Here is excerpts of the interview.
Because in the matters of national security policy making, it’s a matter of understanding risk, 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 of 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. That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded wasn’t a wartime squadron. He hasn’t been there and ordered the bombs to fall. He hasn’t seen what it’s like when diplomats come in and say, `I don’t know whether we’re going to be able to get this point through or not. Do you want to take the risk? What about your reputation? How do we handle it publicly?CBS's Bob Schieffer appeared stunned pointed this out to Clark:
I have to say, Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down. I mean…
These negatives comments obviously appeal to the left wing likes of Danger Democrat and MoveOn.org so lets look at what Clark failed to realize about Barack Obama:
- In “the matter of national security policy making.” Barack Obama hasn’t ever done anything.
- In the matter of gauging your “opponents”, Obama wants to meet with them without preconditions despite having no national-security, military, or diplomatic experience.
- Barack Obama hasn’t been on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
- Barack Obama hasn’t had any executive experience.
- Barack Obama hasn’t commanded anything, in wartime or not.
- Barack Obama hasn’t dealt with diplomats in any capacity at all.
- Barack Obama hasn’t ordered the bombs to fall, although to be fair, he has associated himself with someone who has — William Ayers.
A Democratic strategy of using surrogates to attack and demean McCain POW status and wartime service will backfire and fail miserably and it should!
24 comments:
Get used to it Scott. You not only questioned John Kerry's service record last time but you made fun of it and lied about it in the Swift Boat Book.
This election cycle, the Democrats have come alive and they are not going to let hothead John McCain claim he would be a good president because he screwed up and then got shot down. This cycle, the Democrats are going to strike back. You are crying like a baby already.
If Clark really wanted to get nasty . . .He could have mentioned McCain BOMBING HIS OWN AIRCRAFT CARRIER ! ! !
He also could have mentioned what a failure McCain was as a squadron leader. When promotion time came, he was rejected, and quit the service. Then, as a reward for going quietly, they gave him 100% disability. What kind of hero takes 100% disability and then brags about a hike in the grand canyon?
We have people right here who have been seriously injured in Iraq and are having their disability applications ignored. Go get 'em General Clark!
The McCain campaign saw an attempt to score some political points in taking great offense to Clark's comments, convening a conference call unveiling its "truth squad." One of the call participants was McCain's POW cellmate Col. Bud Day, who was a member of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and appeared in negative misleading ads aimed at John Kerry in 2004. Despite McCain's condemnation of the Swift Boat attacks and professed respect for all military service, Day also compared Kerry to Benedict Arnold.
Scott Gray probably has forgotten, or probably didn't know about John McCain's support of Rep. Pete Roskam against Democrat Tammy Duckworth, a veteran of Iraq who lost both legs. They accused her of cutting and running and insinuated that her injuries were less than heroic. But, McCain held a fundraiser for him anyway. Who gives a crap about McCain's service. He is being paid $68,000 a year for life and full medical for his service. At that cost, his service deserves to be questioned.
The blog you quote is no more credible than yours.
John McCain opposed the GI Bill and he did not even cast a vote. He does not support the troops and he should not be my commander in chief.
I won't forget that next fall.
Swiftboating and lying about a Democratic candidate for president is A-OK. Besides, back in 2004 military experience was not necessary to be a good commander in chief (or decider). Now that conservatives have finally found someone with military experience they can't get enough of it. Damn you guys are hypocrits.
Why doesn't McCain answer the questions?
Did you receive favoritism in the POW Camp?
Did you lie about torture in the camp?
Did you "collaborate" with your Viet Namese captors?
How many planes did you lose due to pilot error before you got shot down?
Did you really call your wife that fowl name that starts with a 'c'?
Why would a "War Hero" seal his Military Records and not sign the Form 180 Waiver to release the complete records? Kerry signed it.
