CNN to Clark: How come Kerry's “physical courage” qualified him but McCain's doesn’t?

Hot Air ^ | 2:53 pm on July 2, 2008 | Allahpundit

[rocksblues]

One of the dumbest things about the Clark kerfuffle is that because there are so many elements of military service that people respect, the narrow critique he’s offering against McCain seems almost beside the point. I see service mainly as a testament to character and fortitude; others see it as evidence of good judgment, and others as an important lesson for a C-in-C to have (i.e. “experience”) before committing other men to war. So far as I know, McCain has never staked his own wartime ordeal to any one of these, preferring to let voters draw whatever they find most virtuous from his story. Clark, however, is acting like he has basically staked it to one — namely, “executive experience,” as though McCain’s claiming his beatings from the Vietcong somehow turned him into a strategic genius or, at a minimum, a Romneyesque managerial prodigy.

[rocksblues]

Stupid is as Stupid does! Must view video.

[Domandred]

It’s pretty obvious to me, it takes more courage to shoot ones self to get out with a purple heart then it does to fly an airplane over enemy territory. (/sarcasm of course).

[PhillyRepublican]

Physical courage? Must be thinking of Sen. “BOB” Kerry, not “I was in Cambodia (but not really)” John Kerry.
As for the Junior Senator from Massachusets’ courage, they should refer to the Swiftboat veterans’ accounts.

[Jeff Head]

Wesley Clark is a paid political hack and lackey who is so crosswise with his own pronouncements that he cannot untabngle himself from them.

He uses his own military career for purely political brown nosing purposes and has clerly staged this "attack" on McCain with the Obamanation to give Obama a chance to tout "patriotism" and take the high road while his surrogate trashes a man that neither one of them are worthy to so much as tie the bootlaces of when it comes to service to country and sacrifice for country.

Obama haas shown by his willful associations of long standing that he is a militant anti-American and abject Marxist. His is unworthy of the name patriot, and I will not soil it and disrespect and shame the reputation and honor of true patriots, who served and sacrificed greatly for this country out of their love for it, to call a charlatan like Obama patriot or patriotic.

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA WILL CHANGE THE WORLD

THE AUDACITY OF TRUTH ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA

[Bobarian]

For that matter, why did losing his boat make JFK a hero? Wouldn’t most naval officers get keel hauled for that?

[driftdiver]

i dunno, that rice in the behind can be pretty darn painful.

[2ndDivisionVet]

General Clark on the video: "...he (McCain) doesn't understand the culture there.." (in Iraq). So he is admitting that Senator Barack Obama, coming from a Muslim background, would "understand the culture there" better than Senator McCain, since he was a Muslim in his formative years, had a Muslim father and stepfather and went to a Muslim Madrassa? Hmmm...I see, good point, General. Yes, I see your where you're going now, it's not so much about "executive experience" so much as it is about cultural affiliation, empathy, sympathy and leanings. Keep talking, keep talking...

[PhillyRepublican]

Read somewhere that Admiral Ernest King (chief of Naval Ops during WWII) considered courtmartialling JFK but back off because of Joe Kennedy’s political clout.

[driftdiver]

Cause he was a kennedy.

[tet68]

They needed LIVE heros in those days, they already had too many dead ones.

[2ndDivisionVet]

For dating a German spy or losing his PT boat?

[jimfree]

I retired as a very junior and undistinguished naval officer but I will openly call Wesley Clark a moron and one who dishonors the green uniform he once wore.

Jim Wass
LT, USN (Retired)
Failed selection to higher grade

[LukeL]

Also McCain has no “expierence” as he was a POW, unlike Kerry who fought bravely in many battles. (Not to mention nearly being killed by deadly dry rice shrapnel)

[Polybius]

For that matter, why did losing his boat make JFK a hero?

It didn't.

PT 109 got rammed by surprise while idling on one engine.

If PT 109 had been sunk while pressing home an attack against a heavily defended target, as was the case with McCain, then JFK would heve been a hero in that action in spite of the loss of his PT boat.

[Locomotive Breath]

He never should have been in command of PT-109 in the first place. He’d already damaged an earlier boat by hot-dogging and ramming the pier which, under normal circumstances, gets you sent to the bilges.

[2ndDivisionVet]

"Also McCain has no “expierence” as he was a POW, unlike Kerry who fought bravely in many battles. (Not to mention nearly being killed by deadly dry rice shrapnel)"

Was he attacked by Uncle Ho or Uncle Ben?

[Locomotive Breath]

Maybe I’m not understanding your post, but someone thought Kennedy was a hero ‘cause they gave him a MOH for losing his boat. Kinda’ like they gave one to McArthur for getting his butt kicked in the Philippines even WITH advance warning the Japanese were going to attack.

[rabidralph]

Our Navy’s loss, Shipmate!

[Squantos]

General Weasel Clark.........Slobodan Milosevic’s handler !

[bray]

Kerry begged McCain for weeks to be his VP simply because he had the real heroics that Kerry manufactured. It is so transparently phony.

Pray for W and Our Troops

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

I am no fan of McCain the politician, although I am most certainly deeply respectful of his service, and what he suffered.

I was on the fence about voting for him..the border fence, that is, which I note is a reason why so many here intend not to vote for him. I will not attempt to persuade you otherwise.

The chances that I will actually vote for McCain just went from infinitesimal to maybe, all thanks to Wes Clark. Way to go, Wes.

I wonder. How many others have reacted as I have? Which of the douche bag secondteamer amateurs on Obama’s team thought up this gambit?

Good job. You may have just handed the election to John McCain. I salute you.

