Big Media Shot Down By Clark Comments

“It doesn’t take a lot of talent to get shot down.”

--Sen. John McCain

The media lost the lastest skirmish between themselves and the people they try to make squirm. It's something that could happen more often if the people on whom the likes of Bob Schiffer and Andrea Mitchell prey, would stick to their guns and continue to speak the truth. Gen. Wesley Clark knows how to stick to his guns.

The problem was not what he said about Sen. John McCain, which, in fact, was true. Being shot down in a plane doesn't qualify you for President. Schiffer, who was interviewing Clark, however, thought it did. His was the first gasket blown. Others followed suit. They wanted Clark to take it back. They had already decided that McCain's military experience qualified him for the Presidency. Clark challenged two of their narratives: 1) that character, rather than experience, is the most important qualification for President 2) that when the media decides you've made a faux pas, you're supposed to suck it up, squirm, and apologize.

McCain is doing his best to make political hay out of Clark's comments (as he should, that's politics), but make no mistake about it: Clark's comments were the mainstream media's issue. McCain has, in fact, said much the same about his own experience.

Clark was a pleasure to watch on television, refusing to back down to Schiffer, then Andrea Mitchell, and some guy on a MSNBC show called The Verdict. The guy was unflappable.

Check him out here. He knows how to stay on message.

--Mb