A couple of ‘em on the frontburner today.
—- First up: General Wesley Clark, an Obama surrogate, has once again attacked John McCain’s service to our country, this time on CBS’ Face The Nation:
Gen. Wesley Clark, acting as a surrogate for Barack Obama’s campaign, invoked John McCain’s military service against him in one of the more personal attacks on the Republican presidential nominee this election cycle.
Clark said that McCain lacked the executive experience necessary to be president, calling him “untested and untried” on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” And in saying so, he took a few swipes at McCain’s military service.
After saying, “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 added that these experiences in no way qualify McCain to be president in his view:
“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. That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded — that wasn’t a wartime squadron,” Clark said.
“I don’t think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president.”
The last time he did this was on a conference call back in March with other retired military “leaders” who at the time were endorsing Hillary Clinton.
About a month ago, I wrote about how these types of attacks from surrogates of Barack Obama were getting out of hand. It’s one thing to say that serving in the military in a war alone doesn’t necessarily make one qualified to be president, but considering the hell McCain went through for 7 years as a POW at the Hanoi Hilton, attacks of this nature - insinuating that McCain’s getting shot down was the sign of a weak fighter pilot - are below the belt, especially coming from a fellow military man. This is something that Barack Obama himself would never say, but his surrogates do and they get a free pass on it.
I can assure you, though: If this is a debate the Obama campaign wants to have through surrogates, I’m sure McCain would welcome it by calling out his opponent and demanding to know what his direct - not through a spokesman or other surrogate - thoughts were on the repeated attacks and belittling of his service.
McQ over at QandO asks a good question in response to Clark’s assertion:
[I]f the willingness to fight for your country, put your life on the line and suffer the brutality McCain suffered as a POW doesn’t make the cut as far as qualifications go, how far below that does a “community organizer” show up on the list of non-qualifications?
Didn’t McQ get the memo? Every move Obama has ever made “took courage” so obviously becoming a community organizer was an act of sheer bravery unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, and therefore ranks high on the list of qualifications people should consider when choosing a president for this country.
—- Second, the liberalistas over at HuffPo and Think Progress believe they’ve caught McCain in an “out of touch” moment, asserting that in a recent interview McCain said he didn’t know how much a gallon of gas cost and that he didn’t think it mattered that he didn’t know.
Only one problem: That’s not quite how the conversation went down. Patterico has the details, including a link to recent story that proves McCain does indeed know how much a gallon of gas costs.
Guess it musta been a slow news weekend for the leftosphere …
Monday AM Update: Wow - I think the title of this post, written by a popular far left blogger, says it all: “Honestly, besides being tortured, what did McCain do to excel in the military?”
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Clark embarrassed himself in the 2004 elections and he’s doing it again. The guy may have been a good general, but he’s either saying dumb things or being darn near incomprehensible when he speaks in public. I hope Obama does pick him for the Veep spot: it will be one more advantage for our side.
Comment by Anthony (Los Angeles) @ 6/29/2008 - 9:30 pm
I wonder where that leaves the Messiah, who never flew a fighter jet in His life.
Some laughed when I said that Democrats would make the chickenhawk smear against McCain. Clark just did it - did any Republican protest?
Republicans deserve to lose if they don’t start fighting back. Their current feeble, cringing campaign will earn them a 50-state landslide loss.
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi @ 6/30/2008 - 12:33 am
This is such a disgusting and cowardly move by Obama that it is almost a good thing for McCain.
The irony here is that McCain denounced the Swift Boat Vets in their attacks on Kerry, even after they caught Kerry in the lie about Nixon sending him to Cambodia.
McCain holds all the moral high ground on this one, and I say that as someone who can barely hold his nose enough to vote for McCain this November. I part company with McCain on a number of issues but respect for his courage and dedication as demonstrated by his military record is something that only a low life would attack. That would be Clark and Obama. Disgraceful.
Your points are well put and well taken SisterToldjah!
