AP: White House Spokesman Slams Kerry Remark

[DeepModem Mom]

White House Spokesman Slams Kerry Remark
Oct 31
By JENNIFER LOVEN
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON

The White House accused Sen. John Kerry on Tuesday of troop-bashing, seizing on a comment the Democrat made to California students that those unable to navigate the country's education system "get stuck in Iraq."

"Senator Kerry not only owes an apology to those who are serving, but also to the families of those who've given their lives in this," White House press secretary Tony Snow said. "This is an absolute insult."

Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran and Bush's rival in 2004, fired back, saying the president and his administration are the ones who owe U.S. troops an apology because they "misled America into war and have given us a Katrina foreign policy that has betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it."

"This is the classic GOP playbook," Kerry said in a harshly worded statement. "I'm sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did. I'm not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium."...

***

(Kerry said in a speech at Pasadena City College): "You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."...

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/10/31/D8L3OOHG0.html

[Mass]

1. This is desperation from the GOP. Kerry was not talking of the military.

[enough already]

28. You're obviously correct, but...

you can bet this is going to show up in a campaign ad this week. The truth doesn't matter to these pricks.

[MADem]

30. What a waste of dough, then. Kerry isn't on any ballot!! NT

[Kagemusha]

36. I think yours is the wisest comment here.

No one's voting for Kerry. They're voting for congressmen and senators. Edit: Who are actually up for election and Kerry isn't.

[MADem]

39. I served for decades in the military, and I did NOT find his comment

insulting in any way, shape or form. He spoke the truth. Anyone currently supervising military personnel, who has had leadership positions over the past decade or more, will tell you the exact same thing, and THEN some.

You tell me where a kid who did LOUSY in school is gonna find a job nowadays in this "great" BushCo economy? Apply at McDonald's, and ahead of you in line are seniors who work the max that they can and not screw up their social security (cheap help, too--no medical benefits to worry about!), the poor bastards who were pink slipped out of their good paying jobs, that went overseas, and the spouses of pink slippers who are trying to scrape enough dough together to make that car payment for one more lousy month. And let's not forget all of the immigrants, some with dodgy work papers, who will cheerfully work for minimum wage and not expect a pay raise.

These poor kids who aren't bright enough to push the button with the hamburger picture on it when someone orders a hamburger DO end up in Iraq. The standard and ASVAB score requirements are quite low if all you are to do is carry a weapon in hundred degree heat.

It IS a back door draft, and it's sweeping up all sorts of people, from the undereducated, to the unfortunately but genuinely stupid, to the criminal elements, and the mentally ill. The quality of forces has declined PROFOUNDLY in the last decade, and it is a noticeable decline. For every sharp kid in uniform, there's a substandard one. They just can't recruit the quality they used to, so they've lowered their standards, and it is showing.

And anyone who is in denial about those simple truths is blowing smoke out their ass.

[saigon68]

78. Your reply sums it up

I remember Project 100,000 (later referred to as McNamara's Morons) where 350,000 men classified as 4-D, were drafted to fill the cannon fodder slots (Army lingo 11-Bravo)

While Cheney and the Glorious Chimpanzee were fervently DODGING the draft with 2-S deferments.

[krispos42]

54. Looks like he was talking about our C-average President

Who got into elite schools based on affirmative action for rich white people.

If you're not studied, educated, informed, intelligent, etc., (like a certain current US President), you make decisions that are horrible, based on data that is either bad or data you (badly) made up to support your horrible decision. I am referring of course to Iraq.

Then, you lack the intelligence to either a) perform the decision in a competent manner (not enough troops), b) follow through afterwards (post-invasion planes), c) recognize that there is even a problem to begin with, or d) realize that the people working for you can't do the job because they can't reconcile their idealology with fact, and rather than have a crisis of faith have instead a crisis of reality, or e) admit you screwed up because your ego is bigger than your IQ.

[Hosnon]

62. So? Good GOD! We are 1 week out and he makes a comment like that? Sure the intent was to hit Bush

just as his intent in 2004 was to illustrate the complexities of his vote BUT HE SHOULD BE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW HOW THIS WILL BE USED.

Jesus H...

[greccogirl]

74. I don't give Kerry

high points for smarts. This was ill advised.

[greeneyedboy]

2. the WH so desperately needs a famous enemy straw man.

[saigon68]

35. Tony Snow is a Quisling

[MADem]

38. This one ain't made of straw, though--he's already told them to shove it!

"This is the classic GOP playbook," Kerry said in a harshly worded statement. "I'm sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did. I'm not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium."

