"He understands us better and won't forget his roots."

TULSA - This morning the Lawton Constitution became the third major Oklahoma newspaper to endorse a candidate in this year's Democratic presidential primary, and like the first two (the Native American Times and the Norman Transcript), the Lawton Constitution endorsed Gen. Wesley Clark.

"Clark is from Arkansas and he knows what Oklahomans and military communities are all about. Simply put, he understands us better and he won't forget is roots," the endorsement editorial reads. "Three of the other candidates are from New England, and their values, ideas and environment - like their annual snowfall accumulation - are different from most Oklahomans'."

The Lawton Constitution also commends Gen. Clark's outstanding leadership in the international arena, highlighting the fact that he ousted Serb tyrant Slobodan Milosevic and won the war in Kosovo without losing a single American life in combat. "The retired four-star general would bring a new perspective to the on-going war on terrorism, even ending the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan sooner rather than later," the editorial reads.

"The endorsement of the Lawton Constitution demonstrates Gen. Clark's strong support in the southwest of the state," said Oklahoma State Director Jessica Vanden Berg. "People in the Ft. Sill-Lawton area are committed to our men and women in uniform and to our veterans, and they know that Gen. Clark is the leader we need to get us out of the mess in Iraq and look out for the best interests of our troops and veterans. The people of Lawton gave Gen. Clark an overwhelmingly warm reception when he visited there Sunday morning, and the endorsement of the Lawton Constitution shows that they truly share his strong values of family, faith and patriotism."