This morning, the McCain campaign held a conference call to rebut Wesley Clark's statement that John McCain's getting "getting shot down" isn't a qualification to become president. Sen. John Warner said that Obama displayed an "exercise of poor judgment to allow an individual like Clark ... to come in and do this attack." Col. Bud Day pointed out that when McCain was shot down, Hanoi was "most heavily defended city in the world."
At an event in Pennsylvania, McCain responded to the attack:
"I think that that kind of thing is unnecessary," Mr. McCain said. "I'm proud of my record of service and I have plenty of friends and leaders who will attest to that. If that's the kind of campaign that Senator Obama and his surrogates and supporters want to engage in, I understand that. But it doesn't reduce the price of a gallon of gas by a penny, it doesn't bring us any closer to energy independence, doesn't keep anyone in their home or address the challenges Americans have in keeping their homes, their jobs and supporting their families."
Asked if he wanted an apology from Mr. Obama, Mr. McCain said, "That's certainly up to Senator Obama."
Obama's spokesman says that Obama "rejects yesterday's statement by General Clark." During a speech today in Independence, Missouri, Obama said:
for those like John McCain who have endured physical torment in service to our country - no further proof of such sacrifice is necessary. And 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 on both sides. We must always express our profound gratitude for the service of our men and women in uniform. Period. Full stop.
But Clark didn't challenge McCain's patriotism--Clark said that McCain's experience "getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president."
Andy McCarthy perfectly captured the absurdity of Obama's statement on McCain's patriotism: "He's not gonna question McCain's patriotism? What a tremendous concession! Tune in tomorrow when Obama announces he will never question whether Shaquille O'Neal is really tall."
Jim Geraghty notes that Clark is the seventh Democrat to challenge McCain's service. Doesn't Obama need to personally disavow Clark's statement? Or maybe this is the kind of attack Obama had in mind when he pledged: "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun."
