Kerry digs a deeper hole

If this indeed spells the end of this Bozo's presidential hopes, then Democrats should celebrate!

He ain't exactly the swiftest boat on the river.

Give em hell Johnny.Tell McCain to go Cheney himself.I'm starting to think Rove was correct in calling McCain a nutjob!

Don't mind the mindless posters here like Weeping Willie,Little Johnny and my pet goat Juanbito,they all voted for Alan Keyes over our next Prez,THE ROCK OBAMA.

Quit playing to the Republican noise machine. If anybody owes US troops an apology
it's George W. Bush who sent them to Iraq. He's the dunce who didn't study, who's never been in combat and blithely sent them off to war and put up a mission accomplished banner at the beginning of an insurgency.

Your desire to have a story, to make a horse race out of this comment is disgusting.

As a Viet Nam Marine Corps veteran, I read with interest the feigned outrage of W Bush patriots, y'know the kind of guys like Georgie, who supported the war in Viet Nam but spent their service time in bars around the Texas Air National Guard Base. Real hot bed there. George W taunts the Iraq resistance with Bring It On, that was after he said Mission Accomplished. John Kerry may have mis-spoke, maybe not, but he is a veteran, the real kind, and he and anyone else who served can speak there mind too. Cheney, Mr Bergen, had 7 deferments from active service. Congressman Kirk is Officer in the US Navy Reserve. If he supports the war so much, why has he not volunteered to go to Iraq or Afghanistan? W Bush patriots, sunshine patriots!

Oil Slick Dick has much better camoflauge: "For me - it's a no-brainer."

By the Numbers

Cost of Violence in Iraq
Number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq 2,814
Number of US troops wouned 21,419
Number of Wounded unable to return to duty 10,789
Number of troops killed this month 103
Cost to you and me in programs and budgets
Iraq war $350 billion
per month about $8 billion.

Number of troops now in Iraq including my family
144,000 how many time redepolyed three to four

How many Combat ready brigades to protect the homeland 0

WHY ARE WE THERE LIES
Are we fighting terrorist there no Iraqi's
Are we going to have to fight them here NO because they are Iraqi's not bin'Ladens people

How many here defend those numbers very few 60 percent of America want us to leave Iraq. THESE ARE THE NUMBERS how many of you have family there or served.

Well that settles it, I'm not voting for John Kerry this coming Tuesday!

Oh wait a minute...

I thought I was supposed to vote for the individuals on the ticket, not for a party. I thought I was supposed to listen to all the campaign rhetoric and make a logical decision based on the issues at hand. I thought the country was heading in the wrong direction, but now that I've heard Kerry, we must be going in the right direction!
I thought Republicans were dealing with quite a few scandals of late, but now that I've listened to Kerry I think I will ignore all of them.
I thought all the honorable dead soldiers in Iraq were making me doubt the wisdom of our current course, and the lack of direction coming from either party was disturbing, but now that I've heard Kerry I think I will just follow Bush because he is suddenly much wiser.

America, John Kerry is a bungler, therefore I think we should stay the course after all! After hearing Kerry speak I decided that all Dems are bunglers, because in America you are only allowed to vote for one party, not one candidate.
I think every Dem should now resign, and just hand the reigns over the Bushies, they never misspeak (and they never said stay the course).

I think I have thought a lot about what this election means and John Kerry does not even register on my radar. Soldiers dying in Iraq still register. Deficits register. Veterans benefits register. My child’s college expenses register.

How John Kerry sounding dumb would make Dubya look bright is beyond me. If one comment, one week before an election, was enough to make me change my mind after the amount of time I have spent looking at the issues, then shame on me and shame on any American who lets any of these one-liners change their mind.

I'm not voting for Kerry. I am voting for Duckworth. I am not voting for Kerry, I am voting for Hastert (shock! two parties! How Un-American!)

If you do NOT like the direction this country is heading, vote. Bring a friend.
AND DONT VOTE FOR KERRY!

I can't believe with all the mistatements that George Bush makes on a daily basis that the press is going after Kerry for flubbing a joke. Guess you wanted a distraction from the civil war in Iraq while we're still occupying their country.

Oh, by the way, guess who had the lower "C" average at Yale:

http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1421232/posts

Even if he misspoke as he now has changed his new and nuanced defense, why not accept responsibility. Instead he states all who did not immediately understand what he meant to say instead of what he actually said are "crazy". I guess by those "crazy" folk he is attacking now are the national leaders of Amvets and the American Legion who have called for an apology for his actual statement.

Frank, now you're just baiting us. Because you didn't get enough attention with your first opinion piece on this subject?

Bush, Cheney, and Rove owe this country and the world an apology for using 9/11 to justify the invasion of Iraq and for continuing to lump the war on terrorism with the occupation of Iraq. They need to apologize to us for failing to adequately address the real nuclear threats that North Korea and Iran pose to us. They have used scare tactics to advance a radical right wing agenda that is endangering us all.

This is all they got?

Happy days are here again!

What Kerry should have said is this:
I understand alot of people are upset at my remarks yesterday. I want to make sure the American people witness my flip-flopping this whole issue back in their face.

Thank you and please support elite snobs like me who did not get stuck in Iraq, because I'm so much smarter than the rest of you.

Sincerely,
John "Flip-flop" Kerry

Kerry digging his own grave politically does not in any way negate the fact that G.W. Bush used neo-conservative ideology as a shovel to dig the graves of almost three thousand soldiers.
Forget about what Kerry said.
I want to hear what Bush has to say.
As of late I've heard ZERO.

We need this fronting the web site. Don't talk about the fact that Iraq's president/leader/whatever has forced us to remove checkpoints in Iraq. Those checkpoints were put in place to attempt to find a kidnapped soldier. So in effect the leader of Iraq has shut down the search.

Wouldn't be great if Kerry said "those words coming out of my mouth on that video weren't actually my words." This is classic and will submarine the dems, particularly the "war" candidates like Tammy Duckworth, unless, of course, if they condemn Kerry and his demeaning remarks about our soldiers. Thank you, John Kerry! The man is like manna from heaven.

Flubbing a joke? You leftist sheep actually buy that? Watch the video, he doesn't stammer once. Everyone whose ever slept through one of his self-congratulatory speeches knows that Kerry is an excellent public speaker.

I've finally figured out what the "swiftboating" the left complains about so much is. It's playing back John Kerry's own words so the nation can hear how stupid they are.

Dale Peters,,Number of wounded in United States

People who were not soldiers, People going to work, planning on returning home to their families. A friend of my son's first day of work at the Trade Towers, only 21 years old. He had lived in New York just two weeks. There were 3000 innocents. You might want to count the Marines in Lebanon, The Cole incident, the African embassies etc etc. The men and women who have died in Iraq are professional warriors. We are lucky to have them.

The lesson tonight is, Learn Your Lines: Especially when you are a politician and your punchline contains the word "Iraq."

Speaking of offensive, remember when Bush joked about looking for WMDs in the Oval Office? That made me barf.

I love how the defense is now "if you can't tell the difference between what I actually said and what I MEANT to say, then you're crazy."

I can't imagine how this idiot never became president. I hope the military families of Massachusetts remember this despicable event whenever Kerry's up for reelection.

Hmmmmm...
"Soldiers are just cowards with their backs against the wall. The lowest IQ men in our society, those incapable of normal careers enlist. Their choice in life; prison or the military. Some will have to die in the support of our cause."

Ann Coulter - Intervention Magazine, 11/06/03

Every time I think THESE Republican Leaders cannot POSSIBLY be more disingenuous and hypocritical, they prove me wrong.

If this is the best Republicans have got, one botched joke, then they are in trouble.

Sen. John Kerry is a disgrace to humanity. He is an elitist having little regard from his perch atop his wife's money for "common uneducated folk".

