Clark Apologizes To Obama, But He Won't Back Down
Back when Wesley Clark was running for President, it wasn't often that the press was found hanging on his every word. But say one cutting (and true!) remark about their good buddy, Straight Talky McGee, and suddenly you're booked everywhere to explain yourself at length, and re-clarify that no, suggesting that John McCain might not have the best foreign policy plan does not mean that he was a terrible, traitorous human being.
Clark found himself on Good Morning America facing the same questions, and while the pressure may be weighing on Clark - he did briefly mistake Robin Roberts for Diane Sawyer - he did not back away from criticizing McCain's judgment or lauding his "courage and character." There was one added twist: a ramped-up effort to disassociate Senator Barack Obama from this fooferaw. "I want to say first that Senator Obama had nothing to do with this," Clark stated, later adding, "I'm very sorry that this is distracted from the message of patriotism that Senator Obama wants to put out."
[WATCH.]
CLARK: Thanks, Diane, for giving me a chance to make sure Americans understand that as a retired serviceman, someone who came home from Vietnam on a stretcher, someone who spent 38 years in uniform, someone who's worked his way up through the ranks of the United States Armed Forces, I would never discredit anyone who chose to wear the uniform. I fully respect John McCain and his service and I said so repeatedly. My point is that there's a difference in preparing yourself for the highest office in the land depending upon which levels you've served at in the Armed Forces. John McCain as a young officer demonstrated courage and character. But the service as President is about judgment and the experience that he had as a fighter pilot isn't the same as having been at the highest levels of the military and having to make -- work with the President and other heads of state and make those kinds of life or death decisions about national, strategic issues.
ROBERTS: Well, we'll go on with that. First of all you're talking to Robin. Diane and I look and sound very much alike but --CLARK: Oh, I'm so sorry!
ROBERTS: We're separated at birth. Just wanted to make sure...it's minor, minor. Understand what you're saying, General, but someone who's had the experience that Senator McCain has had, if you're Commander-in-Chief and you're sending soldiers into war, having that kind of experience, isn't it better than having no experience at all in the military?
CLARK: I think it depends on how you use that experience and what your judgment is. And so what I've seen is that -- and I'm supporting Barack Obama, as I've said, because I think he's shown superior judgment. And I don't want to get into a critique here on John McCain's judgment, but what I do want to say is I think it's a matter of judgment. If you've learned from the experience and your judgment is proved out, then that's well and good. But if you've had the experience and your judgment still doesn't give you the best decisions for national security, and so my point is, I hope the American people will discriminate between someone's early experiences and the kind of judgment they've taken away from those experiences.
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advertisementROBERTS: Want to play for you, as you can imagine, Senator McCain was quick to respond and this is what he said yesterday.
McCAIN: If that's the kind of campaign that Senator Obama and his surrogates and his supporters want to wage, I understand that, but it doesn't reduce the price of a gallon of gas by one penny.
ROBERTS: General Clark, do you feel like you owe Senator McCain an apology?
CLARK: Well, Robin, I want to say first that Senator Obama had nothing to do with this. These are comments that I was asked about several months ago in terms of me as a retired military officer assessing John McCain's qualifications. And so I was on the Sunday interview show, the interviewer brought them up. He actually asked me the question. He's the one who stated it, climbed into an airplane and got shot down. All I did was directly respond to the question. So I'm very sorry that this is distracted from the message of patriotism that Senator Obama wants to put out. But I want to make very clear that as a Democrat and as a former Army officer, I fully respect Senator McCain and all others who have served and especially now on this Fourth of July. I think our country has achieved its independence because men and women were willing to sacrifice for it and I honor every one of our veterans and those in service today.
ROBERTS: General, you have been thought to be on the short list to be Senator Obama's running mate. Do you feel that you deserve to still be on that list?
CLARK: I don't know anything -- look, I don't know anything about it. All I know is that I served 38 years in uniform. I'm proud of my service and I was asked to give my opinion about professional qualifications based on my experience. And I've served at both levels. I was a junior officer. I did come back from Vietnam on a stretcher and I served as a commander at the highest levels. I worked with heads of state, heads of government and with heads of armed forces in the Balkans and in the Kosovo campaign, so I have some appreciation for both levels of command and the qualities it takes at the top and I simply say it's a matter of judgment, experience, yes, it's important, it shows character and courage but on the other hand there are others way to show character and courage than having been in the Armed Forces so I think what the American people want in a President is a man with good judgment. Or a woman with good judgment.
ROBERTS: General Wesley Clark, thank you very much for your time this morning.
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First Posted: 07- 1-08 11:10 AM | Updated: 07- 9-08 05:12 AM