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Line 1: − + − He recently criticized Senator [[John McCain]]'s military service, saying "I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president."<ref>The Dallas Morning News (AP) - [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/national/stories/063008dnpolclarkmccain.c80e28f.html Retired Gen. Wesley Clark: McCain lacks command experience]</ref> The Obama campaign disavowed the comments,<ref>The Washington Post (AP) - [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/30/AR2008063001344.html Obama disowns critique of McCain's military record]</ref> but as McCain pointed out, "these types of things"{{fact}} have been said in the past, implying that it could be part of a coordinated effort by liberals to attack him. + + +
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'''Wesley Clark''' was the commander of [[NATO]] forces during the 1999 [[Kosovo War]] and a candidate for the leadership of the [[Democratic Party]] in 2004.
'''Wesley Clark''' was the commander of [[NATO]] forces during the 1999 [[Kosovo War]] and a candidate for the presidential nomination of the [[Democratic Party]] in 2004.
During a June 30th interview on Meet the Press, Wesley Clark was asked by Bob Schieffer, "Can I just interrupt you? I have to say, Barack Obama hasn’t had any of these experiences either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down." Wesley Clark responded, "I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president."<ref>The Dallas Morning News (AP) - [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/national/stories/063008dnpolclarkmccain.c80e28f.html Retired Gen. Wesley Clark: McCain lacks command experience]</ref> The Obama campaign disavowed the comments,<ref>The Washington Post (AP) - [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/30/AR2008063001344.html Obama disowns critique of McCain's military record]</ref> but as McCain pointed out, "these types of things"{{fact}} have been said in the past, implying that it could be part of a coordinated effort by liberals to attack him. In response to the remarks, [[John McCain]] had a surrogate, Colonel Bud Day, respond to the charges. Colonel Day is best known for his appearance in a Swift Boat Veterans For Truth ad that questioned [[John Kerry|John Kerry's]] Purple Hearts, an attack that McCain denounced at the time.
Clark has made clear it was not an attack on McCain's service or record, but rather a question of whether they qualified him to be president. He issued a statement to reporters later stating, "As I have said before I honor John McCain's service as a prisoner of war and a Vietnam Veteran. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and millions of others in Armed Forces as a prisoner of war. I would never dishonor the service of someone who chose to wear the uniform for our nation...John McCain is running his campaign on his experience and how his experience would benefit him and our nation as President. That experience shows courage and commitment to our country - but it doesn't include executive experience wrestling with national policy or go-to-war decisions."
==References==
==References==