I believe he should run for president in 2008 so the country can see what a real fool looks like!

Just wandering if you dummies have ever thought that maybe if the dumocrats didn't just insult and critique, maybe things would be different in Iraq and in America. By the way, have fun freezing this winter Chicago. The way your city votes, you deserve it.

I too am a Vietnam Veteran and I just want to point out that Kerry has the right to blast the guys who stole the white house from him. His time in country supports that. Why do the chicken hawks in the white house feel that they have to defend our troops in Iraq from remarks by Kerry. Their protests are as transparent as they are -They are both running out of time for this election and they will do anything to deflect criticism about the mess that they got us into.
I think our troops would defend themselves if they had as much time on their hands as those folks in Draft Dodger Central.

Being ridiculed for flubbing a line by the man that wants to put food on people's families must really sting.

Juanito, I laughed out loud at the "swiftest boat on the river" comment. God, I hope this fool keeps releasing non-apology apologies up until the election.

This is not going to make any difference in the next election. Yes, Kerry made a huge goof and even though he is trying to talk his way out of this (I believe the real elitist John Kerry spoke yesterday), so what. Bush has dug a hole too deep, and people are not going to change their vote because "Mr. Hairspray" makes a fool of himself again.

Shoot, Illinois is about to re-elect a governor that may be a bigger crook than Ryan. Enough folks like him because he is giving away money to them that the state doesn't have. Doesn't matter; he is a Democrat and he is in.

Happy days ahead indeed.....

You are all very shrill. And dull in the extreme. Does anyone want to write about something that matters?

Anyone? Anyone... ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzz...

What a dunce (no not W, but Kerry). I mean this guy should just do an Al Gore and disappear. The loser lost the election and is still bitter and partisian. What a nut case.

I can't believe that one mans foul up with choice of words can sway the American people to believe that Republicans should be in charge. One mans words are far less damaging then one mans decision to take us to War. The Presidents decision has him with hands full of blood. He will do what ever he can to cover his hands up as long all those that are trying to run with this story. Take it for what it is and watch the entire video before making your decision.

For those of you who believe that Kerrys foul up is far worst the President George W. Bush's decision to take us to War when they had no WMD'S then be blind and vote to support him. For those Republicans that can see things for what it they are and vote for a change please do so. Your far more intelligent then our President. Come to think of it..who with a C+ average isn't.

This is why democrats will not tsunami - you don't get it:

"Hi Jonah;

That s.o.b. Kerry should have been there with us during the ring ceremony for our daughter’s class at West Point (2004). We bowed our heads, and most of the moms were crying and silently praying “Dear God, please not my son!” as they read the role of the graduates who had already fallen in the War on Terror. Every week or so we get an e-mail of another of the long grey line who “gave his last full measure of devotion.” Kerry must pay for THIS remark with his career. By the way, our daughter was valedictorian of her high school class and is to be shipped to Afghanistan in the beginning of December – her first Christmas away from home. I’m trying very hard not to use foul language here in case you should post this, but my blood is on fire and it is a hard struggle.

Best regrads,
David Churchill Barrow"

Found at http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZWE0ZGM2ZTY3YmRhYzc4NjRjZjE5ZWVlNWQ4MWQzOWY=

In a word - decency.

Jeeze, John put a sock in it will ya!
This guy is still mired in the Viet Nam war
where the college pukes stayed home, got laid and went on to make a bunch of money....
This is an All Volunteer Military John....even the National Guard - who are really getting screwed. So, please this is tough enough as it is...go home shoot a goose.

Thanks, Mr. Kerry.

Having seen the video, I agree that Kerry meant his sophomoric , elitist crack at the republicans and at Bush. its just that people are sick of Kerry always acting as if he is the smartest guy in the room, when usually he's one of the dumbest. So let him twist slowly in the wind o9f ghis own making.

I am certainly not going to defend Kerry since I don't have a high opinion of politicians of either party. I would like to know, however, how you treated the conservative wet dream, Rush Limbaugh, when he came up with a much, much, much more egregious and tasteless comment about Fox and his health problems. Did you suggest to him as you did to Kerry that he apologize to Fox or did you give him an A+ for his comment or did you even comment about it at all? I wonder.

For a guy who is an Ivy leaguer, this guy is a moron. Does he ever think before he speaks. The Dems are in the best possible position they could ever hope for but they just keep on beating themselves.

To say that a distinguished American Veteran would purposely deride his brothers in arms, is rediculously immature. Something along the line of what georgie might do. I don't buy it, especially when the criticism is coming from a draft dodger. I (I purposely didn't capitalize his name.)

raving:

You shouldn't call McCain a nut job, regardless of what you think of his politics, him and countless vets paid a price that you and I will never be able to comprehend.
The sacrifices of people like Evrett Alvarez, James Stockdale,John McCain and Max Cleland are truly humbling and we owe them nothing but respect. It is because of their sacrifices we are able to disagree. McCain is not a nut job!

How anyone could vote for any Democrat is amazing!!!! ???? Their all the same - STRANGE !!

Kerry stepped in it and now he's cleaning off his shoes on Howard Dean's carpet. Good on you Ketchup Boy! Funny, I haven't seen Howie defend your incendiary remarks yet? I'm guessing Dr. Dean is wishing you would just STFU and go away until after Nov 7th, but who knows?

Please go back and read all of Lurch's speeches from the last couple weeks. The same tired jingoisms over and over again. He's dumbed-down his remarks into series of trite little sound bites for trick-or-treating yellow dog Dems. But this Halloween, its all trick and no treat. The Great Pumpkin has spoken, and the GOP is thankful.

John Kerry is dishonest, ego-driven, and I consider him and most of the Dems, enemies of the United States. All one has to do is read Al-Jazeera, listen to the words of Osama Bin Laden, and the rest of our enemies to know that the Democrats are emboldening them. The Dem's rhetoric is being used by our enemies every day. The political rhetoric spouted by the Dems IS harming our troops and emboldening the terrorists in Iraq.

If a terrorist could vote in our elections, they'd vote for the Democrats. No doubt about it. If that doesn't give some of you a reality check, then you're a lost cause.

Also, I'm shocked and saddened to know how many of my fellow Americans have fallen hook, line and sinker for the Democratic talking points that are nothing but lies, compounded by more lies and distortions. I'm also appalled at how many Americans are so ignorant that they don't know why we are in Iraq. The MSM and the Dems (when they decided to flip/flop) convinced the ignorant masses that the war was all about WMD, or that it was in retaliation for 9/11, yata yata yata. The President never said that, but the MSM did. Yes, Saddam had WMD's, and we haven't found them yet, but every Republican AND Democrat are on the record saying that Saddam was a grave threat, that he has WMD's, and they voted to have him removed from power if he did not finally comply with the UN Resolutions.

For those who still have an ounce of sense, understand once and for all that this war came about because of Saddam's NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE UN RESOLUTIONS THAT ENDED THE FIRST GULF WAR, DESERT STORM!!! Innocent Kuwaitis, our own military men and women, and those of our allies, laid down their lives to save Kuwait from Saddam. The only reason that madman was allowed to return to Iraq and remain in power was that Saddam AGREED to the UN RESOLUTIONS. Was their blood shed for nothing?? Justice was served to Saddam on a platter endorsed by Republicans and Democrats alike, by the UN, and by our allies.

Our son fought in Iraq. He believed in and supported the mission they were given. So did his fellow soldiers. He personally experienced the gratitude and thankfulness of the Iraqi people. Tell John Kerry that he has seriously underestimated the intelligence of our military men and women. They are smart enough to recognize a traitor and a liar. They're also smart enough to know what party wasn't going to accept the ballots of our overseas military servicemembers in the last Presidential election.

Most troops do NOT support the Dems. To support them is like giving the enemy they face, the ammunition to do them grave harm.

