I have been thinking all day today about Gen. Wes Clark (Ret.) argument against Sen. McCain that he lacks “command experience” because his military career is essentially one of dropping bombs on innocent civilians and getting captured and tortured.

Sen. McCain’s service to his country in Vietnam was honorable. That story is a difficult one to tell, and Sen. McCain has attempted to be open and has written about his time in captivity and the things he experienced. In that war, he was captured by the North Vietnamese, who tortured him for years. Ever since, McCain cannot raise one of his arms above his shoulder and he obviously has mental issues to deal with. I believe he has overcome such adversity remarkably well, seeing as many of his colleagues who were similarly treated have had difficult lives after the end of the War.

What possessed Clark to say what he said is just beyond me. It is completely idiotic. Clark’s criticism is valid - but irrelevant. It is a reasonable observation to say that Sen. McCain did not have “command experience” while he was on active duty. McCain was not promoted to flag officer, was not a Combatant Commander (or a CINC as it would have been called at the time), nor did McCain hold a post where he commanded active combat forces. Clark’s career was one where he had that type of service. Clark was a brigade, divison, and Combatant Commander (CDR, US Southern Command and European Command). I can tell you from my time in the Pentagon, there is always some tension it seems between officers who have combat command experience, and those who do not. A distinction I think that has become considerably less relevant now that we have fought two wars for over six years; it’s quite difficult to find a senior officer in the military who doesn’t have at least ONE combat patch of some sort. So Clark’s statements about McCain, quite frankly, don’t surprise me all that much. This is an argument I’ve heard quite a number of times in the Pentagon.

However, Clark makes it seem like all McCain did was like get coffee or something. That assertion is just wrong. As the son and grandson of distinguished Navy admirals, John McCain deeply values duty, honor and service of country.

McCain attended college at the United States Naval Academy, and launched a 22-year career as a naval aviator upon his graduation. He continued the McCain tradition of service to country passed down to him from his father and grandfather when he asked to serve in the Vietnam War.

On July 29 1967, he narrowly survived the first of many near-death experiences during his lifetime while preparing to take off on a bombing mission over North Vietnam from his ship, the USS Forrestal. A missile accidentally fired from a nearby plane struck the fuel tanks on John’s plane and created a deadly inferno aboard the ship. John barely escaped the fiery disaster that killed 134 men, injured hundreds more and destroyed 20 planes.

Instead of taking the option to return home after the Forrestal disaster, John McCain volunteered for more combat duty - a decision that would separate him from his family, and country, for five and a half years.

During his 23rd bombing mission on October 26, 1967, a missile struck McCain’s plane and forced him to eject, knocking him unconscious and breaking both his arms and his leg. He was then taken as a prisoner of war into the now infamous “Hanoi Hilton,” where he was tortured by the enemy.

McCain spent much of his time as a prisoner of war in solitary confinement. When he was finally released and able to return home years later, he continued his service by regaining his naval flight status.

Senator McCain’s last Navy duty assignment was to serve as the naval liaison to the United States Senate. He retired from the Navy in 1981 as a Captain.

His Naval honors include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

My question to Wes Clark is - tell me Wes, what honors did Barrack Obama obtain that makes him qualified to be Commander in Chief? What Combatant Command did he obtain? Or heck Wes, what service did he serve in?

Clark is a boob. Obama should just fire him off the campaign.