Top Ten Cloves: About The Only Way General Wesley Clark Could Have Done Worse

News Item: Clark: Outrage over my comments a 'manufactured issue'

10. Clark making the statements, but not being aware of the Internet

9. Clark and his wife didn't pay their property taxes

8. While being touted as a VP candidate, it comes out that Clark participated in an exorcism

7. Clark having a Mini-Me, like Joe Lieberman, who would amplify the remarks

6. What's the big deal? Clark made his comments on a weekend

5. If Clark had announced a plan for a new car battery, but the prize was only $200-Million

4. Clark making the same statements, but he was the one that was a member of the Keating Five

3. That MoveOn.org did a commerical and said General Wesley Clark couldn't have Little Alex

2. Clark going out and angrily barking that McCain's wife was a C****

1. If Clark was the one that thought Iran was training Al Qaeda in Iraq


Bonus Phony Outraged Stumblin' Bumblin John McCain Riffs

Greg Sargent and Eric Kleefeld: Now A McCain Surrogate Demeans Wes Clark's Service

Nicole Belle: John McCain: I’m Shocked–Shocked!–That There’s Campaigning Going On Here!

Steve Benen: Note to McCain campaign: Stop going to the empty well

MediaMatters: What Gen. Clark Actually Said; Media Falsely Claim Clark Attacked McCain's Service

Brilliant at Breakfast: And why CAN'T a 4-star general ask the question?

Round and Round and Round ...

Get ready for a dizzily, spinning week.

Between yesterday, and this morning, a handful of storylines have broken, that is going to generate forceful spinning, counter-spinning and blowback, likely enough to jar the needles on the Fujita and Saffir-Simpson scales.

Exhibit A - McCain's War Record/Qualifications for President

Dday, over on Hullabaloo, has a title for this - "Get Ready For The Mother Of All Hissy Fits"

It started yesterday, when retired General Wesley Clark, and Barack Obama supporter, questioned McCain's war record, saying (after giving Stumblin' Bumblin' John some props), that “I don’t think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president.”

John Aravosis jumped in, with the question that Brilliant at Breakfast didn't have to, of "Honestly, besides being tortured, what did McCain do to excel in the military?"

Let loose the hounds! ... Game On!

No doubt, the Stumblin' Bumblin' McCain Campaign will come out swinging on this one, despite the fact that their candidate, at nearly every conceivable opportunity, plays off his time in the service.

And, to bone-up for the ensuing gale winds, you can read TPM's Paul Kiel, from February, on Stumblin' Bumblin' Johns' tough stance on torture, and Ted Rall's "Puffing up John McCain, POW"

Update

From the time I wrote this, earlier today, all hell is breaking loose!

Go to Memeorandum, and check out the brewing dog fight on this one ...


Exhibit B - My Sister/My Daughter ... We're Attacking Iran/We're Not Attacking Iran ...

Sy Hersch provided the match-to-the-fuse yesterday, with his "Preparing the Battlefield - The Bush Administration steps up its secret moves against Iran", detailing we're already conducting Special Forces operations inside Iran, and it's just a matter of time before the whole thing explodes ...

And, if you have been paying attention, Little Billy Kristol has already predicted that the Bush Grindhouse will let the bombs fly, especially if it looks like Obama is going to take the election.

This drum has been beating for some time now .... If you have to go with one, or the other, bet on The Commander Guy donning the flightsuit again, and after they transform Tehran into the Flintstones' Bedrock City, another 'Mission Accomplished before passing on the baton (and if Stumblin Bumblin John McCain does manage to win, or steal, the election, then no baton passing, the bombs will keep dropping).


Exhibit C - My Sister/My Daughter ... We're Hunting OBL/We're Not Hunting OBL ...

The NYT kicks the dust up today, with their "Amid Policy Disputes, Qaeda Grows in Pakistan", detailing how the military has been set to rush through Afghanastan and into Pakistan to go get - now some 7-years after-the-fact - Osama bin Laden, and other top Al-Qaeda chieftains ...

But, the Big Cheeses in Washington won't pull the trigger.

Which leads Oliver Willis to observe, "Republicans Soft On Terror", and Jill, over on Brilliant at Breakfast, to question "You'd almost think they WANTED a stronger Al-Qaeda"

The Garlic speculates Vegas will post this one as a "Pick'em"

So, with the Lapel Pin orgy-of-a-holiday approaching, July 4th, expect the jingoistic fur to be flying, spinning and counter-spinning, and every tiny iota of it making it's way, blaringly so, at times, into your news.

If you need some help in getting through it, grab a dance partner ...

Perry Como ~ Round And Round (1957)