[saskatoon]

67. Kerry's tough message

IT'S DAMN WELL ABOUT TIME THAT THE DEMOCRATS TALK TOUGH. THEY HAVE BEEN NICE GUYS TOO LONG. GOOD FOR KERRY! GO GET 'EM BOY!

[gratuitous]

3. Curious that Kerry's comment gets such play

But when some dunderhead in the Bush administration makes a flat-out reprehensible comment like how water-boarding and other torture is a "no-brainer," the major media fall all over themselves to explain how the administration really didn't mean what they said, and it's not fair to hold them to their words, and what are you, a terrorist?

But Kerry tells the truth, the White House gins up some fake outrage, and bingo! headlines. Kerry's rebuttal is buried several paragraphs down and the AP plays Snow's smarmly little comment as if it actually means something. Go enlist, Tony. Maybe you'll be "just a number," too.

[NoSheep]

4. That's the way I see it.

:(

[IADEMO2004]

31. Bush Admin. threatens Americans

http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/bushvideos/v/bushismvideo.htm

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." Aug. 5 2004

GOP get a life MSM too

[Supersedeas]

26. AB-SO-LUTE-LY

[daleo]

5. He mentioned an officially taboo truth

What is informally called "the poverty draft".

[INDIA]

32. So which it it?

He was talking about Bush or talking about troops?:shrug:

[daleo]

52. I think he was alluding to the poverty draft

And I think someone should talk about that. But it seems to be a taboo subject. In my original post, I said officially taboo, whereas I meant unofficially taboo. There are certain subjects that politicians dare not directly address if they want to be taken "seriously". I think this is one. Kerry will be accused of insulting the troops for bringing up the social class inequities of military (especially wartime) service.

[INDIA]

53. If that's true...

then he just lied in his press conference. I'm siding with Kerry on this one, he wasn't talking about the troops. He wasn't talking about what you think he was talking about.

[daleo]

57. Maybe not, I didn't read the whole speech

Nonetheless, I think someone should address this issue.

[krispos42]

55. Looks like Bush to me. See my comment above n/t

[ItNerd4life]

6. Kerry needs to work on his speeches

especially when it comes to the military. He means to insult the politicians who started the wars, but half the time he instead insults the military personnel.

He did this during the Vietnam war and he's doing it with Iraq.

[Gayla]

9. McCain

Sucks! He knows as well as anyone else that the poor fight the rich man's war. He knows the military HAS lowered their standards.
Kerry spoke the truth.

[MODemocrat]

50. Hopefully someone here will post the McCain-Bush-Liplock

McCain knows good and well what John Kerry was saying, he just wants to make points with the rest of the sleezy republicans. I think that photo of Bush and McCain should be a home page item.
Please someone, post that photo, and we'll keep it kicked...That was one HUGE mistake on McCain's
part.

[cui bono]

10. He absolutely did not insult the soldiers...

the WH didn't understand his comment. Seems you didn't either. It was directed at the pResident.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2525839#2526474

[humbled_opinion]

23. Seems I didn't either and I saw the clip.... It appeared he was attempting to

make a joke about getting education or having to serve in Iraq... Now I know where he was coming from but it gives the Right Wing fodder to sway voters and get their base all incited... Kerry should just appologize and move on.... We cannot afford to lose house gains if we want to move forward...

[MADem]

41. Ooooooh, be very AFRAID!!!! Let me be blunt--FUCK THAT.

The rightwing can take the fodder and shove it up their ass. Hell, those assholes don't have any of their KIDS serving in the military, so what do they know, anyway?

See my post upthread on this topic for the brutal facts about the back door draft and the increasing poor quality of recruits.

Kerry has nothing to apologize FOR. The quality of troops sucks, and you ask anyone from mid-grade front-line leaders to General Officers and they'll tell you the same thing. Where once they needed two to do a specified task, they now need three or four, and one of them will be "quality" to oversee the less qualified. The longer we prosecute this halfassed war, the more our military looks like an Arab army, with an increasing number of low quality personnel in need of constant and ardent supervision in the lower ranks.

[Tabnoom]

29. Own up...he F'd up

"He absolutely did not insult the soldiers..."

Horseshit. Whether he meant to or not, he did.

My cousin is in Balad, and has already heard this tripe.

[cui bono]

34. Nope. You're misinterpreting what he said. n/t

[humbled_opinion]

45. Yes I heard his presser and he made it clear it was Bush he was..

referring too so no appology needed... However, bad timing and bad joke....

