There's been a lot of tit for tat over John McCain's military record, which includes being a POW tortured by the Vietcong during the Vietnam war, and whether or not it qualifies him to be president. This questioning came from Wesley Clark, whose military record includes a stint being shot at by the Vietcong during the Vietnam war and commanding a counter-attack against his attackers.
General Clark has stood firm in his statement, "I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president..."
--in answer to Face the Nation's Bob Schieffer saying that "unlike McCain, Senator Barack Obama has not 'ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down.'"
Faux News, er, Fox News has run the above sound bite excerpt of Clark's comments without airing the rest of what Clark said, which I reproduce here:
Shortly before that exchange, Clark had said of McCain, "I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands of millions of others in the Armed Forces as a prisoner of war. He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and he has traveled all over the world." Clark continued: "But he hasn't held executive responsibility. That large squadron in Air -- in the Navy that he commanded, it wasn't a wartime squadron. He hasn't been there and ordered the bombs to fall. He hasn't seen what it's like when diplomats come in and say, 'I don't know whether we're going to be able to get this point through or not. Do you want to take the risk? What about your reputation? How do we handle it publicly?' He hasn't made those calls, Bob."
It seems to me we have two very distinguished career military people, one of whom is commenting on the other's run for presidency. Both of whom performed undeniable service of the highest order, involving risk of life and limb, to this country.
Given that McCain is running for president, why doesn't he release his military records to the public? His military record is clearly a large part of the qualifications he believes he brings. If he releases them, that allows civilians and his military brethren alike to evaluate his career. As with releasing one's taxes, or health record, this is an ordinary part of the presidential vetting process.
Why not? John Kerry released his military records to the public on his run for president, after he was pilloried by the press for not doing so. Even George W. Bush released the rather meager military records relating to his time (can it really be called service?) in the National Guard.
Senator McCain could do no less than Senator Kerry or our sitting president to let his record of achievement help state his case. Release your military records in full, John McCain! Not just 19 pages.
Cynematic blogs at P i l l o w b o o k.
I found this article interesting. You may as well.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7459946.stm
Posted by: Jacqueline Mellars Granados Pollard | July 02, 2008 at 01:38 PM