I think I know exactly what John Kerry was eluding too. The make up of the US Military involves people trying to get out of poverty in many cases. During Vietnam we had the draft and although some used their influence to get out of war, the soldiers there reflected more the make up of society in the 60's, a broader spectrum of all class levels. Today this is not the case, and I think that is what he was referring to. Bush got into the war for his own personal agenda and unlike Bush most soldiers can't get out of service, they do it to pay for an education to better their lives, it is just sad in many cases in Iraq that means their lives, their healthy bodies and their healthy minds are the cost for that eventual benefit...

If Bush had made these remarks, Im certain they would not be brushed aside. Yes, it was a mistake. But Kerry makes a bigger mistake saying that he wont apologize. I let the door swing in someones face today. I apologized. It was a mistake. Kerry is exposing himself as a dope. John--how about this."I was an idiot. I messed the joke up. It was supposed to be....... You know what if this is the only thing they can talk about, then I guess we know how lame they are." But for all of you bloggers out there who smash Bush--I have a feeling you'd be soooo on top of him if he made the same remarks? Right?

What a moron. Oops .... I forgot he's a "war hero," with FOUR months of brutal combat in Southeast Asia. Still, he's a moron.

For Kerry to say what he said is inexcusable...and it WAS clear what he said. He didn't flub a joke, OR misquote something which was written for him. He was trying to scare the high school crowd into studying, otherwise they'd have no choice but to join the armed forces and "end up in Iraq." That IS what he said. If you haven't seen the video, find it, watch it, and then try to convince anybody he meant anything else. Days from now, we'll likely find out Mr. Wade, Kerry's Communications Director, was spewing a company line for his boss.

Kerry is a disgrace...to Democrats, to Republicans, to Soldiers, and to Americans. To hear Kerry tell it, our armed forces must be full of misfits, morons, and truants. Clearly Senator Kerry, and perhaps his party, hold a clouded view of those who serve in the military. The man does NOT deserve to call himself a veteran. The sooner this guy talks himself into oblivion, the better off we'll all be.

It's quite obvious whom Kerry was really talking about as long as you check the context. Now
the right-wing attacking machine tries to distort and distract, and think they get
the momentum, fine, let's throw the gloves.

Kerry is well within his right to fire back at this kind of mis-characterization. It's the same old song and dance with Bush: if someone poses a legitimate critique, he can only respond with straw man attacks since he has no other legs to stand on.

I also think it's sad to see this kind of journalistic hyperbole and over-dramatization make it into the Tribune. Not only is the writing sophomoric, but the blind right-wing zealotry is poorly veiled. The truth is being warped and stretched for all it's worth, but we all know what Kerry meant. This is just the cheap and easy mudslinging story that *every* other Republican blogger has already written.

How about something with a little more merit and substance next time?

It should be pretty clear by now how Kerry feels about the US military and its troops. He considers them "rapists", "murderers", "terrorists" and now dummies.

No Class Kerry ... ("I voted for the war before I voted against it") Kerry never was and never will be Presidential material. How dare he disrespect our troops!

For the record - cbs.com
(Kerry - Whichever Way The Wind Blows)
In May 2003, at the first Democratic primary debate, John Kerry said his vote authorizing the president to use force was the “right decision” though he would have “preferred if we had given diplomacy a greater opportunity.”

But then in January 2004, Kerry began to run as anti-war candidate, saying, "I don't believe the president took us to war as he should have."

Perhaps it's time to go work for the wife at the Heinz Co.

I wish you'd pay this much attention to all the mis-speakng our mis-speaker in cheif has done the last six years.

Also there is a lot of truth in the fact that kids who can't get into college any other way go into the miltary and kids who can't find a job either because they lack skills or opportunity go into the military. It's just the truth.

As far as I know, John Kerry isn't running for office and he does not head the Democratic party. The fact that he cannot tell a joke does not absolve Congress from its failure to provide oversight.

John Kerry may be a poor comic, but at least he didn't diddle a page and blame alcohol and a dying priest.

So, it's true.

The Chicago Tribune is a bunch of right wing hacks who can destroy fine papers like the LA Times by dragging it down to their level.

Keep kissing Bush's butt.

Once again the media got it wrong because they didn't bother to cover the full story; Kerry's comments were taken out of context.

Kerry's remarks were not about the SOLDIERS they were about BUSH. He explained today that what he was trying to say was that Bush had not educated himself enough about Iraq or military strategy or you name it.(remember Bush didn't know there were Shiites and Sunnis in Iraq until six weeks before war he declared war). And so we ended up in this mess of a war in Iraq.

Kerry is a buffoon. And he's proved once again why he didn't win in 2004 and why he needn't bother running in 2008. He suffers from terminal foot-in-mouth disease and has NO CLUE what to do when he screws up. The correct and appropriate response in this case would have been first to apologize and then shut the hell up for a good, long time.

"plenty smart"

Everyone in this country deserves an apology for this atrocious use of the English languare, in addition to everything else this administration has erred on.

John Kerry had his chance in 2004 and didn't even lead to contest the questionable results in Ohio. Great qualifications for a "leader." Now he appears to be attempting to position himself as a possible candidate in 2008.

PLEASE do this country a favor, John--shut up and give someone else a chance. If you can't stay out of the limelight and are that drawn to power, become a lobbyist.

JUST GO AWAY ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks". John Kerry meant what he said. His babblings are so reminiscent of the Vietnam days. I remember it all so well. Like much of the Democratic Party, Kerry is still fighting the "establishment" and hasn't yet figure out that he is now part of it. How disgraceful and irresponsible. That is why I proudly am no longer a Democrat!

Hooray for John Kerry fighting bac. The republican machine will distort any opinion that is against theirs. They are the ones that owe this country an apology for the live lost in this immoral war. they are so quick at throwing out lies to destroy anyone who does not support their positions. It is time for a change!!!!

As a Viet Nam Marine veteran I take issue with my fellow Marine veteran, Richard Zaccone's posting. He referred to John Kerry as a real veteran. Technically he is correct but realistically we know it was a resume builder for him. I know and I'm sure Marine Zaccone knows of fellow Marine who were too embarrassed to seek a purple heart for a scratch on the hand. His three purple hearts in Viet Nam within six months is like hitting the power ball lottery twice.

Kerry didn't misspeak, he got caught and now he is trying to do his usual shuffle.

John Kerry did not win the presidential election when he struggled for it because he wasn't, and isn't, the quality required for the august job. Why anyone now cares what he passionately says is beyond me.

With over 2800 American troops dead and greater than 30,000 wounded, the smart and patriotic folks in the services are dying out in staggering numbers. Who will be aggressively recruited to replace them? Not rich people. People who are struggling to get by.

He's not belittling the troops. He's belittling the situation that young Americans are facing today. He's saying "Do well, or you may find your only option is to jump into Bush's blood-blender if you ever intend to support a family."

Dale Peters,
Thank you for reminding us of the reality of what this administration has wrongfully got us into. Thank you for reminding us of the number of families who are suffering due to Weapons of Mass Destruction that didn't exist. Thank you for reminding us of the cost of the war, the cost of misappropriation of no bid contracts in Iraq.
Pmiller

Come on now, is it really such a shocker that many people who join the military do so because they are poor, uneducated and don't have a whole lot of options? It is just common sense. I don't see anything wrong with what he said. No one is attacking the troops. Its just stating facts.

Jesus, who's being political correct here? This is like getting outraged because someone says the middle class is getting screweed economically right now. Oh gosh my! Who would dare say such a thing. Class warfare!!!!! I just find it funny all of the double-speak, wink-wink-nudge-nudge, feigned authenticity that goes on in this country. And when someone actually says whats on their mind, and basically says the emperor is not wearing clothes (or is an idiot, or whatever) people pretend to be outraged. Its just so transparent.

