leejo

He's the gift that keeps giving. And roger that!

I just don't understand why you'd waste a sentence defending him. You may notice I never attempted to excuse Foley's behavior and always said that if there was a cover up those involved should be punished. Why doesn't that ever seem to work for the Dems?

Kerry shoved his foot down his throat and is doing a disservice to his party's campaigns by refusing to apologize. People falling over themselves to excuse his statement, and insisting that this lame "I was joking even though it took me 24 hours of posturing to realize what I really meant to say was that I was joking" story should possibly stick? And why not call that what it is: lying.

leejo

So Harold Ford, and Hillary Clinton, and Jon Tester, and Ben Cardin, and the American Legion, and the troops in the picture and I don't have a grain of common sense?

Dom Imus piles on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZMRecdL_No

Sen. McCain sums it all up: No common sense expressed there?

WhiskeySix

ok - i missed the original statement kerry should appologize for, and to which you posted his response to the GOP response

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Beatnik

Easy there buddy. It's been a long time since I took the SAT's but the analogy - Kerry: Democrats :: Foley: Republicans won't even get you into Florida State.

Glad to see the President devote his pre-election get out the vote speech to such a relevant and pressing issue as one line of a Kerry speech. That really demonstrates a turnaround of policy and accountability for the botched jobs done in the past 6 years.

Kerry as far as I'm concerned is irrelevant and I wasn't a stauch supporter of his in the first place, other than the fact that he wasn't GWB, which is why I voted for him. But then again I would've voted for the dead guy that beat John Ashcroft over GWB in 2004.

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leejo

Hopefully someone can find a less edited clip that shows "the context" but this is what he said: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLuMWiQ6r2o

Beatnik

Nope. All pure political posturing sans common sense.

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leejo

Possibly not. But apparently reading comprehension isn't so hot at Florida, because I never made that analogy.

I think we get that. The fact that it's many democratic candidates' best selling point is pretty sad, doncha think?

WhiskeySix

ah ok... thanks...


Kerry should just use youtube comments to handle damage control:

"Kerry was refering to how Pres. Bush didn't make enough of his education, and as a result we are now in Iraq. He is NOT belittling troops, he IS belittling the president."

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perry

Someone at work just showed me the picture from Drudge.. Makes a nice dual monitor wallpaper

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freekyE

You're 100% right, i cant stand either of em....politics make me nauseous but i feel i need to at least keep up a little ....though kerry does have a point about the "draft dodgers and so on......its always those who dont have to go under the knife that seem to scream for war the loudest.

Isnt being insulted by "stuck in iraq" kinda over-sensitive? Maybe Im just insensitive. I mean is there a soldier over there who REALLY wants to be there (duty notwithstanding) and wouldnt be happy if it was over and they could come home?

Im not trying to defend Kerry im trying to understand how EVERYONE thinks this is just a HUGE insult to soldiers......they didnt cause themselves to be stuck there...bush did...why do they take affront for someone elses mistake/insult?

I really think a lot of these "insulted people/ soldiers" are really just listening to someone else say "you should be outraged" so they are.
Soldiers are just as easily manipulated as the rest of america...hell maybe easier, they volunteered. I wonder if all those national guard units who were recycled past their "go home" dates feel they were "stuck"

Take all I say with a grain of salt I dont know everything involed so most of this is conjecture......
...and Rush Limbaugh IS fat........thats not up for debate.

leejo

Well first of all, I don't appreciate the insult. Second of all, I think Kerry's words are a better example of that. He has, IMO demonstrated a willingness to throw his fellow vets under the bus to achieve a political posture he desires. He was, I think, trying to say "study up kids or you might wind up in Iraq like them dumb grunts". I don't think he was trying to say "study up kids or you might become President someday" or "you might wind up as stupid and ignorant as President Bush."

And if that is basically what he meant to say, what a charming joke to tell a bunch of young school children! Lurch indeed.

So I think he's lying and I think he doesn't care all that much about the men and women in uniform. I feel confident they don't care all that much about him.

Beatnik

Absolutely. It's as sad as their lack of message or strategy since about 2002. But they're still better than GWB.

I disagree with your assessment. I think that you (and many blogs/other "vested interests") are reading what you want to into the quote for lack of any other significant positive indicator of reupublican control of congress for the past 6 years. And squeezing political blood from a stone. And (this may require some mental gymnastics here), suppose he in fact is speaking in defense of the troops, and did in fact make that his platform in 2004? What does that make you and those that are criticizing him?

And I don't think you can generalize the opinion of "the men and women in uniform" to one opinion on anything. The soldiers I know all voted for Kerry in 2004. And again a broad generalization to an entire class of people is on the face of it invaid, irregardless.

I'm really disgusted by both major political parties, and by proxy those that speak on behalf of the parties (including myself, responding to this post) even more so now than ever, which is saying something. This "issue" is political absurdity at its finest, and illustrates that no one is as interested in "accountability" and "leadership" as much as political posturing and political theater. Hi ho.

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leejo

I agree sorta. He stuck his foot in it. Some soldiers shot him the bird right back with their sign. If, instead of posturing or excusing or twisting or explaining away Kerry's remarks people, like you, would say simply "yep, he bungled the job" this thread would have been very short and very sweet. If instead of imagining what he meant to say or could have said, we restrict our discussion to what he actually said and ought to do, given that he said it, the conversation will stay simple and better grounded in reality.

The soldiers you know do not represent the service by a long shot. Bush beat Kerry 73% to 18% in a Military Times poll of active duty and National Guard troops shortly before the 2004 elections.

Maybe those navy guys like him?

Beatnik

Of course that poll was non-scientific (an email sent out to 31,000 AT subscribers who skew toward the higher ranks and more "career military" than the total makeup of the military, of whom 4,000 responded), so I can see why those numbers would skew Republican or in support of the CINC. I don't doubt that the majority of active military supported Bush in 2004, but that's certainly not all "the men and women in uniform".

But this is all blahblahblah and tiddlywinks, AFAIAC. I just can't wait until this time next week when this election garbage is done with, and the two or three months of relative peace we'll have until people start gearing up for 2008. I think I'll just try to leave the TV/Radio/Sandbox off until after next Tuesday. blech

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leejo

Good plan. It'll be an interesting week.

FWIW I don't remember saying "all". Where did that come from?