Tonight on PoliticKING: General Wesley Clark & Congressman Mark Pocan

Former NATO Supreme Commander, Gen. Wesley Clark, tells Larry that victory against the Islamic State can only happen by building a coalition of disparate governments & factions and getting each to agree on the political future of Syria & Pres. Assad.


Wesley Clark is a military leader who rose to the top tier of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and was NATO Supreme Allied Commander.

During his 34 years in the U.S. Army, Wesley Clark rose to the rank of four-star general and was named director for strategic plans and policy of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  As Supreme Allied Commander and Commander in Chief of the U.S. European Command, Clark commanded Operation Allied Force, NATO’s first major combat action, which saved 1.5 million Albanians from ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.

After retiring from the military, Clark joined Stephens Inc. as a consultant in July 2000 and served as Managing Director, Merchant Banking from 2001 to 2003. In early 2003, thousands of Americans launched a campaign to draft Clark to run for President; he announced his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination that September.

Clark and his wife, Gert, live in Little Rock, Arkansas. They have one son, Wesley. A frequent public speaker and commentator, he is the author of the best-selling Waging Modern War: Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Future of Combat. Other books include, Winning Modern Wars, which was published in October 2004.

Following 14 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, Congressman Mark Pocan was sworn in on January 3, 2013, as the U.S. Representative for Wisconsin’s second district, which includes Dane, Green, Iowa, LaFayette, Sauk, and portions of Rock and Richland counties. A small business owner, union member and lifelong advocate for progressive causes, Rep. Pocan is committed to using his unique experience from both the private and public sector to fight for polices that promote job growth and support the families of south central Wisconsin. In Congress, he serves on both the Budget Committee and the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and as 1st Vice-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Pocan has also been appointed to serve as a Senior Whip for the Democratic Caucus.

Rep. Pocan’s commitment to standing up for the middle class began in the home. Born and raised in the blue-collar town of Kenosha, Wisconsin, he learned about hard work from his parents, who each ran their own small business. At eight-years-old, he got his start in politics delivering literature door-to-door for his father, who served as a long-time Kenosha alder, and by the age of 12, he was attending city council meetings.Rep. Pocan received his degree from the University of Wisconsin—Madison, and then followed in his parents’ footsteps and opened his own small business, a union specialty printing shop that he continues to run today.

After three terms on the Dane County Board of Supervisors, Rep. Pocan succeeded Tammy Baldwin in 1998 as the State Representative of Wisconsin’s 78th Assembly district, covering central Madison and surrounding areas. In his seven terms in the State Assembly, Rep. Pocan made his mark as a tough, progressive legislator who could bridge Wisconsin’s political divide to forge legislative successes. During his time in the capitol, he served for six years on the Joint Finance Committee, including one term as the co-chair where he passed a budget during record state deficits that protected the priorities and services important to the people of Wisconsin. Some of his other legislative accomplishments included passing the American Jobs Act and Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act, both of which he wrote, as well as successful fights on paper trails for electronic voting machines, protecting collective bargaining rights and establishing domestic partner protections. His reputation as a legislator who produced results earned him the honor of Milwaukee Magazine’s “Best Legislator,” the last time the rankings occurred in 2009.

Being involved in his community is also important to Rep. Pocan, who is a member of Clean Wisconsin, International Union of Painters & Allied Trades (IUPAT), Sierra Club, Fair Wisconsin, Southern Poverty Law Center, Colombia Support Network/Apartado Sister City Organization, and the Human Rights Campaign. His dedication to his community is also highlighted by his long-time commitment to the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program. He became a Big Brother in 1989 and still helps the organization raise money so that more children can reach their full potential. Rep. Pocan’s “Little Brother” earned his Masters Degree from UW-Madison and now works in Washington, DC.

Pocan and his husband, Phil, were married in Canada in 2006 and live in Dane County with their dog.

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC, its affiliates, or its employees.

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