Forget the MoveOn ad; let's talk about the policy
MSNBC Morning Joe:
Willie Geist: Well, I'm doing well. I'm doing well. The President says this was not just an attack on General Petreaus but an attack on the military at large. Did you take the ad that way, Sir?GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I didn't like the play on General Petreaus' name, but I will tell you this that it's certainly within the purview of any organization to question U.S. policy. And so, I felt the tactics were wrong, but I felt their intent was perfectly fine. They should be asking questions about the policy. (clears throat) I very much regret the fact that all of this has distracted America and enabled some people to escape the consequences of a policy that's just not very effective. The surge is not working, and it was designed so that military improvements and military security could lead to political compromise. There'd been no political compromise. Of course, if you put in troops, you're going to get some improved security for a while at least, but we don't know what's going on underneath the veneer of security, and we certainly have seen no evidence of any political compromise coming out of it. So, I think President Bush's policy's wrong. I think the surge is failing. I think MoveOn's correct to point that out. I think they were incorrect to make the pot on General Petreaus' name. General Petreaus is, he's in the chain of command. He's doing the best he can to support his President, his Commander In Chief, and that's the way it should be. That's what we expect of the men and women in uniform. We expect loyalty up the chain of command. So, I think the, the, the issue is to attack the substance of the policy, which has shown that it's not effective rather than going after the man.
Willie Geist: Yesterday, General Clark, the Senate overwhelmingly passed a measure condemning that MoveOn ad. Senator Clinton voted against condemning the ad. You've come out and endorsed Sen- Senator Clinton. Can you speak to why she wouldn't, she wouldn't condemn the ad?
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: I-I think the, the whole, this whole debate is nothing but a distraction. We should be focusing on what is wrong with the policy. And the Republican Party has, and President Bush, have seized the ad as a way of escaping the responsibility for the consequences of a failing policy. That's the issue. So, let's get back on the issue. Forget about the ad. Let's talk about the policy.