Comment by DaMav @ 6/30/2008 - 4:09 am
Can somebody explain to me why anyone would want to hear what Bomber Clark, who once zapped the Chinese Embassy in Serbia by mistake, and who managed to bomb bridges over the Danube while civilians were on them in cars, busses, and trains has to say?
Comment by Leslie @ 6/30/2008 - 9:56 am
POWs know better. We see through all the lies and smears.
That’s because there were enough of us there in that prison hearing ‘Canary’ McCain give up the goods, before even being tortured.
If John had kept his arms tucked in when he ejected, he wouldn’t have broken them. If his father hadn’t been an admiral, maybe he would’ve actually been tortured. And if McCain wasn’t such a SOB, he would have voted for veteran’s benefits and to help find lost POWs… of course, then those POWs would have been around to tell the truth, and McLiar couldn’t have that.
I mean, since John has brought up his military service as an issue, we veterans get to attack him on it, right? That’s why we were justified in going after John Kerry, after all.
Barr in ‘08!
And Leslie, when you say:
“Can somebody explain to me why anyone would want to hear what Bomber Clark, who once zapped the Chinese Embassy in Serbia by mistake, and who managed to bomb bridges over the Danube while civilians were on them in cars, busses, and trains has to say?”
You sound like the typical whimpy liberal who cares about collateral damage. Let’s not even pretend that such things matter next to displaying the military supremecy of god’s greatest country. Next thing we’re going to hear is that Iraqi casualties matter. Silly….
Comment by ME @ 6/30/2008 - 10:51 am
Whose lies? Obama’s lies? Well I’m glad to see that you can see through them. Sometimes it’s tough, because there are so many!
Had no idea. This is the first that I have ever heard of McCain singing like a “canary”. Perhaps you could tell us all what he “sang” about specifically. I’m sure you have documented sources that can confirm this, right? Of course you do!
Right. He didn’t keep his arms tucked in, so he’s not fit to be president……good point.
ME if you really are a military man, then you know exactly why McCain voted against those benefits. If you worked for an employer for 3-4 years and got the same benefits as you did if you stayed 20 years, what would happen? Our military would have been scrambling to keep people in and our active forces would have suffered. But then again, that’s probably exactly what the dems wanted when they came up with this. Apparently you can’t see through their lies.
Actually there are several of McCain’s fellow POW’s around, who come to his defense when his service is questioned by people like Clark. Not sure where you’re getting your information. Click off the Daily Kos every now and then and you actually might get some facts.
Truth be told, not by you of course, the Bush campaign never once questioned Kerry’s service record. Nor did anyone on his staff. Big difference. As previously pointed out, McCain denounced the Swift Boat groups attacks on Kerry. Clark works directly for Obama. It will be interesting to see how Obama handles this.
I kid, of course.
As far as Leslie’s comment. I believe she was pointing out how Clark has no room to talk about anybody else’s commitment or qualification to be president when you’ve committed blunders like he has.
Let’s not forget his photo op with Slobadan Milosevic who was later convicted of war crimes for his role in the “ethnic cleansing”.
Yeah, that’s a pile of judgment right there.
Comment by NC Cop @ 6/30/2008 - 11:19 am
Forget ME, he’s no vet, much less a POW. Just another faker from the left. Say “hi” to Jesse MacBeth and Micah Wright for us.
I recall that Clark thought driving a boat up and down a river for four months was eminent qualification for commander in chief. It’s a pity that he didn’t take the time to explain how Obama’s experience qualifies.
Comment by Steve Skubinna @ 6/30/2008 - 12:46 pm
Oh come on! Clark didn’t belittle McCain’s military service. He called him a hero! He simply pointed out what should be obvious: displaying courage as a POW is admirable, but not the same thing as making executive decisions. There are lots of brave veterans out there. Are they all qualified to be president based on their military service?