Good for Kerry getting it straight.

[Haole Girl]

60. Is that a right-winged...um...er....for your avatar?

:rofl:

[MADem]

69. And the name is MOONBAT backwards--a classic GOP "insult"

A pretty lame insult, if you ask me!!

[mac56]

64. He did no such thing.

He didn't insult the soldiers.

Suggesting that he did? THAT'S what's f'd up.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

49. I disagree.

It was a boneheaded comment (Kerry's staff admits it was a botched joke). On its face, it implies that only stupid, lazy people are in the military.

That clearly is NOT what he means or what he believes. But it gives the chickenhawks fodder to falsely portray Democrats as anti-military.

His response to the criticism, on the other hand, has been fantastic!

[Cha]

73. Like Kerry said...

he's not going to "I’m not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece" And no one should. Fuck tony snow and Fuck his "litmus test".

[lostnotforgotten]

11. Many Of Us Disagree With You - Your Opinion Only!

eom

[blm]

12. He did not - that's why the RW machine EDITS and clips to make it seem

as if he did. That can be used on ANYTHING - even to the words of Jesus, Churchill, or Lincoln.

[jobycom]

16. Any examples of him insulting military personnel?

Clearly this latest statement did not, so I'm curious whether there are examples of him insulting the troops.

Now, if he had said "All military personnel in Iraq are failures who couldn't get a job elsewhere," the Repubs might have a point. Kerry would never say nor believe that, though. What he said and implied was that people who fail in our educational system often have few options other than the military.

Kerry was a college grad who fought with distinction and heroism in the military, according to the military. He obviously wasn't claiming that only failures join the military.

[katty]

71. at 11th Hour mid-terms, Kerry could have been more vigilant&not get

bush and his GOP apes jumping around all over the news with this.

[cms424]

81. I agree.

Kerry set himself up for this with a very poor choice of words. We all know what he meant, but that's not what he SAID.

He digs his own holes and if he runs for president again, he will lose again.

[Lochloosa]

7. Kerry paid attention to the Big Dog!

Re: Clintons interview on faux news.

More of Kerry's remarks:

Bottom line, these Republicans want to debate straw men because they’re afraid to debate real men. And this time it won’t work because we’re going to stay in their face with the truth and deny them even a sliver of light for their distortions. No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut and run policy in Afghanistan and a stand still and lose strategy in Iraq.”

[blm]

13. Kerry's actually said this many times before. You just rarely hear about it

when he does.

[cui bono]

8. Here's Kerry's kick ass response to that...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2525839

[AlinPA]

14. He answered Tony Snow beautifully" the stuffed suit White House mouthpiece

standing behind a podium."... I love that line.

[frylock]

24. some top-shelf smack from JK..

:bounce:

[Solly Mack]

15. The Bush Regime can stuff their mockrage up their asses

No one - absolutely no one - in the Bush Regime gets to speak for my military family.

I don't want anyone telling me how I should feel as a military family.

[jobycom]

17. Nice double-barreled response by Kerry to that slander

"I'm sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did. I'm not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium."...

[Bushies gotta go]

18. How many apologies

does the WH owe us?

"Senator Kerry not only owes an apology to those who are serving, but also to the families of those who've given their lives in this,"

How many apoloigies does the WH owe Cindy? Or any other parent who believes their child died for no cause...? It's nice to see that the Bushies can be such hypocrites.

[goforit]

19. Is this war yet?

[humbled_opinion]

20. Look bottom line is that the GOP spin this and it incites their base.

Kerry would just as well apologize to the troops and move on reagarding this issue... It can only serve to backfire on critical elections.... If he mispoke he needs to say it.... there was no context in his remarks....

[MADem]

42. There you go again, cowering in FEAR. Enough of that shit.

Backfire, my ass. They bring a knife, we bring a gun.

[humbled_opinion]

44. Damn I love your optimism but I am trying to be a realist....

Too many disappointments.... but then again I like to believe that America will get it right in the end.

[MADem]

48. Stop being AFRAID. That's how the GOP held sway for so long.

When they fire at us, we hit them with a cannon. We destroy them with brutal truth and harsh facts. No quarter. That's how you WIN wars, with overwhelming force. It's the one thing Powell got right.

It's how you win political wars, too.

[paulk]

72. and Kerry's double barrel response

will fire up our base....

[keepCAblue]

21. "I'm sick and tired of these despicable Republican..."

