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Wesley Clark quoted by Associated Press: Democratic
presidential candidate Wesley Clark on Tuesday
criticized the timing of an investigation of former
Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and suggested
President Bush was more concerned with "political
security" than national security.
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Clark: Bush more concerned with 'political security' than national security
(01-13) 15:29 PST MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) --
Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark on
Tuesday criticized the timing of an investigation of
former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and suggested
President Bush was more concerned with "political
security" than national security.
Campaigning in New Hampshire two weeks before its
primary election, Clark called for a full
congressional investigation into why the United States
went to war in Iraq.
"We don't know what the motivation was. We just don't
know. We've spent $180 billion on it, we've lost 480
Americans, we've got 2,500 with life-changing
injuries," the retired general told reporters.
Clark contended that Bush was obsessed with Iraqi
leader Saddam Hussein, and with establishing a
national missile defense, in the months leading up to
the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks -- and did not do
enough to protect the nation against such an attack.
In a book released Tuesday, O'Neill criticized Bush's
leadership style and suggested he planned to go after
Saddam even before the attacks.
The Treasury Department announced on Monday that it
was launching an inspector general's investigation
into how an agency document stamped "secret" wound up
being used in O'Neill's interview Sunday night on the
CBS program "60 Minutes."
O'Neill, who was fired a year ago in a shake-up of the
Bush economic team, has denied that classified
documents were used in a book about his two years in
the administration.
Clark contrasted the speed of the O'Neill
investigation with the slow pace of an inquiry into
who last summer divulged the name of a CIA official
whose husband had criticized the president's Iraq
policy.
"They didn't wait 24 hours in initiating an
investigation on Paul O'Neill," Clark said. "They're
not concerned about national security. But they're
really concerned about political security. I think
they've got their priorities upside down."
Democratic candidate Howard Dean echoed the criticism:
"Paul O'Neill is not a threat to our national
security," he said in a statement. "But the disclosure
of the identity of an undercover CIA operative
undermines a key tenet of national security and is a
violation of law."
Clark has bypassed Monday's Iowa caucuses in hopes of
scoring well in the New Hampshire first-in-the-nation
primary Jan. 27.
The retired general told participants in a round-table
discussion in Manchester that his proposal to repeal
Bush's tax cuts and ending all taxes on families
earning under $50,000 would lift more than 1 million
Americans out of poverty.
During the course of the campaign, Clark has tried to
hitch his star to former President Clinton, and in a
conference call with reporters Tuesday, Clark aides
said the last Democratic president has reviewed
Clark's position papers, analyzed polling data and
even referred a major donor to Clark.
The other campaigns have said their candidates have
spoken to Clinton as well, seeking advice and
guidance. Aides have said the former president would
not endorse in the primary race.
Several former Clinton administration officials now
working for Clark plan to campaign for him in New
Hampshire this weekend.
Posted by richard at January 14, 2004 12:16 PM