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American Morning

Interview with Wesley Clark Jr.

Aired February 09, 2004 - 08:05   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: After a three state weekend sweep, John Kerry is distancing himself from the rest of the Democratic presidential field. Now Kerry has set out to make a southern statement tomorrow in Tennessee and the Virginia primaries, as well.
CNN's Bob Franken joins us this morning from Arlington, Virginia with a little bit more -- hey, Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

Let's see, let's keep score. The score is Kerry 10, everybody else two.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN (voice-over): For John Kerry, there was good news and then there was good news. Not only did he romp in the northern states this weekend, but the polls show he's got a real good chance to transfer his winning ways down south on Tuesday. Just ask the governor of Virginia.

GOV. MARK WARNER (D), VIRGINIA: Senator, it's with great pleasure that I endorse you, urge all my friends in Virginia to vote for you come Tuesday.

FRANKEN: That does not fit into the Southern strategies of Southern candidates Wesley Clark and John Edwards.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I came here today to ask you to vote for and support a president that you believe you'll be proud of.

WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My values are patriotism, faith, family, inclusive leadership.

FRANKEN: Howard Dean displayed his family value by watching his son play hockey. Otherwise, it was slippery going. AFSCME, the potent public employees union, pulled its endorsement just as Dean prepared to make his last stand a little over a week from now in Wisconsin.

DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, any time a supporter changes their mind it's a serious disappointment. But we're in this for the long haul.

(END VIDEOTAPE) FRANKEN: At least the haul to Wisconsin. And then perhaps after that the really long haul for someone to President Bush, who, by the way, told Tim Russert, Soledad, I don't plan on losing. Of course, the Democrats have other plans -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: All right, Bob Franken for us this morning.

Bob, thanks.

Well, John Edwards and Wesley Clark both say that they're going to forge ahead despite Kerry's growing strength. Clark has been stumping hard for votes in Tennessee in advance of tomorrow's primary there.

Joining us this morning from Nashville is the candidate's son, Wesley Clark, Jr.

Nice to see you, Wesley.

Thanks for being with us.

WESLEY CLARK, JR., SON OF DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's nice to be here.

O'BRIEN: You have said that you have found the campaign disillusioning and also a dirty business. I'm quoting you there. I'm curious to know what you think that -- what's your biggest complaint been? What don't you like about the campaign and the media?

CLARK, JR.: Well, I mean I was always raised to judge a man by his actions and I think if you look at what my dad's actions were in his 34 year career in the Army and since he's been out, he's without a doubt the best candidate to face George Bush next fall.

O'BRIEN: So when you say it's been disillusioning, specifically what are you talking about? What's been disillusioning?

CLARK, JR.: Well, I mean I don't think it should be that much of a surprise to most viewers that what you see on television isn't always the reality and that people are different than how they appear to be in the media.

O'BRIEN: How do you think your dad's being inaccurately portrayed?

CLARK, JR.: Well, I mean I think people have failed to look at his issue. You hear a lot of talk on the pundit shows where, oh, this is a guy who's running on his resume. I mean, look, a resume is what somebody's done with their life. He's a guy who always sacrificed for the country. He was always dedicated to service. He's the only candidate in the race who's fought in a war and won a war, negotiated peace agreements, administered hospital systems, appointed judges, run school systems, administered affirmative action programs. The other people have just talked about it.

O'BRIEN: There are certainly lots of people who have said boy, Wesley Clark, Jr., if you think it's bad now, just wail until the general election. If your father were to get that far, things will really get nasty and that you've got to be tough to stick it out.

CLARK, JR.: Oh, I'm sure.

O'BRIEN: You disagree with that?

CLARK, JR.: Well, he's tough. No, I mean, look, I'm not telling anyone anything they don't already know. Of course it's going to be hard in the general election. You know, George Bush has a $200 million machine that's going to be coming after whoever the nominee is. But we're not frightened of George Bush.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the polls.

CLARK, JR.: sure.

