Why shouldn't Clark comment on McCain's military experience? Let's compare the two based on information available from their websites (and supplemented by other sources as necessary):

Wes Clark: Graduated 1st in his class at West Point, 1966.

John McCain: Graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy - his website makes no mention of his class standing. (Wikepedia has him graduating in 1958 ranked 894/899.)

Wes Clark: Captain Clark served in Viet Nam 1966-1970.

John McCain: Asked to serve in Viet Nam (Wikepedia: naval pilot of ground-attack aircraft stationed in A-1 Skyraider squadrons on aircraft carriers from 1960 to 1966 when he requested combat duty.)

Wes Clark: Wounded in battle in 1970; suffered gunshot wounds to the right shoulder, right hand, right hip, and right leg; directed his men on a counter-assault of enemy positions after being wounded. Awarded Silver Star.

John McCain: Forced to eject on his 23rd bombing mission on Oct. 26, 1967, when his plane was struck by a missile; broke both arms and his leg; taken prisoner into Hanoi Hilton where he was denied medical treatment and often beaten. (Wikepedia - refused to accept early release after his father was named commander of all U.S. forces in Viet Nam; signed anti-America propoganda after four days of severe torture in 1968; subsequently received 2 to 3 beatings per week for his refusal to sign additional statements; from late 1969 on, treatment of POWs became more tolerable; released on March 14, 1973.)

Wes Clark: Captain Clark served as an instructor and Assistant Professor of Social Science at West Point from 1971 to 1974; Attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College from 1974 to 1975 earning a Masters of Military Art and Science.

John McCain: Continued his service by regaining his naval flight status. (Wikepedia - attended National War College from 1973 to 1974; had his flight status reinstated in late 1974; in 1976 became commanding officer of a training squadron stationed in Florida.)

Wes Clark: Worked as White House Fellow serving as Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 1975/76.

John McCain: Served as the naval liaison to the U.S. Senate (Wikepedia - beginning in 1977)

Wes Clark: Held various posts around the world including commanding battalions and brigades and directing the Battle Command Training Program from 1976 to 1989.

John McCain: Retired from the Navy in 1981; Naval honors include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, and Distinguished Flying Cross. (Wikepedia - Was told he would be made rear admiral; declined; he had already decided to run for congress and said he could "do more good there.")

Wes Clark: Served as Commanding General of the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, CA, from 1989 to 1991.

Wes Clark: Served as Commanding General for the 1st Cavalry Division in Ft. Hood, TX, from 1992 to 1994.

Wes Clark: Served as Commanding General of the United States Southern Command in Quarry Heights, Panama, from 1995 to 1997.

Wes Clark: Served as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, from 1997 to May, 2000.

(Wikepedia goes into more detail about Clark's military career and numerous medals and awards, but it wasn't necessary to include that for my point.)

So...just who does Wes Clark think he is to make any sort of judgment of John McCain's military experience and how it might or might not have prepared him to be commander in chief?

We all agree that John McCain served his country in the military and was subjected to horrendous treatment as a POW. But he isn't the only war hero out there. And his military record pales in comparison to the military records of many others, including Wes Clark. It's an honorable thing to serve in the military, and McCain deserves our gratitude for his service. But he doesn't deserve to be president because of it. And it is certainly unfair now to discredit Wes Clark, who devoted his life to the military and has an excellent record as a military commander, just because John McCain is running for president and it is suddenly politically incorrect to point out that, other than his time as a POW, he has a fairly undistinguished military record.

Agreed that this is a no-win issue for Obama and he should just back away from it. I just think it is a shame to see McCain take advantage of public sympathy in this way. Had he never been a POW, his military record would be fair game. I will give the man all the sympathy in the world and state outright that there is no way I could ever begin to comprehend what he endured in Viet Nam. But why does that mean that the military experience he likes to remind us of during this election cycle, and which he hopes helps him win the election, shouldn't be questioned? If he is so proud of his military record, he should welcome its scrutiny.

I saw General Clark make his statement about McCain's service. Frankly, I didn't see any disrespect shown to McCain, but he has so little attention that he would gladly pounce on this triviality.

General Clark was right.McCain being shot down and becoming a POW for 5 years does not qualify him for the presidency. What does one have to do with the other? I too feel badly about what McCain had to endure during his imprisonment, but how does that qualify him for being the Chief Executive of the federal government? Are we just electing officials on the basis of sympathy? No matter how much we might admire McCain for what he went through, it still in no way qualifies him to be president. We should elect a president on the basis of his policy positions, first of all, and on his character second, and on his patriotism? Well, that has to be a lot further down the list. Being patriotic doesn't make you good presidential material. There's lots of patriotic idiots and lunatics running around.

