Clark: McCain A Hero, But Lacks Command Experience

WASHINGTON — Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, a former Democratic presidential candidate now supporting Barack Obama, said Sunday John McCain's military service does not automatically qualify him to be commander in chief.

Underscoring during a national television appearance a position he has been expressing for several weeks, Clark said performing heroic military service is not a substitute for gaining command experience.

"In the matters of national security policy making, it's a matter of understanding risk," he said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "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 and 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," Clark said. "That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded _ that wasn't a wartime squadron."

Moderator Bob Schieffer, who raised the issue by citing similar remarks Clark has made previously, noted that Obama hadn't had those experiences nor had he ridden in a fighter plane and been shot down. "Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president," Clark replied.

In a March conference call with reporters while he was still backing Hillary Rodham Clinton, Clark said: "Everybody admires John McCain's service as a fighter pilot, his courage as a prisoner of war. There's no issue there. He's a great man and an honorable man. But having served as a fighter pilot _ and I know my experience as a company commander in Vietnam _ that doesn't prepare you to be commander in chief in terms of dealing with the national strategic issues that are involved. It may give you a feeling for what the troops are going through in the process, but it doesn't give you the experience first hand of the national strategic issues."

He reiterated that position last week in an article on The Huffington Post Web site.

"If Barack Obama's campaign wants to question John McCain's military service, that's their right," McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said after Clark's appearance Sunday. "But let's please drop the pretense that Barack Obama stands for a new type of politics. The reality is he's proving to be a typical politician who is willing to say anything to get elected, including allowing his campaign surrogates to demean and attack John McCain's military service record."

Comments

[helonias]

Graduating in the bottom %2 orfyour class at the Naval Academy doesn't qualify you to get into flight school......

.......unless your daddy is and admiral.

Does any body have the stats for NA grads in the bottom %2 that got into flight school, I mean beside JMc.

[ricangirl1805]

Good question.

[sdskelton03]

I have no idea what the answer to your question is.

However, just being admitted to annapolis is quite an accomplishment and shouldn't be demeaned.

I went to a very good public high school, and out of 700 in my graduating class, only 1 made it into a service academy.

[helonias]

He graduated 894 out of 899 and got into flight school (which is for the best of the best). How many other NA grads in the bottom 2% got into flight school, who's father wasn't an Admiral.

Is this any clearer?

[Jacksbloodyface]

How many in your graduating class had fathers who were Admirals?

[UrsaMajority]

SDSkelton said, "However, just being admitted to annapolis is quite an accomplishment and shouldn't be demeaned."
* * * * * *
Uh, no. McCain is the son and grandson of admirals. Getting him into the Naval Academy was as easy as getting into a junior college. But, there's no question that someone in the bottom one percent of his graduating class almost never gets into flight school. And, as shown by the fact that he had four planes crash under him, there's a good reason for it.

[lordraiden]

the stats are 0% from what I understand. NO one other than John McCain has ever graduated last from the naval academy and was approved for flight school. Hadn't happened before McCain, Hasn't happened since. Also, having served in a Marine attack squadron, John McCain was apparently quite mediocre as an attack pilot. Usually, the highest ranked graduates get the fighter billets. It says something that he was the only legacy recipient to make it to flight school and then get an attack billet instead of a fighter billet, which may mean he was again a mediocre student in flight school. On top of that, McCain, once he made it to the fleet, apparently crashed four jets, three of which weren't even carrier landings. As a former marine who served in an attack squadron, I can't tell you of any pilot the 'dumped' four jets in non-combat situations. Let alone get promoted to full - bird (navy captain or marine colonel). McCain wants to be a hero? He should release his full military SRB (service record book). Just like Kerry did in 04. Let's take a close look at that heroic service OUTSIDE of the Hanoi Hilton

[Tropiholic]

who cares? he went to school in 1872, completely out of touch!

[akaJohnQ]

McCain would not have admitted to the US Naval Academy if not for his father. He did not have the academic qualifications to attend the USNA. He was allowed to take the seat of someone else who was qualified, but had no connections.

[Zhonni]

No kidding! I tell you what, if I studied 30mins before every exam and did my homework, I would not be caught dead being anything less than15th in a class of 30.

Needless to say 5th from bottom in a class of 900.

[lordraiden]

the stats are 0% from what I understand. NO one other than John McCain has ever graduated last from the naval academy and was approved for flight school. Hadn't happened before McCain, Hasn't happened since. Also, having served in a Marine attack squadron, John McCain was apparently quite mediocre as an attack pilot. Usually, the highest ranked graduates get the fighter billets. It says something that he was the only legacy recipient to make it to flight school and then get an attack billet instead of a fighter billet, which may mean he was again a mediocre student in flight school. On top of that, McCain, once he made it to the fleet, apparently crashed four jets, three of which weren't even carrier landings. As a former marine who served in an attack squadron, I can't tell you of any pilot the 'dumped' four jets in non-combat situations. Let alone get promoted to full - bird (navy captain or marine colonel). McCain wants to be a hero? He should release his full military SRB (service record book). Just like Kerry did in 04. Let's take a close look at that heroic service OUTSIDE of the Hanoi Hilton

[helonias]

Many many thanks for your answer and your service.

[obamajusrocks]

Hahaha...ouch !

My thoughts exactly. The guy got shot down and that qaulifies him for President?

[robXdion]

And he's right. It's not a qualification. But to a nation of chickenhawks that generally avoid service, McCain can pass a stud. Clark doesn't want VP. But he knows the smell of caca when he whiffs it.

[Andman0121]

THANK YOU! However you should have went one step further there Wes: McCain is absolutely NOT a hero. He was a bad pilot who got tortured. Simple as that.

[kissmygrits]

Did he say something inaccurate? I don't think so. Seems like a fairly well-founded opinion related to the platform McSame seems to be running on. Relevant and true.

[KaraMiaa]

I'm with you. I think its high time we let people say exactly whats on their mind. This is a General who has done everything that McCain never did as a soldier. The last time I checked we're still a free country and anyone can say what they want to, especially if you got the "cojones" that Clark has. I think he would be a great VP. This country needs men like him. And McCaine has been running his platform as a war hero, how many heroes do we have now in the country? Why does he think he's the only one? Look at all the heroes who are disabled and sick, many living on the streets? Who applauds them?