As a Vietnam vet, from what I read (if have I read all his comments in context), Clark is not impugning McCain's war service, or diminishing his brave time as a POW;  he is simply saying that McCain has not served in an executive capacity in the military, directing men, etc., a la Eisenhower, a la Colin Powell...and as someone who has, Clark is qualified to make the distinction. The McCain camp, the media and others, are blowing things up...

Can't you in the media and even the public, parse things better, and consider the reality of overall comments -- the full picture instead of only presenting or listening to, sound bites and editorializing distortions, to sensationalize or titillate your itching ears and dulling minds?  That's the politicians' and their aides' jobs. 

We know the media are all in competition and the papers are dying, but this sort of soothsaying is contributing to your demise; instead you should be putting forth excellence, which includes truthful reporting; you might be more effective and increase your circulation/viewership. This game works for a while, but eventually the only ones left standing after all the mud and distortion will be the nonsensational, more objective (probably the more traditional, too) journalists.

In sum, with the press, the McCain camp and others, it could be very well either one or the other: you either have to learn to read if you can't grasp the totality of Clark's comments and develop a nuance, a skill, to present issues in their full context. It's not such a leap of gray matter to split hairs and say  McCain's experience is not executive, not a generalship for example, and does not qualify him in that area.  If it is, we need smarter newsmen. And a smarter public who won't buy journalism worthy only of recycing. If it isn't a question of brains, we need more objective reporting and commentary and a more informed public, beyond American Idol and Jerry Springer...

Hasn't recent experience (or even your social studies classes in grammar school) taught you that to criticize the president or military is not impugning the flag and the country, just as critically discerning weak aspects of McCain's experience does not discount or impugn his bravery and the merit he displayed, or it isn't meant to impugn the military or the flag, our war dead, etc., etc.

We need more knowledgeable, brave and critical eyes all around us -- if we had them in 2002 and 2003, the military might not have gone along with attacking Saddam and Iraq for Bin Laden's evil deeds...for more about the need for military competence instead of "general" malfeasance, see my blog at http://www.wrathofmcgrath.com