[jtal]

He never should have been in command of PT-109 in the first place. He’d already damaged an earlier boat by hot-dogging and ramming the pier which, under normal circumstances, gets you sent to the bilges.

He had connections.

[Bubba_Leroy]

How many others have reacted as I have?

Ditto.

There are many, many things I don't like about McCain, but I deeply respect and appreciate his military service. I also respect the character he has shown in not trying to get elected based on his past military service or the current military service by his sons.

[donaldo]

Agreed! How could you not respect him for his military service? His Perfumed Prince is a fraud, a servile supplicant of the Dalai Bama. General Grant hated these pretentious martinets. In fact, had Weazly Clark been with Grant, Grant would have demoted him to buck private. Clark is a political hack, plain and simple.

[newheart]

I agree with Wesley Clark. Military service does not automatically qualify someone to hold the office of President.

And Wesley Clark is all the proof one needs of that.

[SnuffaBolshevik]

Maybe I’m not understanding your post, but someone thought Kennedy was a hero ‘cause they gave him a MOH for losing his boat. Kinda’ like they gave one to McArthur for getting his butt kicked in the Philippines even WITH advance warning the Japanese were going to attack.

MacArthur was awarded a MOH. JFK was not.

[skr]

How dare we question the Obama family’s six-year long chosen sacrifice of lesser income when all the McCain family did was spend five and a half years apart wondering if they’d ever see each other again, while Mr. McCain was merely lying around with broken bones in a POW camp./sarc

Wait a minute, wasn’t Mrs. Obama an associate in a law firm and assistant to the Mayor of Chicago, etc.? Perhaps they weren’t reduced to food stamps after all.

[freema]

The ultimate in appeasement. Offering up a Muzzie to placate the goat lovers.

[skr]

Not a hero for the losing his boat certainly, but perhaps for having an injured back and swimming in likely shark-inhabited water looking for help (also, for towing another injured man during two of the swims).

[xzins]

As a Colonel, after his release from an enemy prison camp, John McCain rose to the rank of Colonel and had a command at that level. It was not a wartime command.

Actually, Clark didn’t command a combat command as a Colonel, either. He command a brigade at Ft Carson in about 1986.

His “combat” command was in Europe during the Bosnia or Kosovo years. As I recall, those weren’t combat commands either for an Army General. The Air Force did a lot of bombing and then the Army sent in a division to peacekeep. There was no ground campaign at all.

So Clark, if he really means what he said, just disqualified himself from consideration for political office.

Incidentally, Gen Clark....McCain went from Colonel to Senator. You went from Col to Gen. McCain OUTRANKS you and got HIGHER than you.

[Stayfree]

If I were a Democrat and had to think about supporting Hussein, the unqualified empty-suit, the witch on a broom, Tom Daschle, the Mighty Louse, Dingy Harry Reid, Nancy Belagosi, and all the other clowns, idiots assembled into the Democrat party, I would seriously consider changing parties or countries...

[Viking2002]

Get caught with your pants down, and become president. Slick Willie learned at the knee of the master.

[Dick Vomer]

Wesley Kanne is just trying to make it a multicultural ticket... a muslim and a Methodist/Jewish/Catholic....... neat.

Let's see, I'm a Catholic... so I guess I'll listen to Mr Wesley spout off about mean old McCain.

Oh, wait a minute. I hate Obama, despise the perfumed prince and would rather slit my throat than vote for a member of the traitorous democrat party...

I guess I'll just hold my nose and vote for McCain. Maybe we can get some conservatives in the house and senate to block his bills.

[Polybius]

Maybe I’m not understanding your post, but someone thought Kennedy was a hero ‘cause they gave him a MOH for losing his boat. Kinda’ like they gave one to McArthur for getting his butt kicked in the Philippines even WITH advance warning the Japanese were going to attack.

JFK never received the MOH.

John F. Kennedy received the "Navy and Marine Corps Medal" for the rescue of three of his crew after PT 109 sank but that was a totally separate matter from losing his boat.

The loss of his PT boat under conditions that might be attributed to negligence may have gotten Lt.(j.g.) John F. Smith court-martialed but not Lt.(j.g.) John F. Kennedy, the son of Joe Kennedy, court-martialed.

[Polybius]

McCain went from Colonel to Senator.

That would be "Captain", Padre.

We don't have "Colonels" in the Navy. ;-)

[Grizzled Bear]

Was he attacked by Uncle Ho or Uncle Ben?

No Ho would have him. He had to settle for sum yung guy!

[Grizzled Bear]

Kennedy was NOT a Medal of Honor man!

[Clemenza]

No Ho would have him. He had to settle for sum yung guy!

BWAHAA!!!

[REDWOOD99]

Looks like Generally Weaseley is forgetting The First Rule of Holes.

[Locomotive Breath]

http://www.medalofhonor.com/JohnFKennedy.htm

????

[xzins]

Yeah, I know that. I think I was short on coffee at the time.

....naval aviator...

just gotta keep tellin’ myself

:>)

[Loyal Buckeye]

Ashley Wilkes is an ignorant jackass.

[Polybius]

http://www.medalofhonor.com/JohnFKennedy.htm

????

Notice how that MOH web page never claims that JFK had the MOH. It gives a summary of his political career and casually mentions military service:

"Educated at Choate preparatory school and Harvard University, he graduated in 1940. Following naval service in the Pacific in World War Two, he entered politics in 1946 and won election as a Democrat to the US House of Representatives."

The reason that JFK is at that MOH web site is the link at the bottom of the page:

(JFK) Remarks at a Reception Honoring Medal of Honor Recipients May 1963

[Polybius]

MOH Recipients by war ---- World War II ----- Letters G through L

[Locomotive Breath]

Got it - thanks.