Clark's in ...
Well, the former NATO General has decided to jump in: ["Wesley Clark seeks Democratic nomination"]. Some of my progressive friends are kinda going goo-goo over the guy but I just don't see it. So he graduated first at West Point and is a Rhodes Scholar. Big deal. Do we need more elitists in power or people with some experience living with the working class masses? Plus, we don't know anything about him except that he was against the Iraq war ... or was he?
FAIR released a report on Tuesday ["Wesley Clark: The New Anti-War Candidate? Record Shows Clark Cheered Iraq War as 'Right Call'"] which shows something else.
How about this excellent piece from the muckrakers at Counterpunch: ["A Vain, Pompous Brown-noser: Meet the Real Gen. Clark"]. Ouch.
Drudge has this: "Wesley Clark fundraised for Republicans in 2001, for Pulaski County Republican Party (Little Rock)... December 2001: Clark registers to vote in Little Rock as independent... But in 2003, now he is a Democrat?... " Hmmm. Gotta love how quickly they get this stuff.
However, are the Clintons behind all this? Some think so: ["Wesley Clark’s Newest Mission: Destroy Howard Dean’s Momentum"]. Makes you think.
On MSNBC's "Buchanan & Press" earlier tonight, Pat Buchanan said he didn't think Sen. Hillary Clinton was going to run. But then, he predicted a Clinton/Wesley Clark ticket, especially after reading Bubba's comment in the New York Sun:
"I was impressed at the state fair in New York, which is in Republican country in upstate New York, at how many New Yorkers came up and said they would release her from her commitment if she wanted to do it." He added, however, that Hillary "just doesn't understand how to walk away from that [promise]. So I just have to take her for where she is right now."
Ugh.
On "Hardball" later, Clark danced around some issues. Sure, he answered that he voted for Al Gore and didn't think Clinton lying under oath about his affair with Monica Lewinsky, obstructing justice, and committing pejury was a high crime and worthy of impeachment. But on driver's licenses for illegal aliens, Clark said he couldn't answer and would have to get back to host Chris Matthews on the issue. Why couldn't he answer the question? If you aren't supposed to be here, why should you be granted a driver's license? I can't move to Italy or Mexico illegally and then demand a driver's license. Even most liberals think this is a bad idea. Why does Clark have to think it over?
Some other links: ["Wesley Clark - will he outflank the field?"] ["Sizing up the Wesley Clark effect"]

Interesting political stuff ...
Dick Gephardt has an audio link of one of his speeches set to techno music: ["Gephardt remix"]
Gephardt also has a "Only Dick Gephardt can beat George W. Bush. Find out why" link complete with a map of the states and a more extensive analysis of ["A Winning Electoral Strategy"]. Figures on the map say there are 203 Republican leaning states [although I would disagree that Florida and Vermont are leaning Republican] and 198 Democratic leaning states [sounds about right although I would put Minnesota, Oregon, and Vermont here as well]. The remaining states the Gephardt campaign dictates as "battleground" states with 136 electoral votes.
"As a moderate candidate with strong support in the Midwest and among labor households, Gephardt is better positioned to get these states into the Democratic column in 2004 than all rival Democratic candidates."
Couldn't have said it better myself. It is good to see others joining me in taking a serious look at the map of red states and figuring out which Democrat might actually be able to win this thing.
Dennis Kucinich is holding 1,000 house parties on Sunday in honor of peace day: ["HAVE A HOUSE PARTY FOR PEACE"].
Dean is in the middle of his "September to Remember" effort by having standouts on Saturday ["Dean Visibility Day"]. It should be noted that Saturday is also the day United for Justice and Peace is holding Bring the Troops Home rallies across the country. A national rally is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 25.

Interesting political items
As a collector of political buttons, I look for campaign items in an effort to find something unique and different from political campaigns. Of late, more campaigns are relying on low-frill items like label stickers instead of cool buttons. Sure, some sites have them for sale, but not for free. Probably because the campaigns will be shoveling all their money into television ads. Political items also make the campaigns fun and interesting since th items you can hand out to voters. Everyone always suggests emory boards with your name on them. I haven't seen any of those so far.
Here are some unusual promotional items offered by some of the 2004 campaigns:
The Draft Nader 2004 folks have bobbleheads! $20? A bargain, eh?
John Edwards' campaign is offering "Jog with John" headbands. For $44 you can Jog with John and help him become the 44th president.
I kinda like this one from the fake Joe Lieberman site: Build your own missile shield. Free? Perfect!