Uproar over Kerry Iraq remarks

**Piggybank Cop** · 10-31-06, 09:22 PM

Uproar over Kerry Iraq remarks
Bush says troops deserve apology; Kerry says joke aimed at president
The Associated Press

Updated: 7:40 p.m. ET Oct 31, 2006
WASHINGTON - The White House and Sen. John Kerry traded their harshest accusations since the 2004 presidential race on Tuesday, with President Bush accusing the Democrat of troop-bashing and Kerry calling the president's men hacks who are "willing to lie."

The war of words, tough even for this hard-fought campaign season, came after Kerry told a group of California students on Monday that those unable to navigate the country's education system "get stuck in Iraq."

The two parties are searching for any edge amid indications Democrats could take back the House and possibly win control of the Senate in next week's midterm elections. Though neither Bush nor Kerry is on any ballot, the bitterness with which they fought each other as 2004 rivals spilled over as both campaign hard for their parties in a race shaped in large measure by public doubts about the Iraq war.

White House press secretary Tony Snow was asked about Kerry's comment at his regular briefing with reporters, and had clearly come prepared with a lengthy attack. He said the quote "fits a pattern" of negative remarks about U.S. soldiers from the decorated Vietnam veteran and suggested that whether Democratic candidates - particularly those running on their military service backgrounds - agree with their 2004 standard-bearer should be a campaign litmus test.

Bush statement asks for apology
The White House also released in advance remarks Bush was to deliver later in the day while campaigning in Georgia, in which the president called Kerry's statement "insulting and shameful." Bush, like his spokesman earlier, said soldiers deserve an apology from Kerry.

"Our troops did not enlist because they did not study hard in school or do their homework," Bush said in his prepared remarks for a former GOP congressman, Mac Collins, who is trying to oust Democratic Rep. Jim Marshall. "The men and women who serve in our all-volunteer armed forces are plenty smart and are serving because they are patriots."

Kerry, who is considering another run for the White House in 2008, angrily fired back.

His statement called Republicans "assorted right-wing nut jobs."

And at a hastily arranged news conference in Seattle, Kerry said: "I apologize to no one for my criticism of the president and of his broken policy."

Kerry explanation
Kerry said the comment in question was "a botched joke about the president and the president's people, not about the troops ... and they know that's what I was talking about."

It came during a campaign rally for California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides. Kerry opened his speech at Pasadena City College with several one-liners, saying at one point that Bush had lived in Texas but now "lives in a state of denial."

He then said: "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."

That, Kerry said, was meant as a reference to Bush, not troops. Kerry said it is the president who owes U.S. soldiers an apology - for "a Katrina foreign policy" that misled the country into war in Iraq, failed to adequately study and plan for the aftermath, has not properly equipped troops and has expanded the terrorist threat.

The Massachusetts Democrat called the White House attack "a classic GOP textbook Republican campaign tactic" that reveals Republicans' "willingness to reduce anything in America to raw politics."

"I'm sick and tired of a bunch of despicable Republicans who will not debate real policy, who won't take responsibility for their own mistakes, standing up and trying to make other people the butt of those mistakes," he said. "It disgusts me that a bunch of these Republican hacks who've never worn the uniform of our country are willing to lie about those who did."

Unsubstantiated allegations about Kerry's Vietnam War heroism from a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth figured prominently in the 2004 Kerry-Bush race. Even Kerry has blamed his slow and uncertain response to the group's claims for helping to doom his White House chances, and Democrats viewed the Tuesday fracas as a test of that lesson.

"Enough is enough. We're not going to stand for this," Kerry said. "We are going to stay in their face with the truth."

Election issue?
Other Republicans, sensing opportunity for their side, piled on throughout the day with their own demands for an apology from Kerry.

GOP Sen. John McCain, like Kerry a decorated Vietnam veteran and a potential 2008 rival, said while campaigning for Republican candidates in Indiana that "the suggestion that only the least educated Americans would agree to serve in the military and fight in Iraq is an insult to every soldier serving in combat today."

