With just a few days left until primary day here in Virginia, General Wesley Clark has decided to weigh in: for Mike Signer for Lieutenant Governor and also for Adam Parkhomenko in the 47th House of Delegates district. Here's the statement for Mike Signer:"I know Mike from my 2004 presidential campaign in Virginia and his work on national security issues. Mike Signer has the strength and leadership that Virginia needs and I wholeheartedly endorse his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor,” said General Clark.And here's Clark's statement for Adam Parkhomenko:
"The problems facing Virginia and this country are so urgent, that they demand strong, courageous leadership to carry us forward. Mike sees the office of Lieutenant Governor as more than just a placeholder position, but rather an opportunity to seek progress on the most pressing issues. Mike is focused on the future of Virginia, not the past. His approach to the office and his leadership on every issue from jobs and the economy to veterans issues and moves to the strengthen our democracy make Mike the clear choice on June 9th."
"I know Adam Parkhomenko well, and I’m confident he’ll be an outstanding voice for Arlington in the General Assembly,” said General Clark. "Adam is energetic and highly qualified for the job. He embodies all the qualities we need in our leaders.”How important is an endorsement from Wes Clark with 5 days to go in a Virginia Democratic primary? Hard to say, but Clark's endorsement of Jim Webb in late March 2006 was certainly a nice boost for Webb at that time. Of course, that came much closer to Clark's run for president in 2004, at a time when his supporters were still somewhat fired up about him. It also came more than two months before the 2006 Virginia Democratic primary and was one of many endorsements Webb received from national figures (e.g., John Kerry, Chuck Schumer). This endorsement comes late in the game, and more than five years since Clark withdrew from the presidential race in 2004, so we'll see whether the two endorsed candidates are able to make something out of this or not.
"Adam is the right choice in these hard times, and he’s the only candidate who has pledged to work full-time as Arlington’s Delegate in Richmond," Clark added.
P.S. Just a reminder that I have endorsed Mike Signer for LG and Miles Grant for the 47th House of Delegates district.
P.P.S. Also, for those of you that don't know, I was a huge Clark supporter in 2003/2004 and an active participant in the "Draft Wesley Clark" movement. I remain a big Clark fan to this day and still wish he had been our nominee in 2004.
