http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/...031362,00.html
General poised to enter race for White House
Wesley Clark 'has made his choice'
Julian Borger in Washington
Friday August 29, 2003
The Guardian
General Wesley Clark, a former US general who commanded Nato's war in Kosovo, is poised to announce whether he will run for the White House next month and enter the Democratic primaries, party officials said yesterday.
Gen Clark has mounted a media blitz over the past few weeks, appearing on a string of television talk shows to discuss his critical views on US policy in Iraq.
He has also won his wife's approval, which had been a major hurdle to entering the race, a Democratic official, who supports a Clark candidacy, said.
"You're looking at someone who has already made his choice," the official said.
The New York Times yesterday quoted an unnamed friend of the ex-soldier as saying: "He is going to do it. He's just going back and forth as to when."
However, another official said Gen Clark was mulling over a final decision. He is said to be trying to assess his chances in the Democratic primary elections, particularly against Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont, who has taken a similarly strong line in criticism of the administration's foreign policy and who has already raised a campaign fund of about $20m (£12.7m).
Two internet-based groups - draftclark.com and DraftWesleyClark.com - have been promoting his candidacy for several weeks, and the latter claims to have collected pledges of over $1m in campaign contributions.
The general has said he will make a final announcement in the next few weeks. One possible date for a declaration could be September 19, when he is due to make a speech in Iowa, the site next January of the first party caucuses to choose a Democratic presidential contender.
John Zogby, who runs a political polling organisation, said a survey suggested that a Clark candidacy would be well received."Believe it or not, it looks like it could be pretty good for him," Mr Zogby said.
"The major pre-declared frontrunners have generally not caught on in the national polls."
In one recent poll, Gen Clark won 5% support. However, when Mr Zogby presented would-be voters with a short description of the general's career, he beat George Bush in a poll by 49% to 40%.
Mr Dean has emerged as the frontrunner among the nine Democratic contenders in the race so far, both in terms of fundraising and popular support, but many Democratic centrists believe he is too radical to win in a head-on contest with President Bush.
Gen Clark has been outspoken in his criticism of the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq without broad international backing and on "false pretences".
He has had less to say about domestic policies, but has publicly supported affirmative action for minorities and criticised the Bush tax cuts as fiscally irresponsible and unfair.
He has stumbled occasionally under the increasingly intense media scrutiny, making claims that the administration had pressured him to change his line on Iraq and then prevent him appearing on CNN, but he refused to provide details to support the charges.
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