July 1, 2008

McCain And Webb Camps at Odds Over 'Calm Down' Remark

@ 4:37 pm by Walter Alarkon

John McCain's campaign sees Sen. Jim Webb's (D-Va.) suggestion that the Republican should "calm down" and avoid injecting politics into military service as evidence of an attack coordinated by Barack Obama's campaign.

Here's McCain spokesman Brian Rogers statement, via TPM Election Central:

If you didn't think this was a coordinated attack on John McCain's credentials before, it's clear now that it is. Barack Obama's surrogates are telling the McCain campaign to "calm down" about attacks on his military record? Seriously? Now somehow Wes Clark's attacks are John McCain's fault? It's absurd. If Barack Obama can't control his own surrogate operation, how can he be trusted to run the country?

Webb press secretary Kimberly Hunter denied there was any coordination and reiterated that Webb wasn't criticizing McCain's service in the military. Here's her statement, also given to TPM:

I can tell you that Senator Webb has never spoken with Senator Obama about this issue nor has he spoken to Wesley Clark. Senator Webb's comments were not targeted at McCain's military service. He has consistently called for politicians not to insert politics into military service. This is the exact same argument that he used against Lindsay Graham last year in their Meet the Press interview regarding objections to giving troops adequate dwell time at home.Senator Webb has never, and would never, demean the service of anyone who has stepped forward to serve our country. To the contrary, he was calling on those on all sides of the debate to refrain from implying that their political views are representative of the military writ large.

Below is the clip that Hunter is talking about:

Archived under: Campaigns, News, Presidential Campaigns
Tags: Barack Obama, Jim Webb, John McCain

14 Comments »

1. Who the hell is this has-been, did nothing prima donna to tell anyone to calm down?

   Comment by Bill D. — July 1, 2008 @ 4:44 pm

2. To all traitor Dems…WORDS HAVE MEANING!!!
   A Patriot is not someone who exercises their first ammendment right to free speech and craps on one's country, troops, and commander-in-chief while said troops are in harms way. And while doing so emboldens the enemy so that said enemy can kill more USA troops. This is being a traitor! Dems are traitors period.

   Comment by David — July 1, 2008 @ 5:01 pm

3. The person telling people to calm down has two purple hearts, two bronze stars for valor, the navy cross and the silver star.

   And he mentioned NOTHING about Clark's comments. This is just a smear job by the desperate McCain camp - taking a page from Rove.

   Comment by Stacey — July 1, 2008 @ 5:09 pm

4. OH - and Webb also just got a historic GI Bill passed yesterday with huge bipartisan support that McCain and Bush OPPOSED and then took credit for. Go figure.

   Comment by Stacey — July 1, 2008 @ 5:10 pm

5. the word traitor has a meaning too, and someone who disagrees with your viewpoint or the current policy does not qualify as a traitor. Talk about policy, instead of just throwing out insults.

   Comment by Rud — July 1, 2008 @ 5:16 pm

6. Webb is a good man and honest, that's all. His comments cannot in any way be compared with Clark's. Clark needs humility and honesty. Webb has both, and credits to him for passing the new pro vets bill that will enable those who served their country to have some benefits for continued education. God bless them and God bless Webb for getting it done for them. McCain better be careful if he gets in a fight with Webb, because after he has retired from the fight, Webb will still be standing tall and honest.

   Comment by Ward MacNaughton — July 1, 2008 @ 5:20 pm

7. All you "patriots" need to calm down. What is it about that word that makes people freak out. I think the government in this country is absoulutly corrupt and doesn't work for the citizens of this country, does this make me unpatriotic? If so, I'm not a patriot.

   I think Clark and Webb and anyone else who served in the military has the right to their opinion on John McCain or anyone else for that matter. Since when is serving in the military a "blank check" for the future, as in you can never be critizied??!!

   Get real

   Comment by Mike D — July 1, 2008 @ 5:22 pm

8. I think this is kind of funny.

   Remember Senator Kerry…."Reporting for Duty"..

   He talked about being in Vietnam in just about every speech.

   Huuum…this is so obviously orchestrated. Webb is running for VP…that is also very obvious!

   Comment by Kathy — July 1, 2008 @ 6:36 pm

9. Jim Webb, who never missed the opportunity to inform the world that he was wearing his son's boots to garner votes for his senate campaign has a lot of nerve accusing others of injecting politics into the military.

   There was never a greater politician than Jim Webb to use his son's service for his own political gain and Chuck Schumers.

   Yet no one on the right said a word. But as Iraq succeeds Webb and Schumer will eat their words.

   Comment by JAZ — July 1, 2008 @ 7:12 pm

10. Webb wearing his sons boots out of respect and in honor of him as he served in Iraq has NOTHING to do with McCain fabricating Webb's intentions while speaking about his GI Bill and answering Olbermann's question.

    The smear campaign against Webb is sure in full swing though — and it doesn't surprise me. What else can McCain do but deflect and attack others. On his own record he doesn't stand a chance.

    Comment by Frank — July 1, 2008 @ 8:16 pm

11. [...] James Webb, another possible VP choice for Obama, who was elected as a "Blue dog" Democrat partly because of his own service record, echoes the calumny to his own shame, saying He did not see the ground environment, how difficult things really are on the ground. He did not really see how bad this country was torn apart by the war, for the unfortunate reason that he was in prison. [...]

    Pingback by » Obama attack machine hits McCain’s military service - Blogger News Network — July 1, 2008 @ 8:47 pm

12. i totally agree with webb on this one

    http://sensico.wordpress.com/

    Comment by linda — July 1, 2008 @ 10:42 pm

13. Can anybody say, "PT-109?" Seems to me about 40 years ago, Dems weren't afraid to haul out the hero tag in the Kennedy campaign.

    Comment by Ron — July 2, 2008 @ 5:22 am

14. I believe that McCain and his campaign will do or say anything to win, even to create adversity where there is none. He does like to attack - alot. We need someone who want peace for our country.

    Comment by E. Green — July 2, 2008 @ 7:29 am

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