In announcing his endorsement, Clark noted Greenwald’s experience caring for Vietnam War veterans and strong commitment to bringing the troops home from Iraq.

“I’m endorsing Becky for Congress because her experience with the American Red Cross assisting wounded veterans returning home from the Vietnam War has shaped her strong commitment to our nation’s veterans,” said General Wesley Clark.

Tom Latham has voted to cut billions from Veterans programs in order to fund tax cuts for the wealthy. (HCR 95, Vote #78, 3/20/03)

“George Bush and Tom Latham have for too long cut funding for our troops returning from Iraq, and we need Becky in Congress to be a voice for our soldiers,” said General Clark.

Becky’s first job out was of college with the American Red Cross helping military dependents and wounded Veterans returning from Vietnam adjust to a life with injury and the scars of war.  She worked at Wilford Medical Center, the largest Air Force Hospital in the country. This experience has shaped her views and left her with an unyielding commitment to keeping the promises we have made to our troops.

Becky supports a phased withdrawal from Iraq and is committed to bringing our troops home in a swift and safe fashion.  She supports a timeline for withdrawal that will maintain the safety and well-being of our troops.

“General Clark’s patriotism and service to our country is unmatched,” said Becky Greenwald. “I am honored to have his endorsement.”

Clark drew criticism in late June for a statement he made on CBS’s Face The Nation that U.S. Sen. John McCain’s military record does not automatically qualify him to be commander in chief.  The former Supreme Allied Commander, who oversaw NATO operations in Kosovo in the late 1990s, stood by his statement.

Obama, who announced his candidacy in the shadow of Abraham Lincoln and who is pledging a governing style straight out of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s landmark Lincoln book, “A Team Of Rivals,” will look in predictable places for his running mate but may surprise the nation with an unknown, or dare we say, perhaps even a Republican.

Having followed Obama closely for more than a year, here is my Top 10 list of vice presidential candidates Obama should consider:

1. Chris Dodd. I have had the theory that Dodd would make a strong running mate for Obama should the Illinois senator get the Democratic nomination — even though this would run counter to conventional wisdom about picking a vice presidential candidate from a key state (Florida or Ohio) or going with a Southerner or Latino.

As I reported earlier, Dr. Steven Kraus of Carroll observed something several weeks ago at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner: Dodd, a U.S. senator from Connecticut, and Obama clearly have respect for each other.

Dodd is simply a classy senator who can answer questions with reliable competency. Yes, the Southwest likely will determine the 2008 election, and sure, a Richardson vice presidential nomination makes sense because of this. But Dodd is fluent in Spanish as I saw firsthand when Lorena Lopez of La Prensa and I conducted a joint interview with him. If Obama gets the nomination, Dodd complements him in a number of ways as a running mate — including his ability to campaign in Spanish.

Dodd won’t make mistakes out there and with his reassuring white hair, the elder statesman would be a nice balance for Obama. Youth and wisdom. Age and experience.

2. Richard Lugar. Yes, Lugar is 76, and obviously, he is a Republican. But Obama mentions him frequently as Lugar, a Hoosier State senator, has served as something of a mentor to Obama, 30 years his junior. With serious foreign policy credentials and ice-veined competence, Lugar would signal that Obama is governing in the here and now — or the “fierce urgency of now,” a quote he often borrows from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Obama could reach to the GOP and independents with the argument that he’s not looking to set up succession for the party.

3. Ed Rendell. The Democratic governor of Pennsylvania makes sense from several strategic angles. He’s in a swing state. He’s an effective campaigner so he could knock heads around while Obama stays on the high road. Then there are the optics. With a paunchy countenance and the old-school girth of gut, Rendell, who is white, is the perfect counterbalance to Obama. Finally, Rendell has a major advantage over many white potential VPs. He understands racial politics as he has experience dealing with Philadelphia and large cities with high minority populations so he is less likely to walk into a racial minefield (or take Obama into one) than, say, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, who just didn’t have that much experience dealing with diversity.

