McCain rejects Democrat on age issue

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain rejected criticism on Wednesday by a 75-year-old Democrat that he is too old at age 71 to be president.

Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. John Murtha, a fierce critic of the Iraq war that McCain supports, told an AFL-CIO union gathering that McCain was too old to be president and that the presidency was "no old man's job."

It appeared to have been the first major attempt by the Democrats to try to use McCain's age against him. If elected in November, he would be the oldest person ever elected to a first presidential term.

McCain, who turns 72 in August, dismissed Murtha's comments in a CNN interview.

"All I can tell you is that I admire and respect Jack Murtha. Speak for yourself Jack. I'm doing fine," McCain said. (Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Peter Cooney)