Posted on 07/08/2008 6:54:41 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
He was a fighter pilot in World War II, bombing targets in Europe to stop Hitler. But former Senator and 1972 Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern says that didn't qualify him to run the country--and the same goes for GOP presumptive nominee John McCain.
``I don't have any regrets about that,'' the antiwar Democratic stalwart said in a brief interview yesterday on Capitol Hill. ``While bombing is a terrible thing, we smashed Hitler's oil refineries all over Europe.''
``But I don't recall ever saying that experience as a bomber pilot equipped me to be very strong on how to run a war, how to command the armed forces,'' said McGovern, who will turn 86 on July 18.
Retired General Wesley Clark, a onetime candidate for president himself, raised ire when he said recently that McCain's experience in Vietnam--while laudable--did not qualify him to be commander-in-chief. While noting that he honored McCain's service -- including his years as a prisoner-of-war--Clark said late last month that McCain has not held ``executive responsibility,'' and added, ``I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.''
The remarks on CBS's ``Face the Nation'' were immediately derided by McCain's supporters. But McGovern said Clark had it right.
``I think General Clark was misunderstood,'' McGovern said Tuesday evening as he visited the House chamber where he once served. ``He wasn't belittling [McCain] at all.''
McGovern, who remains a fervent anti-hunger_activist, was in town to present an award to Representative Jim McGovern [no relation to the former senator] for the Worcester Democrat's own contributions to fighting hunger. The_younger McGovern last year lived a week on $3 worth of food_a_day--approximately the amount allowed to individuals receiving food stamps -- to underscore the struggle hungry Americans face daily.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
I thought McGovern was dead? Who the hell is channeling this guy anyway?
Go easy on him, after all he won 1 state.
Pray for W and Our Troops
McGovern cannot stand the FACT that his candidate is a total loser when it comes to the military, national defense, foreign policy, or the ability to MAKE ANY HARD QUALIFIED DECISIONS about the use of our military, how it works, or ANYTHING about it.
Choke on it McGovern. Support your pathetic commie nobody of a candidate.
Nothing qualifies nobama.
Doesn’t matter, as long as she is pushing the party line.
“The reporter doesn’t know the difference between a fighter aircraft and a bomber (see first sentence)”
Lots of fighter planes bombed tactical targets in WWII and later, but McG was a bomber pilot of a B-17
People who are in favor of McCain winning in November should welcome this seemingly unending attack on his war and military record. If McCain is perceived as a heroic military figure (rather than as the pandering politician he has often been) he is likely to get a lot of the “undecideds” who vote on emotion rather than reason or even thought-out self-interest. I don’t understand why the Rats keep reminding everyone of McCain’s heroic service. Self-defeating personality disorder must run rampant among the unhinged.
McGovern DID prove that being a combat pilot was NOT a sure ticket to the White House.
McCain isn't basing his run for the presidency solely on the fact that he flew attack planes and survived the Hanoi Hilton. He's basing it on his idea of service, and while some of that service post-military ticks me off, I think this line of attack by Obama will not help and is more likely to hurt him.
McGovern is still alive? I thought that he crossed the Stygian waters long ago.
Wassa matter? You never saw B-17’s dogfighting before?
To Libs, speaking (i.e. BS flinging) is what qualifies one to be President. That's reason # 34 why they hate Bush -— since he can't talk properly in their eyes.
Yep, to elitist Libs, speaking high brow BS is the key to everything!
Did he say the same about the haughty John Kerry “reporting for duty” at the Dim convention?
That’s what I meant: I know that fighter-bombers had a big part in the war, but a B-17 Flying Fortress isn’t a fighter-bomber.
He did, but no one has bothered to tell him. ;-)
Well all I can say is we should remember what these dems are saying trashing McCain’s military service. They are saying that service does not qualify him for political office. Because we know that in future years the dems will run Iraq/Afghanistan War vets so we can thank Harkin, Clark, Rangel and McGovern for informing us that being in the military is absolutely no qualification at all for public office.
I read somewhere he had been turned into a zombie.
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