4. Warren Buffett. The Oracle of Omaha is 76, but as the economy becomes a bigger issue, why not select the smartest guy in the room when it comes to money? Buffett is beloved by Republicans (for helping make them money) and liberals (for giving his away). Late last year, Forbes magazine reported that Buffett was worth $52 billion. This means that if he didn’t get funding for one of his initiatives he could conceivably just do it himself … which raises issues both fascinating and troubling.

5. Kathleen Sebelius. The two-term governor of Kansas (that’s “What’s The Matter With Kansas” Kansas) has done well with Republicans and independents. She’ll deliver the response to George W.’s State Of The Union speech on Jan. 28. There’s a personal angle here that’s intriguing. Obama’s family is from Kansas — on his mother’s side. The full circle element of Obama selecting a Kansas woman as his running mate is a marketing dream. Plus, an Obama-Sebelius team would be a ticket of true change — as well as one that is Plains States-Midwest friendly. Look for this pick to move higher.

6. Wesley Clark. When the retired general was in Carroll, Iowa, stumping for Hillary Clinton a few weeks ago, I spoke with him for about 45 minutes. He should have campaigned here in 2004. He likely would be president now if he had. Clark is as whip smart as Obama and has the foreign policy and military credentials to burnish this ticket. The only issue: they are both similar in personality. Could clash.

7. John Edwards. Could he do for Obama what he couldn’t for John Kerry? You have to keep Edwards on the list if for no other reason than a future political (FDR-Truman-like) deal may make this selection a quid pro quo. Both Edwards and Obama are saying no to PAC money and could run as a ticket not wedded to special interests. Edwards also seems to relish the role of attack dog, and surely will not make the same mistakes he did in 2004 when he was easy foil for Dick Cheney.

8. Bill Richardson. Isn’t he vice president already? He’s been referenced so many times that Richardson could be forgiven for adding this to his resume. Yes, the Latin vote is vital, and the election may be decided in the Southwest. Can America accept a black man and an Hispanic on the same ticket? I think the answer is yes. He’s great on the stump and appeals to white rural voters. I see that up close and personal here in Iowa. He’s also damned funny.

9. Ken Salazar. Continuing on the Latino angle, we have to include U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar of Colorado, a Democrat who can appeal to white rural voters. (He ranches). He’s a former state attorney general and could make an excellent point man on the environment.

10. Bobby Jindal. The new Republican governor of Louisiana, at only age 36, is the son of Indian immigrants and the first Indian-American elected as governor. He has been compared to Obama for the obvious barrier-shattering reasons but also because of his intellect and spectacular educational pedigree. He is much more likely to be Obama’s opponent (should there be an Obama presidency) in four years than a VP now. But the possibilities are intriguing should Obama reach out to a Republican. This ticket would excite young voters, win over never-before voters, draw in Republicans and independents — and very likely do a great deal for Obama with Latinos. If I’m Jindal, though, I spend the next decade rebuilding my state and then run for the presidency myself, on my own terms.

Still, this is the most thought-provoking selection to consider.

Here is what The New Orleans Times-Picayune says about Jindal:

Every inauguration begins with lofty language but few hold as much promise as Gov. Jindal’s. The 36-year-old, Oxford-educated chief executive is a new generation of leader. Unlike most recent governors, he is not a product of the Legislature. He has worked inside state government but has been in Washington representing the 1st Congressional District.

  And a Yahoo message board dealt with the potential of him running as a Republican VP candidate.

Susan Bremer of Marion is not only a supporter of Clinton, but a frequent volunteer for her campaign in Linn County. Coming to see Clark speak on Clinton’s behalf was important, she said, because it adds to her knowledge base of the candidate.

“I want to know as much as I can about the people who are involved with her and her life,” she said. “He’s known her for 24 years. That gives you a good idea of what her personality is if she has friends like that.”

Dale Todd of Cedar Rapids, who signed up early on with the campaign for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, didn’t come to the event to learn more about Clinton.

