Webb: McCain Should "Calm Down" on Military Service

On MSNBC's "Countdown" to talk about his G.I. Bill, Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) got into the debate over Wesley Clark's comment on John McCain's military service:

I think what we really need to work on over the next four, five months, and it goes back to the speech that Sen. Obama gave [Tuesday] and this little fight that I've been watching and that is, we need to make sure that we take politics out of service. People don't serve their country for political issues.

And John McCain's my long-time friend, if that is one area that I would ask him to calm down on, it`s that, don't be standing up and uttering your political views and implying that all the people in the military support them because they don't, any more than when the Democrats have political issues during the Vietnam War. Let's get the politics out of the military, take care of our military people, or have our political arguments in other areas.

WATCH:

Read more about the controversy over Clark's remark here.

Comments

[speakingtruth2power]

If Thomas Eagleton wasn't qualified to be a VP over his past "mental problems",

how is it that McClone's mental history and instability don't matter at all for Pres?

I guess that GOP hypocrisy applies to everything they do, say or think these days.

[KBAR]

What 'mental problems'? One reference to ANY Dr. that has examined him and said he was crazy.

[qdog112]

Five years in a cell - no he ain't nuts.

[kellygrrrl]

why doesn't he just give full access to review of his records then?

Kerry did

[kellygrrrl]

and the MSM whitewash is alive and well

[kellygrrrl]

I think I'm starting to warm up to Webby

[tinarm]

Webb could whip McSame with one hand behind his back. Oh, please can the MCLame's every stop whining? What a bunch of wimpy weasels. Webb should confront McCain in person on his camps lame charges in front of cameras, I'd pay to see that.

[Canaris]

Well, John McCain is a Vietnamese ace, after all.

[SouthFloridaDem]

Well, yes, except that McCain is using his military service in this campaign, citing it as a reason why he should be president. Therefore, it's fair game.

[brotayo]

I, for the life of me, cannot understand why everyone is in at tizzy about what Gen. Clark said. The MSM has not fully reported that he was responded to a statement made to him involving Barack Obama never being shot down or a P.O.W. The first statement should never have been made if a response was not warranted. One other thing why is it that it seems that McCain and his surrogates can attack Obama, but when the roles are reversed Obama has to denounce what anyone says. Someone please explain.

[Bettysdad]

McCain can't "calm down" on the military, because it's all they've got.

[optomdoc]

McCain has put his military service at issue, by arguing that it has made him better prepared to make national security judgments.

However, he has never released his entire military record. He was shot down once and was a POW--but he also crashed or damaged planes four other times. One incident he was involved in was part of the USS Forestal fire that killed 132 crewmen. Having put his military record at issue, he should authorize its full release so that any doubts that he might be a "loose cannon" rather than a '"maverick" insofar as his military service goes can be put to rest in the public's mind.

[balthus]

What does it matter what McSame's military experience was? The great challenges facing our country - and the world - including global warming, population growth, global hunger, the growing power of China, our faltering economy - none require a militaristic solution. Even terrorism will only find a long term resolution when we address the underlying causes of terrorist anger, not by pursuing the type of militarism that has led us into a 450 billion dollar, 4000 body bag quagmire.

In fact, McSame's military experience is only truly relevant in that it makes him far less appealing as a candidate and potential POTUS. His lack of judgement concerning Iraq - by which I mean acting as one of the cheerleaders when Bush lied about the threat of WMDs and pretended Saddam had something to do with 9/11 - and his continued support for an oil war that leaves the actual 9/11 terrorists free - is an indication that he is very much the wrong guy to put in charge of important foreign policy decisions.

Add to his poor judgement the fact that McSame is a hot head, graduated near the bottom of his class, flip-flops on issues as important as the use of torture (he was for it before he was against it) and wants to continue the failed and discredited domestic policies of his predecessor, and this Bob Dole wannabe deserves nothing more than to be led out to pasture.

[Yola]

I know which of the two I would prefer to have defend me in any fight - WEBB!

[bookon]

Obama / Webb 08'

Webb '16


Let's get the ball rolling...

[dadw5boys]

MC CRAZY'S PTSD RECORDS WE NEED TO SEE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MEDICAL RECORDS ARE MEDICAL RECORDS!!!!!!!!!!

SORRY NOT ELECTING THE MENTALLY ILL THIS YEAR!!!!!!!!

[KBAR]

.NY Times | LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN

In 1999, during Mr. McCain's first race for president, he gave the public an extraordinary look at his medical history -- 1,500 pages of medical and psychiatric records that were amassed as part of a United States Navy project to gauge the health of former prisoners of war. This reporter, who is a physician, interviewed the senator's doctors in 1999 with his permission.

[KBAR]

www.johnmccain.com/mccainrecords/

[kellygrrrl]

Diagnosis: NUTZ!

[KBAR]

http://bluestarchronicles.com/2008/05/09/john-mccain-military-records-released/

[takeamericanback08]

McCain flew over the cuckoo's nest one too many times.

[kellygrrrl]

agree

[Flagal]

I would really like to see Webb on the ticket.

[Mike4Obama]

I really like this guy. He's got natural leadership skills.

I'd love for Obama to pick him up as V.P. but I wonder what kind of backlash he'd get from his statements in the 80's and turn off some female voters. His positives far outweigh his negatives in my opinion though.

He's got quite a political capital since this bill just got passed. He could use it in his run for the V.P. slot. Depending on how successful the Obama/Webb presidency went, Webb could possibly be in a good position to run as President 8 years down the road which I'm sure is something Webb would be quite interested in.

Or, he could stay put and keep the (D) slot in VA. M. Warner (D) is about to pick up the slot after J. Warner (R), ends his political career. I don't see how Warner can loose VA in the next vote. Talk about a well liked guy in this state.

Anyhoot, its a tough call on if he should be on the ticket or not. It's got both its pros and cons that is for sure.

[rabprevent]

THE ONLY THING THIS IMBECILE AND HIS OFFICE HAS DONE HAS BEEN TO RAPE THIS COUNTRY FORWARD AND BACKWARDS.

FOR THE STRAIGHT JACKET EXPRESS TO NOT DENOUNCE CREDIT FOR THE GI BILL IS SIMPLY INCREDIBLE, THSI MAN OPPOSE THE GI BILL AND DID NOT SHOW UP TO VOTE FOR IT AND YET HIS CRONIE GW IS GIVING HIM CREDIT.

THE REPUBS HAS THE AUDACITY OF HOPELESSNESS