By Richard Clark

ESCANABA — The Olympic Games from Beijing presented opportunities for many Americans. President Bush took the opportunity to hang out with the American Women Beach Volley Ball team. Good choice. Beats the heck out of clearing brush in Crawford. I just hope someone was reading national intelligence estimates to him. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama took the Olympic opportunity to impress us with their messages between floor exercises and Michael Phelps’ gold medals. Sen. McCain makes his case that he is the One who is ready and prepared to be president. Sen. Obama makes the case that he is the One looking to the future. The McCain forces want us to think military experience makes him more qualified. If military experience were a prerequisite, FDR and Ronald Reagan would absent from the presidential pantheon. “W” may have qualified, but an asterisk would hang next to his name. There is no doubt that being able to control the Defense Department is a major part of the job.