A case of laryngitis was not enough to keep an old army veteran down, as presidential candidate Wesley Clark appeared at the state Capitol building Monday to speak to supporters.
Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton introduced the former NATO supreme allied commander to a group of local politicians and press, where the recovering candidate outlined some of his plans for the country involving the economy, schools and the reconstruction of Iraq.
Clark also criticized the current administration for its lack of foresight, hammering away at President Bush's tax cuts and dealings in the Middle East.
\We've squandered the good will and admiration [abroad] towards our country,"" he said. ""The way to fix it is to change the commander in chief. We'll rebuild our relationships.""
The presidential hopeful accused Bush of using a ""bait-and-switch approach"" to the war on terrorism, describing the decision to attack Iraq and Saddam Hussein when the hunt for Osama bin Laden failed.
""We haven't got either one of them yet. The only terrorists we've found in Iraq are the ones that came there to support Saddam,"" Clark said.
Speaking on domestic issues, Clark addressed public education by emphasizing the teacher as a ""weapon"" to combat problems.
He criticized Bush for exporting jobs to other countries and promised to bring them back.
Afterward, the former general accepted a few questions from the press before heading out to the rotunda of the Capitol to mingle with the crowd. He ended his appearance by addressing the crowd in the eastern wing, giving a condensed version of his previous speech.
Lawton spoke glowingly of Clark and announced her official support for his candidacy before turning the podium over to him.
""His vision for government is his own,"" she said.
Clark returned the Lt. Gov.'s praise by emphasizing her connection with the average voter.
""I don't listen to focus groups and pollsters, but I listen to her,"" he said.
UW-Madison sophomore Kat Neumeister was in attendance at the Clark rally, but was not sure whether she would support this particular candidate.
""Clark would be a strong international president, but we need someone who's more aware of domestic issues,"" she said.
Neumeister said she came to the rally in order to improve her knowledge of all the democratic candidates, and came away with mixed opinions.
""He's shorter than I thought,"" she said.
