wes clark on mccain: “i don’t think that riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification for being president”

It’s good to see team Obama on the offensive.

While I’d be happy to see Sam Nunn in the VP slot, I’m pulling for Clark.

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15 Comments

  1. Publius
    Posted June 30, 2008 at 9:25 am | Permalink

    Disparaging military service. Good job. More please.

  2. Real American
    Posted June 30, 2008 at 12:45 pm | Permalink

    I never understood the deference paid to McCain’s “service” in your United States Navy. He completely screwed up everything he touched.

    McCain’s military experience is the equivalent of W’s “business” experience. Let’s face it, McNasty is a fool and/or a coward and would have been court-martialed if he hadn’t been an admiral’s son and admiral’s grandson.

    But BHO doesn’t need a warmonger like Sam Nunn to prove his manhood. Nor does he need to pick a white runningmate to placate racists. I would like to see Cynthia McKinney or Eleanor Holmes Norton as Vice President. Let’s destroy the white cultural hegemony and white male cultural hegemony for all time. Let’s do it now, we may not have another chance in our lifetime.

  3. Robert
    Posted June 30, 2008 at 5:14 pm | Permalink

    Yeah, I thought Publius was going to kill somebody back in 2004 when he saw what the Bush Campaign was saying about John Kerry’s service medals. He was so outraged. It took a lot to get him to start calming down.

  4. mark
    Posted June 30, 2008 at 9:02 pm | Permalink

    Oh, shit… I’ve got to find my purple heart bandaids!

  5. Publius
    Posted July 1, 2008 at 10:41 am | Permalink

    I never disparaged Kerry’s military service. He did it himself.

  6. Robert
    Posted July 1, 2008 at 6:42 pm | Permalink

    That’s what I was saying, Publius. You were so upset back then. I remember how you were almost inconsolable. Though I was concerned about how emotional you got about it, I understood why you would feel that way, being all sincere, consistent and shit about your sense of honor and patriotism.

  7. Robert
    Posted July 2, 2008 at 12:19 pm | Permalink

    I might be overly sentimental, but doesn’t anybody else long for those times past when people actually believed the shit they said…and wouldn’t turn 180 degrees on a dime for phony ideological expediency?

  8. Publius
    Posted July 2, 2008 at 12:41 pm | Permalink

    Like Wesley Clarke did?

  9. Robert
    Posted July 2, 2008 at 1:11 pm | Permalink

    Uh, yes, Publius. Is what he said untrue? Is it not what he believes?

  10. Robert
    Posted July 8, 2008 at 5:40 pm | Permalink

    Your inconsistency reveals your true nature, Publius.

  11. rodneyn
    Posted July 8, 2008 at 9:30 pm | Permalink

    So, riding in a fighter plan and getting shot down is not a qualification for being President? Someone should let George Herbert Walker Bush know that (you know, Bush ’41, otherwise known for four years as “Mr. President”). He flew in the Pacific during World War II, was shot down, and was rescued by a submarine while eluding capture by the Japanese.

    Many other former presidents have flown in airplanes, even if they didn’t have the qualifying experience of being shot down (the Air Force One pilots frown on that behavior, after all). A significant percentage of our past presidents have been military men of various ranks and lengths of service (including Mr. Washington, of course – although he never flew in an airplane!). Perhaps General Clark was referring only to the qualifications for President in force prior to the date Wilbur and Orville’s Kitty Hawk flight.

    Perhaps General Clark believes that Senator McCain fought in the wrong war…? …or maybe General Clark is an idiot of public proportions.

  12. mark
    Posted July 8, 2008 at 9:36 pm | Permalink

    I think he’s right that getting shot down in battle isn’t, in and of itself, enough to qualify a person for the oval office. Yes, living as a prisoner of war for several years does make you a hero, but does it make you a good President? I think it’s a good question, and a fair one. What wasn’t fair, in my estimation, was the attack we say against John Kerry in 2004, who was also a decorated war hero. He was called a coward and his service to his country was called into question. It was disgusting. And I don’t think Clark came even remotely close to crossing that line.

  13. Posted July 8, 2008 at 9:52 pm | Permalink

    McCain’s military experience is a good line item on his resume’, qualifying him to be president. If it is the ONLY line item on his resume’, then he is hardly qualified to be president. I think that is what WC was saying.

    McCain’s POW experience gives him a unique perspective on war, which, if he is elected, will serve him well.

    That all said, I’m voting for Obama unless something about the race changes between now and then.

  14. Publius
    Posted July 9, 2008 at 7:29 am | Permalink

    http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/07/29/dems.clark.transcript/index.html

    From Wes Clarke’s nominated speech for John Kerry.

    “John Kerry has heard the thump of enemy mortars.

    He’s seen the flash of the tracers. He’s lived the values of service and sacrifice. In the Navy, as a prosecutor, as a senator, he proved his physical courage under fire. And he’s proved his moral courage too.

    John Kerry fought a war, and I respect him for that. And he came home to fight a peace. And I respect him for that, too.

    John Kerry’s combination of physical courage and moral values is my definition of what we need as Americans in our commander in chief.”

    Substitute McCain for Kerry

  15. Robert
    Posted July 19, 2008 at 12:02 pm | Permalink

    If you pay attention, Publius and Rodneyn, you’ll notice nobody thinks Clark’s comments were appropriate. This contrasts significantly from the way you and your kind respond to the slander (initiated by your AWOL and draft-dodging heroes) of Silver Star recipient Senator Kerry.

    However it’s still true that of the many things which qualify McCain to be president, getting shot down is not one of them. On the other hand, McCain’s honorable and brave conduct while being held prisoner ARE qualifications. One example was his refusal to accept an offer for his own release without the release of his fellow prisoners.

    If you actually take the time to check out the full video of Clark’s remarks, you will see that his comment was the reiteration of the idiotic question that was put to him. He should have thought before he used the same wording in his response. However, he’s a four star general, and they tend to feel free to say whatever they want, and not entirely without good reason. Regardless, the statement was not false. It was just stupid to say.

    My comments were not meant to defend Clark’s comment at all. I was attacking you. I was trying to use poor humor and sarcasm to point out that your feigned patriotism is offensive. Pretending to value the sacrifice of America’s servicemen for the purpose of playing some childish rhetorical game is offensive.

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