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McCain Campaign Press Release - Statement by Colonel Bud Day on Gen. Wesley Clark's Attack on John McCain

June 30, 2008

ARLINGTON, VA-- In a conference call today, Colonel Bud Day, USAF (Ret.) said the following regarding Wesley Clark's attack on John McCain's military service on CBS "Face the Nation":

"I, too, was quite astonished with this unworthy remark made by Wesley Clark against one of my great warriors. John McCain spent 65 months of continual combat against the North Vietnamese. He did so on a voluntary basis because he had been involved in operations on a ship called the Forrestal, which was involved in a terrible fire, and as a result of that experience John could have gone home after a fairly short period of time in combat. He learned that the Oriskany needed additional pilots; he volunteered to go there and fly an ongoing tour. Going 'downtown' to Hanoi was absolutely the most dangerous enterprise anyone could be involved in, in 1967. It was the most heavily defended city in the world and no one who had been downtown, no one who had been in a Vietnamese prison, no one who fought combat in Vietnam will ever question John McCain's warrior credentials. This backhanded slap against John of not being a worth y warrior because he just got shot down is one of the more surprising insults in my military history. John McCain was in my squadron for roughly two and a half years and I saw him in every aspect where the Vietnamese tried to turn him around and get him to leave his comrades early. He instantly refused that because he knew that was the wrong thing to do. So again, I am astounded that a person who represents a presidential candidate would be involved in this kind of a political shenanigan against a man of John McCain's character."

Colonel Bud Day is the most decorated American service member since General Douglas MacArthur, having received nearly 70 decorations and awards including more than 50 for combat. Colonel Day received the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration. Like John McCain, Colonel Day was shot down by the North Vietnamese in 1967; Colonel Day shared a cell with Senator McCain in Hanoi and spent 87 months as a prisoner of war. Colonel Day retired from active duty in 1977 after logging close to 8,000 flying hours. Colonel Day was born in Sioux City, Iowa, and currently resides in Shalimar, Florida.

Background:

Yesterday On CBS' "Face The Nation," Wesley Clark Attacked John McCain's Military Service. CLARK: "But he hasn't held executive responsibility. That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded? It wasn't a wartime squadron. He hasn't been there and ordered the bombs to fall. He hasn't seen what it's like when diplomats come in and say, 'I don't know whether we're going to be able to get this point through or not, do you want to take the risk, what about your reputation, how do we handle this publicly?' He hasn't made those points Bob." (CBS' "Face The Nation," 6/29/08)

When Pressed, Clark Said "I Don't Think Riding In A Fighter Plane And Getting Shot Down Is A Qualification To Be President." CBS' BOB SCHIEFFER: "Well, General, could I just interrupt you. I have to say, Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences either nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down." CLARK: "Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be President." (CBS' "Face The Nation," 6/29/08)

Wesley Clark's Attack On McCain Contradicts Barack Obama's Promise For A New Kind Of Politics:

"Senator Barack Obama Often Offers A Crisp Sales Pitch To Voters, Imploring Them To Be Part Of Something New, Different And Hopeful. 'If You Want A New Kind Of Politics,' He Says, 'It's Time To Turn The Page.'" (Jeff Zeleny, "A New Kind Of Politics Closely Resembles The Old," The New York Times, 6/16/07)

Barack Obama: "We've got to get beyond the small politics ... the slash and burn politics that have become the custom in Washington." ("Obama Denounces 'Slash And Burn' Politics," The Associated Press, 2/19/07)

Barack Obama: "We don't want the small, timid, slash and burn, negative campaigning of the past." (Josh Hafenbrack, "Obama Barack Obama Calls For New Political Spirit During South Florida Campaign Swing," [Fort Lauderdale, FL] Sun Sentinel, 3/26/07)

Barack Obama: "I know that in Washington it is acceptable to say or do anything it takes to get elected, but I really don't think that is the kind of politics that is good for our party, and I don't think it is good for our country, and I think that the American people will reject it in this election." (Ben Smith, "Obama: Clinton Rewrites History," The Politico's "Ben Smith" Blog, www.politico.com, 1/13/08)

FLASHBACK: Obama Surrogate Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) Attacked John McCain's Character And Military Service:

Senator Rockefeller: "McCain was a fighter pilot, who dropped laser-guided missiles from 35,000 feet. He was long gone when they hit. What happened when they [the missiles] get to the ground? He doesn't know. You have to care about the lives of people. McCain never gets into those issues." (Paul J. Nyden, "Jay Defends Endorsement Of Sen. Obama," The Charleston Gazette, 4/8/08)

Townhall's Matt Lewis: "This is the second incident in less than a week where we have seen an Obama surrogate -- not just questioning Sen. McCain's ideas -- but directly attacking his character, integrity, and war experience. Is this a pattern we should get used to?" (Matt Lewis, "Another Obama Surrogate Attacks McCain's Honor," Townhall's "Blog," www.townhall.com, 4/8/08)

FLASHBACK: Barack Obama Failed To Condemn Remarks From Obama Supporter Ed Schultz Calling John McCain "A Warmonger":

Obama Surrogate Talk Radio Host Ed Schultz Warmed Up Crowd By Calling McCain "A Warmonger." "But Mr. Schultz, a supporter of Senator Barack Obama, may have gone too far late Friday when he called Senator John McCain 'a warmonger.' Mr. Schultz made the remarks while revving up a group of Obama supporters at a $100-a-head fund raiser at the North Dakota Democratic Party's convention in Grand Forks." (Larry Rohter, "McCain Called A 'Warmonger' At Obama Event," The New York Times' "The Caucus" Blog, www.nytimes.com, 4/5/08)

MSBNC's First Read: "The Obama Campaign Didn't Condemn Schultz's Remark..." "As mentioned earlier, the Obama campaign didn't condemn Schultz's remark, but issued this statement: 'John McCain is not a warmonger and should not be described as such. He's a supporter of a war that Senator Obama believes should have never been authorized and never been waged.'" (Mark Murray, "McCain On The 'Warmonger' Remark," MSNBC's "First Read" Blog, firstread.msnbc.msn.com, 4/5/08)

FLASHBACK: Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) Criticized McCain's Service In The Military:

Senator Tom Harkin Said McCain's Views Come "From Always Having Been In The Military, And I Think That Can Be Pretty Dangerous." "Republican presidential candidate John McCain's family background as the son and grandson of admirals has given him a worldview shaped by the military, 'and he has a hard time thinking beyond that,' Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Ia., said Friday. 'I think he's trapped in that,' Harkin said in a conference call with Iowa reporters. 'Everything is looked at from his life experiences, from always having been in the military, and I think that can be pretty dangerous.'" (Jane Norman, "Harkin: McCain Too 'Military,'" The Des Moines Register, 5/17/08)

John McCain, McCain Campaign Press Release - Statement by Colonel Bud Day on Gen. Wesley Clark's Attack on John McCain Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/294320

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