Clark downplays McCain’s heroism

A prominent Democratic general sharply attacked Sen. John McCain on Sunday, saying the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is not qualified to be president and downplayed his Vietnam War heroism.

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who sought the 2004 presidential nomination as a Democrat, said the Arizona senator is “untested and untried” and has no executive experience.

“He hasn’t been there and ordered the bombs to fall,” said Gen. Clark, while appearing on CBS’s “Face the Nation” as a surrogate for presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama.

“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,” Gen. Clark said, going on to make light of Mr. McCain’s Vietnam War responsibilities while serving as a Navy pilot.

“That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded - that wasn’t a wartime squadron,” said the general, who once was the senior commander for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

When moderator Bob Schieffer noted that Mr. Obama hadn’t had those experiences nor had he ridden in a fighter plane and been shot down, Mr. Clark replied: “Well, I don’t think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.

The McCain campaign quickly denounced the criticisms as demeaning and proof that Mr. Obama is a typical politician, rather than the transcendent agent of hope as he and his allies portray him.

“If Barack Obama’s campaign wants to question John McCain’s military service, that’s their right. 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,” said McCain spokesman Brian Rogers, before going on to take a jab at Mr. Obama’s record on Iraq.

“John McCain is proud of his record of always putting the country first - from his time in the Navy, in Vietnam and through to today. And on the biggest question we’ve faced in recent years, the war in Iraq, the facts on the ground show that John McCain was right, as Barack Obama is about to find out after failing to visit there in over 900 days.”

Mr. McCain has suggested that the two candidates visit Iraq together, but Mr. Obama has declined, calling it a “political stunt.” Mr. Obama’s campaign Saturday announced a foreign-trip itinerary for this summer, but gave no dates, citing security concerns.