O'BRIEN: The good news is that your father is tied in second place with John Edwards in Tennessee and also in Virginia. The bad news, he has not had strong showings in a lot of other places.

Are you encouraged or dismayed by what you see in the polls?

And I guess I ask you, too, do you follow the polls closely or not?

CLARK, JR.: Actually, I don't. I've been on the road for the last month and a half so I haven't really had a chance to look at too many polls.

O'BRIEN: So when you see how your dad is doing, and I know that you had said that you expected if he did not win in Oklahoma you were saying you actually hoped that he would withdraw because of the way the race had been going so far.

It looks now, of course it's not certified results, that he has won in Oklahoma. Still waiting for the certification there.

But, of course, he can't just win in Oklahoma and go on to get the nomination.

Where else does he have to win, do you think, before he's going to be the Democratic presidential nominee?

CLARK, JR.: Well, I expect us to win in Tennessee and I expect us to place very strong in Virginia. I expect once we get to California and Texas we're going to do phenomenal.

O'BRIEN: If you don't win in Tennessee, let's say, you don't win in Virginia. What happens then? Would you say listen, dad, it's time to pull out?

CLARK, JR.: No. We've got money. We've got a huge number of volunteers and grassroots support. So my guess is we're going to continue on.

O'BRIEN: So even if you come in a second place in Tennessee and Virginia, you will move forward?

CLARK, JR.: Well, look, there's 38 more states.

O'BRIEN: So you think that it's only the very beginning and to actually go by these polls when such a tiny percentage of people have actually registered their opinion is sort of an issue?

CLARK, JR.: Oh, yes, totally.

O'BRIEN: Do you think your dad has been unfairly singled out or do you think all the Democratic candidates at this point have been maybe unfairly criticized by the media?

CLARK, JR.: Oh, I think a lot of them have. I mean, look, you have to judge people on what they've done in life and I think the media has failed to do that.

O'BRIEN: Well, we will see if things change.

Wesley Clark, Jr. joining us this morning.

Thanks for your time.

Appreciate it.

CLARK, JR.: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired February 9, 2004 - 08:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: After a three state weekend sweep, John Kerry is distancing himself from the rest of the Democratic presidential field. Now Kerry has set out to make a southern statement tomorrow in Tennessee and the Virginia primaries, as well.
CNN's Bob Franken joins us this morning from Arlington, Virginia with a little bit more -- hey, Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

Let's see, let's keep score. The score is Kerry 10, everybody else two.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN (voice-over): For John Kerry, there was good news and then there was good news. Not only did he romp in the northern states this weekend, but the polls show he's got a real good chance to transfer his winning ways down south on Tuesday. Just ask the governor of Virginia.

GOV. MARK WARNER (D), VIRGINIA: Senator, it's with great pleasure that I endorse you, urge all my friends in Virginia to vote for you come Tuesday.

FRANKEN: That does not fit into the Southern strategies of Southern candidates Wesley Clark and John Edwards.

SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I came here today to ask you to vote for and support a president that you believe you'll be proud of.

WESLEY CLARK (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My values are patriotism, faith, family, inclusive leadership.

FRANKEN: Howard Dean displayed his family value by watching his son play hockey. Otherwise, it was slippery going. AFSCME, the potent public employees union, pulled its endorsement just as Dean prepared to make his last stand a little over a week from now in Wisconsin.

DR. HOWARD DEAN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, any time a supporter changes their mind it's a serious disappointment. But we're in this for the long haul.

(END VIDEOTAPE) FRANKEN: At least the haul to Wisconsin. And then perhaps after that the really long haul for someone to President Bush, who, by the way, told Tim Russert, Soledad, I don't plan on losing. Of course, the Democrats have other plans -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: All right, Bob Franken for us this morning.

Bob, thanks.

Well, John Edwards and Wesley Clark both say that they're going to forge ahead despite Kerry's growing strength. Clark has been stumping hard for votes in Tennessee in advance of tomorrow's primary there.

Joining us this morning from Nashville is the candidate's son, Wesley Clark, Jr.

