Tipsheet

McCain Conference Call on Clark Comments

I'm on a conference call right now with Sen. Lindsay Graham and Orson Swindle, Lt. Col., USMC (Ret.). 

The call is still going on, but Sen. Graham has already said some interesting things. 

... Regarding McCain's qualifications:  "I would argue Senator McCain is the most qualified to be Commander-in-Chief since Eisenhower."

... More:  "Bob Dole was a war hero, he didn't win the election.  Nobody thinks John McCain will win the election because he was a P.O.W."

... On Gen. Clark's comments:  "No matter how he sugar-coats it, he's trying to question John's service." 

... On Obama's response to Clark's comments:  "Today, they're pretty quiet when he reiterates an attack."

Lt. Col. Swindle just began speaking.  He referred to Keith Olberman and Mika Brzezinski as Obama surrogates.

Regarding Clark, he said:  "He's failed as a presidential candidate ... a great ego." 

Both Graham and Swindle stress McCain's experience as a Senator as being equally important to his military experience.

Swindle points out that McCain has never said that being a P.O.W. qualifies him to be president.

Regarding whether or not there was a concerted effort to attack McCain's military experience, Swindle said:  "I happen to believe that six or seven people making comments like this doesn't happen by accident."

Update: 
HotAir's Capt. Ed Morrissey has more.