Added House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., struggling to keep his party in control of Congress: "Our soldiers risk their lives in the face of grave dangers on the battlefield, and no one who chooses to courageously and selflessly defend our country can be considered 'uneducated.' "

Separately, the White House issued President Bush's Veterans' Day proclamation praising those who have served in the armed forces - a week and a half before the holiday.

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URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15499174/?GT1=8618

**kay88** · 10-31-06, 09:42 PM

Well, I didn't like John Kerry in 2004 and I still don't like him. I don't see how the statement is pointing at Pres. Bush to be honest. In the context given:

He then said: "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."

And if he runs in 2008 and wins...then I'm leaving

**Terminator** · 10-31-06, 09:54 PM

John Kerry is a complete idiot, and I hope Massachusetts finally gets the brains to boot him from the Senate. Kerry is running again for President in 2008, but luckily, he doesn't have a chance. John Kerry is one of the worst politicians ever!

**kay88** · 10-31-06, 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by Terminator

John Kerry is a complete idiot, and I hope Massachusetts finally gets the brains to boot him from the Senate. Kerry is running again for President in 2008, but luckily, he doesn't have a chance. John Kerry is one of the worst politicians ever!

+Infinity!

**bayern** · 11-01-06, 07:45 AM

UPROAR!!!!!!!!

The scum bag should be tared and feathered and rode out of town on a rail. I though I had contempt for Jane Fonda and the Fat Drunk, Teddy K, but my contempt for KERRY knows no bounds. He is a despicable POS. May his soul rot in hell.

Still don't feel better.

**TXCOP** · 11-01-06, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by bayern

UPROAR!!!!!!!!

The scum bag should be tared and feathered and rode out of town on a rail. I though I had contempt for Jane Fonda and the Fat Drunk, Teddy K, but my contempt for KERRY knows no bounds. He is a despicable POS. May his soul rot in hell.

Still don't feel better.

And send Jenna too.

**BigDawg** · 11-01-06, 08:04 AM

He is beyond a pos, if he was on fire I wouldn't piss on him to put him out!!

If it was a botched joke aimed at the President, but everybody took it to mean the troops the least this SOB could do would be to aoplogize to the troops for the misunderstanding. But he doesn't even have the decency to do that.

Side note: If he did I still wouldn't like the SOB!!

**Jenna** · 11-01-06, 08:51 AM

It was a botched joke about Bush being so stupid that he got us into the war in Iraq, not about soldiers at all. It's clear from the context--it was delivered as part of a series of one-liners about Bush. Kerry is serious and dour by disposition and notoriously bad at making jokes, and he should just give it up. But this is way too big a flap over a botched joke. Bush botches his jokes and even his serious statements so much that they have entire books and one-a-day calendars consisting of "Bushisms" (e.g. http://www.amazon.com/George-W-Bushi...e=UTF8&s=books ), but everyone just chalks it up to Bush being cute and folksy.

What Kerry's speechwriters wrote, and what he was supposed to say, was "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. Just ask President Bush."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...2_kerry01.html

So he didn't memorize his joke well enough and delivered it in a way that could be misinterpreted. Big deal. All this complaining is just last-minute election mudslinging.

**cajunguy** · 11-01-06, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by TXCOP

And send Jenna too.

DITTO!!

.

**BigDawg** · 11-01-06, 09:35 AM

Even so Jenna he still owes the Troops an apology, and he hasn't done that. That is totally inexscusable!!!!

He needs to pack his shit with the other liberals that have fucked up this country and go somewhere else!!! (Maybe Antartica)

**adroitcuffs** · 11-01-06, 10:25 AM

If the shoe was on the other foot & it was ANY Republican who made the same statement, you can damn well be that Kerry would be first in line to completely lambaste the Republican party!! Kerry doesn't even have the cajones to admit he screwed up... bonehead!

