Clark to speak in Indiana

After declaring his candidacy for U.S. president Wednesday, former NATO Supreme Commander Wesley Clark will speak in Indiana tonight in one of his first campaign appearances. DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., will host Clark as he now becomes the 10th Democrat to attempt to unseat President Bush in 2004.\nClark's lecture, "Facing America's Challenges," begins at 7:30 p.m. in Neal Fieldhouse of the Lilly Center, 702 S. College Avenue, and is generating interest on and off-campus.\n"When I made the offer to General Clark, I thought he would be a very interesting speaker on the state of the nation," said Ken Owen, DePauw University vice president for media relations. "When you can put together a program which excites your students and brings in outsiders, it can hopefully bring a lot of prestige to your college."\nClark will arrive in Greencastle on a private plane, make a brief statement, and then attend a dinner at the university president's home.\nClark enters the race as a wild card with huge potential but questionable political experience. His announcement speech began with the blunt declaration, "My name is Wes Clark and I am seeking the presidency."\nClark did not outline his views on any domestic concerns, but promised major addresses on the economy and national security in the weeks ahead.\n"I think it's impossible to predict what he is going to do," Owen said. "One of the problems he has is that his candidacy is just now getting legs. It will be interesting to see what he does talk about tomorrow."\nAccording to a Newsweek national poll, Clark may already be the Democratic front-runner, with support from 14 percent of "registered Democrats and democratic leaners." The poll shows Clark surpassing former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, with 12 percent, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, also with 12 percent, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, with 10 percent and Missouri Congressman Dick Gephardt, with 8 percent.\nClark appears on the cover of this week's Newsweek, and is considered by his democratic peers to be a fresh face with the potential to defeat Bush. But there has not been a general in the White House since Dwight D. Eisenhower. \nEisenhower was more widely known at the time of his election than Clark is today. Clark's political advisers said they believe the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks along with military action in Iraq have elevated national security on the minds of the people to a point that might prime voters to elect a military leader to the presidency.\n-Contact senior writer Mitch Blacher at mblacher@indiana.edu