It's Controversies Like This That Get My Blood Boiling...

Let's be clear: Wesley Clark, GENERAL Wesley Clark, neither said nor did anything to demean John McCain's service to this country.  

Here's the full quote from Gen. Clark from yesterday's Face the Nation that has stirred up all this controversy:

"In the matters of national security policy making, it's a matter of understanding risk.  It's a matter of gauging your opponents and it's a matter of being held accountable. John McCain's never done any of that in his official positions. I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and 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, but he hasn't held executive responsibility.  That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded, that wasn't a wartime squadron....

...I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president." 

What is so damn wrong about what Gen. Clark said?  He spoke the truth.  He did say, after all, that he honors McCain's service and that McCain was a hero to him.  But being in the military does not necessarily prepare you for being President.  And although it makes for a sympathetic story, being shot down and held as a POW is not a qualification for being President.  

And for Gen. Clark to be attacked by John McCain for being somehow disrespectful to the military is absurd.  McCain should apologize.  The media should apologize for making this a lead story today.  And Barack Obama also owes Gen. Clark an apology for coming out against them today.  Why isn't anyone standing up and saying that Gen. Clark has said nothing wrong?  But once again, the media and our Democratic nominee is falling into the trap of appeasing the Republicans.  John McCain says Obama needs to go to Iraq.  What does Obama do?  Schedule a trip to several countries around the world, with the anticipation of an unscheduled visit to Iraq.  McCain says that Gen. Clark was disrespectful to the military.  Obama comes out, agrees, and condemns Gen. Clark.  And all the while, the media plays along.  

I'm sick and tired of the reputation of great men and women being destroyed by the Republicans, the media, and the lack of backbone by some members of the Democratic party.  It happened to Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Bob Kerrey, and now Gen. Wesley Clark.  Enough is enough.

Face the Nation---A Sad Source for Information

This past Sunday, Bob Schieffer, moderator of "Face the Nation",  had Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul on as his guests.  Both are candidates for the Republican Party  Presidential nomination. 

 

Mr. Schieffer was cordial with Mr. Huckabee and asked soft questions concerning his stand on several issues.  He explored Mr. Huckabee's rise in the polls and good crowds that he was drawing at various events.  However, I did not learn anything new by the questions asked of Mr. Huckabee.  The program is only 30 minutes split between the two candidates.  You would think Mr. Schieffer could ask at least one question concerning the difficulties faced by the next President and what he would do.

 

Then came Ron Paul's turn for questions.  I thought he was treated unfairly with silly questions about 10 issues that Mr. Paul is against.  Mr. Schieffer framed the questions that gave the impression that Mr. Paul was anti everything and anything.  Mr. Paul had to point out that there is a pro side to those issues.  For instance, Paul's position on government spending is to live within our means instead of running up record federal deficits that are taking place in this administration.  That is a "pro" position.  Mr. Schieffer went out of his way to describe Mr. Paul as being against everything and tried to cast him in that vein instead of asking Mr. Paul for his "pro" comments on those issues.  Then Mr. Schieffer seemed to enjoy suggesting to Mr. Paul that he could not win his party's nomination.

 

After 40 plus years as a journalist, Mr. Schieffer's show is not about seeking answers from candidates that would inform the American people about a candidate's likely actions if they became president.  Clearly, this segment of the show with Mr. Paul was to put him down and treat his positions on the issues with disdain.  It is such a shame to see the media become like this.  

***NOTE: My (John Lucia) posts will no longer be written in a different font than those of Joseph***