(2003-10-23) -- Democrat presidential candidate Wesley Clark announced today that he would withdraw his name from all state primaries in 2004.

"When I said I would avoid the Iowa caucuses," said Mr. Clark, "I likened it to Gen. McArthur's World War II strategy of skipping over islands with heavy concentrations of Japanese military, and fighting on the poorly defended ones. Now I'm taking that to the next level by avoiding all primary battles. I will arrive at the Democrat convention fresh, and ready to receive my nomination."