McGovern Slams McCainAfter of course saying how
he's too noble to do it:
Let me tell you what I would say to John McCain: neither of us is an expert on national defense. It's true that you went to one of the service academies but you were in the bottom of the class. It's true that you were a pilot in Vietnam, that you were shot down and spent most of the war in prison and we all sympathize with that and honor you for your courage. But you and I both had these battle experiences, you as a Navy fighter plane, I as an army bomber. I am not going to criticize your war record and your knowledge of national security but I don't want you criticizing mine either.
If I'd be allowed just one little dig at Senator McCain, since he gave me. I would say, 'John, you were shot down early in the war and spent most of the time in prison. I flew 35 combat missions with a 10-man crew and brought them home safely every time.'
McGovern claims that McCain said in a panel discussion on Robert McNamara's book regretting his involvement in Vietnam, that "Well we all know that George McGovern knows little about national defense."
My guess is that this
panel discussion took place in 1995 on the News Hour with Jim Lehrer. Unfortunately the real audio and real video feed doesn't work so we can't check McGovern's recollection, and of course one word (a) before "little" would change the meaning of McCain's comment entirely.
Labels: George McGovern, John McCain
