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Politics : Ask Michael Burke -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: longnshort who wrote (114287)	6/29/2008 7:48:28 PM
From: Broken_Clock	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 132070

Retired US general criticizes McCain's military experience Jun 29 05:26 PM US/Eastern Retired US General Wesley Clark on Sunday said Republican White House hopeful John McCain lacked executive experience to be president, in rare criticism of the Vietnam veteran's military service. Clark told CBS television that McCain was a hero for enduring years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam "but he hasn't held executive responsibility. "That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded -- that wasn't a wartime squadron. He hasn't been there and ordered the bombs to fall." Clark, former NATO supreme allied commander, said McCain's combat experience as a fighter pilot did not make him more qualified to be president than Democratic candidate Barack Obama. "Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president," he said. Clark said Obama had shown good judgment and talent as a communicator, saying the US president's greatest authority came from the power to persuade. The general, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, had initially endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton in this year's White House race. She lost to Obama in a hard-fought campaign. "He's running on his strength of character, on the strengths of his communication skills, on the strengths of his judgment. And those are qualities that we seek in our national leadership," Clark said of Obama. Criticizing McCain's support for the US administration's policy on Iraq, Clark said "what Barack Obama understands is that military force may have to be used as a last resort, but it's not the first resort." McCain has painted the younger Obama as inexperienced and naive on foreign policy and national security issues, and his campaign has highlighted his service in Vietnam. "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," Clark said.