Posted on 04/16/2008 8:19:05 AM PDT by TornadoAlley3
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. John Murtha said Wednesday that Republican Sen. John McCain is too old to be president.
Murtha is 75, four years older than McCain. He says they are nearly the same age, and the rigors and stress of running the country is too much for guys their age.
"I've served with seven presidents," Murtha told a union audience. "When they come in, they all make mistakes. They all get older."
"This one guy running is about as old as me," he said, drawing laughter and applause. "Let me tell you something, it's no old man's job."
If elected, McCain would be the oldest man to become president at age 72. Ronald Reagan became president at age 69, but he served as president for eight years and was just a few weeks shy of his 78th birthday when he left office.
Murtha, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, made the comments while introducing the candidate he has endorsed, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, to the AFL-CIO's Building Trades National Legislative Conference.
Clinton referred to Murtha's introduction when she took the stage, saying she was grateful to have his endorsement and agreed with his sentiment that it will be difficult to turn around all the damage of the Bush administration. She didn't mention his comments on McCain's age, and the campaign sought to distance itself from the comments.
Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said Clinton "considers Senator McCain a friend, and she respects him. But it's not his age she has a problem with, its his ideas for the future."
Earlier this week, McCain was asked about his age and he joked about it, at first feigning sleep.
"Watch me campaign. We keep a heavier schedule. We campaign harder," he said Monday during The Associated Press annual meeting. "People will judge me by my performance. I am confident that my energy, my intellect, my experience, and my judgment is what American people will — hopefully that they will view me as qualified to be president of the United States."
His campaign said Wednesday Murtha's comments were "nonsense attacks."
McCain and Murtha are both Vietnam veterans who have worked closely on national security issues. Age hasn't slowed Murtha down. After Democrats took control of the House in the 2006 election, Murtha sought the House majority leader position but was defeated.
It seems someone has a straight pipeline into Murtha.
Murtha - what can I say that hasn’t been said 1000x here?
Murtha is wrong about the age. However, McCain IS too McCain to be president.
Figured that this would be about the time that the Dems bring up the age issue again.
Yeah, Jack, but unlike you, McCain isn’t a traitor!
Obama is by far too young to be president. That should be obvious by now.
An old fool will always be too old to be president and that Jack is why you are not presidential timber now or at any time prior.
Kinda difficult not to, Jack!
Murtha’s too corrupt to be a congresswoman. Yet he is.
That’s depending on who is his VP of course. I’m betting it will be someone who’ll make me want McLame to live on.
Courtesy Comment:
Careful what you say in a public forum as it may come back to bite you in the buttons.
Reagan, one of our best Presidents ever....elected at age 69.
Jam it, Murtha.
Murtha is too stupid to be that old. Dumb bastard is making a case for something other than evolution.
But, having agreed with Murtha on that one; what to do about Hillary who's too evil and Obama who's too stupid?
Oh I don’t know...the last time Republicans had a candidate accused of being too old - it worked out pretty well.
Murtha is too stupid to say anything of value.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.