**BigDawg** · 11-01-06, 10:28 AM

You know the more I think of it the more I like the idea of shipping all liberals to Antartica. It doesn't now have a government so they can start their own. I know they wont complain about the cold because once they all hundle together singing kumbia they will be warm and snuggly. Hell Ill pay for one or two tickets, Jenna want one???

**OFK** · 11-01-06, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by Terminator

John Kerry is a complete idiot, and I hope Massachusetts finally gets the brains to boot him from the Senate. Kerry is running again for President in 2008, but luckily, he doesn't have a chance. John Kerry is one of the worst politicians ever!

Hence my handle "OFK" aka Osama F Kerry

(on political forums)

**Piggybank Cop** · 11-01-06, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by adroitcuffs

If the shoe was on the other foot & it was ANY Republican who made the same statement, you can damn well be that Kerry would be first in line to completely lambaste the Republican party!! Kerry doesn't even have the cajones to admit he screwed up... bonehead!

Of course not; his wife has them, pickled in a jar somewhere.

**TXCOP** · 11-01-06, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by Jenna

It was a botched joke about Bush being so stupid that he got us into the war in Iraq, not about soldiers at all. It's clear from the context--it was delivered as part of a series of one-liners about Bush. Kerry is serious and dour by disposition and notoriously bad at making jokes, and he should just give it up. But this is way too big a flap over a botched joke. Bush botches his jokes and even his serious statements so much that they have entire books and one-a-day calendars consisting of "Bushisms" (e.g. http://www.amazon.com/George-W-Bushi...e=UTF8&s=books ), but everyone just chalks it up to Bush being cute and folksy.

What Kerry's speechwriters wrote, and what he was supposed to say, was "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. Just ask President Bush."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...2_kerry01.html

So he didn't memorize his joke well enough and delivered it in a way that could be misinterpreted. Big deal. All this complaining is just last-minute election mudslinging.

You've got to be fucking kidding. Your source for the "real" speech is the fucking Seattle Times? And it took a day to come up with this horse shit. C'mon Jenna, even a liberal, bootlicking, tinfoil hat wearing, black helicopter evading asshat like you can see that's a lie. Kerry said what he said because he wanted to. He wanted to bash the American troops because he feels it will endear him to the extreme left. Reguardless what was written by his speech writers. He said what he wanted to say.

**dadyswat** · 11-01-06, 12:33 PM

Jenna and the rest of the damn liberals always want to make excuses. Remember, Clinton didn't have sex with that woman! It just scares the hell of me that they might get elected.

**kay88** · 11-01-06, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by dadyswat

Jenna and the rest of the damn liberals always want to make excuses. Remember, Clinton didn't have sex with that woman! It just scares the hell of me that they might get elected.

+1 I am very voiced in my opinion that it scares the hell outta me too!

**TheOldRhino** · 11-01-06, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by Jenna

So he didn't memorize his joke well enough and delivered it in a way that could be misinterpreted. Big deal. All this complaining is just last-minute election mudslinging.

Kerry's got enough Democratic spin-doctors back-pedaling for him, and so you've got to do you're part, too?

He said if you are uneducated, you get "stuck in Iraq".

Bush isn't stuck in Iraq. Our troops are.

No matter how you want to play this off for him, Jenna, Kerry's either an idiot, or he's an unpatriotic idiot.

Stop being a sock puppet for the left.

**gozling** · 11-01-06, 04:19 PM

what i dont understand is this stuff said.... has to be reviewed and practiced?
so to me this is pre planned conversation to some degree which to me...
there is no f'ing apology for

what a prick

**Virginian** · 11-01-06, 04:22 PM

Sen. John Kerry issues a statement saying: "I personally apologize to any service member, family member, or American who was offended" by comments he made about being "stuck in Iraq."

Guess he realized it was hurting him to act like a jackass and whine about people being mean to him. About time he spit this out.