However

Al Giordano notes that Wes Clark (who Today in Iraq lists as his personal choice for the Democratic nomination) continues to defend the School of the Americas, a Fort Benning, Georgia, institution that has produced some of the most vicious individuals ever to hold official or unofficial positions of power in Latin America.

Giordano links to this Common Dreams article that notes Clark, to his credit, admits that some pretty horrible guys have matriculated at the institution--people like Roberto D'Abuisson, Manuel Noriega, and nineteen individuals implicated in the murders of seven Jesuit priests and two lay workers in El Salvador in 1989.

If Clark wins the nomination--hell, if JOE LIEBERMAN somehow wins it--my vote will go against Bush. But regardless of who comes out on top, the School is a discredited institution that should be shut down. Many years ago I had the privilege of meeting Maryknoll priest Roy Bourgeois, a Louisianian, and Vietnam veteran, who has made closing the school a lifelong pursuit. Here's some additional information on Father Roy. And here's a speech he delivered not quite two years ago regarding his life, and his work, at SUNY in Stony Brook, New York.

General Clark's support for the school won't keep him from getting my vote if he's the nominee. But I will continue to speak out against what many Latin Americans call La Escuela del Golpes--School of the Coups--or La Escuela de los Asesinos--School of the Assassins. I will continue to support in any way I can the work of Father Bourgeios and those dedicated individuals who seek to rid this nation of one of the most appalling institutions in existence. If General Clark becomes President Clark, we should work strongly to convince him that the school is anathema to the needs of Latin America.