Source: WBUR: Here and Now Podcast
POLITICAL RUMORS: Barack Obama has rejected comments from his adviser, Gen. Wesley Clark, that John McCain's military service doesn't make McCain qualified to be president. But both campaigns are dealing with much more vociferous attacks on everything from their religion to their patriotism. We talk to Ben Smith of Politico.com about how the candidates are fighting to bring the rumor mill under control. ANDREW BACEVICH: Iraq war critic Andrew Bacevich says criticism of the Bush Administration on the war hasn't gained mainstream political traction, despite the long presidential primary season. He writes today in the Boston Globe that neither presidential candidate is really making a break from Bush Administration policies. Bacevich is professor of history and international relations at Boston University. He's a retired Army lieutenant colonel who served in Vietnam. His new book is The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism. SLOW FOOD: It started in Italy 20 years ago,