Well, by now it has come to your attention that John Kerry, in a speech to college students, said that they needed to study hard or they would end up "stuck in Iraq." And you also know that the Republicans are outraged - OUTRAGED, I tell you! - that he would dare imply that our troops are not educated.
You can catch up with the full story by reading a CNN article entitled "After remark, Kerry curtails campaigning for Democrats". Here's what actually happened:
A Kerry aide said that the prepared statement, which had been designed to criticize Bush, "was mangled in delivery."
Kerry was supposed to say, "I can't overstress the importance of a great education. Do you know where you end up if you don't study, if you aren't smart, if you're intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq."
Before the announcement that the statement was botched, McCain, a Vietnam veteran and former prisoner of war, joined his GOP colleagues in condemning the remark and demanding an apology.
But Kerry refused to relent, calling the criticism part of the "classic GOP playbook."
"I'm not going to be lectured by a stuffed-suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq."
My old friend, Walt Calahan, sent me a copy of an email he wrote in reply to someone who insisted that Kerry needs to apologize. Here's what Walt said:
No Kerry doesn't.
Kerry put his life on the line in Vietnam.
Bush, when AWOL in Alabama, never finishing his fly boy life in the Texas Air National Guard (couldn't pass the physical).
Bush abandoned the real fight in Afghanistan to get the terrorist, to waste our troops in Iraq. Now he wants us to believe his war of attrition in Iraq (sounds like Vietnam all over again) is the only correct way to win this war.
Republicans are afraid to speak their mind 'cause they all need the welfare handouts from the Republican Party to run their campaigns.
Democrats are afraid to speak their minds 'cause they are afraid to lose their meager place in Congress because they don't have the balls to fight back.
Meanwhile, one veteran who is pissed off at the war, and tells a poorly worded joke about it, is the source of "Moral Outrage" by a President who wouldn't know morals if it bit him on the ass. This was clearly seen as he flew 1500 feet over New Orleans. Instead of setting down at ground zero to help Americans who had their lives destroyed, he morally flew on.
One more election that never addresses what the common person really needs. Just more Bull Shit of gotcha'.
You know what, I can't wait till next Wednesday when these "leaders" wake up without a clue what to do next.
W
Well, Walt, I hope you're right. About next Wednesday, I mean. You'll forgive me if I'm not optimistic, however. I don't trust the Republicans not to steal this election too.
There's an element of your troops not being educated in the joke, but when I first read it I assumed he meant your president, as in not educated and stuck in Iraq. Then the joke pulls in the troops and lack of education and being stuck in dead end jobs.
ReplyDeleteWhether Kerry meant to or not he's come up with a complex and incisive joke. It worked for me.
When I heard the tape of the comment by Kerry, I immediately understood the reference was to Bush.
ReplyDeleteWhen I heard the spin machine in action, it was with sadness and incredulity. I fear for our country on Tuesday. The desparate can do anything; they have done it before when they weren't nearly as desparate. Marilyn