Kerry gives his opinion of our servicepeople in Iraq

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Wow, the man (Kerry) has a politically incorrect opinion.

What opinion? He himself claims he was merely trying to joke about the Presidents lack of intellect and botched the delivery. Now he's on video sounding like he's calling the troops retards.

Even he doesn't claim he was trying to express an opinion. Just deliver a joke. And the fool couldn't even do that right.

To be fair, though, it ain't as bad as botching an entire war.

I'm really indifferent to Kerry. Just wondering at what point being an arsehole makes one a traitor.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Just wondering at what point being an arsehole makes one a traitor.

JMHO - When a Senator makes public accusations against his nations troops during a war, that is traitorous. Regardless of whether the allegations are true or not, because they provide propoganda fodder to the enemy.

FWIW, I do not consider similar accusations leveled by private individuals (in the media, for example) to be traitorous.

I will understand if you don't agree. I expect you won't.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

He himself claims he was merely trying to joke about the Presidents lack of intellect and botched the delivery. Now he's on video sounding like he's calling the troops retards.

Even he doesn't claim he was trying to express an opinion. Just deliver a joke. And the fool couldn't even do that right.

To be fair, though, it ain't as bad as botching an entire war.

Hear, hear! Kerry just made an ####### out of himself. But that didn't get anyone killed.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

JMHO - When a Senator makes public accusations against his nations troops during a war, that is traitorous. Regardless of whether the allegations are true or not, because they provide propoganda fodder to the enemy.

That seems a stretch to me - considering that our free speech laws (that we hasten to defend whenever there is an issue about a 'reaction' to politically incorrect opinions of other religions and racial minorities) give broad licence for people to conduct themselves however they wish. As a result we tolerate racists, secular and religious bigots.

In and of itself - those comments don't amount to a crime. He looks like a ####### - absolutely, but if people are really that offended by it then it will surely be reflected in the polls. Perhaps some folks will be so offended they'll get up out of their lazy-boys instead of vegetating in front of Deal or No Deal

Edited November 1, 2006 by erekose

[I'm Gone 60]

Hear, hear! Kerry just made an ####### out of himself. But that didn't get anyone killed.

Only because he lost the election.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Kerry: I won't let them Swift-boat me again

At a press conference in Seattle this afternoon, John Kerry said -- and showed -- that he's learned a thing or two since he was Swift-boated out of the presidency in 2004. Pushing back hard against GOP criticism of words he uttered in Southern California Monday, Kerry said that he's learned a lesson "deep and hard": A Democrat can never give "one ounce of daylight" to Republicans who want to "spread their lies."

Kerry said that he "botched" a "joke" when he said Monday that "if you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well," but that if you don't "you get stuck in Iraq." But he insisted that the White House and its Republican allies knew full well what he meant: Not that members of the U.S. military are stupid or uneducated, but that the president and his people might be.

"This president and his administration didn't do their homework," Kerry said. "They didn't study what would happen in Iraq. They didn't study and listen to the people who were the experts and would have told them. And they know that's what I was talking about yesterday."

Kerry was just getting started.

"I think Americans are sick and tired of this game. These Republicans are afraid to stand up and debate a real veteran on this topic. And they're afraid to debate -- you know, they want to debate strawmen because they're afraid to debate real men. Well, we're going to have a real debate in this country about this policy. The bottom line is: These Republicans want to distort this policy. And, this time, it won't work because we are going to stay in their face with the truth. No Democrat is going to be bullied by these people, by these kinds of attacks that have no place in American politics. It's time to set our policy correct. They have a stand-still-and-lose policy in Iraq, and they have a cut-and-run policy in Afghanistan. And the fact is, our troops, who have served heroically, who deserve better, deserve leadership that is up to their sacrifice -- period."

Asked about John McCain's criticisms of his remarks, Kerry said that McCain knows what he really meant. "John McCain ought to ask for an apology from ####### Cheney for misleading America," he said. "He ought to ask for an apology from the president for lying about the nuclear program in Africa. He ought to ask for an apology for once again a week ago referring to al-Qaida as being the central problem in Iraq, when al-Qaida is not the central problem. Enough is enough. I'm not going to stand for these people trying to shift the topic and make it politics. America deserves a real discussion about real policy. And that's what this election is going to be about next Tuesday."

Minutes after Kerry's staff circulated a transcript of his press conference, the Republican National Committee responded with a blast e-mail under its "America Weakly" banner. The headline: "Kerry Apologizes to No One: 2004 Dem Presidential Nominee John Kerry Refuses to Apologize for Belittling U.S. Troops."

-- Tim Grieve

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/

[garya505 2]

Kerry: I won't let them Swift-boat me again

At a press conference in Seattle this afternoon, John Kerry said -- and showed -- that he's learned a thing or two since he was Swift-boated out of the presidency in 2004. Pushing back hard against GOP criticism of words he uttered in Southern California Monday, Kerry said that he's learned a lesson "deep and hard": A Democrat can never give "one ounce of daylight" to Republicans who want to "spread their lies."

Kerry said that he "botched" a "joke" when he said Monday that "if you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well," but that if you don't "you get stuck in Iraq." But he insisted that the White House and its Republican allies knew full well what he meant: Not that members of the U.S. military are stupid or uneducated, but that the president and his people might be.

"This president and his administration didn't do their homework," Kerry said. "They didn't study what would happen in Iraq. They didn't study and listen to the people who were the experts and would have told them. And they know that's what I was talking about yesterday."

