Obama: I will never question others’ patriotism.

Doesn’t matter, dude. Basically the entire Republican campaign is about questioning your patriotism, it’s the only arrow they’ve got left in the quiver.

…adding, that Obama’s comments are in part a response to this, Wesley Clark’s statement yesterday that the fact that John McCain was shot down over Vietnam doesn’t necessarily mean he’d make a better president.

Clark worded it a little less artlessly, and he’s being slammed across the blogosphere by those condeming this as swift-boating. Which in a sense it is - I mean, it’s absolutely Rovian politics, go after your opponents’ strenght. Pretty canny that way, actually; though that hasn’t tamped down the outrage.

But, let’s talk about the meat of what Clark said. As he himself said, there’s no disrespect intended to McCain’s military service; what McCain endured for his country makes him a real military hero. And we’ve elected people on the strength of their military experience in the past. But, again, Clark is saying: Does this alone make John McCain a better choice for president? If judgment is the key to a good administration - and Lord knows we’ve had precious little of it these past seven-plus years - does John McCain’s war record automatically mean that he’s the one with better judgment?

And in any event, there’s a vast difference in Clark’s saying what he did and what the Swiftboaters did the first time around. Clark this time suggests McCain’s military record shouldn’t necessarily be a pass to the presidency. Last time, you’ll remember, it was all about John Kerry making sh*t up. So it’s funny to see the likes of Michelle Malkin get her panties all in a bunch now - when back then, she was cheering the swiftboaters on.