[link|http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3252412,00.html|There's a few in every crowd]

Excerpt:

But, Reimer said, ``Some of us were concerned about the fact that he was focused too much upward and not down on the soldiers. I've always believed you ought to be looking down toward your soldiers and not up at how to please your boss. ... I just didn't see enough of that in Wes.''

Clark, for his part, acknowledges he had conflicts with former Defense Secretary William Cohen and some top Pentagon officials. He attributes that in his memoir to pushing relentlessly against the military's ``innate conservatism'' to accomplish his assigned missions, particularly in Bosnia and during the 1999 Kosovo campaign.

Ret. Army Brig. Gen. David Grange, the U.S. commander in Bosnia at that time, says Clark was so focused on succeeding that ``he would maybe not be cognizant of some of the feelings or concerns of some of the people around him.''

``There's no question that General Clark is for General Clark,'' said Grange, who added nonetheless that Clark had always treated him well personally.

Retired Army Lt. Gen. Marc Cisneros recalls hearing that Clark was competing against him in 1996 for a four-star position heading the U.S. Southern Command, a job for which the Army was backing Cisneros. Cisneros says Clark ``just outright lied'' when confronted, and denied to Cisneros that he was seeking the job, which did go to Clark. ``I worry about his ethical standards regarding honesty and forthrightness,'' Cisneros said.

I say:

Damn, I've got mixed feelings about this guy. In some ways, he reminds me of myself. But I'm always after an objective bigger than myself. If this is guy is just out for himself, that puts a whole different slant on things.

Also, what's this about lying? That won't do. And either Clark is a liar, or Cisneros is. (Or maybe the Guardian is.) Time will tell which, but we know there's a lying bastard here somewhere.

And Reimer says Clark's a brownnoser who treats his underlings like dirt. Yeah, like we really need to give people like that more power and authority. Now I can see a jealous colleague flinging abut accusations of brownnosing loosely. It's just the thing for a bruised ego. But why mention how he abuses those under him, unless there's some truth to it?

Put this guy in the White House, and be damned sure he'll do what it takes to get what he wants. So we'd best ascertain just what it is he wants - now. Before the election. After will be too late.