You go, Senator Kerry! At last, Kerry lashes back. Wish he would have done more of this during the 2004 campaign, but was probably muzzled by his "advisers." Like Gore and Carter, Kerry is finally speaking out--loud and unambiguously--against the criminals who have run this country into the ground. It's good to see him show some genuine anger over all the Bushco crime syndicate has been allowed to get away with these past six years.

[sutz12]

22. What Kerry said is universal truth..

True everywhere and since the beginning of time.

The poor and underpriveleged go to fight. The rich and powerful stay home and bitch.

Republicans loves them there chickenhawks.

[humbled_opinion]

25. America doesn't see it like that... I am a vet and believe me the troops hate it

When politicians whether they served or not make these type of comments.....

[The Count]

27. You are a vet and speak for ALL TROOPS? Amazing!

because Kerry is a vet too, and now I don't know which of you to believe...:shrug:

[MADem]

46. I'm a vet and then some--I'm a retired senior officer

And I'm still in touch with leaders in the field. The quality of troops SUCKS. They know it. Congress knows it. Every qualified soldier serves with a moron companion in uniform, to put it bluntly. And the QUALIFIED personnel know it, too, and resent having to serve with dipshit nitwits.

I haven't seen standards this low in thirty or more years.

I am a bit suprised at your fearfulness. But your assertion that the "troops hate it" is, to put it kindly, broadbrushed and not representative of a single servicemember that I know. What the ones I know hate is being in Iraq, prosecuting a failed war with no definable mission, attempting to train Iraqis who disdain physical labor, who are at the end of their ropes, who are woefully UNQUALIFIED, and many of whom are insurgent-assassins. That's what the troops "hate." They want to COME HOME, you see. They realize it's a clusterfuck, and they've had ENOUGH.

[humbled_opinion]

51. Retired senior enlisted here...

I understand your point however, but your statement fly's in the face of anything military that I ever served proudly in with my brothers in uniform and I have never once thought any less of anyone especially that any of them were a nitwit... Bottom line you must have failed the Leadership course that taught you the group is only as strong as the weakest link in the chain.

Your assertion that the troops are feeling they are prosecuting a failed war is right on. The Iraqis are in most respects pathetic at soldiering and worse, your right some are the enemy within.

[MADem]

56. Look, I started out as an E-1 and crawled my way up the chain

I proved my leadership talents every step of the way and I certainly don't need any lectures on leadership on an anonymous message board from someone who touts a false and fear-based picture of the issues confronting leaders in the field. And what I say does not fly in the face of anyone who has actually led both quality troops AND substandard ones. The ones nowadays are seriously substandard, and if you'd pay attention you would know that.

I'm going to assume that you are sincere, and give you some reading in order to edify you on this issue so you don't make the grave error of passing on your misconceptions any further:

http://www.november.org/stayinfo/breaking06/Recruits.html

Army Accepts Crime In Recruits

To Fill Its Needs, Military Issues Waivers For Some Past Minor Offenses

By and large these are flawed recruits," said retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey, who commanded the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division during the 1991 Persian Gulf war.

He said the ripple effects of the waivers will be felt into the future when the recruits are up for promotion: "Those getting waivers won't be the sergeants we want."

McCaffrey recalled the post-Vietnam Army of the 1970s, which had similar low-quality recruits and soldiers.

"It took us about a decade to take a fractured Army and turn it around," he said, adding that the global situation is grimmer than it was three decades ago. "We don't have 10 years this time."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061010/pl_afp/usmilitaryrecruiting_061010185336

Pentagon defends quality of military recruits

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Pentagon defended the quality of its recruits even though more are coming into the military with low scores on aptitude tests, medical shortcomings or records blemished by misdemeanors..... But the army acknowledged that approximately 17 percent of the 80,635 troops who enlisted in the active force during the year were given waivers excusing medical shortcomings or problems of a "moral character" in the recruit's past.

Of those, 55 percent were moral character waivers, the overwhelming majority (86 percent) involving misdemeanor crimes and a smaller number (seven percent) drug or alcohol violations...."There may be physical failings, there are failings in terms of excessive debt, there are failings in terms of brushes with the law," said David Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel.

...The army also lowered maximum enlistment age twice during the year, raising it first from 35 to 40, and then from 40 to 42.

And it changed its rules to allow up to four percent of its recruits to have scored in the 20th to 30th percentile in the armed services aptitude test.....

