Clark, a newcomer to politics, is pushing his experience as NATO'S Supreme Allied Commander for Europe and the role he played in the political demise of ex-Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, while Kerry, a US senator from Massachusetts, is playing on his Senate battles for veterans rights.

Veterans who attended a Clark campaign event in Portsmouth Wednesday insisted their votes would go to either one or the other, even proposing the two might be a winning pair to oust President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney from the White House in November.

The veterans all played down the difference in rank between Clark and Kerry as not the most important issue.

"I'll vote for Clark because of his military experience, I think it would be very beneficial for the United States," said Carl Warlton who served in Europe in World War II, and later in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war.

"Also, I'd like to see Kerry (win), I'd like to see a Kerry-Clark team," Warlton said. "Clark is experienced in dealing with the NATO people and Kerry is experienced in Washington."

I would really like to talk to the people that served with him (Clark), that's how you find out the way generals operate."

Robert Flolid, who was a navy captain for 26 years said he liked both contenders for the Democratic nomination, but would vote for the one with the best chance of beating Republican Bush.

"I like both, Clark and Kerry, I just want to make sure that the one I vote for is eligible," said Flolid, speaking at the veterans' center at Portsmouth, the main port city in New Hampshire.

Leo Jorgensen, who served in the army between the wars in Korea and Vietnam, said his support would go to Clark, just because of his southern roots.

Tradition has it that for a Democratic candidate to win the White House he must be from the south. That issue will be at stake during the January 27 vote in New Hampshire when only Clark, who is a native of Arkansas, and North Carolina Senator John Edwards, will have that advantage.

Voters also tend to think that Democrats are better at fighting social battles at home than managing wars far from home.

"People in the military have traditionally been Republicans. Among the Democrats, Kerry or Clark will get the veterans' vote," said Jorgensen, noting that although Clark has more leadership experience, "either one or the other will be good."

But he added: "The thing about Clark is that he's from the south and he might be able to pick up some southern states, which traditionally will go to the Republicans. That's his advantage."

Al Schurams, who fought in Vietnam, said Clark's main advantage, unlike Kerry, was his lack of political experience. "The main reasons why I will vote for Clark is that he is not a politician and I respect him as a general."

While veterans gave both men the thumbs-up, Clark and Kerry equally sought to cash in on their military renown, in the case of Clark, notched up on the ground, with Kerry counting on his Congress experience.

"I have the military leadership he has not," said Clark after learning of Kerry's unexpectedly strong win in the Iowa caucuses. "He was a lieutenant in the Navy and I was a four-star general in the Army."

At another point he referred to Kerry as "a junior officer in Vietnam."

Clark was less pugnacious Wednesday, when he won the backing of 500 New Hampshire veterans. "I'm not trying to make a distinction between my military record and Kerry's ... my experience is experience in executive leadership."

Kerry, at a Nashua, New Hampshire, campaign event, recalled some of his own battles in Washington.

"I started by standing up with fellow veterans to Richard Nixon when I returned back from Vietnam and I made an effort to end that war," said Kerry. "As a senator I stood with so many of you and I led the fight to stop Ronald Reagan's illegal, ilicit, unconstitutional war in Central America."

WAR.WIRE