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Interview With General Wesley Clark

Aired September 11, 2003 - 15:14   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.


JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Well, now, we want to switch gears to the Democratic presidential race and newly revealed discussions that a lot of people are talking about.
Officials with Howard Dean's campaign say that the former Vermont governor has met with retired General Wesley Clark on several occasions and has asked for Clark's support if he decides against entering the race himself. General Clark is expected to announce his plans next week.

He joins us now from New York City.

First of all, General Clark, I want to ask you about what our reporter, Jon Karl, has learned just today. He's been talking to several friends of yours, people close to you. They are saying they expect you to announce that you will run for president in the next days to come. Are you that close to yes?

RET. GENERAL WESLEY CLARK, U.S. ARMY: Well, my family and I have not made a decision, and I have not really speculated on how close I am, Judy.

WOODRUFF: Well, Jon Karl is talking to a number of people, Mark Fabiani, who worked for President Clinton, several others, the head of the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas, your home state. They are saying, in effect, they think it's 90/10. So my question is, is it that close?

CLARK: Well, in the military, we do parallel planning.

And I -- that's the way I have always worked this. And we are going to have to make a decision soon. And if the decision is yes, then we want to be ready. And that's the way we are working.

WOODRUFF: Why do you think your friends are saying this to the press?

CLARK: Well, I am not going to speculate on that.

Mark has come down and worked with me. He's a very experienced communicator. And I am really grateful to have him working with me. But I do think this, Judy. There is a tremendous -- I've gone around this country again in the last two weeks. There is a tremendous hunger for leadership out there. People are very concerned about the direction the country is headed.

"The New York Times" today, above the fold, three key articles, that Osama bin Laden is still on the loose, that the Europeans don't respect us the same way they did at the time of 9/11, and that our president wants more power.

WOODRUFF: General...

CLARK: It epitomizes what's happened in this country and why there is this outcry.

WOODRUFF: General, have you decided, based on this reporting in "The Washington Post" and other news organizations, that you will join Howard Dean's campaign if you don't run yourself?

CLARK: Judy, I have talked to a lot of the candidates. And I have got good relations with all of them. I respect them all.

And we have talked about many issues. I went over the complete range of issues with Howard Dean. And we talked foreign policy and so forth. And so I wouldn't draw any conclusions from newspaper stories.

WOODRUFF: Just quickly, so "The Post" is saying that the two of you discussed the vice presidency, you and Governor Dean. Did you talk to him about it?

CLARK: What I talked about was that I have only one decision to make. And that's the decision whether or not to run. And that's to run for the president of the United States, not for any other office. That's the decision that's in front of me.

WOODRUFF: So you're not denying it?

(CROSSTALK)

CLARK: Well, we talked about a lot of things. I'm neither confirming nor denying it.

And, frankly, these rumors go around in political circles. Who knows who starts them or for what possible motive. But, as I said, I have talked to a lot of the candidates for many different reasons. And as I have made clear to everybody, I am facing a decision. It's a personal decision. And I will make it on the best information available. And that information has to...

WOODRUFF: I hear you.

CLARK: It's just that simple: Will I run? And that's what we are deciding.

WOODRUFF: One last question. General, I have just learned the Associated Press is reporting that you asked former John McCain campaign adviser John Weaver to run your campaign and he turned you down. Is that true?

CLARK: I did have discussions with John Weaver. He's a very talented guy. But, actually, we didn't actually make that offer. And we never came to closure on this issue. He's one of a number of people that I have talked to. There have been no turndowns, to my knowledge, by anybody.

WOODRUFF: All right, General Wesley Clark, it's always good talking to you.

(CROSSTALK)

CLARK: And let me make it clear, Judy. There's been no turndowns of anything that's been offered to anybody.

WOODRUFF: All right. We appreciate the clarification, General Clark. And we will be talking to you in the days ahead as you get closer to a decision.

CLARK: 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 September 11, 2003 - 15:14   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Well, now, we want to switch gears to the Democratic presidential race and newly revealed discussions that a lot of people are talking about.
Officials with Howard Dean's campaign say that the former Vermont governor has met with retired General Wesley Clark on several occasions and has asked for Clark's support if he decides against entering the race himself. General Clark is expected to announce his plans next week.

He joins us now from New York City.

First of all, General Clark, I want to ask you about what our reporter, Jon Karl, has learned just today. He's been talking to several friends of yours, people close to you. They are saying they expect you to announce that you will run for president in the next days to come. Are you that close to yes?

RET. GENERAL WESLEY CLARK, U.S. ARMY: Well, my family and I have not made a decision, and I have not really speculated on how close I am, Judy.

WOODRUFF: Well, Jon Karl is talking to a number of people, Mark Fabiani, who worked for President Clinton, several others, the head of the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas, your home state. They are saying, in effect, they think it's 90/10. So my question is, is it that close?

CLARK: Well, in the military, we do parallel planning.

And I -- that's the way I have always worked this. And we are going to have to make a decision soon. And if the decision is yes, then we want to be ready. And that's the way we are working.

WOODRUFF: Why do you think your friends are saying this to the press?

CLARK: Well, I am not going to speculate on that.

Mark has come down and worked with me. He's a very experienced communicator. And I am really grateful to have him working with me. But I do think this, Judy. There is a tremendous -- I've gone around this country again in the last two weeks. There is a tremendous hunger for leadership out there. People are very concerned about the direction the country is headed.

"The New York Times" today, above the fold, three key articles, that Osama bin Laden is still on the loose, that the Europeans don't respect us the same way they did at the time of 9/11, and that our president wants more power.

WOODRUFF: General...

CLARK: It epitomizes what's happened in this country and why there is this outcry.

WOODRUFF: General, have you decided, based on this reporting in "The Washington Post" and other news organizations, that you will join Howard Dean's campaign if you don't run yourself?

CLARK: Judy, I have talked to a lot of the candidates. And I have got good relations with all of them. I respect them all.

And we have talked about many issues. I went over the complete range of issues with Howard Dean. And we talked foreign policy and so forth. And so I wouldn't draw any conclusions from newspaper stories.

WOODRUFF: Just quickly, so "The Post" is saying that the two of you discussed the vice presidency, you and Governor Dean. Did you talk to him about it?

CLARK: What I talked about was that I have only one decision to make. And that's the decision whether or not to run. And that's to run for the president of the United States, not for any other office. That's the decision that's in front of me.

WOODRUFF: So you're not denying it?

(CROSSTALK)

CLARK: Well, we talked about a lot of things. I'm neither confirming nor denying it.

And, frankly, these rumors go around in political circles. Who knows who starts them or for what possible motive. But, as I said, I have talked to a lot of the candidates for many different reasons. And as I have made clear to everybody, I am facing a decision. It's a personal decision. And I will make it on the best information available. And that information has to...

WOODRUFF: I hear you.

CLARK: It's just that simple: Will I run? And that's what we are deciding.

WOODRUFF: One last question. General, I have just learned the Associated Press is reporting that you asked former John McCain campaign adviser John Weaver to run your campaign and he turned you down. Is that true?

CLARK: I did have discussions with John Weaver. He's a very talented guy. But, actually, we didn't actually make that offer. And we never came to closure on this issue. He's one of a number of people that I have talked to. There have been no turndowns, to my knowledge, by anybody.

WOODRUFF: All right, General Wesley Clark, it's always good talking to you.

(CROSSTALK)

CLARK: And let me make it clear, Judy. There's been no turndowns of anything that's been offered to anybody.

WOODRUFF: All right. We appreciate the clarification, General Clark. And we will be talking to you in the days ahead as you get closer to a decision.

CLARK: 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