This is really a non-issue that Obama shouldn't scold Clark about or make any apologies for. This doesn't begin to compare with what John Kerry went through in 2004. Gen. Clark didn't say McCain was a liar or a coward or a pretender...he simply said that what happened to him didn't qualify him for the presidency. And I think most people would agree with that.

Let them stick to the issues and stop all this BS about patriotism or flag lapels and what-have-you. Sometimes it seems as if the American public is assumed to be just a bunch of babies.

I don't think that Clark was questioning McCain's military record. He was questioning whether it qualified him for the presidency. As he legitimately pointed out, McCain has no experience running anything. The McCain camp argues that Obama hasn't and it seems to be legitimate to point out that neither has McCain.

his actions at this point are less so. Deliberate misrepresentation of Wesley Clark's statements is lying. There is no debating the fact that McCain is intentionally misleading us.

Wesley Clark was responding to a politically loaded "gotcha" question. He said nothing derogatory about Senator McCain and he said nothing dishonest.

Bob Schieffer knew very well that Wesley Clark is not a politician and he goaded him into stating the truth in a manner that was politically incorrect. This whole charade is a tempest in a teapot.

There is no debating the fact that McCain is intentionally misleading us.

Um..despite all the political correctness flooding the airwaves as far as libs and dems are concerned,,

I just gotta say it.

Um..DUH!! He's a republican, what else has he got?

No effective policy, no charisma, no real leadership abilities, and GWB and pals around his neck like some voluntarily worn albatross.

John McCain isn't running for president , he's running for Commander in Chief, the only part of POTUS he Might be qualified for.

And John McCain's campaign won't focus on making McCain look good, how many ways can you gussy up a charismaless, policy-ignorant old soldier when America is pissed about a war?

They'll do what Republicans always do, try to make the Democrat look bad..it's all they've got left now that they've trashed what used to be the platform of their party. Remember way back, when Republicans used to stand for stuff like small government and balanced budgets and economic growth.

The party has now been hijacked by extremist neo-con right wingers, and the only thing the republicans stand for is power at any price.

Ask McCain what his price was...an ex-POW who supports torture and votes against the GI Bill because he needs the party elite to get elected. I'd say that cost him his entire soul. Too bad, I hear he used to be a hero.

'They'll do what Republicans always do, try to make the Democrat look bad...'

and we don't have to try very hard either.

It is too bad that you don't mind admitting that lying comes easy to you.

hold up there middle. i just repeat what liberals say and it sounds like an attack. may i suggest that if you don't want to be made fun of, that you keep your silly yaps shut?

Bob Schieffer knew very well that Wesley Clark is not a politician and he goaded him into stating the truth in a manner that was politically incorrect. This whole charade is a tempest in a teapot.

Correct! It is widely known the man is a bufoon and Schieffer certaintly understood it would not take much to cause the man to make a complete and utter ass of himself.

You make the best of using out of context quotes or even modify the quote to make it easier to criticize. That is lying.

Clark did not say anything that was an attack on McCain. I've been listening to the McCain spokespeople turning Clark's words into quotes that are not even recognizable as coming from Clark. Why is such dishonesty necessary on your side of the election?

Wes Clark is a decorated war hero. He said nothing at all that wasn't true.

For you to attempt, once again, to call Wesley Clark names is an attack, while what Clark said about McCain was simply an honest evaluation of the skills that McCain would have learned as a pilot and junior officer in the Navy and how those skills would apply to being president.

Is it necessary to demonize your opponents?

I have happily not payed attention to one word Clark has stated in years do you know why? Because he is an idiot. So am I suprised that he was duped into some gotcha question on national Television Sunday,,,,ummmmm that would be No.........

Sooooooo relax slappy I too think this is much to do about nothing,,,,,,,,,

If Clark (who graduated at the top of his class at West Point) is an idiot, that really shakes my confidence in your ability to assess McCain's qualifications (after graduating 3 from the bottom at Annapolis).

You don't like the guy, but the evidence to support your opinion of him is pretty week and requires a blindly partisan view of the world.

You don't like the guy, but the evidence to support your opinion of him is pretty week and requires a blindly partisan view of the world.

As it would to buy practically all your points.. ;)