Bush enthusiasts will interpret John Kerry's remarks in any way they can to nourish their prejudices.

If John Kerry was in fact suggesting that those who do not excell in their educational persuits are more likely to end up in the military, he was correct. In other words, he was telling the truth.

The truth is something to which the US population isn't accustomed since Bush took office.

It seems lying to the electorate maybe THE way to win US elections.

This technique has always worked for me. In the course of an argument you wait til your opponent mis-speaks once and then just hammer on it repeatedly. Its truly a mark of genious and I hope all our political conversations can strive to this level of repartee. It's obvious that John Kerry thinks that all soldiers in Iraq are idiots. Voting down party lines is the only way we can ensure that soldier haters don't get elected. I bet he doesn't even have a magnetic "Support the Troops" sticker. Good riddance!

So what was Kerry actually saying? That is the question. I agree that he didn't mean to disparrage the troops. However, is he saying that President Bush is not an intellegent individual? That President Bush hasn't had to work for anything to get where he is at? Is that what the person who lost to President Bush 2 years ago is saying? Is that what the person who constantly puts his foot in his mouth is saying? I shudder to think where we would be now had this loose lips "diplomacy first" person won the election.

Frank James, you're an idiot and a moron. You're just part of the fascist noise machine that defames Democrats and twists their words out of context. Burn in hell, you right-wing lying pig.

Sad BUT TRUE

Rapists enlist. Just look at the platoon on death row for raping and murdering an entire family. Or what about the ones that took the old grandpa out into the desert and shot him full of holes while he was standing in a ditch? Or Lyndie? Yep we got some bright minds here.

If not for the MONEY and BENEFITS--

WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND would enlist to get shot at while looking for WMD in IRAQ??

Kerry's right. Don't kid yourselves. He's a flip flopper who says inexplicable things but sometimes he strikes gold and this is it.

If what Kerry said was a "Joke". Then it's a very sick joke.
I heard what he said, don't treat me as being stupid and uneducated as he did not mince words and no one laughed, it was no joke.
They are words from a self proclaimed war hero that is the biggest liar that came out of VietNam. He did'nt mince words when he claimed that all of us VietNam Vets were rapists,murders that tortured innocent civilians. When the truth is that he must have been the only one in his unit that committed atrocities as no one that was there with him can recall such an event.
He is a LIAR and a very sick person.

Attention all true-beleivers, hired Republican hacks and bloggers. This election isn't about what John Kerry did or didn't mean. It's about the direction this country is headed.If you want to support an administration that that doesn't mind stealing from the "lock-box" that is Social Security to fund tax breaks to the rich. If you think state "pork" is more important than the overall welfare of the county. If you don't mind dirty air, dirty water, dirty wars and dirty politics, vote Republican. But if I hear one more person say "Well I was on the fence, but after Kerry's "despicable" comments I've just got to stay with the morally superior GOP (Grand Old Pediphiles), I'll just puke in my soup.

I see Kerry's joke as: see what a C-average student who serves as President can do to a country...! While you are in school, study hard and try to make the best of it.

Ah, GOP propaganda in the Trib. THERE'S a surprise.

According to the headline on the main page, Kerry "dug himself a deeper hole." What does that mean? The Dems are in good shape here.

Kerry obviously mispoke. Stop being a corporate suck-up to the right wing. You can't spin 2800 dead soldiers, who died for a lie.

When do Americans get the real message...????

The democrats win and they become the new friends of the bad guys and iran gets another notch on their guns and walk away with Iraq....

obviously they will sell out Israel....they are too small potatoes to defend.....

I am 75 years old and am ashamed at where our country is right now.....I won't be alive when these people take over the world...

We Americans are so caught up in PEACE that we do not recognize when our very existance is being threatened...

WAKE UP AMERICA.......HOW CAN YOU LET THIS JERK HAVE ANY INFLUENCE ON YOU???

JUST GETTING ELECTED IS NOT WORTH SELLING YOUR COUNTRY OUT.....

You are only 24 years old... There are 3 platoons of 26 men each and one of those platoons you command. You have to control a 30 square mile area 24 hours a day. You are under constant attack... mortars, rockets, machine gun fire, RPGs, road side bombs, snipers... Some of your men are hurt... some of your vehicles are broken... you have 1 interpreter which replaced your last interpreter who had his leg blown off and another interpreter who had his head cut off... resources and supplies are limited... the battalion on your flank has suffered more than %50 casualties... in support, your men are responding to sporadic firefights all over the city.... You have to sustain this fight for 365 days... the political machine limits your ability to occupy the area with force... you are told to win hearts and minds... use the rules of engagement... they give you soccer balls instead of bullets... the world media and the Monday Morning Quarterbacks are scrutinizing your every move... they question the use of force... they question how many men it takes to win a piece of ground... Yet no reporter or person ever asks you what it will take to win the fight... no one ever asks the leader on the front what it takes or what it all means... Every day you listen to the loud speakers above the mosque... "Kill the Americans, drive the Christian Crusaders from our land." In the mean time, rich religious leaders from all over the Middle East, who want nothing more but to see Democracy fail, are paying young jobless youth thousands of dollars each day to attack you... more money then their families could make in a lifetime. How do you do it? How do you sustain this fight? Well, I assure you... there are only two types of people in this Wild West... the quick and the dead. If your quick, your smart, and if your smart you will live to fight another day. ...This was my experience as an Army Officer in Al Anbar and Ramadi.... Your own intelligence and the intelligence of your men is the only resource that a young leader can count on to be at his disposal every day.

When do Americans get the real message...????

The democrats win and they become the new friends of the bad guys and iran gets another notch on their guns and walk away with Iraq....

obviously they will sell out Israel....they are too small potatoes to defend.....

I am 75 years old and am ashamed at where our country is right now.....I won't be alive when these people take over the world...

We Americans are so caught up in PEACE that we do not recognize when our very existance is being threatened...

WAKE UP AMERICA.......HOW CAN YOU LET THIS JERK HAVE ANY INFLUENCE ON YOU???

JUST GETTING ELECTED IS NOT WORTH SELLING YOUR COUNTRY OUT.....

I never trust someone who doesn't take responsibility for their actions or statements. I've watched the democratic party slide since the first Kennedy assasination. They stopped taking responsibility, and have led their constituents to do the same. Kerry is a bad straight man at best. And if you can find a good clip of what he actually said, (which is pretty tough because the mess-NBC's of the world post the video, but it doesn't play, they only let you see Kerry's rebuttal) It's pretty obvious he was talking about education to students, denigrating both students with lower scholastic achievement levels and the miliatry. I am sooooo glad this fellow isn't our President right now. And do you notice, for all of his "failed policy" rhetoric, he and his fellow dems haven't proposed any viable alternatives, oh, except of course, cut and run and give our enemies a timetable for when.

WHAT A JOKE !

That the media has the power to turn this into a controversy is the scary part. Happy Halloween!

If you watched the Kerry comment in context you'll notice the loud throng of laughter directly after he made it, it seems many clearly felt this joke was hardly botched.

Let's not forget the largest global protests in the history of manking occurred shortly before this war started for precisely the reasons we have seen come to pass. Thousands of innocent lives lost (educated or not), billions of diverted funds, civil violence erupting etc.

What is botched is the country's imbecilic tendency to act like children in a sandbox and start pointing fingers the second "Johnny made a joke I didn't like, whaaa!

Come on people. Let's keep on topic: The violent loss of life of many innocent woman and children lifelessly rubbed out in the name of terror, and how we are going to solve one of the most pressing of human problems.

Whenever I hear the term "The War On... (insert nefarious noun or verb here)"... I immediately know I'm listening to the facile drama surrounding the deeper issues.

Yep I think Ann nailed it. Kerry messed up one way or another but was it enough for the Republicans to hold press conferences? Are they really that cynical to believe he doesn't have enormous respect for those who serve our country like he did?

