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Liberal bloggers are giddy over possible Obama runningmate Gen. Wesley Clark's recent ham-handed attacks questioning John McCain's readiness to be commander in chief.

Matt Yglesias writes, "No idea how seriously the idea of Wesley Clark as VP is being considered, but he's a good surrogate attacking John McCain's alleged national security credentials who's got the credibility and the guts to take it right to him."

Here's what Clark told the Huffington Post last week:

"The truth is that, in national security terms, he's largely untested and untried. He's never been responsible for policy formulation. He's never had leadership in a crisis, or in anything larger than his own element on an aircraft carrier or [in managing] his own congressional staff. It's not clear that this is going to be the strong suit that he thinks it is."

Few voters are really going to believe that McCain, who narrowly escaped death as a Navy pilot and endured five and a half years in a POW camp, and then went on to become a leading voice on national security for 25 years in Congress, is insufficiently prepared to show leadership during a national security crisis.

Clark later elaborated on MSNBC, trying to argue that it didn't matter that Barack Obama had no experience on this front because he isn't running on experience, but judgment.

But Clark is clearly blowing smoke, and angling for the VP slot. Last fall, he endorsed Hillary Clinton when she was seen as the inevitable nominee, saying, "She will be a great leader for the United States of America and a great commander in chief for the men and women in uniform." But unlike McCain, she didn't any have military experience, and had spent about one-third the amount of time in office as McCain. Furthermore, she voted for the Iraq War, so clearly didn't display the so-called "judgment" of Obama.

Liberal bloggers have always had a soft spot for Clark, because they like the idea of a former general who talks like a liberal blogger. But the reality of Clark as a politician has been much different, as evidenced by his disastrous presidential run in 2004.

So, by all means Obama, choose him as your runningmate.

topics:
John McCain, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Military, Iraq

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http://spectator.org/blog/2008/06/16/clark-questions-mccains-natl-s
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