Candidates set aside politics, praise fallen soldiers

Presidential candidates joined in praising fallen soldiers and left partisanship aside on Memorial Day despite their differences over the war in Iraq.

{mosads}Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), an ardent supporter of U.S. policy in Iraq, recalled his experience in Vietnam as a captain in the U.S. Navy.

“I once had the privilege to serve with men who never gave a second thought to making the ultimate sacrifice to guard this freedom,” McCain said.

“They were willing to fall from the line if it meant that America would remain in control of its own destiny.”

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), appearing at the Victory Corners Monument in Chappaqua, N.Y., said Memorial Day is “a time of commemoration for all who have been lost in all of our wars and it is particularly fitting today because of what is still happening in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.), who has sought to corner the anti-war vote among the top-tier Democratic candidates said because of those serving in uniform “our country remains the land of the free.”

Edwards has looked to strike a balance between calling for withdrawal and supporting U.S. soldiers, using the slogan “support the troops, end the war” to drum up grassroots anti-war support.