No I don't think they really do. I do believe they are that desperate. Desperate enough to make others think that Kerry and all who may align with him and his ideas, the Democants, aren't as honorable or patriotic as those brave draft dodging chicken hawk Repugnorants and their big/narrow tent of superior values.

I'm a Desert Storm vet and also an Independent voter. I still believe this Is the best country in the world but little crap like this starts to add up to a big steaming pile and its tearing our country down! Having different views on how to run the nation is great for democracy but these
constant personal attacks and all the infighting between our only two parties is destructive to the publics faith that ANY of them can get ANY thing done! I want another option!

I am moving away from party affiliations and focusing more and more on the individual candidates. What Kerry said does not represent the Democratic party. The whole US Congress shoud apologize to the people for not being for the people but for themselves. Kerry, because of his stupid comments, will suffer, as he should. I'd encourage everyone to start looking at individual candidates, their individual accomplishments and individual performances and records and support only those that meet your expectations. Only then will we get away from this rediculous bickering and time wasting figure pointing. Demand individual accountability and vote for those that meet it. Free speech is a wonderful freedom and helps me to better choose my candidates.

In 40, 50 years, when the Mexican/Muslim war over control of America is in full bloom, "remember G-dubbya" will be the resistance militia's rally call. And uppity idiots like Kerry and Kennedy will assume of history.

TO RICHARD Z..CORRECT ON SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS RICHARD..BUT--KERRY ONLY SPENT A FEW MONTHS IN NAM..HE WROTE UP HIS OWN ORDERS FOR MEDALS AND HE ALSO SIGNED A FEW OF THEM HISSELF WHEN THIS IS NOT PERMISSABLE..HE ALSO MADE SURE HE TOOK HIS CAMERA ALONG TO FILM HIS FALSE STORIES..AND WHY DID IT TAKE YEARS AFTER HE GOT OUT TO GET A HONORABLE? DISCHARGE WHICH HE NEVER GOT OFFICIALLY AT FIRST...LOTS OF QUESTIONS RIGHT RICHARD..AS A RETIRED VET MYSELF IM GLAD WE ARE STILL HERE..

Amazing... After saying something totally stupid... He then lies about it saying it was a joke...

It was not a joke, it was stupid.

John Kerry should apologize to the troops for being unable to deliver a joke.

President Bush should apologize to the American public for being unable to deliever Osama bin Laden.

No one is addressing what I see to be the truth behind Kerry's statements. I teach at a continuation high school in California - and lots of my students are disadvantaged in different ways - socio-economically, first and foremost. Many of them come from families where no one has ever gone to college. Many of them come from families where drugs and alcohol have runined there family structure and support. And guess what many of those kids think is a good way out???

Join the military! Get a bonus! Better myself! Better my opportunities!

If they don't end up maimed or dead, that is. John Kerry spoke an inconvenient and ugly TRUTH. You all know it.

Are you such a moron to believe Bush is actually a good president who never screws up our language? Instead of focusing on a comment that Kerry made how about being more critical of our DUMBA** in chief. After 10 years in the Army I served my country proudly. Didn't always agree with the politicians but that wasn't my job. It's YOUR job to be critical of a complete moron and to educate the masses of this fool running our country.

He didn't mean water-boarding....

For all the right-wingers who are stroking their thighs with glee over the White House's twisting of Kerry's words, how quickly you forget the plain meaning of your own Dear Junior Leader's water-boarding remarks. To paraphrase the Second Lady ... When did he say anything about the troops?

Get over yourselves and get serious because real humans are dying in Iraq while the leaders of this country use them for their own political purposes. This spectacle being no different.

Iran, North Korea, Syria.

Power vacuum in the new Iraqi capital of BAngDad.

Why can't anyone write a good story about this? Why not compare and contrast how Hezbollah and Hamas hate each other, how Iran and Iraq hated each other and how now they are allies against the great Satan of the west. what ever happened to divide and conqueer? I'll tell you... the current Republican administration is too busy padding their pockets with oil and using stupid non-issues as queers, monkey evolution and stem cells with a hint of religous zealously to get the uneducated voters to vote for them. Why can't the Dems learn and do the same thing?

I am much more nervous now than I was last week that this election tidal wave may be more of a ripple. I think Kerry's statement was immensely stupid and I cringed when I first heard it. All the arguments about the chickenhawks being the first ones to offer up our sons and daughters for foreign adventures is absolutely true, but that doesn't make Kerry's statement any less callous or politically (and otherwise) moronic.

The Dems really should shut up and get out of the way. But instead we get, right before the election of course, ANOTHER ruling from a liberal state in favor of civil unions/ gay marriage (I wholeheartedly support the verdict, but sometimes it is better to be smart than right and wait for the freakin' election where Democrats have the momentum) following the calamatous Massachusetts ruling 2 years back that I believe was a definite factor in at least bolstering Bush's margin of victory. The other, as we see here today, is that Kerry is useless, condescending and just plain inept and should not be the mouthpiece for future Democrats.

In that vain, I desperately hope Mr. Obama can live up to the hype. He should assert himself as the mouthpiece of the 21st Century Democrats, and continue to speaking elegantly and movingly about the real issues that people are facing. I absolutely hope he runs in 2008 before his Senate record gets too long. This will be most likely the only chance he will ever get to run for the presidency without facing an incumbent. And languishing in the Senate is a historical non-starter. Please pull the trigger and don't let us down.

You do have to be crazy to think John Kerry, the Democrat and veteran who lost the most recent presidential election, would insult our troops one week before the Democrats are expected to take back one or both houses. He botched the joke terribly; the guy just isn't good at jokes. But you don't have to be a northeastern intellectual elitist to know John Kerry would not intentionally suggest our troops are uneducated, especially now. Apparently certain Republicans couldn't grasp the truth--or didn't want to--and wasted no time manipulating the Kerry misstatement for political gain. They asked that he apologize to our troops, not because they deserve one for volunteering to fight our battles, but for political gain. Is that the Republicans' idea of supporting our troops? That, President Bush, is insulting and shameful.

Ok...let's all of us tell some truth: many (not all) of our troops are in Iraq because they did not study hard enough and did not have other good options for moving forward with their lives. It is to their credit that they had the strength of character to make the choice that they did.

Ask the troops...they would tell you the same...why don't we stop the posturing and proganda and call a spade a spade.

You know who he was talking about when he said
You study hard, you do your homework, ..
you don't get stuck in Iraq. (and it is not our troops...)

I wish EVERYONE could read this . . . I am not a Democrat, Republican, Independent, Green, etc. I am an AMERICAN.

I am fearful that ALL SIDES of these political debates, includng the media are slowly destroying our country. I don't care who is right or who is wrong, I care about preventing our country from crumbling to ground in self destruction.

Openly criticizing our standing government (an accepted policital tact in this nation) ERODES our country in the eyes of the world. I don't care if you're criticizing Clinton or Bush, if ANYONE appears on national new criticizing our standing government, it GREATLY WEAKENS our nation in the eyes of our enemies.

Sure, you can say this is the democratic process, but imagine our what our enemies see. They hate us anyway and ANYTIME they hear politicians or the media doing this, it bolsters their hatred, it strengthens their resolve to destroy anything American, it convinces them our internal disagreements have weakened us sufficiently to encourage further attacks.

PLEASE EVERYONE - BAND TOGETHER TO STOP ANYTHING THE CRITICIZES AMERICA - LET'S STAND TOGETHER AND MAKE US LOOK LIKE A STRONG POWERFUL NATION - NOT A NATION WEAKENED BY INTERNAL FIGHTING !!!!

TELL POLITICIANS OF ANY PARTY THAT YOU ARE FED UP WITH THEM MAKING AMERICA LOOK WEAK IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD.

