General Wesley Clark endorses Khazei

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

Alan Khazei has had a lock in this special Senate election in out-of-town big name endorsements, and he continued that today: General Wesley Clark is formally backing his candidacy.

Alan Khazei

Khazei has courted celebrities -- from actress Elizabeth Shue to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- that provide his campaign with buzz. But boldface names do not include the army of volunteers that can come with the endorsement of a local sheriff or statewide union.

Clark is a four-star general and the former NATO supreme allied commander who had an unsuccessful 2004 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

“At this critical time, we need more patriots and public servants like Alan Khazei representing the people’s interests in Washington,” Clark said in a statement.

Clark, who has known Khazei since 2003 when he visited City Year in Boston, also gave Khazei a boost on foreign policy.

“When it comes to foreign affairs, Alan Khazei is one candidate who won’t need on the job training,” Clark said. “Alan has met with leaders in over 30 countries, has a curious mind, a multi-cultural perspective, is a student of history and understands the complexities of national security in the 21st century.

"He has taken the time to study the situation in Afghanistan," Clark continued. "Rather than make the easy appeal of simply bringing our troops home, Alan has done the hard work of detailing how to do so while insuring Afghanistan does not once again become a haven for terrorists. And, at the same time, Alan presents a comprehensive strategy for defeating the terrorists globally. Alan, more than anyone else running for Senate in Massachusetts, presented a detailed approach and compelling, new ideas for accomplishing our goals.”

Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.