Bloomberg: General Clark Says McCain Oversold Navy Experience

[FrenchieCat]

General Clark Says McCain Oversold Navy Experience

June 29 (Bloomberg) -- Retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark, an adviser to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, said Republican contender John McCain has oversold his military and national-security experience.

The Arizona senator ``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, one of Obama's chief foreign policy advisers, said on CBS's ``Face the Nation'' program.

Even the squadron in the Navy that McCain commanded ``wasn't a wartime squadron,'' said Clark, who headed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and was commander of the NATO bombing campaign during the 1999 Kosovo conflict. ``He hasn't been there and ordered the bombs to fall.''
<>
``I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president,'' Clark said, referring to the incident that led to McCain's being taken prisoner of war in Vietnam.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aXcOoughoRFQ&refer=politics

[Donna Zen]

1. This is a much better version of this story

...than the crap being spewed at Politico. I've written and than the author, just as I've written and asked Politico to correct theirs.

There is now a youtube available. Clark was brilliant.

[high density]

5. After looking at the comments section of Politico...

... I can imagine why it would skew against Obama. It's fine to bash John Kerry, it's not OK to bash John McCain.

[tishaLA]

7. It doesn't matter. It matters that Clark said it

and the story is now out there. And even those who have to defend him have to say, "Clark is wrong that being shot down doesn't qualify you to be CiC," which keeps the original iteration alive. It's a win-win as far as I'm concerned.

[NYC_SKP]

8. Youtube? I like Youtube.....Link, by any chance? nt

[FrenchieCat]

10. Here...DU link to Youtube of Wes on Face the Nation

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=152600&mesg_id=152600

[high density]

2. Why is Bloomberg putting the ages of the candidates in there?

That is bizarre. Glad to see Clark's comments being deemed newsworthy, though.

[Cha]

3. I didn't know Clark was one of

Obama's chief foreign policy advisers!

[TheDonkey]

4. Sounds like Clark is auditioning

and I don't think that is such a bad thing. That is quite the "ouch" to McSame.

[Bolo Boffin]

6. It worked for HW. n/t

[slinkerwink]

9. attaboy, Clark!

[Stinky The Clown]

11. General Smackdown

What a guy he is. THE most indefatigable campaign surrogate on the trail. This guy has been out and on the stump for others all up and down the ballot since the day after he ended his own primary bid in 03. In my view he was Kerry's best surrogate to say nothing of all the House candidates he backed.

[beachmom]

12. Is this Clark speaking, or is he speaking as an Obama surrogate?

I think this is skating near a line we don't wish to cross.

[grantcart]

13. what do you mean?

[MarjorieG]

16. Needs to appear more credible and less strident. Something Kerry does excellently.

[Eurobabe]

14. B-but Holy Joe says US NEEDS McLame because AL-CIADA is

going to test the new president in the first year of office. :sarcasm:

Lieberman: U.S. May Be Attacked In 2009

In describing the reasons he believes the Republicans' presumptive nominee for president would be better prepared than the Democrats' to lead the nation next January, Sen. Joe Lieberman said that history shows the United States would likely face a terrorist attack in 2009.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/29/ftn/main4217516.shtml

[demosincebirth]

15. I have always thought the same thing.