Nice to see you, Wesley.

Thanks for being with us.

WESLEY CLARK, JR., SON OF DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's nice to be here.

O'BRIEN: You have said that you have found the campaign disillusioning and also a dirty business. I'm quoting you there. I'm curious to know what you think that -- what's your biggest complaint been? What don't you like about the campaign and the media?

CLARK, JR.: Well, I mean I was always raised to judge a man by his actions and I think if you look at what my dad's actions were in his 34 year career in the Army and since he's been out, he's without a doubt the best candidate to face George Bush next fall.

O'BRIEN: So when you say it's been disillusioning, specifically what are you talking about? What's been disillusioning?

CLARK, JR.: Well, I mean I don't think it should be that much of a surprise to most viewers that what you see on television isn't always the reality and that people are different than how they appear to be in the media.

O'BRIEN: How do you think your dad's being inaccurately portrayed?

CLARK, JR.: Well, I mean I think people have failed to look at his issue. You hear a lot of talk on the pundit shows where, oh, this is a guy who's running on his resume. I mean, look, a resume is what somebody's done with their life. He's a guy who always sacrificed for the country. He was always dedicated to service. He's the only candidate in the race who's fought in a war and won a war, negotiated peace agreements, administered hospital systems, appointed judges, run school systems, administered affirmative action programs. The other people have just talked about it.

O'BRIEN: There are certainly lots of people who have said boy, Wesley Clark, Jr., if you think it's bad now, just wail until the general election. If your father were to get that far, things will really get nasty and that you've got to be tough to stick it out.

CLARK, JR.: Oh, I'm sure.

O'BRIEN: You disagree with that?

CLARK, JR.: Well, he's tough. No, I mean, look, I'm not telling anyone anything they don't already know. Of course it's going to be hard in the general election. You know, George Bush has a $200 million machine that's going to be coming after whoever the nominee is. But we're not frightened of George Bush.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the polls.

CLARK, JR.: sure.

O'BRIEN: The good news is that your father is tied in second place with John Edwards in Tennessee and also in Virginia. The bad news, he has not had strong showings in a lot of other places.

Are you encouraged or dismayed by what you see in the polls?

And I guess I ask you, too, do you follow the polls closely or not?

CLARK, JR.: Actually, I don't. I've been on the road for the last month and a half so I haven't really had a chance to look at too many polls.

O'BRIEN: So when you see how your dad is doing, and I know that you had said that you expected if he did not win in Oklahoma you were saying you actually hoped that he would withdraw because of the way the race had been going so far.

It looks now, of course it's not certified results, that he has won in Oklahoma. Still waiting for the certification there.

But, of course, he can't just win in Oklahoma and go on to get the nomination.

Where else does he have to win, do you think, before he's going to be the Democratic presidential nominee?

CLARK, JR.: Well, I expect us to win in Tennessee and I expect us to place very strong in Virginia. I expect once we get to California and Texas we're going to do phenomenal.

O'BRIEN: If you don't win in Tennessee, let's say, you don't win in Virginia. What happens then? Would you say listen, dad, it's time to pull out?

CLARK, JR.: No. We've got money. We've got a huge number of volunteers and grassroots support. So my guess is we're going to continue on.

O'BRIEN: So even if you come in a second place in Tennessee and Virginia, you will move forward?

CLARK, JR.: Well, look, there's 38 more states.

O'BRIEN: So you think that it's only the very beginning and to actually go by these polls when such a tiny percentage of people have actually registered their opinion is sort of an issue?

CLARK, JR.: Oh, yes, totally.

O'BRIEN: Do you think your dad has been unfairly singled out or do you think all the Democratic candidates at this point have been maybe unfairly criticized by the media?

CLARK, JR.: Oh, I think a lot of them have. I mean, look, you have to judge people on what they've done in life and I think the media has failed to do that.

O'BRIEN: Well, we will see if things change.

Wesley Clark, Jr. joining us this morning.

Thanks for your time.

Appreciate it.

CLARK, JR.: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com