John McCain's military career is similar to G W Bush. Neither of them would have gotten a jet pilot slot if they had not had rich, powerful, military fathers. McCain crashed 4 Navy Jets due to Pilot Error. A regular pilot would have been tossed out. At least the Air Force took Bush off flying status before he ruined millions of dollars of jet planes. McCain admits as a POW he gave up military information to the ENEMY in exchange for personal health care for himself. McCain had 28 hrs of combat and got a slew of medals. Troops on the ground in Vietnam racking up 7,000+ hours did not. Enlisted POW's did not commit crimes of giving info to the enemy either. NO. John McCain is not what he seems to be.
McCain lost five U.S. Navy aircraft
1 - Student pilot McCain III lost jet number one in 1958 when he plunged into Corpus
Christi Bay while practicing landings.
2 - Pilot McCain III lost another plane two years later while he was deployed in the
Mediterranean. ”Flying too low over the Iberian Peninsula, he took out some power lines
which led to a spate of newspaper stories in which he was predictably identified as the
son of an admiral.
3 - Pilot McCain III lost number three in 1965 when he was returning from flying a Navy
trainer solo to Philadelphia for an Army-Navy football game. McCain III radioed, ”I’ve got
a flameout” and ejected at one thousand feet. The plane crashed to the ground and
McCain III floated to a deserted beach.
4 - Combat pilot McCain III lost his fourth on July 29, 1967, soon after he was assigned to
the USS Forrestal as an A-4 Skyhawk combat pilot. While waiting his turn for takeoff, an
accidently fired rocket slammed into McCain Jr’s. plane. He escaped from the burning
aircraft, but the explosions that followed killed 134 sailors, destroyed at least 20 aircraft,
and threatened to sink the ship.
5 - Combat pilot McCain III lost a fifth plane three months later (Oct. 26, 1967) during his
23rd mission over North Vietnam when he failed to avoid a surface-to-air missile. McCain
III ejected from the plane breaking both arms and a leg in the process and subsequently
parachuted into Truc Bach Lake near Hanoi. After being pulled from the lake by the North
Vietnamese, McCain III was bayoneted in his left foot and shoulder and struck by a rifle
butt. He was then transported to the Hoa Lo Prison, also known as the Hanoi Hilton.
McCain claims that he was tortured while in custody. There were no other American witnesses to this torture and some former POWs doubt that it happened at all. In fact, McCain himself admitted in a 1973 interview with the magazine US News and World Report that he volunteered to give military information in return for medical treatment, even before being subjected to any torture.
4 - Combat pilot McCain III lost his fourth on July 29, 1967, soon after he was assigned to
the USS Forrestal as an A-4 Skyhawk combat pilot. While waiting his turn for takeoff, an
accidently fired rocket slammed into McCain Jr’s. plane. He escaped from the burning
aircraft, but the explosions that followed killed 134 sailors, destroyed at least 20 aircraft,
and threatened to sink the ship.
This was NO ACCIDENTAL FIRING ! The missle discharged after McCain conducted a WET BURN of his plane's engines, whereby the pilot floods his engines with fuel, pre-ignition. It is HORESEPLAY ! The resulting fire nearly destroyed the ship, and cost 134 sailors their lives.
What a HERO !
A former Vietnamese Communist Party official is claiming Sen. John McCain was "quickly singled out for softer treatment" as a POW because "he was the son of an American admiral. Phung Van Chung, 70, who was a Communist Party official at the time McCain was captured said "top" Vietnamese leaders wanted to use McCain "for negotiations." Chung also said McCain is refusing "to acknowledge" the heroism of Mai Van On, a Vietnamese peasant who the Vietnamese say swam out during the bombing raid and rescued McCain from drowning. McCain's refusal to publicly recognize Mai Van On for saving "his life" has some in the media speculating that McCain is afraid that to do so would "fuel other, more damaging allegations that McCain exaggerated elements of his PoW ordeal in Hoa Lo prison.
It appears that Wesley Clark was right on target. I commend him for not backing down to the Republican cry babies when he was telling the truth.
