Dean / Clark!
So, will Wesley Clark run for President? The Washington Post reports:

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who has been flirting with a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination for months, took another step toward a candidacy yesterday. Asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" about a run, Clark said, "I'm going to have to consider it."

[...]

He declined to set a timetable for making a decision and reiterated that he still has not joined a political party. But throughout the interview on NBC, he leveled a series of criticisms at President Bush.

On the issue of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Clark said there was "a certain amount of hype" in the intelligence presented to the public before the war. Asked whether Bush had misled the country, he replied, "I think that's to be determined." He added, "It was never revealed what the imminence of the threat was."

Clark also said he would have opposed Bush's tax cuts. He said "they were not efficient" in stimulating the economy and were "not fair" because they were tilted toward the wealthiest Americans.

He said yesterday that he is looking for a way to serve the country after a career in the military. "It's very hard not to think in terms of the welfare of the country, and when you see the country in trouble, in challenge, yes, you'd like to pitch in and help," he said.

I think that Clark would be a great compliment to Howard Dean on a national ticket. He'd bring foreign policy / national security experience and creditability, along with regional balance to a Dean ticket. Regardless, should he not be on the ticket, and Dems retake the White House next year, he ought to be nominated for Secretary of State or Secretary of Defense.

Speaking of Dean, he's going to be putting $300,000 into television ads in Iowa.

Former Vermont governor Howard Dean plans to spend about $300,000 over the next two weeks to introduce himself to Iowa Democrats with an ad that attacks Bush on foreign policy and the economy but also criticizes members of his own party. "Too many Democrats in Washington are afraid to stand up for what we believe in," he says in the ad. Later, he says he believes it is "time for Democrats to be Democrats again."

Interesting strategy. For Dean, I think it's a good idea. He needs to introduce himself in Iowa, before others define him. Unlike New Hampshire, Dean isn't very well known in Iowa. We'll have to see what effect these ads have on Dean's identification and positive ratings in a few weeks.

Update 12:35 PM CST: Well, it looks as if kos is on to the story today, too.

Posted by: Byron L.