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Wednesday, September 24, 2003


Retired Joint Chiefs chairman says he won’t vote for Wesley Clark
Gen. Shelton says candidate has "integrity and character issues"

Retired chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, four-star General Hugh Shelton, has no good things to say about his peer, retired general turned presidential candidate Wesley Clark. In an appearance at the Foothill College Celebrity Forum audience at Flint Center, Sept. 11 and 12 the following exchange took place,

"What do you think of General Wesley Clark and would you support him as a presidential candidate," was the question put to him by moderator Dick Henning, assuming that all military men stood in support of each other. General Shelton took a drink of water and Henning said, "I noticed you took a drink on that one!"

"That question makes me wish it were vodka," said Shelton. "I've known Wes for a long time. I will tell you the reason he came out of Europe early had to do with integrity and character issues, things that are very near and dear to my heart. I'm not going to say whether I'm a Republican or a Democrat. I'll just say Wes won't get my vote."
I said before (here and here) that what Clark's flag-rank peers said about him would be very revealing.

A note about Shelton. I never met him, but I did work for general officers who knew him well and had served with him. They united in his praises. This story (same link) says a lot:
Three days after Shelton took office as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, his commitment to the integrity of the military was tested. When U.S. planes in the Iraq no-fly zone were attacked, a member of Congress suggested that perhaps "we" could fly a U-2 spy plane so low over Iraq that it could easily get hit. Then we'd have a reason "to kick Saddam out of Iraq." After Shelton responded that he would order that "just as soon as you are qualified to fly (it)," he was not asked again to compromise his office.
I trust Shelton's judgment a lot.

by Donald Sensing, 9/24/2003 04:00:01 PM. Permalink |  





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