For the partisan general's disparaging remarks regarding McCain.
And here the suck-up, ass-kissing general thought he was securing himself
a
slot as VP......
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080701/D91KSSR00.html
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Democrat Barack Obama rejected a retired general's
suggestion that Republican John McCain's military experience didn't
necessarily qualify him to be president, as GOP surrogates lined up to
label
the remarks indecent and disrespectful.
A day after retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, now an Obama sup****ter,
discussed McCain's experience as a Navy pilot and prisoner of war in
Vietnam
on a Sunday talk show, his remarks set off the pattern that has become
familiar from innumerable earlier flaps over surrogate remarks during the
presidential election year: The candidates, Obama and McCain, took the
high
road while the bare-knuckled language was left to their surrogates.
At a news conference here Monday, McCain himself said of Clark's comment,
"That kind of thing is unnecessary" and distracts from real pocketbook
issues voters care about.
About the same time, Obama told an audience in Independence, Mo., that
McCain had "endured physical torment in service to our country" and "no
one
should ever devalue that service, especially for the sake of a political
campaign, and that goes for sup****ters on both sides."
The latest dustup began on CBS'"Face the Nation." Clark, the former
supreme
commander of NATO under Bill Clinton, said McCain's military service was
not
the same as executive experience.
"In the matters of national security policy making, it's a matter of
understanding risk," Clark said "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."
Clark has said as much before, but drew little notice. CBS moderator Bob
Schieffer cited Clark's earlier remarks and noted that Obama hadn't had
those experiences either 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.
Clark stood by his remarks Monday. He issued a statement commending
McCain's
military service but insisting that his criticism stood.
"John McCain is running his campaign on his experience and how his
experience would benefit him and our nation as president. That experience
shows courage and commitment to our country - but it doesn't include
executive experience wrestling with national policy or go-to-war
decisions,"
Clark said. "And in this area his judgment has been flawed - he not only
sup****ted going into a war we didn't have to fight in Iraq, but has time
and
again undervalued other, nonmilitary elements of national power that must
be
used effectively to protect America."
At least five Republican senators and retired military officers - four on
a
conference call arranged by McCain's campaign - cried foul Monday,
particularly over Clark's last line.
"I was utterly shocked," Sen. John Warner, R-Va., told the conference
call,
"... that he would in such a disrespectful way attack one of his fellow
career military officers."
"Beyond comprehension ... further erosion of our nation's political
discourse," said former Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., in a written statement.
"Complete silliness," retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Carl Smith said on the call.
Retired Marine Lt. Col. Orson Swindle said Clark was "denigrating the
character and the experience and the integrity and the performance" of
McCain.
"A very indecent thing," said retired Air Force Col. Bud Day.
Day's participation on conference call spawned a new round of broadsides
as
the Democratic National Committee rushed to point out that Day had
appeared
in the so-called Swift Boat TV ads that cast aspersions during the 2004
election on the medals Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry earned
in Vietnam. Committee spokesman Damien LaVera said McCain himself had
called
the Swift Boat ads "dishonest and dishonorable."
By comparison with these exchanges, the candidates were positively
high-minded. Besides Obama's personal remarks disdaining criticism of
McCain's military service, the campaign's spokesman, Bill Burton said,
"Sen.
Obama honors and respects Sen. McCain's service, and of course he rejects
yesterday's statement by Gen. Clark."
McCain himself said, "If that's the kind of campaign Sen. Obama and his
surrogates and sup****ters want to engage in, I understand that. But it
doesn't reduce the price of gas by one penny. It doesn't achieve our
energy
independence or make it come any closer. Doesn't make any American stay in
their home who's at risk of losing it today. And it certainly doesn't do
anything to address the challenges Americans have in keeping their jobs,
homes and sup****ting their families."
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