General Wesley Clark, who was an early 2008 candidate until some unfortunate remarks asserting that Jews = money lenders, has attacked Senator John McCain’s qualifications for the presidency by attacking his military service. On Face the Nation this weekend Clark said the following:

“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 Navy that he commanded — that wasn’t a wartime squadron,” Clark said.

“I don’t think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president.”

The McCain campaign retorted with the following from spokesman Brian Rogers:

If Barack Obama’s campaign wants to question John McCain’s military service, that’s their right. But let’s please drop the pretense that Barack Obama stands for a new type of politics. The reality is he’s proving to be a typical politician who is willing to say anything to get elected, including allowing his campaign surrogates to demean and attack John McCain’s military service record.
John McCain is proud of his record of always putting the country first — from his time in the Navy, in Vietnam and through to today.

In 2004 Republicans were roundly criticized by Democrats and the media for attacking Senator John Kerry’s military record, with some even questioning the validity of his purple hearts, perhaps opening up a Pandora’s box of future attacks against a candidates military record. With that said, this line of attack will surely raise eyebrows and could well put to bed any questions over Wes Clark as a potential Vice Presidential nominee for a candidate who has so often spoken of a “new politics” without the attacks of old.