Gen. Clark's Comments on McCain -- Did He Really Say Anything Wrong?

Bob Schieffer: General-could I just interrupt you-I have to say, Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences either nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down.

General Wesley Clark: I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president...

-- Face the Nation (CBS), 6/29/08

After a careful reading of Article II of the U.S. Constitution, it appears General Wesley Clark is correct. "Riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down" is neither a qualification nor a requirement nor a recommended prerequisite to being president.

Sen. John McCain's service is, deservedly, heralded as heroic by many, including Gen. Clark. "I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war," Clark also said on Face the Nation. "He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and millions of others in the armed forces, as a prisoner of war."

No one associated with the Obama campaign is challenging Sen. McCain's status as a war hero, as supporters of President Bush most certainly did to Sen. John Kerry in 2004. However, it is important that McCain's war hero status doesn't exempt him from being challenged on his foreign policy experience or understanding.

Since Gen. Clark's appearance on Face the Nation, cable news networks have used convenient lead-ins to the effect of "How did McCain respond to Gen. Wesley Clark's attack on his service?" No doubt this take on Clark's comments led Senator Obama to include in his speech about patriotism in Independence, Missouri Monday:

"Beyond a loyalty to America's ideals, beyond a willingness to dissent on behalf of those ideals, I also believe that patriotism must, if it is to mean anything, involve the willingness to sacrifice [...] for those like John McCain who have endured physical torment in service to our country -- no further proof of such sacrifice is necessary. 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 of both sides. We must always profess our profound gratitude for the service of our men and women in uniform, period."

Sen. Obama's comments, which also included a promise that he would never question the patriotism of anyone during his campaign, are admirable. But where do they conflict with what Gen. Clark said? He was not asking for further proof of McCain's willingness to sacrifice for his country or questioning his patriotism; he was merely pointing out that his military service and work in the Senate may not actually equate to the level of foreign policy experience his campaign portrays he has.

On Face the Nation, when Bob Schieffer pointed out that Sen. Obama did not have the experience that Gen. Clark asserted Sen. McCain did not have either, Gen. Clark agreed and said:

"But Barack is not running on the fact that he has made these national security pronouncements. He's running on his other strengths. He's running on his strengths of character, on the strengths of his communication skills, on the strengths of his judgment and those are qualities we seek in our national leadership."

In responding to a question about Gen. Clark's comments at a campaign event in Pennsylvania, Sen. McCain said: "I think that kind of thing is unnecessary. I'm proud of my record of service, and I have plenty of friends and leaders who will attest to that."

Again, nothing Gen. Clark said indicated he thought Sen. McCain was not or should not be proud of his record of service. McCain could have taken an opportunity to explain here why Clark was wrong and how, in fact, his military service would be an asset in the presidency. Instead he responded to something Clark never said and quickly turned the discussion away from foreign policy at all.

Obviously Sen. McCain's military service demonstrates certain leadership qualities and he is wise to use it as part of his campaign. But because he uses that experience as a reason he is equipped to be president, it is something open to analysis. The Republican response and media characterization of Gen. Clark's remarks took a respectfully critical argument and portrayed it as an attack that has since incurred further attacks. That's exactly what is wrong with campaigns today. As Sen. Obama said in the same speech:

"Abraham Lincoln did not simply win a war or hold the Union together. In his unwillingness to demonize those against whom he fought; in his refusal to succumb to either the hatred or self-righteousness that war can unleash; in his ultimate insistence that in the aftermath of war the nation would no longer remain half slave and half free; and his trust in the better angels of our nature - he displayed the wisdom and courage that sets a standard for patriotism."

Here's to hoping we see some of those better angels on both sides of the aisle on the road to November 4.

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