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McCain: Obama Should Cut Wesley Clark Loose.
July 01, 2008 7:29 PM
ABC News' Bret Hovell Reports: John McCain, taking questions from reporters aboard his Straight Talk Express: The Airplane Edition, said it was time for the campaign of Sen. Barack Obama to cut retired Gen. Wesley Clark loose.
"I think it's up to Sen. Obama now to not only repudiate him, but to cut him loose," McCain said to a small group of reporters somewhere between Indianapolis, IN, and Cartagena, Colombia.
For two days, the Obama campaign has been off message, forced to manage the fallout surrounding comments Clark made about McCain's war service in a broadcast interview Sunday. The highly regarded former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO said of McCain, whose plane was shot down and was later held captive in Vietnam, "I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president."
Onboard his plane Tuesday, McCain was asked if Obama -- who did reject Clark's comments on Monday --had done enough to repudiate the general. He didn't take the bait. "That's up to others to decide," said McCain. "I'm not going to worry about the comments General Clark made."
He implied that Clark's comments were a distraction, saying they didn't help solve the economic woes of the United States.
The wide ranging media avail was divided into 2 parts because of space concerns. About half of the 20 members of press traveling with the campaign joined McCain at a time in an area on the plane specifically designed for the flying press conference.
July 1, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (658)
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For two days, the Obama campaign has been off message, forced to manage the fallout surrounding comments Clark made about McCain's war service in a broadcast interview Sunday.
Oh please! Obama has McCain and the press off message. Not that either of you had a message.
Posted by: Thinking | Jul 1, 2008 7:41:19 PM
George W McCain needs to stop promoting lopsided Bush Junior-like trade deals in Colombia, get back on Cindy's $50 million airplane...and come back to America...and explain to American workers why he's for SHIPPING MORE OF THEIR JOBS to corrupt third-world countries.
What the hell is he doing down in Colombia?
Posted by: wilder5121 | Jul 1, 2008 7:45:46 PM
Bet you the press will keep this running for another day.
Posted by: vuzous | Jul 1, 2008 7:47:56 PM
Republicans need to stop whining. They invented Swiftboating. Now McCain is crying boo hoo. He is such a baby.
Posted by: FilmMD | Jul 1, 2008 7:51:27 PM
Why does McCain not just concede instead of asking Obama to cut loose an honest General who has served through the ranl and file of armed forces and many more years than McCain.
Posted by: gjkotw01 | Jul 1, 2008 7:51:29 PM
Both of Obama's daughters are from two different father's. Michelle had two separate affairs while married to Obama. That whole family is scary.
Posted by: Jock98015 | Jul 1, 2008 7:51:31 PM
After two days, I begin to wonder just how low the press coverage will get this time. Columbia Journalism Review, the most respected journal on journalism, has it right: ABC and most of the rest of the press screwed up. If Clark had really denigrated McCain's service, I don't think it would have taken an entire day for you to report on the story. Clark never denigrated McCain's service. His comments were actually aimed at the press and your unwillingness to distinguish between foreign policy experience and the experience of being a POW. There is nothing controversial about these comments. And frankly this sort of made-up 'gotcha' journalism only lowers the level of political discussion and encourages candidates to stick to the script.
Posted by: Cornfields | Jul 1, 2008 7:52:17 PM
Was Clark caught wearing some purple heart bandaids on his face to mock anyone here?
This is either fabricated outrage or whining.
Is John McCain a whiner or is he gonna buck it up and be a man.
Lame. Just Lame.
Posted by: The Commander Guy | Jul 1, 2008 7:52:22 PM
Throw him under the bus too.
Posted by: lois | Jul 1, 2008 7:53:56 PM
Obama's mother lived her entire life as an atheist who denies God and Jesus Christ. Disgusting.
Posted by: Her Too | Jul 1, 2008 7:53:59 PM
John McCain, suck it up and take it like a man. Stop whining.
Posted by: FilmMD | Jul 1, 2008 7:54:55 PM
John McCain served his country well and suffered for it. He deserves genuine respect, not the offhanded slurs from General Clark. I live in South America and believe that it would be ignorant to even ask the question, "What the hell is he doing down here."
Posted by: Sumajman | Jul 1, 2008 7:55:40 PM
Just how many times did McBush get bailed out of trouble by his Admiral dad........ like GW getting bailed out by his dad.
how many planes did McCain lose with reckless disregard....the other four times he crashed Navy planes that has not been talked about ???????
Posted by: SDindependent | Jul 1, 2008 7:56:24 PM
ABC why don't you say he was answering a question? You make it sound like he said that out of the blue, why? This a manufactured McCain slight, he has nothing else to talk about, not once did Gen. Clark say anything against McCains service record, he said because you serve doesn't mean your qualified to be Pres.!
Posted by: try the truth | Jul 1, 2008 7:59:07 PM
Obama now supports gay marriage but during the primary against Hillary he said he only supported civil unions.
All Christians need to question thinking of voting for someone like Obama who mocks God and God's word.
Posted by: Christians Pray | Jul 1, 2008 7:59:17 PM
Anyone that wants to read a little history could tell you that today's politicians are wimps by comparison to the politicians and presidential candidates of old. Even taking shots at your opponent's parentage and blood lines was acceptable and yet, still America still managed to elect someone regardless of the libel and the slander. They certainly didn't whine about every derogatory reference made about them whether they were true or false. We went through this with Hillary and now here we go again with McCain. It appears whenever someone wants to shut Obama's message on the issues down, they make a news event over how insulted they were about something someone in his camp or someone even remotely in his life has made them. Enough. And think about it. Do we even want a whiner for president, in the first place. We're just coming out of 7 years of "it's not my fault" and no accountability. Next!
Posted by: foxisms | Jul 1, 2008 7:59:42 PM
HA! OOh this is rich. Okay, Johnny boy. We'll take that under consideration.
Posted by: Steve | Jul 1, 2008 7:59:59 PM
Jock98015 --- First off a lie and secondly are you that warped you need to make up stuff like that? What is wrong with you?
Posted by: try the truth | Jul 1, 2008 8:01:38 PM
McCain is such a baby! He thinks he can attach Senator Obama everytime someone speaks against McCain and tells the American people Obama should allienate himself from that person. Come on baby McCain grow up! Feeling sorry for someone speaking their mind is part of the American way of life as well as one of our rights. You want to lead this country? Grow up first!
Posted by: rich | Jul 1, 2008 8:03:01 PM
Just because mc-more-war was a pow does not mean he should be president. The guy used to have a spine but now is nothing but a flip-flopper and a panderer. He's also an OLD fart. The real straight-talker, John Murtha said that the Presidency is no place for an OLD man. There's a reason they make pilots retire at age 60. mc-more-war needs to retire with his millionaire wife. (The one he had an affair with after his first wife waited for him to come back from the war.) Obama 2008!!!
Posted by: pt | Jul 1, 2008 8:03:42 PM
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