Wesley Clark: Awesome

This weekend, retired General Wesley Clark said of John McCain's military record, "Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president." McCain, as it his wont, responded with fury and confusion.

Clark was right, of course, and here is a comparison of his military record against John McCain's:

Getting into college:

• Clark- a National Merit Scholar and state champion swimmer, he was a natural fit for West Point.
• McCain- the son (and grandson!) of someone who was qualified to go to Annapolis, he was a terrible fit for Annapolis

Getting out of college:

• Clark- valedictorian
• McCain- 884th out of 889

After College:

• Clark-Rhodes Scholar
• McCain-crashed a lot of planes

In Vietnam:

• Clark- Won a Bronze Star as a staff officer, won a Silver Star for directing a successful counterattack after being shot four times with an AK-47
• McCain- Crashed another plane, was captured, lasted five years as a P.O.W., won Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Navy Commendation Medal, 12 other medals

After Vietnam:

• Clark- Served as an instructor at West Point, some political work, commanded division, battalion and brigade in Germany, won the Meritorious Service Medal, won a Legion of Merit, won another Legion of Merit, won another Meritorious Service Medal, won another Legion of Merit, held key training post in Gulf War, won another Legion of Merit, won Distinguished Service Medal, important general in Bosnia, withstood sniper fire and rappelled down a mountain to retrieve American bodies, became Supreme Allied Commander of Europe, won Kosovo war without sacrificing a single soldier, retired as four-star general, won various other medals, opposed Iraq War from the start
  
• McCain-ran a squad that won a Meritorious Unit Commendation, served as Navy's liaison to the Senate, retired as a captain, divorced his disabled wife and married a beer heiress, was in the "Keating Five", fought wasteful spending, still a fan of the Iraq War

Clark is a fucking badass. Obama probably made the right call in terms of getting swing votes when he distanced himself from Clark. But from a standpoint of being correct, this was an attack on McCain's lack of military leadership from possibly the most qualified military leader on earth. McCain crashed that plane in part because he spent his time getting demerits and failing classes instead of paying attention to the guys who tell you how to keep your plane from crashing. He wound up a P.O.W. partially because he had no respect for his own military leadership, and I'm willing to to listen to one of the greatest living generals when he says he has no respect for McCain's.