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The war of words is heating up between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Clinton campaign officials are demanding a retraction from retired General Merrill McPeak, who supports Obama. The back and forth stems from a speech former President Bill Clinton made Friday, when he said he'd like to see an election, "where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interest of this country." Speaking in Oregon yesterday, McPeak accused Clinton of questioning Obama's patriotism and said he was "astonished" by the remarks. "We will have such an election this year because...

(AP) A new controversy flared up in the Democratic presidential race Saturday over remarks by former President Bill Clinton whom Barack Obama's campaign accused of using divisive tactics and unfairly trying to question the Illinois senator's patriotism. Retired Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak, a co-chair of Obama's campaign, said he was astonished and disappointed by recent comments the former president made while speculating about a general election between Obama's Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Republican John McCain. Standing next to Obama on stage at a campaign rally in southern Oregon, the retired Air Force chief of staff repeated Bill Clinton's...

Bill Clinton has become embroiled in a new race row after he appeared to question the patriotism of Barack Obama, his wife Hillary’s White House rival. Supporters of the Democratic frontrunner promptly branded Mr Clinton a modern-day version of Joe McCarthy, the red-baiting senator who led a government witch hunt for communists in the 1950s. The former president was accused of taking a dig at Barrack Obama's patriotism. Discussing the prospect of a presidential election between Mrs Clinton and the Republican candidate, John McCain, the former president told a group of war veterans in North Carolina: "I think it would...

The Barack Obama campaign may find itself back in hot water, but this time squarely with Democrats, thanks to one of their premier surrogates. Former Air Force Chief of Staff General Tony McPeak compared a relatively mild Bill Clinton statement to McCarthyism. His remarks about the former President and actual party elder will no doubt stoke outrage just as some of Obama’s other troubles had begun to recede: A retired Air Force general compared former President Clinton to Joseph McCarthy, the 1950s communist-hunting senator, on Friday after Clinton seemed to question Democrat Barack Obama’s patriotism.Merrill “Tony” McPeak, a former chief...

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A co-chairman of Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign yesterday compared former President Bill Clinton to Joseph McCarthy, the 1950s senator whom liberals widely revile as a witch-hunting fascist, after Mr. Clinton seemed to question Mr. Obama's patriotism. Retired Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak, a former Air Force chief of staff, said he was disappointed by comments Mr. Clinton made while campaigning for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday in Charlotte, N.C. "I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to...

SALEM, Ore. - A retired Air Force general compared former President Clinton to Joseph McCarthy, the 1950s communist-hunting senator, on Friday after Clinton seemed to question Democrat Barack Obama's patriotism. Merrill "Tony" McPeak, a former chief of staff of the Air Force and currently a co-chair of Obama's presidential campaign, said he was disappointed by comments Clinton made while campaigning for his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in a speech Friday in Charlotte, N.C. "I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted...

Iran's bad behavior blamed on Bush March 15, 2008 By Rowan Scarborough - Sen. Barack Obama's most senior military adviser says President Bush is to blame for Iran's bad behavior. The assessment from an interview with retired Air Force Gen. Merrill McPeak provides a glimpse into how an Obama administration would deal with Iran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called repeatedly for the destruction of Israel, is pursuing nuclear weapons in the opinion of some national security experts, and his Revolutionary Guard is training Iraqis to kill American military personnel in Iraq. Earlier this month, Mr. Ahmadinejad said of Israel,...

Like an honor guard escorting him to his lectern, nine retired generals and admirals entered a room Wednesday with military precision to help Sen. Barack Obama counter suggestions that he isn't ready to be commander-in-chief. Nine American flags, as well as one for each branch of the military, stood behind the Illinois Democrat as he strode along a red carpet into a ballroom at the Chicago History Museum. Calling him "no shock Barack" and "no drama Obama," retired Air Force Gen. Merrill McPeak said the first-term senator has the temperament to lead the military. Obama, meanwhile, repeated his criticism of...

Barack Obama's most senior military adviser says President Bush is to blame for Iran's bad behavior. This assessment provided to Insight from retired Gen. Merrill McPeak provides a glimpse into how an Obama administration would deal with Iran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeatedly has referred to the ultimate destruction of Israel; is pursuing nuclear weapons in the opinion of some national security experts; and his Revolutionary Guard is training Iraqis to kill American military personnel in Iraq. Just last week, Ahmadinejad said of Israel, "The world powers established this filthy bacteria, the Zionist regime, which is lashing out at the...

Sunne Wright McPeak, secretary of the state Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, said she will leave the cabinet in November, regardless of whether Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wins re-election, to run a nonprofit aimed at bringing Internet access to urban poor and rural Californians. McPeak, a Pleasanton resident, former president of the Bay Area Council and former Contra Costa County supervisor, has led the state's largest government agency since November 2003. Hers will be the second announcement in two weeks of a cabinet member from the Bay Area stepping down. On June 23, former San Jose Rep. Norman Mineta announced he...