Bush attacks the Army, too

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14784419/#060913

There are a lot of reasons why pro-military types and their families vote Republican and while they exist for understandable historical reasons as a reaction to particular historical and cultural phenomena, fewer and fewer of them can be considered rational in light of contemporary developments. The long and the short of it, as Lawrence Korb, Max Bergmann & Peter Ogden demonstrate in this week’s TNR, is that Bush has declared a de facto war on the U.S. Army. Consider:

*Fully two-thirds of the active U.S. Army is officially classified as "not ready for combat."


*The National Guard is "in an even more dire situation than the active Army but both have the same symptoms; I just have a higher fever."


*The Army has almost no nondeployed combat-ready brigades at its disposal.


*The equipment in Iraq is wearing out at four to nine times the normal peacetime rate because of combat losses and harsh operating conditions.


*The total Army--active and reserve--now faces at least a $50 billion equipment shortfall.


*After failing to meet its recruitment target for 2005, the Army raised the maximum age for enlistment from 35 to 40 in January--only to find it necessary to raise it to 42 in June.


*The number of Army recruits who scored below average on its aptitude test doubled in 2005, and the Army has doubled the number of non-high school graduates it can enlist this year.


*Basic training, which has, for decades, been an important tool for testing the mettle of recruits, has increasingly become a rubber-stamping ritual. Through the first six months of 2006, only 7.6 percent of new recruits failed basic training, down from 18.1 percent in May 2005.


*Thousands of white supremacists may have been able to infiltrate the military due to pressure from recruitment shortfalls.

That’s all here. There’s plenty more to the story of course; crappy body armor, inappropriate assignments, medical benefits slashed, encouragement to torture, refusal to attend a single military funeral, exploiting them as extras in pseudo-Hollywood-style media events. The thing is, as the authors explain, political reality needs to catch up to this issue and the Democrats remain afraid to raise it.......

[humbled_opinion]

66. Roger That ..... I'm not arguing with you.

However, you imply that the troops have been and are existing as substandard... That is not the way it was... So if the Army started using 1980's tactics in recruitment i.e., taking criminals out of the court houses and saying either go to jail or go and serve that is recent the article you sent was as of Feb 06. So the effects of those recruits would just be taking effect now in Iraq... Back to the broader point. Kerry has awful timing in his remarks because it only serves to stir the Republicans base.. The Democrats were already stirred up... anyway thanks for the other info I will read when I get a chance.
Respectfully./

[MADem]

68. I beg your pardon? The BULK of the forces are junior personnel

who have been inducted since Nine Wun Wun changed ever'thang. And the only GOP "base stirring" is courtesy of Karl Rove, Ken Mehlman, Tony Snow and people like you who keep ignoring the facts and repeating the same lies. Step away from that Kool Aid, it will kill you.

In the 1980s recruitment was broadened to accommodate Reagan's wish for a larger military. But I was running a recruiting command back then, and the rules were NOTHING like they are today. The waiver requirements were ten times more strict, the personnel standards were exponentially higher. If you thought the Reagan era tactics were loose, you'd consider this era to be explosive diarrhea if you examined the process in even cursory detail.

If you would read the articles I posted, they aren't just news items from last February--the facts in them address everything that's happened since Bush's 9/11 military got off the ground. They look at the entire scope of the failed military over a broad period of time.

[ShortnFiery]

80. Bull Shit! This is a classic GOP smear.

Kerry meant the Bush Administration but the M$M is not showing the piece in context.

Damn the M$M!

As a veteran, I know exactly what Kerry meant - He was referencing the Idiot King we have occupying the White House.

Damn! I hate our fascist M$M. :(

[BootinUp]

33. Not everyones truth.

There actually are volunteers who aren't just doing it for money.The point he was making was made very poorly.

[WillieDee]

37. a stupid thing to say, Kerry!

While there is truth to Kerry's remarks, is was stupid and tactless to utter them this close to an election. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

Why GIVE the repugs ammo to attack us with? WHY?

[Alhena]

40. Agreed, it's largely true but you shouldn't say it

I've often wondered about the mentality of someone who would join the military to risk their lives for this ridiculous war. My guess is many are either desperate or very gullible to be taken in by W's lies. But the fact remains that they are risking their lives over there, and that demands respect. It's clear what Kerry meant, and I secretly hold some of the same opinions as he does. But a politician should never say it publically.

