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Ruben Navarrette: Kerry's slip
Sacramento Bee ^ | 11/5/6 | Ruben Navarrette

Posted on 11/05/2006 10:16:08 AM PST by SmithL

What's worse, being stuck in Iraq or stuck on stupid? We may have just witnessed the end of what was expected to be John Kerry's encore bid for the White House. Chances are the former swift boat captain will not be reporting for duty as the Democratic nominee in two years. And for that, the country can be grateful.

How could someone with a fairly decent education who is speaking to students about the importance of education wind up saying something that sounded so uneducated? What John Kerry said on Monday about how young people either "study hard ... and make an effort to be smart" or they "get stuck in Iraq" was totally lame - and his excuses for why he said it were even lamer. Shelled by criticism from the right, the Massachusetts senator at first defiantly refused to apologize, insisting that it was the Bush administration that owed the country an apology for having a "broken policy" in Iraq and arguing that what he really meant was to insult Bush for not doing his homework when it comes to the war.

But none of that rang true. And when the criticism became bipartisan to the point where Democratic candidates started distancing themselves from him, Kerry tried to atone for a "poorly stated joke" with a poorly worded statement. In it, he expressed "regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform" and apologized "to any service member, family member or American who was offended."

That's terribly weak. Why do career politicians, on the rare occasions when they do apologize, always make it sound as if what they're sorry about is that someone took offense - not that they said or did anything offensive?

(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: johneffinkerry; slowboated
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1 posted on 11/05/2006 10:16:09 AM PST by SmithL
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To: SmithL
Success starts with accepting personal responsibility and taking ownership of one's life and making good choices. That's what Kerry was really trying to convey.

And another apologist chimes in for Jon Carrey. And, BTW, if this is the definition of success - accepting personal responsibility and making good choices - Kerry has failed miserably.

2 posted on 11/05/2006 10:20:04 AM PST by hsalaw
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To: SmithL

Kerry has been saying since he lost in 2004 that he woudnt let anyone Swift Boat him again. The fact is that he had no defense against the truth. His only defense was to sign a F-180 and reveal his military record. Only he couldnt do that because it would have shown the truth as told by the Swift Boat Veterans.

This time he jumped right in with both feet and again the truth defeated him. He could have done allright and possibly even helped Angelides if he could have just gotten over his hatred for George Bush. He couldnt do it. neither can Nancy Pelosi, but at least she was smart enough to go into hiding before she made a bigger fool of herself.


3 posted on 11/05/2006 10:22:52 AM PST by sgtbono2002 (The fourth estate is a fifth column.)
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To: hsalaw
Navarrette is an idiot. Google his name and read some of his insipid articles. Medved took this guy to the woodshed a few months back over a pro-illegal article he wrote.
4 posted on 11/05/2006 10:29:56 AM PST by bigfootbob
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To: SmithL

Ha. The Washington Post finally got around to running the Minnesota National Guard Jon Carry photo today on the inside of its comment section. I think the most interesting part of this entire episode was how the MSM, horrified that the truth might come out despite its best efforts, tried to downplay, explain it away or just ignore it, and was unable to do any of the three. This, more than anything, is the death knell for the MSM.


5 posted on 11/05/2006 10:31:08 AM PST by 3AngelaD
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To: sgtbono2002

Kerry's "ship came in". In this case, it was the Flying Dutchman.


6 posted on 11/05/2006 10:32:57 AM PST by bvw
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To: All; SmithL

.


JOHN KERRY =


Pictures of a vietnamese Re-Education Camp

http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1308949/posts


.


7 posted on 11/05/2006 10:34:35 AM PST by ALOHA RONNIE ("ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer/Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.lzxray.com.)
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To: SmithL
Anyone re-elected when not bothering to show up for almost all of his job is Teflon enough to continue doing just about anything he desires. It would not surprise me in the slightest if Kerry announces his re-election bid to the Senate the same day he announces he'll be serving in the White House.

I hope that the Republicans have a warm body on tap to go up against the egomaniac.
8 posted on 11/05/2006 10:45:04 AM PST by kingu (No, I don't use sarcasm tags - it confuses people.)
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To: kingu
'Where can I get me a huntin' license?'
9 posted on 11/05/2006 11:13:07 AM PST by CT (Semper Fi - MCRD - Bravo Company, Platoon 2027 (10/20/2006))
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To: SmithL
How could someone with a fairly decent education who is speaking to students about the importance of education wind up saying something that sounded so uneducated?

Uhhhh...maybe because he believes it to be true?

10 posted on 11/05/2006 11:14:35 AM PST by Mygirlsmom (How did Karl Rove's Hurricane Machine make such a perfect storm come out of John Kerry's mouth?)
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To: SmithL
Why do career politicians, on the rare occasions when they do apologize, always make it sound as if what they're sorry about is that someone took offense - not that they said or did anything offensive?

