Following Clark Comments, McCain Camp Launches "Truth Squad"
Yesterday on "Face The Nation," retired Gen. Wesley Clark, an advocate for Barack Obama, said, "I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president."
He was taking about presumptive GOP nominee John McCain, whom he had earlier complimented as "a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands of millions of others in the armed forces as a prisoner of war." Despite that service, Clark said, McCain "hasn't held executive responsibility."
"That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded wasn't a wartime squadron," Clark said. "[McCain] hasn't been there and ordered the bombs to fall." In another interview, Clark called McCain "untested and untried."
This morning, the McCain campaign held a conference call to respond to Clark's comments. The campaign said the purpose of the call was to launch the "McCain Truth Squad" – "a new group aimed at countering the recent attacks on John McCain’s military record."
Sen. John Warner, POWs Col. Bud Day and Lt.Col. Orson Swindle, McCain foreign policy advisor Bud McFarland, and Carl Smith, a retired Navy pilot who served with McCain, participated in the call.
McCain spokesman Brian Rogers stopped short of calling on Obama to condemn Clark's remarks, though he said "it would be great" if Obama did. (Warner suggested that Obama apologize to McCain for Clark's comments.)
The participants in the call suggested that the Obama campaign was orchestrating comments of this type concerning McCain's record.
"If the opposing candidate doesn't really have experience or knowledge of depth in international affairs, then one approach can be, I suppose, to deny that Sen. McCain does," said McFarland.
"The Obama campaign seemed to be soliciting these kinds of attacks from surrogates," said Swindle.
"It's clear there's a pattern here," added Rogers. "It's not an isolated incident."
Invoked on the call were comments by senior Obama advisor Gen. Merrill A. McPeak, who said that McCain was a "skinny kid" after being released from a POW camp but has "done very well at the dinner table in Washington."
Day, who was a member of the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, said that he is "well aware of what the commencement of these kind of personal attacks can lead to."
"John was slandered and reviled in the 2000 campaign in a way that denigrated his service enormously, and in my view was probably one of the reasons why he was not the President of the United States in 2000," he said.
Swindle suggested that comments about McCain's record were designed to confuse "those who do not know better" – among them the young voters who support Obama.
UPDATE: Obama just said this during a speech on patriotism in Independence, Missouri:
"For those who have fought under the flag of this nation – for the young veterans I meet when I visit Walter Reed; for those like John McCain who have endured physical torment in service to our country – no further proof of such sacrifice is necessary. And let me also add that no one should ever devalue that service, especially for the sake of a political campaign, and that goes for supporters on both sides. We must always express our profound gratitude for the service of our men and women in uniform. Period. Full stop."
And his campaign released this statement from spokesman Bill Burton:
"As he's said many times before, Senator Obama honors and respects Senator McCain's service, and of course he rejects yesterday's statement by General Clark."
He was taking about presumptive GOP nominee John McCain, whom he had earlier complimented as "a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands of millions of others in the armed forces as a prisoner of war." Despite that service, Clark said, McCain "hasn't held executive responsibility."
"That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded wasn't a wartime squadron," Clark said. "[McCain] hasn't been there and ordered the bombs to fall." In another interview, Clark called McCain "untested and untried."
This morning, the McCain campaign held a conference call to respond to Clark's comments. The campaign said the purpose of the call was to launch the "McCain Truth Squad" – "a new group aimed at countering the recent attacks on John McCain’s military record."
Sen. John Warner, POWs Col. Bud Day and Lt.Col. Orson Swindle, McCain foreign policy advisor Bud McFarland, and Carl Smith, a retired Navy pilot who served with McCain, participated in the call.
McCain spokesman Brian Rogers stopped short of calling on Obama to condemn Clark's remarks, though he said "it would be great" if Obama did. (Warner suggested that Obama apologize to McCain for Clark's comments.)
The participants in the call suggested that the Obama campaign was orchestrating comments of this type concerning McCain's record.
"If the opposing candidate doesn't really have experience or knowledge of depth in international affairs, then one approach can be, I suppose, to deny that Sen. McCain does," said McFarland.
"The Obama campaign seemed to be soliciting these kinds of attacks from surrogates," said Swindle.
"It's clear there's a pattern here," added Rogers. "It's not an isolated incident."
Invoked on the call were comments by senior Obama advisor Gen. Merrill A. McPeak, who said that McCain was a "skinny kid" after being released from a POW camp but has "done very well at the dinner table in Washington."
