An Obama surrogate smackdown of Gramps McCain and Repubics in General (Clark)

[Stinky The Clown]

Wesley Clark did an interview with HuffPo here. I had posted in another thread that so many on our side seem unwilling to go after McCain based on his 'war hero' status. I contended that being a former POW - no matter how heroic while such - does not give anyone any more creds as an 'expert' on matters of security, foreign policy, or military matters. That thread is here. The McCain myth is exactly that ..... a myth carefully crafted in a (witting? unwitting?) collusion of the media and their darling boy.

Some of what the good general had to say about this (emphasis is mine):

In a wide-ranging interview with The Huffington Post, Clark offered opinions on ............. the shortcomings of Sen. John McCain.

"I know he's trying to get traction by seeking to play to what he thinks is his strong suit of national security," Clark said of McCain while speaking from his office in Little Rock, Arkansas. "The truth is that, in national security terms, he's largely untested and untried. He's never been responsible for policy formulation. He's never had leadership in a crisis, or in anything larger than his own element on an aircraft carrier or (in managing) his own congressional staff. It's not clear that this is going to be the strong suit that he thinks it is."

Resume aside, though, Clark also took issue with the Arizona Republican's instincts on national security. "McCain's weakness is that he's always been for the use of force, force and more force. In my experience, the only time to use force is as a last resort. ... When he talks about throwing Russia out of the G8 and makes ditties about bombing Iran, he betrays a disrespect for the office of the presidency."

" ........ In the foreign policy arena, John McCain has pretty much bought the central thrust of the Bush administration's foreign policies: relying on threat and bluster isolating people we don't agree with instead of engaging them."

Still, Clark says Democrats can't afford to be branded as unwilling to use force. "My take is that Senator Obama has been very clear ... As he said in his recent appearance before AIPAC, he is strongly committed to America's allies. And it would be a mistake for anyone to assume he won't use force when it's necessary and appropriate. ... I think it's a question of whether you believe all intercourse with an enemy must end in conflict or not."

He goes on to talk broadly about Iran and how the prime window of opportunity for us to make progress in tamping down the escalation of the rancor between us has passed. He thinks we can still engage in diplomacy, but that it is gong to be much more difficult now, after the years of bellicose rhetoric from the Bushies and that would continue under McCain.

The story also says how Clark, while he was, indeed, in the Clinton camp, has now come out strongly for Obama ..... and not just in a perfunctory way in asking his supporters to now back him, but by actively campaigning for him and speaking favorably of him in pubic arenas (the above examples being just the latest). Since he gave up his own presidential run in 04, he has been an indefatigable surrogate for all manner of Democrats. From John Kerry in 04, when he seemed to be everywhere at once, to his being all over the country backing Democratic congressional hopefuls, mostly, but not always, with military backgrounds, but always in hard to imagine circumstances in long held bastions of Red.

But back to my original point ....... here's a guy who is absolutely unafraid to go up against the McCain myths.

Good on ya, General!

[1Hippiechick]

1. This is AWEsome! I have also heard that there are a group of vets who don't care for McSame.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Clark, I do not believe, is in any way associated with that group

There's some group that is not dissimilar to the Swiftboaters who are against McCain. They aver he was a traitor while a captive. If that's the goup, I see them as nut jobs.

I am certain Clark is not part of their group.