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Friday, June 13, 2008
Wesley Clark Challenges McCain's National Security Credentials
Auditioning to be Obama's VP? Gen. Wesley Clark is questioned on Morning Joe (above) about his statements challenging John McCain's claims to posses strong national security and military credentials. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Clark said:
"I know he's trying to get traction by seeking to play to what he thinks is his strong suit of national security," Clark said of McCain while speaking from his office in Little Rock, Arkansas. "The truth is that, in national security terms, he's largely untested and untried. He's never been responsible for policy formulation. He's never had leadership in a crisis, or in anything larger than his own element on an aircraft carrier or [in managing] his own congressional staff. It's not clear that this is going to be the strong suit that he thinks it is."
Resume aside, though, Clark also took issue with the Arizona Republican's instincts on national security. "McCain's weakness is that he's always been for the use of force, force and more force. In my experience, the only time to use force is as a last resort. ... When he talks about throwing Russia out of the G8 and makes ditties about bombing Iran, he betrays a disrespect for the office of the presidency."
I just read another riveting (and scary) piece on McCain's militaristic foreign policy views. Did you know he was one of the infamous supporters of PNAC and the "Wolfowitz Doctrine"?
By the way, you have through Sunday to weigh in on our Dem VP Straw Poll. So far, Bill Richardson is ahead with 23% of the votes and John Edwards is second at 16%.
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June 13, 2008 at 10:49 AM in 2008 General Presidential Election | Permalink
Comments
I've always liked Clark and he is making a real impact criticizing McCain about experience he doesn't really have when you look at his background more closely than most media people do. Clark would be a strong VP pick.
David Sirota add some names to the VP mix in his column today
“In the Senate, there is Sherrod Brown, Amy Klobuchar, Jim Webb or Claire McCaskill - all economic populists. In the statehouse, there is Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer - a guy who told the New York Times, ‘I was a critic of NAFTA, I was a critic of CAFTA and I'll be a critic of SHAFTA.’ And outside the electoral arena there are people like Anna Burger - a leader of one of the largest labor unions, who was recently hailed by the Wall Street Journal as one of the 50 most influential women in America.”
Posted by: | Jun 13, 2008 11:37:24 AM
