address gives Clark a chance to highlight his support of abortion rights, affirmative action, better health care and tax cuts for the middle class.

The latter position may put him at odds with Dean and Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri, rivals who want to repeal Bush’s tax cuts including provisions that favor middle class taxpayers.

The former general, a regular on cable news shows, has been critical of the Iraq war and Bush’s postwar efforts – positions that would put him alongside announced candidates Dean, Sen. Bob Graham of Florida and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio as the most vocal anti-war candidates.

Clark has assembled a small but potent team of political veterans who could open doors for a political novice seeking a message, money and an organization.

Some met him for the first time Tuesday as the new campaign held its first strategy sessions.

The advisers said they were developing an unconventional strategy that would attempt to capitalize on the Internet and Clark’s affinity for television to build momentum nationwide. He has not decided how hard to campaign in traditional early battlegrounds such as Iowa, aides said, but they quickly concluded that he can’t catch up to his competitors through traditional means; the rest of the field has been in Iowa and New Hamsphire for months.

Democrats in New Hampshire, Iowa and other early voting states did not close the door on a Clark presidency, but said the compressed primary schedule hurts late-starting candidates.

“While General Clark has something to say, it’s going to take boots on the ground in Iowa to make a difference,” said Iowa activist Joe Shannahan.