May 16 2008

In our continuing series on possible Vice Presidents for Senator Barack Obama, today we explore the "Military Men". The following three men all have extensive military backgrounds and are all opposed to the War in Iraq. They would add strength to Obama on the foreign policy front and on his position on the war. They would most likely counteract the military experience of Senator McCain.

Let's take a look at the "Military Men":

Senator Jim Webb from Virginia brings a lot to the table. Most importantly, Webb is from Virginia Webb_leads_0048 which is being viewed as a potential new swing state for the Democrats. The Senator is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and served in the marines. He became a decorated war hero in Vietnam and won the Navy Cross, Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. Webb even brings valid Republican credentials to the ticket having served as President Reagan's Secretary of the Navy. He pulled a stunning upset defeating Senator George Allen by a mere .05% of the vote and enabled the Democrats to take control of the Senate. He serves on the Armed Forces, Veteran Affairs and Foreign Relations Committees. What most people don't know is that Webb won an Emmy Award in 1983 for his PBS coverage of the Marines in Beirut. In addition, he has been married three times and his third wife is Hong Le who was born in Saigon and escaped after the fall of that city.

Marines are in demand this year. Retired Four Star General Anthony Zinni served in the United States Marines for 35 years and has won almost every medal possible. A vocal and articulate critic of the War in Iraq, he has emerged as a viable contender for Vice President. Known as "The Godfather" in the military, the General was wounded in the Vietnam War and also has a Purple Heart. He has extensive experience in Somalia and the Middle East as well as burnished credentials on Counter Terrorism. In fact, this General served as a Special Envoy to the Israel and the Palestinian Authority. As a writer, he co-authored a book with Tom Clancy called Battle Ready which is not kind to the Bush Administration. He is a military man, war hero, author and a teacher.

Finally, the Army gets its day in the sun with retired Four Star General Wesley Clark. The General has already made a run for the Presidency in 2004 and withdrew after winning Oklahoma. The former Rhodes Scholar and West Point Valedictorian has served over 34 years in the military and Department of Defense. He served in Vietnam and his list of medals go on and on including a Purple Heart for being shot four times by a Viet Cong soldier. Clark was the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO military forces in Europe and in that position oversaw the war in Kosovo. Clark has the added advantage for Obama in that he is a strong Clinton supporter which would be a large olive branch to that wing of the Democratic Party.