If you have any friends who are Republicans and who may be crying because General Clark said that getting shot down in a jet does not qualify John McCain to be the next President, then please go to the store and buy them a big box of Kleenex tissue.
This shouldn't even be a story on any so-called news show and it wouldn't be if a Republican had said anything similar. General Clark did not insult McCain or his years in service to this country, he just made a very valid point and now the GOP feels insulted!
It seems that the General himself sees no reason to apologize for his comments and that is a good thing. The Republicans, and " the maverick " just can't stand any form of anti-McCain comments, even if true.
Retired Gen. Wesley Clark rejected suggestions he apologize Tuesday for saying John McCain's medal-winning military service does not qualify him for the White House. Elaborating, Clark said a president must have judgment, not merely courage and character.
Despite criticism from Republicans, Clark declined to back down in an interview Tuesday morning with ABC. "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 ... life or death decisions about national, strategic issues," he said.
Asked whether he felt he owed McCain an apology, Clark responded, "I'm very sorry that this has distracted from the message of patriotism that Sen. Obama wants to put out."
One of my favorite lines from this article:
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., rebutted Clark's claim by arguing that McCain's years as a prisoner of war and the mistreatment he endured made him uniquely qualified to lead the campaign in the Senate to ban the use of torture in the interrogation of detainees in the war on terror.
Did I miss something there? If memory serves me right, McCain did vote to let torture continue. He sided with the Bush Crime Syndicate on that one.
I believe that McCain did once have somewhat strong courage and character, but I think that he lost them both a few elections back.
Obama had something to say about this also:
"The question is why, given all the vast numbers of things that we've got to work on, that would be a top priority of mine," he said. "The fact that somebody on a cable show or on a news show, like Gen. Clark, said something that was inartful about John McCain, I don't think is what is keeping Ohioans up at night," he said.