Kerry was just getting started.

"I think Americans are sick and tired of this game. These Republicans are afraid to stand up and debate a real veteran on this topic. And they're afraid to debate -- you know, they want to debate strawmen because they're afraid to debate real men. Well, we're going to have a real debate in this country about this policy. The bottom line is: These Republicans want to distort this policy. And, this time, it won't work because we are going to stay in their face with the truth. No Democrat is going to be bullied by these people, by these kinds of attacks that have no place in American politics. It's time to set our policy correct. They have a stand-still-and-lose policy in Iraq, and they have a cut-and-run policy in Afghanistan. And the fact is, our troops, who have served heroically, who deserve better, deserve leadership that is up to their sacrifice -- period."

Asked about John McCain's criticisms of his remarks, Kerry said that McCain knows what he really meant. "John McCain ought to ask for an apology from ####### Cheney for misleading America," he said. "He ought to ask for an apology from the president for lying about the nuclear program in Africa. He ought to ask for an apology for once again a week ago referring to al-Qaida as being the central problem in Iraq, when al-Qaida is not the central problem. Enough is enough. I'm not going to stand for these people trying to shift the topic and make it politics. America deserves a real discussion about real policy. And that's what this election is going to be about next Tuesday."

Minutes after Kerry's staff circulated a transcript of his press conference, the Republican National Committee responded with a blast e-mail under its "America Weakly" banner. The headline: "Kerry Apologizes to No One: 2004 Dem Presidential Nominee John Kerry Refuses to Apologize for Belittling U.S. Troops."

-- Tim Grieve

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/

Hmmm, looks like Kerry is the one who is trying to change the subject.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

This is shaping up to be one of the dirtiest election campaigns in some years.

Edited November 1, 2006 by erekose

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Hmmm, looks like Kerry is the one who is trying to change the subject.

Come on. Do you really think he would do a campaign stump speech to dis our troops? This has Karl Rove written all over it.

Here's more to the story...

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."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15499174/

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Come on. Do you really think he would do a campaign stump speech to dis our troops?

Agreed. He would have to be profoundly stupid to rubbish a well respected national institution with an election days away. Still stranger things have happened.

[I'm Gone 60]

Kerry: I won't let them Swift-boat me again

At a press conference in Seattle this afternoon, John Kerry said -- and showed -- that he's learned a thing or two since he was Swift-boated out of the presidency in 2004. Pushing back hard against GOP criticism of words he uttered in Southern California Monday, Kerry said that he's learned a lesson "deep and hard": A Democrat can never give "one ounce of daylight" to Republicans who want to "spread their lies."

The only reason he can afford to not apologize is that he's from Massachusetts. He could probably join al-Qaida and still not have a problem getting elected in Massachusetts Figure they keep reelecting Ted (You need a ride home) Kennedy every 6 years, so what are they going to do to a guy that may have called the soldiers in Iraq morons.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Kerry: I won't let them Swift-boat me again

At a press conference in Seattle this afternoon, John Kerry said -- and showed -- that he's learned a thing or two since he was Swift-boated out of the presidency in 2004. Pushing back hard against GOP criticism of words he uttered in Southern California Monday, Kerry said that he's learned a lesson "deep and hard": A Democrat can never give "one ounce of daylight" to Republicans who want to "spread their lies."

The only reason he can afford to not apologize is that he's from Massachusetts. He could probably join al-Qaida and still not have a problem getting elected in Massachusetts Figure they keep reelecting Ted (You need a ride home) Kennedy every 6 years, so what are they going to do to a guy that may have called the soldiers in Iraq morons.

Are you listening to his response? It's funny that you'll take his comments out of context as the gospell truth but ignore any response he has made about it. I think a little common sense is needed for this one. Political shenanigans is all this is...but apparantly P.T. Barnum was correct.

Edited November 1, 2006 by Steven_and_Jinky

[GaryC 7]

I saw that press conference. He was downright hysterical. He made an even bigger a$$ out of himself than before. Remember that this is the same guy that said our troops shouldn't be the ones that terrorize Iraqies, the Iraq army should do that. He also the one that went before congress and said our troops raped, cutoff arms and ears and went through the countryside like Guegas Kahn. He is real supportive of the troops.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I saw that press conference. He was downright hysterical. He made an even bigger a$$ out of himself than before. Remember that this is the same guy that said our troops shouldn't be the ones that terrorize Iraqies, the Iraq army should do that. He also the one that went before congress and said our troops raped, cutoff arms and ears and went through the countryside like Guegas Kahn. He is real supportive of the troops.

Really? Find the quotes of what he said, Gary. If you seriously believe this guy is anti-American you've lost your political sensibilities.

I'll tell ya what. I'm gonna hit the gym but when I'm back I'll dig up some statements made by prominent Republican politicians and I'd like to see if your consistent with your judgment of what they've said.

[I'm Gone 60]

Are you listening to his response? It's funny that you'll take his comments out of context as the gospell truth but ignore any response he has made about it. I think a little common sense is needed for this one. Political shenanigans is all this is...but apparantly P.T. Barnum was correct.

Well if it was blacks, jews or women b*tching about something he said, he would be jumping through his @ss to say he was sorry.

http://tinyurl.com/yjufon

INDIANAPOLIS, October 31, 2006 - The National Commander of The American Legion called on Sen. John Kerry to apologize for suggesting that American troops in Iraq are uneducated.