Wes gets pretty passionate here, from Oct 1 or 2, I believe, in Iowa. I'd love to see an Al Gore/Wes Clark ticket in 2008, but Wes makes the point that the 2006 elections are far more important right now. He's right.

It's about 35 minutes long. If you must only sample the video, start around the 20 minute mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqvZ_a-zuvk

Wes addresses the North Korea situation on this clip, but it was made before the North Korean "nuke" test. I'd like to hear Wes address that specifically, especially in terms of the Bush admin neglect and avoidance of negotiations with NK.

I think a Gore/Clark ticket would be tough to beat. Clark brings so much to the table with him, especially with the war on terror and the ongoing war in Iraq and threats from Iran and N. Korea. A military man would be a big plus to any ticket. Clark has an enormous and loyal following, though, and they're going to want their man to be president. If Gore runs, though, and comes out the winner, I could see Clark taking the second spot.

He'd be 72 at the end of two terms as veep, though. Kind of old to begin a campaign for president, although certainly not unheard of. But these days, most people like their presidential candidates to be younger.

Whatever Dem. wins the nomination in '08 should choose someone as a running mate who will be able to run as president at the end of his/her time in office.

Inerestingly, John McCain came out and said that Clinton's policy in N. Korea was a failure and he's blaming the Clinton Administration for what's happening in N. Korea now. I posted this here because Clark discussed the success of the Clinton strategy in N. Korea in the speech RussBLib linked above. Read what McCain has to say about Clinton's N. Korea policies below.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/10/mcc...n.ap/index.html

McCain: Clinton's North Korea policy 'a failure'

SOUTHFIELD, Michigan (AP) -- Republican Sen. John McCain on Tuesday accused former President Clinton, the husband of his potential 2008 White House rival, of failing to act in the 1990s to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons.

"I would remind Senator [Hillary] Clinton and other Democrats critical of the Bush administration's policies that the framework agreement her husband's administration negotiated was a failure," McCain said at a news conference after a campaign appearance for Republican Senate candidate Mike Bouchard.

"The Koreans received millions and millions in energy assistance. They've diverted millions of dollars of food assistance to their military," he said.

Democrats have argued President Clinton presented his successor with a framework for dealing with North Korea and the Republicans fumbled the opportunity. In October 2000, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright made a groundbreaking visit to Pyongyang to explore a missile deal with Chairman Kim Jong Il. There was even talk of a visit by President Clinton.

Reports this week suggesting North Korea tested a nuclear device prompted a number of Democrats to criticize Bush, arguing that he focused on Iraq, a country without weapons of mass destruction, while ignoring legitimate threats from Pyongyang. (Watch North Korea's claim that it tested a nuke -- 3:22)

McCain's criticism elicited a strong response from Democratic Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 presidential nominee and a potential 2008 candidate.

"He must be trying to burnish his credentials for the nomination process," said Kerry, who labeled McCain's comments "flat politics and incorrect."

"The truth is the Clinton administration knew full well they didn't have a perfect agreement. But at least they were talking. At least we had inspectors going in and we knew where the [nuclear fuel] rods were. This way, we don't know where the rods are. The rods are gone. There are no inspectors. Ask any American which way is better," Kerry said.

The Massachusetts senator made the remarks in Nevada during a campaign appearance with Elizabeth Carter, wife of Democratic Senate candidate Jack Carter.

In U.S.-North Korea relations, the initial breakthrough occurred in October 1994, when U.S. negotiators persuaded North Korea to freeze its nuclear program, with onsite monitoring by U.N. inspectors. In exchange, the United States, with input from South Korea and Japan, promised major steps to ease North Korea's acute energy shortage.

These commitments were inherited by the Bush administration, which made clear almost from the outset that it believed the Clinton policy ignored key elements of North Korea's activities, especially the threat posed by the hundreds of thousands of troops on permanent duty along the Demilitarized Zone with South Korea.

McCain, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he backed tough U.N. sanctions against North Korea in response to the reported test. The measures, he said, should include a military embargo, financial and trade sanctions and the right to inspect all cargo in and out of North Korea.

The Arizona senator and New York Sen. Clinton are considered their party's front-runners for 2008.

McCain also called on China to "step up to the plate" and vote for sanctions and rejected calls for one-on-one talks between the United States and North Korea. (Watch how Pyongyang apparently ignored China -- 1:53)

"The worst thing we could do is to accede to North Korea's demand for bilateral talks," McCain said. "When has rewarding North Korea's bad behavior ever gotten us anything more than worse behavior?"

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

I have lost what residual respect I had for McCain. He is just a hack. He'll say and do whatever he thinks he needs to. His caving in on the torture and detainment thing was appalling. He had a strong position, he made good points, he was getting respect from all quarters, and THE MACHINE must have reminded him of the pictures they have from his trip to Tijuana or something. He's a slime.

Listen, anyone who can head up Bush's reelection campaign in Arizona has to be a slime, don't you think?

Actually, I don't think he's a slime. But he is trying to get elected, and we all know what happens to some candidates when you dangle the election carrot in front of their noses. Suddenly everything changes, unfortunately. As I understand it, Ned Lamont has done the same thing in CT.