Day, who was a member of the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, said that he is "well aware of what the commencement of these kind of personal attacks can lead to."
"John was slandered and reviled in the 2000 campaign in a way that denigrated his service enormously, and in my view was probably one of the reasons why he was not the President of the United States in 2000," he said.
Swindle suggested that comments about McCain's record were designed to confuse "those who do not know better" – among them the young voters who support Obama.
UPDATE: Obama just said this during a speech on patriotism in Independence, Missouri:
"For those who have fought under the flag of this nation – for the young veterans I meet when I visit Walter Reed; for those like John McCain who have endured physical torment in service to our country – no further proof of such sacrifice is necessary. And let me also add that no one should ever devalue that service, especially for the sake of a political campaign, and that goes for supporters on both sides. We must always express our profound gratitude for the service of our men and women in uniform. Period. Full stop."
And his campaign released this statement from spokesman Bill Burton:
"As he's said many times before, Senator Obama honors and respects Senator McCain's service, and of course he rejects yesterday's statement by General Clark."
The truth is, no soldier is automatically qualified to be CIC. There is nothing in the military enlisted or CO that would ensure that they could see, understand, strategize or negotiate the bigger picture of either our military or domestic issues.
Americans need to move beyond the supposition that being in something means a person is an expert at implementing something. That is like thinking because an actor is IN a movie--they can also direct and produce it. Some can, others cannot. Most cannot.
McCain was a CO that was also a prisoner of war--his war experience therefore prepares him for understanding some elements of war and how to take charge of a unit and how to survive captivity--nothing more--nothing less. He no doubt learned more about the military in Congress from a overall planning standpoint than he did as a soldier. Or at least he learned about their budgets--but that is a long way from being in charge of our country.
McCain, on the other hand, was loyal to the Code of Conduct in his imprisonment.
Kerry''s military service honors were unquestioned for over 30 years including during his runs for senate! Then he runs for president so Bud Day and his Bush-loving friends make up lies to try to smear him.
Now McCain names him to a "truth" squad? The only truth here is that Bud Day has proven he will say anything including lies to get his friends elected.
Kerry''s military service honors were unquestioned for over 30 years including during his runs for senate! Then he runs for president so Bud Day and his Bush-loving friends make up lies to try to smear him.
Now McCain names him to a "truth" squad? The only truth here is that Bud Day has proven he will say anything including lies to get his friends elected.
Kerry''s military service honors were unquestioned for over 30 years including during his runs for senate! Then he runs for president so Bud Day and his Bush-loving friends make up lies to try to smear him.
Now McCain names him to a "truth" squad? The only truth here is that Bud Day has proven he will say anything including lies to get his friends elected.
Kerry''s military service honors were unquestioned for over 30 years including during his runs for senate! Then he runs for president so Bud Day and his Bush-loving friends make up lies to try to smear him.
Now McCain names him to a "truth" squad? The only truth here is that Bud Day has proven he will say anything including lies to get his friends elected.
Kerry''s military service honors were unquestioned for over 30 years including during his runs for senate! Then he runs for president so Bud Day and his Bush-loving friends make up lies to try to smear him.
Now McCain names him to a "truth" squad? The only truth here is that Bud Day has proven he will say anything including lies to get his friends elected.
what a ******..
this _ss kissing, armchair dillitante general Clark and the pansy McPeak arn''t worthy of washing McCain''s underwear much less comment on his credentials as a leader.
They are both nothing but patsy wimps too concerned w/ sucking up to the liberal factions that will put them in power if hussein gets elected.
what an absolutely uninspiring lot Obama is surrounding himself with..
ow well.. as they say.. you are judged by the company you keep.
what a ******..
this _ss kissing, armchair dillitante general Clark and the pansy McPeak arn''t worthy of washing McCain''s underwear much less comment on his credentials as a leader.
They are both nothing but patsy wimps too concerned w/ sucking up to the liberal factions that will put them in power if hussein gets elected.
what an absolutely uninspiring lot Obama is surrounding himself with..
ow well.. as they say.. you are judged by the company you keep.
But when John McCain says that he sees victory in Iraq in 5 years if he is President by continuing the Bush/Cheney policy on Iraq that is anther story. We already have over 29,978 US wounded, anther over 2000 UK wounded. Over 4178 US Military deaths, over 176 UK. You never see it in the media but their is anther 40,000 of our veterans and troops with Post Traumatic Stress.
