Obama Rejects Clark's Remark About McCain

Barack Obama today rejected surrogate Wesley Clark’s suggestion that being shot down in Vietnam didn’t qualify John McCain for the presidency, the LA Times reports. A rep said Obama “honors and respects” McCain’s service. In a speech in Independence, Mo., Obama said: “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” 

Referring to McCain but obliquely rebuking Clark, he said, “No one should ever devalue that service, especially for the sake of a political campaign, and that goes for supporters of both sides. We must always profess our profound gratitude for the service of our men and women in uniform, period.” (More Barack Obama stories.)