Clark attacks McCain Military Record

DuH2 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-30-2008, 01:14 PM

Quote:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, a former Democratic presidential candidate now supporting Barack Obama, said Sunday John McCain's military service does not automatically qualify him to be commander in chief.

Underscoring during a national television appearance a position he has been expressing for several weeks, Clark said performing heroic military service is not a substitute for gaining command experience.

"In the matters of national security policy making, it's a matter of understanding risk," he said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "It's a matter of gauging your opponents and it's a matter of being held accountable. John McCain's never done any of that in his official positions. I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and millions of others in the armed forces, as a prisoner of war.

"He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee and he has traveled all over the world, but he hasn't held executive responsibility," Clark said. "That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded — that wasn't a wartime squadron."

Moderator Bob Schieffer, who raised the issue by citing similar remarks Clark has made previously, noted that Obama hadn't had those experiences nor had he ridden in a fighter plane and been shot down. "Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president," Clark replied.

In a March conference call with reporters while he was still backing Hillary Rodham Clinton, Clark said: "Everybody admires John McCain's service as a fighter pilot, his courage as a prisoner of war. There's no issue there. He's a great man and an honorable man. But having served as a fighter pilot — and I know my experience as a company commander in Vietnam — that doesn't prepare you to be commander in chief in terms of dealing with the national strategic issues that are involved. It may give you a feeling for what the troops are going through in the process, but it doesn't give you the experience first hand of the national strategic issues."

He reiterated that position last week in an article on The Huffington Post Web site.

"If Barack Obama's campaign wants to question John McCain's military service, that's their right," McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said after Clark's appearance Sunday. "But let's please drop the pretense that Barack Obama stands for a new type of politics. The reality is he's proving to be a typical politician who is willing to say anything to get elected, including allowing his campaign surrogates to demean and attack John McCain's military service record."

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i...lExLgD91K2PV80

OH and then Obama gave a speech on Patriotism...

Idiots.
Really not much you can say on the overall idiocy of it.

White Fox · #2 (**permalink**) 06-30-2008, 01:17 PM

HA, let's go attack Obama's military service!

Oh........... wait a moment...............

hendrixpujols11 · #3 (**permalink**) 06-30-2008, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuH2

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i...lExLgD91K2PV80

OH and then Obama gave a speech on Patriotism...

Idiots.
Really not much you can say on the overall idiocy of it.

Obama rejected Clark's statement, so you can't even relate it to Obama.

Second of all, if you look at what he said instead of reading the headline you would see that he wasnt attacking anybody's military service at all. He said that what McCain did did not qualify him to be commander in chief. There are plenty of people who served in the military, even with an identical rank as McCain, but that does not mean they are qualified to be the commander in chief. He wasn't denouncing anybody's military service.

DuH2 · #4 (**permalink**) 06-30-2008, 01:32 PM

OH BS..

I'm waiting for the Obama speech on betraying the troops ignoring their sacrifices, making them surrender, and then sending them to Afghanistan to fight the same enemy..

He ever make that one..or we going to get a speech on Tupperware?

JMS · #5 (**permalink**) 06-30-2008, 01:34 PM

idiocy is so idiotic. darn idiots.

JLB · #6 (**permalink**) 06-30-2008, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hendrixpujols11

Obama rejected Clark's statement, so you can't even relate it to Obama.

Second of all, if you look at what he said instead of reading the headline you would see that he wasnt attacking anybody's military service at all. He said that what McCain did did not qualify him to be commander in chief. There are plenty of people who served in the military, even with an identical rank as McCain, but that does not mean they are qualified to be the commander in chief. He wasn't denouncing anybody's military service.

The stupid liberal said that Kerry was qualified to be President because he went to Vietnam.

Can you people make up your minds which way you will flip or flop, and stay there?

glitch · #7 (**permalink**) 06-30-2008, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hendrixpujols11

if you look at what he said instead of reading the headline you would see that he wasnt attacking anybody's military service at all.

That was actually kind of my first impression. Him making the point that serving in the military is not a prerequisite to being a good president. I think everyone should agree with that. But some of his comments were a bit off-base:

Quote:

he hasn't held executive responsibility," Clark said. "That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded — that wasn't a wartime squadron."

If he commanded a "large squadron" then he did have executive responsibility. What executive responsibility has Obama held? Clark appears to be trying to nit-pick at McCain's service record. This strategy is a bust for the Obama campaign.

So if what Clark said is true then why would Obama "reject it"?

hendrixpujols11 · #8 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glitch

So if what Clark said is true then why would Obama "reject it"?

If he didn't it would look terrible.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLB

The stupid liberal said that Kerry was qualified to be President because he went to Vietnam.

Can you people make up your minds which way you will flip or flop, and stay there?

It's not about what he said about Kerry, its about what he said about McCain.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuH2

OH BS..

That's not a response.

JavaBlack · #9 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 06:49 AM

Clark didn't attack McCain's military experience. He just said it had nothing to do with his ability to be president.
He was absolutely correct.

Whaler17 · #10 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JavaBlack

Clark didn't attack McCain's military experience. He just said it had nothing to do with his ability to be president.
He was absolutely correct.

Not true!
Someone who has no experience with the military is at a distinct disadvantage when leading during war time. That is just common sense, and the American public will agree with me in November!

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