Presidential Candidate General Clark Visits YBP
by Karin Haug, Customer Service Bibliographer
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, Karin Haug, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Academia staff or YBP Library Services.
General Clark
On December 8, Democratic presidential candidate General Wesley Clark visited YBP, along with an entourage of cameras and reporters, NH Representatives and political activists.
General Clark was nothing like I expected. Admittedly, I've been following the campaign a bit lazily and was expecting more of a pro-military presence. The man who took the podium was confident and firm in his beliefs, but also surprisingly liberal. What struck me most about him was his charisma, a quality that may not seem so key when looking for potential world leaders, but as we've learned from various elections, does sell. He was able to listen to questions and answer with well-formulated, educated and honest answers. He used this opportunity to unveil his "Turnaround Plan For America" right here in Contoocook.
And where does he stand on the issues most affecting libraries? He told me he was a big supporter of libraries, he even possessed a library card, but he did admit most of his personal research is done on the Internet. He's a former member of academia, having been a Rhodes Scholar and an assistant professor at West Point. One of his presidential goals is to have a million more people enrolled in college and other higher education by 2008.
And how will he do that? Well, he recognizes that the cost of higher education is a road block for many. "This is unacceptable. Our students should be studying for classes -- not studying how to pay for them. We have the best higher education system in the world, but that doesn't matter if so few Americans can afford to enroll," he says. His plan includes providing a "Universal College Grant" of $6,000 a year for the first two years of any public or private college or university for any student whose family makes less than $100,000 a year. He also plans to streamline the financial aid process so there is only one form for Pell Grants and Hope Scholarships and to extend the Saver's Credit to education IRAs. He'll also (and those of you stuck in a state budget crunch will appreciate this) relieve the fiscal pressure on states with $20 billion in a "State and Local Tax Rebate Fund" which will be dedicated to education and training.
He talked a bit about schooling on a more primary level. He wants to replace day care and babysitting with child development-focused preschool for all kids. He wants to get parents "on the team" and involved in their children's education. He's disgusted with Bush's "No Child Left Behind Act" which he claims has resulted in more cash-starved, over-crowded and failing schools. His experience in this arena is valid. As a general, he had to ensure that "our soldiers had top notch health care, that their children had first-class schools and access to Headstart, and that they had affordable housing and time with their families."
His belief that the Patriot Act goes too far is heartening. "I don't believe we can win a war on terror if we give up the essence of who we are as Americans," he states. In his opinion, John Ashcroft should be held accountable and even stand trial for his actions. He believes the American public deserves more information than they have been granted and that the Patriot Act needs to be critically examined and the provisions that unjustifiably threaten our civil liberties should be removed. In his opinion, the government has no right to be searching library records.
At the same time, he believes strongly in investing in Homeland Security. His plans put Homeland Security in the hands of those best equipped to handle it, not the military or the Pentagon, but the people who operate at a more local level, including policeman, firemen, etc. In his opinion, the military are not suited to be enforcing laws.
Though wary of campaign promises, I was more impressed with General Clark than I expected to be. As I exited, taking a moment to say goodbye, I asked him the question I had last asked John Edwards. "What are you reading?" He had already given his prepared, political answer at the beginning of the speech: "I haven't exactly had a lot of time these last few months to curl up with a good book. As a former economics professor, I hope you don't mind if I spend a few minutes browsing the shelves after our talk." This time, however, he considered the question for a moment and smiled, embarrassed. He leaned in and whispered that the most recent book he read was The English Roses by Madonna, a morality tale for children based on the teachings of the Kabbalah.
They claim you can tell a lot about a person by the books he reads. If this is true, General Clark may be by far the most interesting candidate I've met so far.
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