Now McCain says its all about the US causalities. Because of modern medical advancements more of our troops are surviving and returning home wounded.
Obama will work with our allies and listen to the people that count so this mess is cleaned up and our troops can come home safely and a war like this can''t happen again in our lifetime perhaps our grand kids lifetime.
This is going to be anther very close election. We all have hopes for Obama in Nov. But hes going to need all the help he can get. That Republican attack machine is getting really nasty.
Come Nov We can wake up to a beautiful morning with Barack Obama in the White House and the McCain/Bush/Cheney nightmare over. America deserves this.
The McCain camp, sensing an opportunity, complained that Clark had %u201Cattacked John McCain%u2019s military service record.%u201D Of course, Clark had done nothing of the kind. He had questioned the relevance of McCain%u2019s combat experience as a qualification to be president of the United States. This is a distinction that you%u2019d expect any reasonably intelligent nine-year old to be able to grasp.
But many in the press have been unable to....
It%u2019s crucially important that we have a political debate in this country that%u2019s at least sophisticated enough to be able to handle the following rather basic idea: Arguing that a person%u2019s record of military service is not a qualification for the presidency does not constitute %u201Cattacking%u201D their military credentials; nor can it be described as invoking their military service against them, or as denying their record of war heroism.
That%u2019s not a very high bar for sophistication. But right now it%u2019s one the press isn%u2019t capable of clearing.
smear McCain, then Obama gets to come out and reject their statements and play himself off as this healer and unifier.
In a year from now if Obama is president, we will see Wesley Clark as Secretary of Defense or some high level cabinet postion. So Transparent.
Who would%u2019ve thought?
smear McCain, then Obama gets to come out and reject their statements and play himself off as this healer and unifier.
In a year from now if Obama is president, we will see Wesley Clark as Secretary of Defense or some high level cabinet postion. So Transparent.
Posted by ray4971 at 09:31 PM : Jun 30, 2008
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maybe he learned it from the Republicons, they have been doing it pretty successfully for years.
Did you forget one of your ''talking points'', you said he is transparant, and yet the other posters who get their info from multi millionaire talk show heads and saying he isn''t transparant enough.
Posted by one-eyeninja at 04:05 PM : Jun 30, 2008
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That is right, you can and I guess that is why McCain is accepting huge donations from the Swift Boat liars and why he hired them for his nazi styled ''truth squad''. He doesn''t have to doubt that they are willing to lie through their teeth, it has been well documented.
And people are trying to make a connection between "Swift Boat" Kerry to a man who was tortured for 5 years? If McCain can''t be President since he has no executive experience, then Obama has no claim whatever. But at least he has enough sense to distance himself from Clark.
The man has no tact, no truth, and no common sense. If he was ever under consideration for VP, he just blew it. For what? Did he gain something? He just made a complete "donkey" of himself.
If Obama wants him, he can have him. Best thing Clark can do is pack up and leave MY state to go to New York like that other piece of white trash from MY state, Bill "I never had *** with that woman" Clinton. Voted for him once, but not the second time, favorite son or not.
If people ask me, I tell them I''m from Tennesse.
Posted by patriot12436
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Tell me, Mr Patriot, which part of "his service" would you have us "honor" and "trust"? Would it be graduating 496 out of 500 from the Naval Academy? ... or maybe it was totaling out the 5 jet aircaraft we assigned to his to practice his "Top Gun" hot dogging tricks? ... or maybe it was the "wet start" of his A-4 on the flight deck of the U.S.S. Forrestall on July 29, 1967 that killed 132 sailors, blew up 13 jet aircraft, caused the ship to spend 14 months in dry dock to repair the 25 million dollars in damage? ... Or maybe your referring to allowing himself to be taken prisoner, behind enemy lines, after getting shot down on his very first mission following his phuckup on the Forrestall? ... or was it the 82 video taped "confessions" he made for his "North Vietnamese Captors" after they learned he was the "Admiral''s Baby Boy"? Tell us which of these do you think we owe him our trust for!
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by caliguy55
July 2, 2008 2:30 PM PDT
- These are John McCain''s own words spoken on msnbc.com:
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Reply to this comment
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See all 25 Comments%u201CI didn%u2019t really love America until I was deprived of her company.%u201D
See the video for yourself at:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/06/22/mccains-unpatriotic-words-caught-on-tape/
Now, we see that Michelle Obama is just as patriotic as John McCain. Anyone who denies this after seeing it with their own eyes is denying reality.