The governor's office knew California could not afford to finish the Bay Bridge reconstruction at least one month before Caltrans opened bids on the remaining tower. Newly released Caltrans documents, obtained by the Oakland Tribune after a protracted public records request, show for the first time that top state officials were briefed in April 2004 that the bridge would cost more than expected. The memos throw the official line into question. Until now, the Schwarzenegger team had insisted — through heated state Senate investigative hearings earlier this year — that Caltrans sat on a secret April report that showed California...

The state auditor is deepening her probe into why state transportation officials withheld vital Bay Bridge documents and is threatening subpoenas for the first time. In a letter sent Monday to state Transportation Secretary Sunne Wright McPeak, State Auditor Elaine Howle demanded an investigation into why an April 2004 Caltrans report was never turned over to her office. It showed Caltrans knew the bridge repair program had shattered the budget by $1 billion. "I first learned of this document's existence at the (Jan. 26 Senate Transportation) committee hearing. I am very disturbed by Caltrans' failure to provide the draft quarterly...

<p>WASHINGTON — A group of 26 former senior diplomats and military officials, several appointed to key positions by Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan (news - web sites) and George H.W. Bush, plans to issue a joint statement this week arguing that President George W. Bush (news - web sites) has damaged America's national security and should be defeated in November.</p>

In the nineteen months since the war in Iraq began, some of the most outspoken critics of President Bush's plan of attack have come from a group that should have been the most supportive: retired senior military leaders. We spoke with a group of generals and admirals that included a former supreme Allied commander and a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and they all agreed on one thing: Bush screwed up. Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak, Air Force chief of staff, 1990-94 We have a force in Iraq that's much too small to stabilize the situation. It's about half the...

Just got in & listened to voice mail from Gen. Tony McPeak (from area code 617). He said that he served with both Colin Powell & Stormin' Norman & how, like him, I should vote for John Kerry because he has...yes, you guessed it...a plan!!! Methinks, I'll defy Tony because neither he nor Kerry are grrrrrrreat! ;-)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- With five days until the election, Republicans and Independents throughout the country have sent a strong message by supporting Democrats John Kerry and John Edwards. Republicans and independents from all backgrounds have joined a national effort to support the Kerry-Edwards plan to keep America safe and fight for the middle class. Convinced that America needs a fresh start to bring people together, Republicans and Independents nationwide have joined together to support John Kerry for president. On issues ranging from the economy and the outsourcing of jobs, to the refusal of the president to support...

I'm shocked! Distinguished Board of Advisors: Anthony W. Armstrong, GTE, Sacramento, CA. Ray B. Chambers Dr. Herbert J. Ellison, University of Washington. Dr. Donald C. Hellman, University of Washington. Diane Hodgson Hon. Jerome Johnson, Superior Court (RET) Seattle. James F. Lane J. Eugene Marans, Cleary, Gottleib, Wash. D.C. Gen. Merril A. McPeak, Chief of Staff, USAF (RET) Hon. Thomas E. Petri, U.S. House of Representatives.

With Anoka County emerging as one of the front lines in this battleground state, the Kerry-Edwards campaign on Monday deployed a general. Retired Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak, former chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, spoke at a Ham Lake VFW hall about his deep unhappiness with the Bush administration's handling of world affairs. McPeak supported George W. Bush four years ago, but no more. "We have many more enemies than we had four years ago, and many fewer friends," McPeak told about 225 Democrats gathered. He later added, "We need to get someone there (in the White House)...

To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor Contact: Chad Clanton or Phil Singer, 202-464-2800, both of Kerry-Edwards 2004; Web: http://www.johnkerry.com News Advisory: Conference Call at 2:30 PM ET Today at 2:30 PM ET, Admiral William J. Crowe (United States Navy, Retired) and General Merrill "Tony" A. McPeak (United States Air Force, Retired) will hold a conference call with reporters to express their outrage at the Bush-Cheney campaign's new, shameful television ad, which shows a blatant disregard for those fighting and sacrificing in Iraq through its lighthearted approach to the war and the deteriorating events on the ground. McPeak and Crowe, distinguished flag...

Merrill "Tony" McPeak doesn't like George W. Bush. But it's more than that. McPeak has contempt for the president, which he freely expresses. Speaking from his home in Oregon, the John Kerry partisan describes Bush in terms usually employed by the likes of MoveOn.org. "Not even his best friends would accuse this president of having ideas," McPeak says. Mild stuff in the age of Michael Moore. Except that McPeak's first name is General. The former Air Force chief of staff is not the only general describing the president in such vivid terms. On behalf of the Kerry campaign, an entire...