[media-credit name=’CHARLIE GORICHANAZ/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]

A day after Sen. Barack Obama drew roughly 20,000 to the
Kohl Center, Sen. Hillary Clinton?s campaign put all hands on deck, bringing
former U.S. Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson to speak in support of the former first
lady.

Wilson is most famous for his sheltering of U.S. citizens
threatened by the Iraqi government under the Saddam Hussein regime, his
marriage to Valerie Plame and his controversial op-ed published in 2003 in The
New York Times, ?What I Didn?t Find in Africa.?

The speech focused on Clinton?s foreign policy ideas and
political experience. Wilson said Clinton would be the best candidate for the
presidency because of her commitment to political and diplomatic solutions.

?Barack Obama is a wonderful speaker. He is a very gifted
orator. He is a man I think has a good future as a leader of this country,?
Wilson said. ?But the politics of hope is necessary, but not sufficient.
Everybody has hope.?

Wilson talked at length about Clinton?s travels to Northern
Africa and the Middle East to meet with belligerent leaders.

Wilson worked with the George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton
administrations and started his speech by reminding students that he was, in
fact, a Republican political appointee.

After traveling to Niger on behalf of the Central
Intelligence Agency to investigate claims of Nigerian yellowcake uranium
exports to Iraq, Wilson wrote in the Times that ?some of the intelligence
related to Iraq?s nuclear weapons program was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi
threat.?

Clinton is different from other candidates because she is
?tough and tested,? Wilson said, adding one of Clinton?s first actions as president
would be to ?reach out to other countries ? to reassure leaders that the era of
cavalry diplomacy is over.?

Wilson was introduced by University of Wisconsin political
science professor Howard Schweber. Schweber, who is not publicly endorsing any political
candidate, encouraged students from all political parties to attend the event.

?This is not a rally; you are not here because you are
presumed to be Hillary Clinton supporters,? Schweber said. ?On the contrary, I
hope you will uphold the fine tradition of sifting and winnowing ideas that is
the University of Wisconsin?s contribution to academic freedom.?

Schweber?s hopes were well-met by some attendees, as
Wilson?s speech was received by a variety of responses.