TELL THE MEDIA THAT YOU ARE TIRED OF THEM MAKING AMERICA LOOK WEAK - TELL THE MEDIA YOU ARE TIRED OF THEM MULTIPLYING THE VISIBILITY OF OUR ENEMIES - BY SHOWING VIDEOS OF BIN LADEN, ET AL.

IF WE DO NOT STOP THIS MADNESS IMMEDIATELY

Send your sons anddaughters to Iraq and tell me then!!duh??? He has been there. shut up you Republicans, why do Democrats make up 80 of our forces???"?

Its about time! If Kerry would have spoke this way a few years ago maybe America would not be the in the situation we are currently in and thousands of Americans would not be dead based on war, which was based on lies. If anyone owes the troops in Iraq an apology, its Bush, Cheney and Ruumy.

I heard a comment from a returning soldier out of Iraq that was interesting. The death count doesn't include those wounded that are transported to Germany (or anywhere else out of country) and later die, so the actual death tally is much higher than the 3000 or so claimed by the Bush administration. More likely 5 or 6 thousand. Or higher.

No doubt the Republicans are happy to have any kind of diversion right now, although I really don't know what good it's going to do for them. If I were a Republican, I'd look at the big picture and be VERY disappointed that this hurts Kerry's chances for '08.

While the Republican pods are busy swiftboating John Kerry,again,over a videotaped sound bite,
104 of our US Troops Have Died In Iraq This Month,searching for W's nonexsistent WMD's,and refereeing a Civil War.

NeoNuts....you want to talk about Chickenhawks??

How about your Cheerleader in Chief who was hiding out,and getting drunk as a skunk in a home bound National Guard Unit during Vietnam.
W. bypassed thousands of kids on a waiting list to get that homebound Natinal Guard duty by the way.

How about Vice Dictator Cheney,and his 5 military differments during Vietnam,because he had "more important things to do during that time".

These two Chickenhawks ran from Nam,AT LEAST JOHN KERRY SHOWED UP,and they have no business whatsoever "leading" our honorable military men in this mess that they created for this country.

I know the wingnut crowd is going to say Military service is not required to be an office holder,but a look back at a persons history is warranted when they repeatedly make stupid decisions that cost Americans their lives.

Nov.7,2006 -Vote the Wingnut Party out of office

So what? This isn't a presidential election. If you were to put together a list of rubbish spouted by Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld since they were in office, there wouldn't be enough storage on the entire web.

Botched joke: Bush looking for WMD's under a table, behind a curtain.

Insulting the troops: The last, bloody 10 months in Iraq will 'only be a comma' in the history books.

Disrespect for the veterans: cutting benefits & access to the VA, funding for Traumatic Brain injury research, sending them into combat with out adequate armor, failing to secure the known Iraqi munitions storage (680,000 tons stolen), the 'back door draft', extending deployments, 2nd and 3rd deployments, etc. etc. etc. etc.....

Calling it 'crazy' to think that he would do or say this is no where near the hyperbole that Bush, Cheney, Snow, Bennet, Limbaugh or Coulter have come up with - many times.

As for Professor Green, maybe he doesn't understand Kerry's explanations, but a lot of us have no problem - when the context of the comment and the full explanation are given.

Interesting that the House Republicans want him to apologize 'with no caveat'. Because his caveats make his points clear?

Only if you have your brain in gear.

Terry I know a person in the towers. The man who ordered it is not in Iraq and never was. The man who ordered it was let go by Bush and Bush now said he does not matter. So Terry whats your point. By the way Terry go here and see how your partyis graded by Real Veterans http://www.vawatchdog.org DAV men and women who bled for you. Here a hint since 2004 to now every Republican failed Veterans and the TROOPS got something else to say. I served did you?

Juanito,
Don't gloat about W's Yale grade accomplishments to much,a little research "always" finds something shady about W's past.

Read some books on W.,most of his classmates never,ever saw him even once attend a class........and yet he passed...barely..

They suspect W's daddy had someone "helping" little Jr. pass classes,and this person knew that if W. was getting straight A's it would be suspicious.

The good people at Yale cringe when it's brought up that the Head Cheerleader is a Yaley.

Twice during the past two years this administration has lowered the minimum education requirements of military enlistees.
Seems to me Kerry was right on!

Kerry slandered us in 1971 during the Winter Soldier investigation, he then slandered the Swift Boat Vets during their campaign to reveal him for the phony hero he claims to be and now in his own words, he calls our current military soldiers uneducated. Thank you Lieutenant, since you attempted to screw me in 1971 here's hoping you get your chance again for the presidency in 2008 so I will get another opportunity to put the screws to you........

By the way, America is STILL WAITING breathlessly for you to sign your DD Form 180 which you promised to do over 2 years ago. Last but not least, if you wish to cast aspersions on our seated president and his education level, stay away from attempting to compare his GPA against yours...........LOL!

One other thing, as a single guy, can you give me any advice on how to meet millionaire women? I mean, you are now doing your second one when I haven't even met a first one. LOL! Pass the ketchup please.......

Let's face it, soldiers are killers and why we should treat them as heros is beyond me. The rich get the poor to kill in their name and use the guise of nationalism and patriotism to defend them. Kerry is right and the politically correct, hero worshipping hoi polloi drink all the fervor right up.

I'm actually pleased that Kerry has, once again, shot himself in the foot w/ a dumb comment. That will draw the Bushies and keep them busy slagging Kerry for several more years to draw their fire away from the Dems more 'rockstar' candidates who I think have a better chance against the Republicans ace in the hole...Rudy...

When are you Americans gonna wake up and realize that your current administration has NO respect around the world. Sorry my Prime Minister respects them.

Aussie

Let's face it, soldiers are killers and why we should treat them as heros is beyond me. The rich get the poor to kill in their name and use the guise of nationalism and patriotism to defend them. Kerry is right and the politically correct, hero worshipping hoi polloi drink all the fervor right up.

Don't like to make personal attacks (it's so Rebublican). But I just had to respond to Richard who incredibly states("I never trust someone that doesn't take responsibility for their statements or actions), then gives us Bush&Co. as a model of integrity and accountability. Richard, you give the rest of us Richards' a bad name. I'm still trying to live down Richard ("I'm not a crook")Nixon. Are you referring to the Bush&Co. that wrapped themselves in the flag, then used lies and deceipt to get us in Iraq, rewarded Haliburton and the Military -Industrial-Complex with billions in blood money, screwed the middle-class and the poor, and claimed to do all in the name of our liberty and freedoms? That republican propaganda machine must be really potent or you are just incredibly naive.

I love this!!!

Bill is in nirvana because he thinks a John Kerry soundbite is going to save his beloved GOP swiftboat from sinking in 7 days.

Bill,I do wish you much nirvana in the future,but if you belive John Kerry is going to save the W. led GOP from all the dumba*s decisions they have made the last 6 years,you will be surpised;actually I'm kind of glad that you believe that.

PS...Nirvana was a kicka*s band Bill,you should be proud.

PSS...Bill,goodluck getting John McCain elected Prez in 08 when W's approval rating will probably be stuck in the mid to low 20's.

Poor John, he can't help it...He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.

is john kerry a closet republican the man seems to to have done more to help the republicans than all of george bush's efoorts to date. i pray he hasnt cost us the election.

I cannot believe that media outlets are buying the President's reasoning. If one looks at the context of the quote you would know that Kerry is calling Bush stupid. Kerry may have been too obtuse, but the media needs to challenge the President. This is another nonissue.

Bush picked a fight over something stupid and Kerry came out swinging. Doesn't matter if he was clumsy and awkward, he still fought back good and hard. Bullies don't much like it when their victims fight back, and it sounds to me like The Swamp is siding with the bullies. Are you a bully at heart, Frank? Kind of sounds like it to me. Oh, I'm sorry, do you not like it when someone oversimplifies and twists your point of view and shoves it back in your face? Make you want to fight back? Well, then, maybe now you understand.

