General Clark's Keynote Speech at Yearly Kos 2007 « Thread Started on Aug 6, 2007, 4:09pm » --------------------------------------------------------------------------------General Clark's Keynote Speech at Yearly Kos 2007 Body: August 3, 2007transcript by Reg NYC"We are not questioning the generals. Mr. President, we are questioning you! Stop hiding behind Dave Petraeus." - Wesley ClarkJon Soltz: ...an Iraq war veteran.(applause)(laughs) I find that so funny, because whenever you go to a Republican event, they don't seem to cheer for the troops. So, I (laughs) I, I thank you guys for that applause. I'm also the Chairman of VoteVets.org a group that (cheering) y'all have been so supportive of that without, without the support of the Kos community we would never've been where we are today. We obviously penetrated the political system from the outside much like everybody in this room, and for your support I, I thank you.It's obviously an honor to be here. I'm here this morning to introduce General Wesley Clark who, who sits on the board of, of VoteVets.(applause and cheering)Click here for Jon Soltz's complete introductionLadies and gentlemen, please give a round of applause for General Wesley Clark.(enthusiastic cheering and applause)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.(more cheering and applause)Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.(more cheering and applause)Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.(persistent cheering and applause)Thank you very much.Thank you. It makes me feel good and I haven't even announced yet.(laughter and cheering)That was a joke.(laughter)I'm, I'm really happy to be here, and I'm really happy to see all of you here. This community's made a huge difference in American politics. This is the centerpiece of a new politics, and you can feel it. You can feel it in the energy. You can feel it in the ideas. You can feel it in the enthusiasm and the commitment and the, the, the selflessness that you all have brought into the business of politics. You didn't work your way up to get positions. You weren't after a claim. All you wanted was an opportunity to have your ideas heard and to be able to resonate with others who have the same concerns and the same love for America that you have. And you built a community that's incredibly powerful, and I want to thank you for that, and I want to thank you for what you did for helping Democrats take over the House and the Senate in 2006. You're wonderful.(applause)And I want to, I want to also recognize we've got a lot of people here who are working in this community now, you've got a lot of people here, you may not have met them, but who are candidates for elective office in the 2008 cycle. And could I ask all the candidates in 2008, if you're here, would you stand up and let this community get a look at you, because they want to meet you?(applause)I'm real proud of those people who are running, because it takes a lot of courage to go out there and run for office. It's not the kind of courage that you might get a Silver Star for in the military. It's the kind of courage where you really think about it, where you worry about your family. You worry about what the impact is. You worry about what it's going to do to your life and whether you actually are pursuing a, a dream that's got some chance of becoming real. It takes true, deep courage to make those kinds of commitments. So, I salute the candidates, and I'm really proud of you. I hope every one of you win.(applause)