While Barack Obama claims that he remains committed to cutting and running from Iraq, despite recent comments indicating otherwise, former Democratic Presidential candidate Wesley Clark has already laced up his sneakers and make a dash for the exit from this years campaign. His recent comments on McCain’s military service have drawn harsh criticism from those on the right, with McCain himself stating that it was not enough for Obama to repudiate him, but he must also cut him loose. Democratic strategists warned Obama that it would be ridiculous to cut Clark loose from his campaign, worried that he would lose support from his leftist base if he did so.

Due to the negative publicity Obama has received over Clark’s comments, and possibly with the urging of the Obama campaign itself, Wesley Clark has now decided he is ‘moving on’ from politics.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, Clark’s words were a 10 in terms of unhelpfulness,” said one Democrat who has helped manage past presidential campaigns.

At first, Clark moved aggressively to defend his remarks, scheduling additional press appearances and even updating his Facebook status to “Wes Clark knows that John McCain is largely untested and untried when it comes to matters of national security.”

But now Clark is looking to put the remarks behind him. The former NATO supreme allied commander and 2004 Democratic primary candidate is “moving on,” said a close aide, who added that Clark can now “devote his time to the business affairs which pay the bills.”

Clark ruined any chance he once had to be Obama’s Vice President with his poor remarks regarding McCain’s service leaving him no other option but to move on. His continued participation in the Obama campaign would only serve as a reminder of his crass remarks, as well as Obama’s lack of military experience.

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Barack Obama, Election 2008, Features