Was Kerry’s mind AWOL? ‘Botched joke’ draws fire from McCain, GOP

Boston Herald ^ | 11/01/06 | Dave Wedge

[raccoonradio]

Sen. John F. Kerry is scrambling to recover from a “botched joke” that Republicans charge belittled U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq, in a gaffe that threatens to sink Democrats in Tuesday’s election and dash his own presidential hopes.

“I think John Kerry is writing his own epitaph,” New York University political science professor Mitchell Moss said as controversy swirled around the senator. “He’s clearly self-destructing.”

The controversy erupted after Kerry told Pasadena (Calif.) City College students, in the midst of a string of Bush-bashing one-liners: “Education, if you make the most of it, you study hard and do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

President Bush, on the stump for Republicans locked in a pitched battle to hold their House and Senate majorities, demanded that Kerry apologize for the “insulting” and “shameful” remark.

GOP Sen. John McCain, a decorated Vietnam war hero mulling another run for the White House, said, “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.”

The Bay State senator, also a decorated Vietnam combat veteran, immediately issued a sharp response, a move that stood in contrast to his often-criticized ignoring of GOP-fueled Swift Boat Veterans attacks that many blame for costing him the 2004 presidential election.

“My statement, and the White House knows this full well, was a botched joke about the president and the president’s people, not about the troops,” Kerry said in a hastily scheduled speech in Seattle yesterday. “We have the finest young men and women serving us in the United States military that we’ve ever had, and I’m proud of that.”

Asked by a reporter, “Do you need to go to joke school?” Kerry responded: “Sure.”

“I apologize to no one . . . I’m not going to give them one ounce of daylight to spread one of their lies and to play this game ever, ever again. That is a lesson I learned deep and hard,” Kerry said.

In an initial written statement released by his office, Kerry took an even harsher tone, saying, “If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they’re crazy. This is the classic GOP playbook. 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.”

He went further, slamming White House spokesman Tony Snow as a “stuffed suit White House mouthpiece” and even “doughy” talk show host 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.”

Gov. Mitt Romney - a possible Kerry rival in the 2008 presidential race - joined the GOP chorus demanding a Kerry apology as he stumped for Republicans in Idaho, saying, “No matter where you went to school, or how many degrees you have, most people understand the strength of our nation comes from every corner of America.”

Democratic strategist Mike McCurry, a former press secretary for President Clinton, said Kerry “should apologize” but added that the White House’s reaction smacks of desperation.

“The fact that the Republicans pounced on this today shows they don’t have a lot of arrows left in that quiver,” he said.

[raccoonradio]

Kerry's 04 campaign was a botch AND a joke.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

TELL IT LIKE IT IS, KERRYDUDE

[Allegra]

SHOVE IT, Kerry. It's too late. You said it and we heard it.

Your foot is stuck so far in your mouth now, you may never get it out.

[Screamname]

How about; "“Education, if you make the most of it, you study hard and do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can intern for John Kerry. If you don`t, you can get a real life by starting a business, work real hard and make a ton of money instead of sucking up to a absolute and complete a-hole."

[Question Liberal Authority]

Democratic strategist Mike McCurry, a former press secretary for President Clinton

Don't they mean "stuffed suit mouthpiece"?

[Screamname]

And I heard last week this doofus may run for POTUS again..Please please please!!

[raccoonradio]

No Laughs for Kin of Bay State Military (in same paper):

---

Sen. John F. Kerry’s “botched joke” about Iraq stung Bay State military families who say their sons and brothers chose to fight for what they believed was right - not because they flunked out of school.
“It was never that he didn’t have other options. He had plenty of options,” said Michelle Arredondo of Boston about her 20-year-old brother Carlos Arredondo who is deploying to Iraq, soon after he enlisted with the Marines right out of high school.

“My parents work hard to pay for our school. It wasn’t like, if he didn’t do that he wouldn’t be able to do anything else,” she said. “He has very strong beliefs in our freedom and fighting for our freedom.”

Kerry says he was trying to be funny - and was aiming at President Bush, not U.S. troops - when he warned California students to do their homework or “you get stuck in Iraq.”

But that explanation didn’t sit well with the family of slain National Guardsman Sgt. Michael Kelley, 26, who died in Afghanistan June 8, 2005.

“I wouldn’t have taken it as a joke,” said Kelley’s older sister, Karianne Golemme of Rockland, who was offended by Kerry’s comments. “Everyone in Michael’s unit, they all had their reason for going over there.”

Added her father, Joe Kelley: “Our family certainly paid the price for freedom and we pay it everyday as a nation,” he said.

Some military families, however, gave the junior senator the benefit of the doubt.

Stephany Kern, whose son, Haverhill native Marine Lance Cpl. Nickolas Schiavoni, 26, was killed in Iraq nearly a year ago, said Kerry was referring to Bush’s own mediocre college record and implying that his poor leadership landed the country in Iraq.

“Under no circumstance is John Kerry saying anything derogatory about the men and women who are in service,” said Kern, whose son left behind a widow and two young children.

Kerry, a decorated Vietnam combat veteran, has refused GOP calls to apologize, instead blaming right-wing critics for making too large an issue out of his remark.

[Smokin' Joe]

Your foot is stuck so far in your mouth now, you may never get it out.

LOL! Quite an accomplishment when you consider where his head generally is. I can't help thinking, just one little nudge and he'd disappear...

[Allegra]

“I apologize to no one . . . I’m not going to give them one ounce of daylight to spread one of their lies and to play this game ever, ever again. That is a lesson I learned deep and hard,” Kerry said.

Whatever, a$$hole.

Keep talking. You're helping your Marxist party for the elections coming up.

No, really. You are. Just keep on talking.

[oldenuff2no]

Kerry plainly said what he said and even if it was intended to be a joke how does he get off trying to blame others for his own stupidity.
He should have told the world that he was sorry for being a dumb ass and gone on with life.He chose to try and blame his lack of intelligence on others. This is just the last display of his arrogance.

[nopardons]

bttt

[RedEyeJack]

"If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the... heroes... they’re crazy."

He did it before. He is proud of having done it before. Why would he not do it again? Seems like Senator Kerry may be the one who can't think straight.

[Screamname]

Repubs couldn`t come up with a better campaign to vote for Repubs then what comes out of this idiots mouth. Please sKerry, keep talking. We should all send him thank you cards.

[SR 50]

ping

[happinesswithoutpeace]

"In an initial written statement released by his office, Kerry took an even harsher tone, saying, “If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they’re crazy."


That was what Kerry said during his press conference. That wasn't the statement the office released.

[raccoonradio]

[raccoonradio]

The likes of Kennedy and Kerry are used to winning landslide wins in Mass. Kerry probably assumed he had the '04 Prez
race in the bag and felt no need to respond to the Swifties.
He was probably blindsided by this latest controversy...
"Lovey, why is everyone so upset? DON'T THEY KNOW WHO
I AM??"

[Pacothecat]

My one and only nephew is in the Army. He is going to Iraq Nov 14th. He is a young man with immense intelligence and opportunities. He joined last year because he believes in the War on Terror. Both I and my family were deeply insulted by this poser, stuck in the sixties, hippy, limousine liberals ignorance!!!!!! I just pray this will help America wake up and realize the Dem's are lying - they do not support the troops or their mission and they will make us loss this war just like Vietnam!!!!

[Dov in Houston]

It will be "seared in his memory" whoops that was the Cambodia thing.

[Toby06]

Shockingly, CBS news made him look like a total jerk. OK, so they just played the story straight, and kerry did the work, but it was the #2 story behind California wildfires.