http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1996366/posts
McPeak’s remarks under fire
The Oregonian ^ | March 27, 2008 | JEFF MAPES
Posted on 04/03/2008 4:15:18 PM PDT by Nachum
Retired Air Force Gen. Merrill “Tony” McPeak of Lake Oswego was once again in the middle of a campaign flap Wednesday when Hillary Clinton’s campaign questioned his role as an adviser to Barack Obama because of his views on Israel.
McPeak, known for his sharp tongue, stood by his position that U.S. policy in the Mideast is influenced by pro-Israeli voters, but he did apologize for last week’s comment accusing former President Clinton of McCarthyism.
An Obama spokesman said the senator disagrees with McPeak’s comments on Israel but continues to stand behind him as a military adviser and co-chairman of his campaign.
McPeak, who served as Air Force chief of staff from 1990 to 1994, became a hot subject in the political blogosphere after The Atlantic Monthly’s Marc Ambinder reported that the Clinton campaign circulated an article from the conservative American Spectator harshly criticizing the retired general.
The article zeroed in on a 2003 interview of McPeak with The Oregonian in which he said that the United States failed to push Israel for the territorial concessions he said were necessary for peace. When asked where the problem was, McPeak replied, “New York City. Miami. We have a large vote . . . here in favor of Israel. And no politician wants to run against it.”
The American Spectator article goes on to accuse McPeak of being an “anti-Israel and anti-Jewish ‘adviser.’ “
On Wednesday, McPeak said he worked closely with the Israeli military as an Air Force officer and considers himself a strong ally of Israel. But, he added, “the way to get to peace is to find some way out of the box canyon that Israel has built for itself with the West Bank settlements. . . . And it is just a fact that the Israeli vote — or the Jewish vote — is something that all politicians have to consider.”
During Obama’s visit to Oregon last week, McPeak told reporters he strongly objected to a statement by former President Clinton that a campaign between his wife and John McCain would involve “two people who loved this country.”
McPeak said it “sounds more like Joe McCarthy.” McPeak said he was still critical of Clinton’s remarks but conceded that “perhaps the comparison with McCarthy was not appropriate.”
Earlier this year, McPeak retracted a statement that Obama “doesn’t go on television and have crying fits,” a reference to Hillary Clinton tearing up in a New Hampshire appearance.
Clinton spokesman Isaac Baker released a statement saying, “General McPeak has shown a troubling pattern of personally attacking the Clintons that raises serious questions. Is the Obama campaign really committed to changing the tone of our politics, or are those just words?”
Obama spokesman Nick Shapiro said, “Neither Senator Clinton nor Senator Obama agrees with every position their advisers take” and Obama disagrees with what McPeak said about the power of pro-Israeli voters.
Thanks for the link.