Rangel: Hillary Gave Me Permission to Endorse Clark
The Clintons claim they aren't orchestrating Wesley Clark's presidential campaign. But in little-noticed comments earlier this week, Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., revealed that before he decided to issue a formal endorsement of Clark he got permission from U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton.
"I talked to her for an hour the other day and told her I was leaning toward endorsing the general," the U.S. congressman from Harlem told Newsday. "I knew after talking to her she has no problem with my endorsing Clark."
Rangel said that Sen. Clinton "told me that she thought he would make a great candidate. ... She talked glowingly about General Clark and what a fine president he would make."
However, after heralding Clark's arrival on the scene in terms more appropriate for the Second Coming, Mrs. Clinton added one caveat.
Rangel said she insisted, "Charlie, I want to make it clear that I am not endorsing General Clark."
Now that Sen. Clinton has cleared his decision, Rangel is expected to announce his formal endorsement of Clark this weekend.
Last week Clark told reporters that he decided to get into the race after both Bill and Hillary Clinton suggested it would be a good idea.