"Leaders lead, they don't follow the followers."
- Muskogee Daily Phoenix

Tulsa - This weekend the Muskogee Daily Phoenix & Times-Democrat endorsed Wes Clark. Five major Oklahoma newspapers have endorsed Clark -the Native American Times, the Lawton Constitution, the Norman Transcript, the McAlester News-Capital & Democrat and the Muskogee Daily Phoenix. These are the only five Oklahoma major newspapers to have endorsed a candidate.

"General Wes Clark has worked his way to the top through the old cliche of blood, sweat and tears," the Muskogee Daily Phoenix endorsement editorial reads. "Clark is an American success story. He came from humble beginnings and rose to the top of his class at West Point, never slowing down. His advancement hasn't slowed during a career that saw him as the supreme commander of allied forces in Europe. His leadership and meticulous planning are unparalleled."

Above all, the Muskogee Daily Phoenix praises Clark for being a leader of exceptional character, integrity, compassion and vision. The newspaper notes that Clark "is begging American voters to hold him accountable for his campaign promises. We also appreciate that."

"Leaders lead, they don't follow the followers," the Muskogee Daily Phoenix editorial reads. "Clark has made some tough stands over the last few months in the face of criticism and he has stuck to those stands."

"Leaders lead. We respect Clark for that."

The McAlester News-Capital & Democrat editorial highlights Clark's economic policies. "Clark has a three-part plan to help those of us in rural America compete and thrive in a changing world," the editorial reads. "The general says he will devote $100 billion over two years to enhance job creation through investment in local infrastructure and job creation tax credits. Clark says he will work to cut taxes on working families. In fact, under the Clark tax plan, families making up to $50,000 a year will pay no income tax. That's a solid tax plan which will help real people, not just the privileged few."

"General Clark deserves area Democrats' votes," the editorial concludes. "He's earned them. He has been tested under fire. He has worked to bring people together and succeeded. He has a plan to put America's economy back on solid ground."

"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 his roots," the Lawton Constitution 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 General Clark's outstanding leadership in the international arena, highlighting his ouster of Serb tyrant Slobodan Milosevic and victory in Kosovo without losing a single American life. "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 Norman Transcript emphasizes General Clark's domestic vision and exceptional foreign policy experience. "General Clark's proposal to turn America around has five, measurable initiatives," said the Transcript endorsement. "They include family income growth, preventing deaths and illnesses caused by a polluted nation, one million more students enrolled in higher education, two million children lifted out of poverty, and health insurance for the 30 million Americans who are uninsured."

"He told a Tulsa audience Wednesday that he couldn't stand by and watch the country he fought for unravel before his eyes," the Transcript editorial continues. "He believes that Saddam Hussein was a possible threat but the war in Iraq was ill timed and conceived poorly. If elected, his 34 years of military service will strengthen America's resolve to exit Iraq and restore our nation's credibility among world leaders."

"The endorsement of these newspapers demonstrates General Clark's momentum throughout Oklahoma," said Oklahoma State Director Jessica Vanden Berg. "The people of Lawton, Norman, McAlester and Muskogee have shown strong support for General Clark, and these endorsements show that they truly share his strong values of family, faith, patriotism and inclusion."