The former Vermont governor was excused from the draft in 1970 when X-rays showed he had a bad back, although Dean said in an interview that he "probably" could have served, The New York Times reported yesterday. Two other candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination — John Kerry, D-Mass., and retired Gen. Wesley Clark — fought and were wounded and decorated for service in Vietnam. The two declined to criticize Dean for his draft deferment, which was approved by the Selective Service. But a Clark spokesman said Clark's years of military service and term as supreme allied commander of NATO...
