It seems a critique cannot be leveled against John McCain without first paying homage to his time as a prisoner of war. Even Barack Obama is careful not to offend. So it was somewhat surprising on Sunday to hear another veteran, Gen. Wesley Clark, rebuff McCain’s war heroism: “Well, I don’t think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.”

Clark’s comments came after some prodding from Bob Schieffer, who suggested specifically that getting shot down was somehow an experiential plus, and the general was careful to smooth things over with some hero talk.

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