Staffers for Front-Runner Dean Seen Chasing After Clark

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-clark8jan08,1,111900.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

Staffers for Front-Runner Dean Seen Chasing After Clark
By Eric Slater, Times Staff Writer

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. — In a sign that Wesley K. Clark's presidential campaign may be gaining ground in New Hampshire, Howard Dean's staffers on Wednesday staked out Clark's campaign appearances, handing out fliers that called the retired Army general "pro-war" and questioned whether he was a "real" Democrat.

In Peterborough, a man who identified himself as a Dean campaign staffer handed out the leaflets to people attending a Clark speech. And Clark campaign staffers said they found the fliers on windshields at an event in Bedford late Tuesday night.
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Clark aides suggested the apparent momentum may have been one factor that prompted the Dean campaign to distribute the leaflets. "The Dean campaign can undoubtedly feel the Clark campaign's hot, minty breath on the back of its neck," quipped Clark senior strategist, Chris Lehane.

Clark said of the fliers: "I guess that's what professional politicians do."
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In addition to rising poll numbers, Clark has been drawing larger crowds in New Hampshire. A fire official in Peterborough ordered campaign staffers to close the doors to an auditorium where Clark was appearing after more than 600 people crowded the room, perhaps a hundred of them standing.
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On Wednesday, in Keene, campaign organizers at the last minute relocated their last event of the day from a junior high school to the high school, in order to make room for a larger crowd. About 1,000 people showed up and still couldn't fit in the auditorium. A month ago, Clark was drawing crowds of about 100 people.

Something always seems odd in these political stories.

Don

Times or at least edited out of the original post!!

Outside a Clark campaign event in Peterborough, N.H., a Dean aide handed out leaflets attacking the general. The fliers highlighted General Clark's praise for the Bush administration's prosecution of the war on terrorism in 2001 and 2002, his votes for Presidents Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George Bush, and his sometimes conflicting statements about Iraq.

("I just think it's important to point out to the voters of New Hampshire that General Clark supported the war and General Clark spent most of his life as a Republican," said Jay Carson, Dr. Dean's national spokesman, "and he's now running as an antiwar candidate in the Democratic primary.")

legitimate questions (war, political party) I does appear that the Deanies are starting to panic a bit. It'll all be over soon, hopefully Democrats will pull together at that point.

Chris LeHane is one of the biggest assholes in the Democratic Party. Clark should have left LeHane in the unemployment line.

Looks like the GOP and Dem have done a job on this man, Dean. I do hope one of the endless, take him down guys, does not get it.I still think the most Dem of the group is Dennis K. but heck he will not make it. He has always voted right as far as I can see.

a friend and I were discussing how odd it would be if Dean and Clark split the party, then Kerry gets the nomination (as was assumed in the beginning of this process). Does that qualify as irony? Or just politics?

That would pretty much sum it up....