Hypocrisy, thy name is VoteVets, Part (oh, who am I kidding, I lost count years ago)
They just can’t help themselves. Here is the email I just got….
Dear VoteVets.org Supporter,
In an appalling new low, Congressman Joe Walsh today slammed his opponent Tammy Duckworth’s military service. Walsh told Politico, “What else has she done? Female, wounded veteran … ehhh.” Duckworth served as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in Iraq in 2004, and lost her legs and part of the use of her right arm. She was awarded the Purple Heart for her combat injuries.
Let’s stand up for Tammy, and show Joe Walsh that you can’t insult our veterans!
Now, follow me on this….Who is on the Board for VoteVets? Well, one Wesley Kanne Clark (not the dread Pirate of similiar name.)
Quick, someone fire up the WayBack machine!
In case you missed it: Interviewed by CBS’ Bob Schieffer on Sunday’s Face the Nation, Clark said that for all the national security experience John McCain claims, he never held a position of command during wartime. “I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war,” Clark said. “He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and millions of others in the armed forces as a prisoner of war. He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee and he has traveled all over the world. But he hasn’t held executive responsibility.” Clark then continued, “But he hasn’t held executive responsibility. That large squadron in Air — 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 it publicly?’ He hasn’t made those calls, Bob.”
Anything else Wesley?
SCHIEFFER: 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. I mean —
CLARK: Well, I don’t think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.
Ah, so, if I am looking for a brightline distinction in these cases, it is that getting shot down in a fighter plane doesn’t qualify you to be President, but getting shot down in a helicopter makes one qualified for Congress.
So, Joe Walsh = Bad.
Wesley Clark = Good.
(Go ahead, someone square this circle for me)
Category: Politics
Square this circle? Well, that would be impossible, because VV managed to leave logic out of the circle.
Clark has no room to talk. He’s the same guy who brought you “Rolling Thunder Deux” in 1999. Didn’t really work much better 30+ years later than it did the first time.
I had the opportunity to work with a guy who went to school with Clark. Bottom line: Clark was well-known as being a politician and schmoozer even while a Cadet at West Point. I got the impression he wasn’t exactly well-thought-of by many of the other Cadets there at the time, either.
So, according to Clark, then JFK didn’t qualify (being shot out of a PT boat), nor George H. W. Bush (he also got shot down during WWII). He should look at this list — shows military rank of all presidents and those who never served:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Presidents_by_military_rank
Clark may have been valedictorian of the Class of 1966 at West Point, but please tell me what REALLY distinguished him after that?
Just askin…..
And by the way TAH — I love this blog more every day!
Wasn’t it Clark who nearly started hostilities between Nato and Russia by trying to block runways in the Balkans (Kosovo maybe?) to prevent Russian transports from landing?
Tim, that was him. He also played like a fiddle by Mladic despite being warned by U.S. diplomats to not to go to Bosnian Serb military headquarters. He was eventually moved out of his senior position by his friend, fellow Arkansas resident, and president.
Which may be part of why he didn’t grace Hal Moore’s CoC with his presence? Valerie, think WACO and Branch Davidian’s….
First Clark is a tool, as General Shelton implied he was removed of command because of “Character” issues. He is the walking epitome of everything a Flag officer should not be. When blind ambition triumphs over competency, he’s the leader(s) you get. #2&3 Yep, I could have sworn he was first in his class. There is this “legend” that when asked for his branch, he stood up and said Armor and his fellow cadets cheered or something to that effect. Second he delayed going to Vietnam because he was Rhodes Scholar. #2″Clark has no room to talk. He’s the same guy who brought you “Rolling Thunder Deux” in 1999. Didn’t really work much better 30+ years later than it did the first time.” We never defeated the Serbian Army. We forced them to withdraw by hitting strategic targets in Serbia proper, most of which were civilian and had nothing to do with supporting their military apparatus. USAF later admitted they had been far less successful then they origionally thought because the Serbs had done a very good job of camouflaging their equipment. Like using loggs to build fake artillary pieces, that we couldn’t distinguish from the air. #4 Yep, that was him. I think he gave that mission to the Brits who refused. #5 Is that where the famous hat incident occured? #6 Did’t Clark have command of the 1st Cav then? Either them or the 1st Armored, I can’t remember which, and he didn’t have a very good reputation in that post either if I recall. Back to the origional article, Joe Walsh is correct if a little crass and dismissive with an “eh” comment but none the less correct. I don’t vote for anyone simply because he’s a Veteran. It’s something that should be taken into consideration but never the exclusive decider at the ballot box. What is really galling about Clarke’s commenting on McCain’s executive wartime experience, is his is only slightly better. I could have sworn he was not in command more then a few months before he was severely wounded and had to convalesce. Though… Read more »
It’s really pretty simple: for those tending toward the right of center (or actually, anywhere to the right of extreme leftist philosophy), there are standards which must be met to qualify as a candidate/leader/human being. For the extreme leftists, there are no standards other than being able to parrot the party line and push that agenda.
Don’t talk shit about Joe Walsh, man. He lost his license. Now he can’t drive!
I know this isn’t exactly the issue, but anyone who degrades John McCain in any way pisses me off immediately, not just because he was a POW, but because he was a POW in a horrible time of war when POWs were treated with extreme hostility, and even though he was offered a release because his father was an Admiral he refused it and stuck to the CoC and stayed with the other POWs in his camp. THAT takes a real man, and an honorable man. All politics aside, I’m quite proud to say that I’m an American in the same time as John McCain.
Did anyone else happen to notice that votevets’s message says “Stand up!” in regards to a woman who’s lost both her legs? Pretty crass statement…