(2004-01-16) — Campaign aides to Democrat presidential contender Wesley Clark say the former general remains open to a potential invitation from George Bush to become his running mate in 2004.
“Dick Cheney is getting long in the tooth,” said an unnamed Clark aide, “And Wes Clark has a well-documented reputation for supporting the president, especially his decision to go to war against Saddam Hussein. We’re not pushing for a Bush-Clark ‘04 ticket, but we’re not ruling it out.”
Supporters say that Mr. Clark’s intermittent anti-war statements could help rally some liberals to the Bush-Clark ticket.
“With Wes, you get the best of both worlds,” said the aide. “He has the years of military experience that Bush lacks, along with a willingness to compromise on key issues in order to appeal to voters who share his current political party affiliation. Our internal Bush VP preference polling shows Clark running a close second to [National Security Advisor] Condi Rice.”