If this story has more "legs" than the Foley pedophile scandal, then this country is really in trouble. I do hear Mr. Foley gets out of "rehab" this week-talk about timing. I know his name is still on the ballot in Florida...I'll look for Kerry's name on the ballot this Tuesday, I am pretty sure it won't be on the 2008 ballot. If this is all the GOP has ..I sense a grasping at straws, a desperation that is palpable with the DEMS sitting pretty.

what john kerry SHOULD say:

My fellow Americans; I come here tonight to admit I have a terminal case of foot-in -the-mouth disease. I am utterly incapable of speaking off the cuff without making a complete fool of myself. My lame attempt at a joke was intended to mock President Bush, but I said it so poorly that it sounded like I was insulting our brave people fighting in Iraq. To them, I say I am sorry that my remarks came out that way.
It is an even bigger outrage that this charge of insulting the troops is coming from people who themselves never put on a uniform, indeed, pulled every string they could to avoid serving our nation.
That said, I have a history of saying the wrong thing and causing disaster. My remarks two years ago cost me the election and subjected America to four more years of George W. Bush as President. My remarks this week may have cost my party its chance at winning majorities in both houses of Congress. I have caused this election to be about ME instead of George W. Bush and his party of incompetents. If that is the result, It is all my fault. I have thus shown that I simply don't have what it takes to lead this nation.
Accordingly, I release the $8 million I have hoarded from the 2004 campaign to be used to stem the damage I caused my party. This will go to Democrats who still have a chance at winning. I will make no more public appearances. As if any Democrat wants to be seen with me now.
I also announce that I will not seek re-election as Senator. After my term is up, I will retire and live on my wife's ketchup money.
God bless America.
JOHN "LURCH" KERRY

If Bush had any true positives his bunch would be too busy promoting their successes to even know what John Kerry is doing.
They are desperate.
Regardless, what Kerry said was NOTHING to harm the troops when you compare what Bush and Cheney have done to them.
I am a woman and never in the military,but I was deeply moved by Kevin Tillman's essay last week. Who could disagree with his analysis? And would anyone think Kerry's slip-up could have this effect on the troops described by Tillman:
"Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground."

"Kerry slandered us in 1971 during the Winter Soldier investigation, he then slandered the Swift Boat Vets during their campaign to reveal him for the phony hero he claims to be "

Don,

Kerry slandered the Swift Boaters? Those liars and moral cowards?
That's hilarious, and you are hilarious.

What a living hell it must be to exist inside your mind.

Terry,

Do you believe W. made the right move by invading Iraq because of 9/11????

Also....WHERE IS OSAMA BIN LADEN ???????

This is in response to what Mr Schock has written as quoted in full below the line.

Bravo!!! You've summed up the whole situation nicely. The fact is that it was UNTHINKABLE that Kerry meant the words he mis-spoke...and it was OBVIOUS that he was trying to crack a satirical joke at Bush's expense. Kerry is guilty of flubbing the punchline...and he's already acknowledged that error.

It took the evil genius of the Rove propaganda machine to cook up the current partisan witch hunt to distort and exploit a simple error. If any troops are offended by the remarks it's because Rove framed them that way to achieve PRECISELY that end. Get it? Kerry is being FRAMED!

It's almost funny. Literally, VOLUMES of Bush's outrageous flubs are in print...and no one takes it seriously.

The prejudice of Frank James is blatant.

Hell, if Rove could get away with it I bet there would be a lynch mob outside Kerry's home right now.

The problem for Bush and America is that Iraq won't go away. Even if Rove were to "succeed" and hold on to absolute power...nothing REAL changes. The world Bush has created would still be rotten and it would still stink and people would still die for nothing.

If the American people are not, collectively, bright enough to see through the evil, yes I said evil, machinations of this Bush/Rove apparatus; and the Democrats don't have the brains and balls required to make lemonade out of this lemon...then we deserve to go to hell as a nation.
**************************************************
>>>>>>>>>>>Kerry is well within his right to fire back at this kind of mis-characterization. It's the same old song and dance with Bush: if someone poses a legitimate critique, he can only respond with straw man attacks since he has no other legs to stand on.

I also think it's sad to see this kind of journalistic hyperbole and over-dramatization make it into the Tribune. Not only is the writing sophomoric, but the blind right-wing zealotry is poorly veiled. The truth is being warped and stretched for all it's worth, but we all know what Kerry meant. This is just the cheap and easy mudslinging story that *every* other Republican blogger has already written.

How about something with a little more merit and substance next time?
Posted by: Jason Schock | Oct 31, 2006 6:48:08 PM

Who hasn't botched a comment? The media is really giving the Republicans too much air time over this mistake. While perhaps Senator Kerry should have apologized for slipping up, anyone paying attention has to agree that a Veteran -- one who is well educated -- is not going to deliberately make the statement that Kerry made. Accidents happen (and, as we all well know, Kerry isn't a humorous guy so slipping up a joke is very likely).

But then truthfully, aren't we all just a little bit bothered by the truth in the mis-statement? That far too many of the enlisted troops in Iraq only have a high school education? That far too many did not go to college? That far too many are poor and didn't have the same educational opportunities as our college kids?

Perhaps we shouldn't see his comment as a criticism of the troops, but as a criticism of our society, i.e., thatchoosing to go to Iraq and offering one's life for one's country in a war [that is wrong] is seen as the best option for those who are poor and didn't do well in school? That perhaps they are fighting to protect the comfortable lives of those who dare think of going to Iraq, those who have achieved the "American Dream". No one is doubting the patriotism, the heroism, and the bravery of our troops. But none of us should want them to die needlessly. Shouldn't we ask: how well did our troops do in their civics class? Before they made their decision to serve, did they really understand that President's can lie and mislead? Did they fully comprehend that our Constitution expects a healthy distrust of government (hence the separation of powers and system of checks & balances that presently isn't working) and that as patriots they should have questioned, "is this war just"? How many were naively misled because they believe in the "terrorism" or "weapons of mass destruction" GOP rhetoric? How many simply joined the military to earn that extra bit of money to better their lives because their education, hometown or upbringing didn't offer much opportunity? [Granted, the story is different for the National Guards folks that are in Iraq ...]

When you heard Kerry's remarks, didn't you think to yourself, "Yeah, how many middle-class, Ivy League kids are over there?" [Not many unless they were ROTC officers, I should imagine]. That reality pains us. We sadly know in our hearts of hearts that what Kerry said does have a bit of truth to it. And we don't like that. Being the politically correct society that we are, his comment embarrasses us, makes us uncomfortable. It's easier to lash out at him and think he's insulting the troops -- he being the guy who did fight in a war AND did go to an Ivy League school -- than to lash out at our silver spooned, intellectually lazy president who didn't. We sure do feel better about ourselves, don't we?

Kerry's statement was clearly in the context of talking about BUSH-- right after saying Bush was in a state of denial.. vast majority of Americans know what Kerry meant.... BUSH WAS STUPID to get us stuck in Iraq quagmire.

And Bush admitted he got us stuck in Iraq when he endorsed the Baker-Hamilton commission's mission to find a way to get the hell out of the Iraq civil war quagmire.

The claim that Kerry was talking about the troops is LUDICROUS.. more despicable demagoguery by desperate Repubs who know they are about to lose control of House .... & maybe Senate

Kerry still thinks there is a draft. Only right-wing neocons and simple midwest folk could think he is out of touch and not understand the mensa type joke he told. Hopefully Hillary and Ted will come to his defense and explain what Kerry really means when he talks.

Hey Bossman,I didn't say McCain was a nutjob,KKK Karl came up with that.I just think he's become a pathetic sole who has made a deal with the devil!