P IV you really struck a sore spot with the Libs with this one. It really shows how nasty they can be. It must be tough going thru life that pent up on hatred.
Just for the record here let me point out that Clark's point was that a military man in operational combat status may not have encountered the broad strategic viewpoints of operational command status.
Clark didn't attack McCain's patriotism or his service to the country but simply pointed out that obvious fact.
OK--now I know that won't slow you clowns down so villify away.
TF writes about "slowing clowns down"
Mr Ford you should read what most of the commenters ahead of you are writing. It seems that they are almost all attacking McCain his service to the country and his patriotism. Shame on the misinformed Libs on this one.
How does McCain's Navy pilot hijinks compare to contributions made by the line dogs humping into the jungle every day for 13 months?
Some of you have selective hearing. Like accusing Gore of claiming to have "invented the internet", if the pundits lie often enough some people will believe the lies.
Clark merely pointed out that flying a jet and being a POW does not qualify you for president.
On the other hand, he could have, but didn't talk about a lot of things that should disqualify McCain from being president.
P IV sure did strike a note with the libs. After what you slimeballs did to John Kerry's military service with your swiftboarters, this little incident with McCain is nothing at all. I often wonder how you cons sleep at night.
pcs,
us neocons don't sleep at night, we stay up wondering how we will make life miserable for you.
John "I Bombed My Own Ship" McCain, and killed 137 of his own men, needs to realize his "service," er, disservice to the nation will be examined closely.
This is a man who is the grandson of an admiral, and the son of an admiral, who went to Annapolis and finished 5th from the bottom of his class. That's right, he was a lousy student at Annapolis, despite being the privileged son of a senior officer.
Those of us who have grown up around Ft. Drum, know what being a General's kid means, an Admiral's kid is just as over-privileged.
He crashed planes 4 times during his military career, once, during flight training, which would have caused anyone who wasn't an Admiral's grandson, and son, to have washed out of flight training.
He crashed again while trying to land at night after flight school.
Then, he was involved in dropping a bomb on the deck of the USS Forrestal and blew up his own ship killing 137 of his own men, and disabling one of the US Navy's best ships for quite some time, causing millions of dollars in damage.
Then he was shot down in Vietnam, where he SURRENDERED. He is a coward who gave up, rather than paying the last full measure of devotion. Would Teddy Roosevelt have surrendered? Would U.S. Grant have surrendered? Would Andrew Jackson have surrendered? Would John F. Kennedy have surrendered? Would the father of the Navy John Paul Jones have surrenderd? No, John Paul Jones with his ship burning underneath him declared during the revolution, "I have not yet begun to fight" and coined the motto of the US Navy, "Don't Give Up the Ship!" John McCain is a coward who has SURRENDERED.
Then after returning to the US, after his wife stood by his side while he was a captive of the people he SURRENDERED to, he abandoned her after she suffered a horrible car wreck causing her to be disfigured after he had an illicit affair with his current wife while still married to his first wife.
Senator McCain DOES NOT HAVE THE CHARACTER REQUIRED TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, and the people of this country will come to know these facts in the coming months.
Oh, and by the way, he IS A NATURALIZED CITIZEN BORN IN PANAMA WHO IS LITERALLY NOT QUALIFIED TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. A natural born citizen of the United States is a citizen because of the inherent nature of their birth in the UNITED STATES. John McCain is only an American citizen because the naturalization laws passed by Congress made him a citizen, and there is some question as to whether he meet all of the requirements of citizenship to attain citizenship under those laws. Did he take the required loyalty oath prior to the age required? Did he ever take such an oath?
And, who does John McCain hire to spread the truth about his military service? None other than Bud Day, the slime who did the swiftboating of John Kerry. They even ask that KERRY RETURN HIS MEDALS!
Yes, it will be different this election and remember, a Republican is a Republican and even if they are local they are not exempt from the national disgrace they have placed on us with the George Bush Administration. The locals helped spread those lies.
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