Where was Navarrette when Dick Turbin shot off his mouth?

At least with this episode, Effn' Kerry is finished. Almost a shame.
11 posted on 11/05/2006 11:18:59 AM PST by rottndog (WOOF!!!)
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To: SmithL

I emailed this into my local town paper here in MA today, hope it makes it by Tuesday:

You call that an apology?

Please. It looks like more elitism, patronization and blame deflection than anything else to me. Read below and judge for yourself (his words, not mine). You the "misinterpreting" viewer, listener, reader and voter are also to blame for not "getting" Senator Kerry's "botched joke":

"I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform, and I personally apologize to any service member, family member or American who was offended," Kerry said.

"As a combat veteran, I want to make it clear to anyone in uniform and to their loved ones: My poorly stated joke at a rally was not about, and [was] never intended to refer to any troop," he said.

"It is clear the Republican Party would rather talk about anything but their failed security policy," he said. "I don't want my verbal slip to be a diversion from the real issues. I will continue to fight for a change of course to provide real security for our country, and a winning strategy for our troops."

John Kerry has had at least from the Democrat primaries prior to the last Presidential election until now to come up with that "winning strategy for changing the course and providing real security."

Quite frankly, I'm not buying anything the senator is selling here. But I guess in this anti- Bush, anti- Republican, anti- war and anti - American climate we currently live in, anything can pass as an apology, even if it is actually insult number two.


12 posted on 11/05/2006 11:19:57 AM PST by guinnessboy (MA Bush supporter here, sox curse reversed, three Patriots Superbowls under Bush!)
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To: SmithL

Well, he's right about Kerry, but how does an op-ed about Kerry's flub turn into a justification of illegal immigration? It seems politicians aren't the only ones who love to twist and bend things to suit their own agenda.


13 posted on 11/05/2006 11:35:05 AM PST by x
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To: x
I googled this guy. He's from Arkansas, and a member of the 'Clinton Family Admiration Society.'

Imagine that. A Guy that calls Republicans Chickenhawks, but loves Clinton.

Of course Clinton slept while our enemies plotted 9-11.

14 posted on 11/05/2006 11:53:57 AM PST by CT (Semper Fi - MCRD - Bravo Company, Platoon 2027 (10/20/2006))
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To: 3AngelaD

Even money says Kerry won't be asked to speak at the 2008 DNC..


15 posted on 11/05/2006 11:56:47 AM PST by ken5050
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To: sgtbono2002
This time he jumped right in with both feet and again the truth defeated him. He could have done allright and possibly even helped Angelides if he could have just gotten over his hatred for George Bush.

He has another problem that induced him to make the remark--he virulently hates America, the military and all both stand for. The wonderful, heroic Swiftvets were and are the real men. In Kerry's view they did the absolutely inexcusable; they exposed him. In doing so they stood for the entire military. That redoubled all the bitterness and hate he feels for the military. Thus, when he was with a friendly audience containing many traitors who agreed with him it was just as though he'd consumed enough drinks to loosen his tongue but not enough to slur his speech and he said what he really thought, exposing his complete contempt and hatred for the military and America. Unfortunately for him and the DemonRats, most of whom feel exactly as he does, he ignored the all seeing eye of the TV camera. The rest is history.

16 posted on 11/05/2006 1:05:30 PM PST by libstripper (!!)
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To: SmithL

Kerry is an arrogant, narcissistic gigolo. The purpose for him being in Pasadena was to help a sinking gubernatorial candidate. Instead, he was speaking like a 2008 candidate for himself. He didn't give a d*amn about Angelides. It was about him, and he stuck his own combat boot up his own ***.


17 posted on 11/05/2006 2:25:22 PM PST by doug from upland
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To: SmithL
Success starts with accepting personal responsibility and taking ownership of one's life and making good choices. That's what Kerry was really trying to convey.

Why didn't he just say that, then? Obviously, Kerry said what he meant, thinking that he was among fellow leftists and everyone would simply nod agreement and they would move on from there. Like most eastcoast liberals, he forgot that the rest of the world doesn't see it his way.

18 posted on 11/05/2006 4:52:42 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: bvw

Great line! Perfect for the ghoulish "senator" kerry.


19 posted on 11/05/2006 4:54:16 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: hsalaw
"Success starts with accepting personal responsibility and taking ownership of one's life and making good choices."

Which explains why Kerry is a pompous horse's ass and a gigolo to boot!
20 posted on 11/05/2006 4:56:03 PM PST by Panzerlied ("We shall never surrender!")
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