NY Times' Zeleny uncritically repeated false charge that Clark "impugn[ed]" McCain's "heroism"

Summary: The New York Times uncritically repeated the false charge that, during his June 29 appearance on CBS' Face the Nation, Wesley Clark "impugn[ed] Mr. [John] McCain's heroism." In fact, Clark praised McCain as "a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands of millions of others in the Armed Forces as a prisoner of war."

In a July 1 New York Times article, staff writer Jeff Zeleny uncritically repeated the false charge that, in June 29 comments retired Gen. Wesley Clark made about Sen. John McCain on CBS' Face the Nation, Clark "impugn[ed] Mr. McCain's heroism." Zeleny wrote: "In a conference call, a number of Mr. McCain's former colleagues in the military and former prisoners of war in Vietnam also stood by his record and assailed General Clark for impugning Mr. McCain's heroism." In fact, in comments from his Face the Nation appearance that Zeleny did not quote or otherwise mention, Clark praised McCain as "a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands of millions of others in the Armed Forces as a prisoner of war." Zeleny also wrote that Clark "diminished Senator John McCain's service as a naval aviator in Vietnam when he declared, 'I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president,' " but did not note that, in making that comment, Clark was repeating Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer's words. Indeed, Clark's comment came in response to Schieffer's statement that, unlike McCain, Sen. Barack Obama has not "ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down."

From Zeleny's July 1 Times article:

Senator Barack Obama on Monday rejected the comments from a leading Democrat and campaign military adviser who diminished Senator John McCain's service as a naval aviator in Vietnam when he declared, "I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president."

As Mr. Obama delivered a speech here on patriotism that tried to defuse attacks on his own background, he responded to the remarks of Wesley K. Clark, the retired general and onetime Democratic presidential candidate who suggested on Sunday that Mr. McCain had not been tested as a wartime commander.

[...]

"I will never question the patriotism of others in this campaign," Mr. Obama said, speaking over the applause of hundreds of supporters. "And I will not stand idly by when I hear others question mine."

Yet Mr. Obama's effort to highlight his American values, delivered in a 30-minute address before a backdrop of flags, was complicated by the comment from General Clark. The war record of Mr. McCain once seemed like an unassailable asset to his presidential bid, but General Clark's comments on the CBS News program "Face the Nation" -- that being shot down in Vietnam was not a qualification to be president -- raised the possibility that Mr. McCain's military record would face scrutiny.

[...]

As he campaigned in Pennsylvania, Mr. McCain said he thought remarks like General Clark's were "unnecessary."

In a conference call, a number of Mr. McCain's former colleagues in the military and former prisoners of war in Vietnam also stood by his record and assailed General Clark for impugning Mr. McCain's heroism.

Senator John W. Warner, Republican of Virginia, a former Navy secretary and former Armed Services Committee chairman, said he was "utterly shocked" at General Clark's comments.

Mr. Warner said it was "an exercise in poor judgment" for the Obama campaign to employ General Clark as a surrogate.

—M.G.