[luckyleftyme2]

47. ANY DIVERSION FROM FOLEY,COLORADO,AND MONTANA

Things aren't going well for "DUB-YA" since he made that infamous landing on the air craft carrier,you know the war is over the boys will be home for x-mas,etc etc.
Give him credit though,he didn't say which x-mas.
lets list his sucesses and legacy:
2003: give me the right to go to war,i will not abuse it
they have weapons of mass destruction
we will NOT keep our troops their in a long drawn out affair
it is not over oil(2/3) of the worlds oil reserves are in iraq
stay the course(remember kerry is the flip flopper)
I never said stay the course!!!!
there is no sign of civil war in iraq
fema director brown =your doing a helluva job here in new orleans
billions wasted on junk for homeland security.
to date 4 senators or congressman resign in shame for corruption or illegal or immoral
reasons,est. 5-20 more to be charged!
billions un-accounted for in iraq,projects incomplete or never started -money gone!
911 fund for widows and survivors=either not paid or under paid.
Iraq=quagmire and full blown civil war now being fought!

OF COURSE THIS IS JUST A SMITTEN OF MY OPINION,I NEVER MENTION MISSING "KATRINA" FUNDS,OR MISSING WEAPONS IN IRAQ AMONGST DOZENS OF OTHER SCREW UPS.

IT'S TIME TO VOTE DEMOCRATS IN AND THROW THE BUMS OUT.TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE!

[confludemocrat]

75. Aw come on. this won't hurt Dems, Kerry is largely irrelevant anyway

what he says and does really is not going to energize either "base". let his crack PR team handle this

[Placebo]

43. Kerry just isn't made for the national stage.

Sad but true. It doesn't matter what he meant to say, it's how it gets played in the media that matters.

He will never be president.

[wisteria]

61. Oh, please. When someone takes what you say and spins it

no one is safe. This shouldn't of even been news. The repubs are going around trying to trip up Democrats. They want to find things even when there is nothing there.

Frankly, happily, Kerry has responded well. I think he would make a wonderful President.

[AngryOldDem]

79. Sorry, but I disagree

Kerry's inelegant phrasing and reckless use of words (a surprise, coming from such an articulate, thoughtful man) stand on their own. It seems to me that he is the one now trying to spin them into something less offensive. Like during the campaign, his "what-I-meant-was" tactic is too late. You can't go back and explain what you meant to say, or tried to say, once the words are out of your mouth.

While it's true that war has historically been a poor man's game, blanketing the troops with the label of "uneducated" is careless. It was NOT obvious on its face what Kerry says he "meant": That kids need to learn their history or else they may end up in a place like Iraq. Very true enough. See how easy that was? That was all Kerry had to say.

He needs to just fade into the background for awhile. Thankfully, from what I hear, his remarks should have a negligible effect next week. But the fact remains that he did open himself up -- and the party as well -- to a lot of crap one week before the most important election in decades. Timing is everything.

I feel as though I am in the minority here, but I cannot defend his comments.

[DrDan]

58. this is such faulty logic

If A then B does NOT imply If B then A!

His statement does NOT imply that if you are in Iraq, then you did not do well in school.

That is such a fallacy!!!!

But the WH can get away with such a false claim because their following is much too dumb to see the difference. Logic evades them.

[Haole Girl]

59. I, truly, had to take a couple of minutes to see how his words..

...could even be misconstrued...even by a stretch.

Man, they are desperate now...desperate to turn attention away from their failure where Iraq is concerned.


NEWSFLASH TO BUSH: Kerry was in a war, you weren't...so there!

[druidity33]

82. yeah...

It's occurring to me that maybe it's just that most Americans are lazier and dumber than they used to be. Or more completely self-absorbed. If people had actually gone to the text of the speech instead of merely accepting that two sentence quote taken completely out of context, this would be a non-issue. Or maybe as Americans we've become less apt to understand complex thoughts?


What's apparent however is that depite how many non-sensible, clearly idiotic verbal/speech gaffes have vomited out of our "decider"... people give it a pass. It's like everyone expects that * is stupid and makes speaking errors. Part of his humble Texas background or something. Something about putting food on children... i know there's a list of *'s idiotic quotes somewhere.

Here's one, though...

“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”

Ever seen that one on the news?

[dkos refugee]

63. best explanation:

http://anythingexceptthetruth.blogspot.com/2006/10/kerry-let-slip-more-truth-than-america.html">Kerry let slip more truth than America can handle

[Haole Girl]

65. Thanks for the link

..and, welcome to DU! :hi:

[Deja Q]

70. How many people with Masters degrees are doing well,

if their previous jobs were offshored?

Kerry's wrong... but not for the reasons Snow there is talking about...

[havocmom]

76. .

[Squatch]

77. 3 of my friends, all 3 distinguished West Point graduates, all 3 dead in Iraq.

Kerry's was a dumb comment, but not insulting.