In a clear sign that the Obama campaign is going to respond to the argument of the commander-in-chief theory being pushed by the Clinton campaign, the campaign has scheduled a 1PM press conference.
The information on this came from Time's The Page. The military brass include Retired Army, Navy, and Air Force secretaries. I'm assuming that they'll all appear at the press conference. This shows that the Obama campaign is going to be pushing back hard on this, and it's about damned time that they're doing this.
I expect that the commander-in-chief argument to be made on the basis of judgement, not experience, and that's probably what the military brass will be saying about Obama being prepared to be commander-in-chief because of his judgement and his global diplomatic approach to real problems on the ground.
I'm also interested in your thoughts on this. Is this enough or is there more that the campaign should be doing to counteract this ridiculous argument made by the Clinton campaign?
Also, Senator Obama will be having a town rally in Columbus, Mississippi at 9:30AM, so look for a change in his speech which may counteract the words made by Clinton over the past week.
UPDATE:
TPM notes that the military brass is from the Clinton administration:
Among the secs attending: Secretary Clifford Alexander, Jr. (U.S. Army -- Carter Administration); Secretary Richard Danzig (U.S. Navy -- Clinton Administration); and Secretary F. Whitten Peters (U.S. Air Force -- Clinton Administration)
I'm hoping that those Secretaries of the Air Force and the Navy will give a back-handed compliment in this way:
"I served as the Secretary of the Navy in the Clinton administration, and I know Hillary well from her role as First Lady in the administration, but I believe that Barack Obama is more qualified to be commander-in-chief."
ALERT:
The Clinton campaign has scheduled a media conference at 11:30AM to hit on the remarks made by Samantha Powers about Obama's Iraq plan.
Clinton team plans 11:30 a.m. ET conference call on Obama’s Iraq plan with Gen. Wesley Clark and others....
We must hit back on this immediately to say that one of Clinton's generals said that Clinton wouldn't withdraw from Iraq if she was the President. We also must hit back on how she supported the surge strategy, as the general said, which has now cost us over 25 American lives this month. Also frame it as more of the same bamboozling. They're trying to destroy one of Obama's strongest suits as a candidate his anti-war stance. This MUST be stopped!
Wolfson, the Clinton press secretary, just said on the media conference call:
Reporters repeatedly ask about the vice presidential issue.
Spokesman Wolfson says flatly: "Senator Obama has not passed the commander in chief test," and that Clinton would not choose a running mate who has not passed that test.
But he adds: "We have a long way to go to Denver, and it’s not something she has ruled out."
Fine, if they're making this argument, then we can say Senator Clinton and Senator McCain hasn't passed the commander-in-chief test either because of their horrible judgement on the Iraq war. Say something like, "She and McCain helped waste billions of dollars in Iraq, endangered the lives of our troops, and refuses to acknowledge that was a grave mistake."
NOT SO FINAL UPDATE:
Obama adds another superdelegate today to his delegate lead!
North Carolina superdelegate Joyce Brayboy endorses Obama.
FINAL FINAL UPDATE
Obama just hit Clinton on her floating the VP ticket!
With all due respect. I have won twice as many states as Senator Clinton. I have won more of the popular vote than Senator Clinton. I have more delegates than Senator Clinton. So I don't know how someobody who's in second place is offering the Vice Persidency to someone who's in first place. If I was in second place I could understand. But I'm winning.
But there's a second point. Bill Clinton in '92, when asked about his selection for VP, he said the only criteria is that the person is ready to be commander in chief. That was his criteria. Now they spent the last 2-3 weeks, with that ad with the phone call, saying "we're not sure he's ready. So I don't understand. If i'm not ready, how is that they think I'd be such a great VP? Do you understand that?
Let me be clear. I'm not running for Vice President. I'm running for President of the United States.
Don’t think you can get both — you have to make a choice in this election...
I do not believe Sen. Clinton is about change. . . . This guide of gamesmanship. . . is the kind of Washington doublespeak and doubletalk that will not solve the problems of this country.
"Sen. Clinton and Sen. McCain represent the conventional wisdom in Washington...."