NBC's Mitchell misrepresented sequence of Clark's remarks, suggesting Clark only “subsequently ... honored” McCain's service

Written by Ryan Chiachiere

Published

On MSNBC's Hardball, Andrea Mitchell stated, “We know what he said on Face the Nation. He took issue with the qualification of John McCain, saying that being a fighter pilot and getting shot down over Vietnam doesn't qualify you to be commander in chief. He said subsequently that he honored his service.” In fact, Clark praised McCain earlier in his Face the Nation interview, saying, “I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war.”

On the July 1 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, guest host and NBC News foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell said of retired Gen. Wesley Clark's June 29 comments on CBS' Face the Nation, “We know what he said on Face the Nation. He took issue with the qualification of John McCain, saying that being a fighter pilot and getting shot down over Vietnam doesn't qualify you to be commander in chief. He said subsequently that he honored his service.” In fact, moments before Clark asserted, “I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president” -- in response to Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer's assertion that “Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down” -- he said: “I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands of millions of others in the Armed Forces as a prisoner of war.”

From the June 29 edition of CBS' Face the Nation:

SCHIEFFER: Well, you -- you went so far as to say that you thought John McCain was, quote -- and these are your words -- “untested and untried.” And I must say, I had to read that twice, because you're talking about somebody who was a prisoner of war. He was a squadron commander of the largest squadron in the Navy. He's been on the Senate Armed Services Committee for lo these many years -- how can you say that John McCain is untested and untried, General?

CLARK: Because in the matters of national security policy-making, it's a matter of understanding risk. It's a matter of gauging your opponents, and it's a matter of being held accountable. John McCain's never done any of that in his official positions. I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands of millions of others in the Armed Forces as a prisoner of war. He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and he has traveled all over the world. But he hasn't held executive responsibility. That large squadron in the Air -- in the Navy that he commanded, it wasn't a wartime squadron. He hasn't been there and ordered the bombs to fall. He hasn't seen what it's like when diplomats come in and say, “I don't know whether we're going to be able to get this point through or not. Do you want to take the risk? What about your reputation? How do we handle it” --

SCHIEFFER: Well --

CLARK: -- “publicly?” He hasn't made those calls, Bob.

SCHIEFFER: Well -- well, General, maybe he --

CLARK: So --

SCHIEFFER: Could I just interrupt you? If --

CLARK: Sure.

SCHIEFFER: I have to say, Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down. I mean --

CLARK: Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.

SCHIEFFER: Really?

CLARK: But Barack is not -- he is not running on the fact that he has made these national security pronouncements. He's running on his other strengths. He's running on the strengths of character, on the strengths of his communication skills, on the strengths of his judgment -- and those are qualities that we seek in our national leadership.

From the July 1 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

MITCHELL: First of all, let's take a look at General Wesley Clark. We know what he said on Face the Nation. He took issue with the qualification of John McCain, saying that being a fighter pilot and getting shot down over Vietnam doesn't qualify you to be commander in chief. He said subsequently that he honored his service.

This is what he said earlier today at 1 o'clock with me on MSNBC.

CLARK [video clip]: John McCain has to be recognized as someone who served his country in uniform. He served with courage. He served with commitment. And I honor that service. And, as I said on the show, he's one of my heroes.

But the service that he had wasn't the same as having been in the White House or in the Pentagon or at a high-level command, and having actually had to wrestle with national policy and national strategic issues.

MITCHELL: OK. What about it, guys?