Retired General Wesley Clark at a pancake breakfast in Auburn, New Hampshire, in January. (Photo by Suzanne Freeman)

Saturday, January 24—At a pancake breakfast held today at the New Safety Center in Auburn, New Hampshire, Democratic presidential candidate General Wesley Clark gave an enthusiastic speech to a cheering crowd.

"As President, I'm going to bring people together by doing, not debating; by taking action, not assessing," Clark said.

When this reporter asked General Clark how kids could get involved in politics, he said that whether you are a Scholastic Student Reporter or not, you can attend campaign events or follow candidates in the media.

"Come out and volunteer and learn it as a young person, just like you're doing now," he said.

Traveling with Clark to support his candidacy were actors Ted Danson and his wife, Mary Steenburgen. Danson said he was supporting General Clark because he thinks Clark could become the next President. Steenburgen is involved in Clark's campaign because they are friends and she has known him since they were children. Their mothers worked together in the same bank.

Actor Ted Danson talks to Scholastic Student Reporter Molly Wienberg at a campaign event for Wesley Clark in Auburn, New Hamsphire, in January. Click on the picture to read more about Molly. (Photo: Suzanne Freeman)

"I like that he's a leader and I like that he was the commander of NATO," Danson told Scholastic News Online. "He has practice talking to foreign leaders and bringing countries together. He's never going to put politics in front of doing what's right for our country."

Student Reporters asked Steenburgen why so many politically minded people, such as herself, General Clark, and former President Bill Clinton, come from Arkansas. She said it had to do with growing up during the civil rights movement and desegregation.

"Can you imagine that the only way to enter your school was if an Army guy took you in because you had to be so afraid?" she said. "That struck so many people as wrong that a lot of us started caring about changing things from the time we were little." Clark was 12 and Steenburgen 5 when the Little Rock Nine were escorted into Little Rock High School by U.S. Marshalls.

Clark is now getting involved in politics and running for his first public office because he feels the country needs new leadership and direction, he said. General Clark received an enthusiastic response from the crowd when he stated, "I am not a politician, I am a leader."