“[Clark] is an incredibly neat and gifted public servant,” Todd said after the event. “I worked and volunteered for him. There were a lot of us who were involved in his campaign — or maybe we should say ‘the campaign that could have’ — here in Iowa. We encouraged him to campaign in Iowa and, we think that if he had, the last election would have came out a bit different. We just saw huge support those last few weeks. If he had just came to Iowa, who knows what type of impact that might have had.”

Todd came today, he said, “because Wes is a good friend.”

“I don’t think you’ll find anybody who’s got the depth and the breadth when it comes to foreign policy and the culture of the military,” he said. “He’s a hard worker and just has an incredible work ethic. And, really, he’s just a down to earth guy. While he is outspoken and against the war, he commands a huge respect among the military. He’s a force to be reckoned with — one, of course, we would have loved to have on our side.”

Bremer agrees and says she knows the Clinton campaign is fortunate to have such an important surrogate and supporter.

“He is unbelievable vocal and very charismatic,” she said. “He is a presence. I met him last night at headquarters and while he was just standing there, he exudes professionalism and believability. You can tell he has honesty and integrity.”

Clark spent the bulk of his prepared remarks listing the reasons why he is supporting a Clinton candidacy. The question and answer period, however, turned to foreign policy — Clinton’s vote to label the Iranian Guard as a terrorist organization, former military efforts in Bosnia and the current state of U.S. relations throughout the world.

“It is difficult for him to bring down the war into terms that the general public can understand, but he did very well today,” Bremer said. “He was able to tell us about some of the Iran and Iraq issues that we are having and that they are having. He actually made me feel more comfortable wit the war just in those few minutes. I was looking at him and it is people like him who are commanding procedures over there. I feel confident — especially with Hillary in as president — that we are going to be able to pull out of this war with maybe less casualties that we expected originally.

“But, all that being said, he’s just a super nice man and, of course, he’s supporting Hillary because he’s super intelligent smart,” she added with a wide smile.

Bremer said that, like Clark, she has lots of reasons for her support of Clinton, even if she’s never met the candidate face-to-face.

“I saw her and [former President] Bill [Clinton] at a park in Cedar Rapids on 4th of July,” she said. “I got goosebumps — the hair stood up on me. I’ve never seen anyone so warm and so loving and so kind, but at the same time very articulate about what she wants. She’s going to be a tough candidate and I want her to be tough. We need to clean up this mess we are in now. I have kids and I don’t want to leave the world this way because I was never wanting it the way it is now — with Bush not caring about middle class people, the people that do all the work. They are the crux of the American society, economy and community. Hillary knows that they’ve been overlooked for the past eight years, and she’s going to make sure that this doesn’t continue.”

Her words echo what Clark told the audience at the event.

“She wants the job to do something for the United States of America — for our people — and to use America’s power to help people all over the world,” he said. “I think that’s the right reason and the right character to seek this office.

“So, Hillary Clinton. Smart. Experienced. Great character. Tough minded. She’ll stand up for America. Let’s make her our next president.”

Video of Clark’s prepared remarks is also available.

This ad features retired Gen. Wes Clark and Army artillery officer Mike Breen and highlights the Bush administration’s failed foreign policy.

“The helicopters, the equipment and the troops are stuck fighting George Bush’s war in Iraq,” said Gen. Clark in a prepared statement. “As I said before the invasion, military action against Iraq would distract us from fighting those who attacked us on 9/11: Al Qaeda. George Bush and Dick Cheney constantly trumpet their capture of Saddam Hussein, but where is Osama bin Laden?

“The President did not listen when I went before House Armed Services Committee in 2002, discouraging an invasion of Iraq. The President did not listen to General Batiste and General Eaton, as they called for a new strategy in Iraq. And the President is still not listening.”

As referenced by Clark above, Maj. Gen. John Batiste and Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton were featured in the first and second VoteVets.org ‘Generals’ ads, respectively.

Here is the Eaton ad:

And here is the Batiste ad: