McCain 'Truth Squad' hits back at Clark, Obama

John McCain is a fighter -- at least when it comes to defending his military record.

Today, a "Truth Squad" for the presumptive Republican nominee forcefully rejected General Wesley Clark's comments that McCain lacks foreign policy experience, and suggested Barack Obama do the same.

Led by John Warner, a Virginia Republican who serves with McCain on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the squad blasted Clark and sought to reenforce the military reputation of McCain, a former Vietnam POW who once headed a Navy aviation squadron.

"I find General Clark's comments to be unworthy, unseemly, for someone of his stature. And for a campaign that prides itself on the good judgment of its candidate, I think this reflects extremely bad judgment on the entire organization," said Lt. Commander Carl Smith, who served with McCain in the Navy.

Clark, a Democrat and supporter of Barack Obama, said in an interview with Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation Sunday "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."

When Schieffer countered with McCain's wartime experience, Clark responded "Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president." Read the full transcript here.

McCain's campaign also rushed to link Barack Obama to the controversy, portraying the presumptive Democratic nominee as alternately inexperienced and straying from his pledge of fighting an open, positive race.

McCain spokesman Brian Rodgers said Obama's "words don't really match up with the way he is running the campaign."

Obama's campaign responded swiftly with a rejection of Clark's comments.

"As he's said many times before, Senator Obama honors and respects Senator McCain's service, and of course he rejects yesterday's statement by General Clark," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.

UPDATE: McCain, speaking to reporters in Harrisburg, Pa., today, addressed Clark's comments:

"I'm proud of my record of service, and I have plenty of friends and leaders who will attest to that. The important thing is that if that's the kind of campaign that Senator Obama and his surrogates and his supporters want to wage, I understand that, but it doesn't reduce the price of a gallon of gas by one penny."

UPDATE: Democrats are getting worked up over the presence of Col. Bud Day on McCain's "Truth Squad." Day appeared in two of the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth ads that plagued John F. Kerry during his 2004 presidential run.

The Democratic National Committee highlighted Day's appearance on the squad this afternoon, and Kerry himself called on McCain to break ties with Day, saying:

"Senator McCain should condemn these remarks and cut ties with the Colonel and anyone else connected to SBVT. Day's comments only serve to disparage all those who served on swift boats in Vietnam."

Day disputed the notion that General Clark's comments were similar to the Swift Boat ads, saying the ads represented a search for truth while Clark's comments were false.

McCain in the past has called the ads "dishonest and dishonorable."

The Swift Boat ads featured Vietnam veterans who questioned Kerry's decorated military service, suggesting he exaggerated his record. The ads -- and Kerry's tepid response to them -- are often blamed for hurting his campaign, even though the veracity of the claims fell into question during the race.