Comment by Lacey @ 6/30/2008 - 1:03 pm
NC, I hope ME is on many blogs. He will be getting the McCain vote out with his methods fer sher…
Comment by Baklava @ 6/30/2008 - 1:16 pm
ME is a far-left troll who’s posted here before. It’s normal MO is to spew a few George Soros talking points around, then run away. Good job of debunking the nonsense, NC Cop, but don’t expect any answers to your questions. ME hasn’t have the courage to stick around for an honest exchange in the past; don’t expect it this time.
Comment by Great White Rat @ 6/30/2008 - 1:42 pm
Wesley Clark, super genius.
He’s going a great job of getting Republicans and others who really don’t like McCain all that much to get a chance to really embrace him over an experience for which Obama has no equal.
I’ll assume that Wes Clark will be relegated to one of those low level staff positions from which all the Obama gaffes seem to emanate.
Comment by Neo @ 6/30/2008 - 2:07 pm
Lacey with little logic asks, “Are they all qualified to be president based on their military service?”
Who/When/Where said anything about ALL are qualified based on their military service? You took quite a leap with that question Lacey.
Lacey points out clearly why Obama might have an issue with some voters by saying, “He simply pointed out what should be obvious: displaying courage as a POW is admirable, but not the same thing as making executive decisions.”
But not the same thing as making executive decisions…. you wrote it Lacey!! So what executive office did Obama hold?
none.
Comment by Baklava @ 6/30/2008 - 3:16 pm
However, it goes directly to character.
John McCain served his country honorably and spent 7 years in a POW camp. Although being tortured, he declined to be released and instead let another POW that had been in the camp longer than him take his place.
CHARACTER.
Obama spent almost all of his years with domestic terrorists and America haters.
To say that either is not relevant to them being president is incredibly naive.
Comment by NC Cop @ 6/30/2008 - 3:58 pm
Yet another Democrat (a former advisor to the Messiah) makes the “chickenhawk” smear against McCain:
Beyond belief. Describing years of imprisonment and torture on North Vietnam with the antiseptic word “isolation” is creative, to say the least. Making such imprisonment and torture an automatic disqualification for the Presidency is certainly new. I suppose Jews who survived the concentration camps in World War II would be similarly dismissed by Mr. Beers if these Jews reached conclusions that he found “limited”.
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi @ 6/30/2008 - 6:43 pm
The link for the above article is here.
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi @ 6/30/2008 - 6:45 pm
If the ME’s of the world had only learned to spit instead of swallow, they might not the miserable bunch of lying fruitcakes as they are but, I’ve been wrong before.
Comment by forest hunter @ 6/30/2008 - 8:32 pm
The reason the left has no problem with belittling John McCain’s experiences in Vietnam is due to their former alliance with the communists of North Vietnam. It is their desire to honor that former alliance, and it matters not how they look. - Lorica
Comment by Lorica @ 7/1/2008 - 1:31 pm
I have to wonder if someone where to call Lacey a derogitory name, but then complimented her eyes, if she would have the same feelings. Somehow I doubt it. This is the same logic of a wife beater. “It is because I love you so much, that I have to hit you” It is complete deception, and should be ordered back to the pit where it belongs. - Lorica
Comment by Lorica @ 7/1/2008 - 1:34 pm
Gee, seems to me that when we said the same thing in 04, all the left did was accuse us of “swiftboating” Kerry. Seems the shoe is on the other foot as usual, and when it is they suddenly seem to find it in their hearts to change their positions. Hypocrisy at it’s finest.
Since Nobama has no military chops, those ain’t important. When they thought they had a “war hero” in John “Can I have a bandaid” Kerry, suddenly it was how Bush was a cowardly reservist and how dare you say anything bad about Kerry, he’s a decorated hero! Now when you have a true decorated hero, suddenly it’s fine to denigrate his service and sacrifice.
Riiight, it’s all so perfectly clear isn’t it?
Comment by Severian @ 7/1/2008 - 7:17 pm