Ask your fellow wingnut and town crier Billy Boy,who is desparately looking for good news before the wipe out next Tuesday.

As for all the other wingnuts looking for an excuse to support Dunce Boy,remember,Bush lied and over 2800 died.

And then there's "Independent Jarrito" who mocked The Rock Obama,before deciding to support him for Prez.Flip Flop-Flip Flop.

Good night and good riddance to the Neonuts.

The first time I heard Kerry say this line, I knew immediately that he was speaking of Bush, who didn't study hard, didn't do his homework, doesn't read books, and barely made passing grades. I knew immediately that he meant that dummy Bush got the entire nation mired in Iraq. Even though Kerry botched his punch line, it wasn't hard to comprehend what he meant if you have half a brain.
Republicans can fall all over themselves trying to see who can scream the loudest about what Kerry said and hope it will turn the electorate's collective head. It won't work. The issues are the war in Iraq, Border security, and our jobs going overseas, not what Kerry said. We have made up our minds already.

Frank James, I never trust anyone with two first names.

The fact that you waste electrons on Kerry's flubbed punchline is... is...

well, it's a joke. And you my friend are are the bigger punchline.

Quite the very biased report.

First, if Kerry apologized it would acknowledge that he meant something that he really didn't. Do the Republicans want him to satisfy their status quo? Of course they do--just like they want unwavering, brain-dead support from us (which is really what they are getting with reports like this).

Seriously, a decorated VETERAN himself of the ARMED FORCES, being raked by true cowards over stating that our armed forces are full of unintellegent people. HELLO?! He WAS part of the armed forces, how does it make sense that he would be making a statement about the very type of person he is. Are you too stupid to see that this is not just improbable, but impossible that he'd call himself unintelligent.

Please rely on your actual senses, and not on what is being fed to you. In all truth, Kerry probably didn't think twice that his comment would signal a stab at the troops--BUT the Administration thought that are service-people were unintelligent far quicker. It's in the back of their minds, and that's evident.

Don't be a dupe, the President--OUR PRESIDENT is shamelessly and gracelessly insulting our intelligence.

SO yes--you are crazy or blindly zealous if you think Kerry made a statement against our Military. And do you know who ironically has the easiest job as communications director for any politician?

BUSH's communications director doesn't even have to worry that Bush's idiotic slip-ups due to his utter incompetence in the English language, makes other countries and well as each one of us feel like we're being lead by a da.mn fool.

It seems no matter what, he'll always have a base of blind, overzealous followers. Run lemmings, run.

A deeper hole?

Oh please.

"...they never said stay the course" ????

Just like a Bushie to get it wrong.
MSNBC showed GWB say "Stay the courese!" 29 times on video tape.
But who are yu gonna believe?
George or your lying eyes?

What is going on here? I stumbled on The Swamp while reading the Tribune for Bears coverage (life-long Bears fan, no bandwagoner here). Most of the time the comments posted on The Swamp are limited to a few dozen and seem to be evenly divided over the political spectrum. Then this Kerry thing sparks a political firestorm which in my opinion is "much ado about nothing", and hundreds of bloggers come out of the woodwork. What's really remarkable is that most of the responders are neonuts who think Kerry's "gaffe" is some big "gotcha" moment and we're all supposed to forget the Bush nightmare and vote Republican again. If this well-versed Rove tactic works again, then those responsible are the most stupid of the species.

All one has to do is read, verbatum, what Kerry said, considering he was talking to a group of students at the time. No one is disputing what he said. It was really dumb and he insulted our men and women in uniform, and their families. Seems to me that those people who are in denial are probably the same ones who still think O.J. was innocent!

How is it that we Americans elected such fools to tell us what is best for us and the World. Both the elephant and the donkey seem to have forgotten the "Boston Tea Party" and what it was all about. Can it happen again, you betcha and on election day we get to tell them what we think of their failed policies and the needless death of every Mother's son or daughter. The reckless behavior of those who have not walked a mile in their sneakers shall fail. We are not going to be cannon fodder for those who do not respect and appreciate all that this country means to those of us that are true to the ideal of what America stands for.

I wish Republicans would stop insulting the intelligence of the American People by using spin doctors to distort everything. We know what is going on here.

In my circle (I am a college student,) we knew exactly what John Kerry was saying.

Clearly Mr. Kerry was referring to the ill informed Bush Presidency for making the most horrible judgment call in recent history to invade Iraq, and not to the unfortunate soldiers who are caught in this hellish situation we created in a country we have no business ruling.

After all Mr. Kerry is the war veteran and not Mr. Bush.
The problem with Mr. Kerry is that he is an honorable and decent human being and Republicans take full advantage of his good nature to bash him at every opportunity.

Politics aside, this latest display of smut on the part of the Bush camp reflects more on this administration than on John Kerry's character. We have seen how dishonest this administration has been and how merciless they are towards anyone who disagrees with it.

Among my family and friends, we have had enough of this!

We the American people, will voice our discontent with this administration when we go to the polls on November 7th and again in 2008...

Katherine Gordon
Los Angeles

The truth is that Kerry is right. The military is made up of marginal high school graduates, assorted dropouts, and people who were given a choice to join the military standing in front of a judge. Remember the Rhodes Scholars who were in the pictures of Abu Grahib?

How many vacation days did you get this year? People in the military get 30 days paid vacation per year, not including every single federal holiday, and they still complain.

How would like to work for only 20 years, retire in your early 40s, then receive almost 50% of your base pay for the rest of your life for simply doing nothing? Military people get this, and you pay for it.

It's time to stand up to the military and point out the tax paid mercenaries that they are. They are not heroes, they are frauds, and we we need the courage to stand up and point it out. Kerry is right on!

I have to hand it to the right wing fanatics and liars that are posting on this thread: You're good little Republican puppets, repeating all the talking points just right. Kerry was calling Bush stupid, not the troops, and you know it.

You conservatives are killing America with your lies, your smears, your slanders, and your sickening, robot-like support for the worst president in American history, George W. Bush, coward, liar, draft dodger, dry drunk, and complete fraud of a human being.

You read right:YOU CONSERVATIVES ARE KILLING AMERICA.

I would just like to add to Kerry's statement:

Please children of America study hard, do your homework and work hard so that you don't have to grow up to be a Democrat!!!!!

Keep that bile coming! Let America exactly the contempt you have for our soldiers and call Americans who honor our vets and soldiers "hoi polloi," all republicans have ever needed to win was leftists to act like themselves. Looks like Kerry brought you snobs all out of the woodwork.

Oh Come & Let's Face Reality Here,since both
George W Bush Plus His Brains Dick Cheney &
Karl Rove And Windsurfer Idiot John Kerry Have
to be the "Dimmest Bulbs" in all political
history of the United States,so God help us,
if this is all our two so-called major political
parties can come up,to run the country!...So just
vote every Incumbent both Republican & Democrat
Out Of Office On Election Day,and watch how fast
things will change and change for the better as
face it George W Bush,Dick Cheney,Amnesty John
McCain and John Kerry all are a big part of our
present problems and offer us no new solutions,
and so,if you want change, then you have to
change the people first,here to get it!...

Just shows what can happen to career politicians who don't speak from their own heart & head, but rely on paid speach writers and others to tel them what to say. Kerry needs to fade away and take some speech writers with him.

Kerry's non-apology explanation makes him look like even more of a hypocrite because if he's actually trying to denigrate Bush's intelligence and imply that he didn't "study and work hard" in school, all anyone need do is look up both of their Yale grades and you'll notice that Kerry's were worse than Bush's.

But, then again, isn't that so typically like Kerry? Putting on airs and pretending to be the smartest guy in the room when he's actually the dumbest, and then exposing himself by saying something colossally stupid and hurting everyone's chances at election by not doing the right thing and owning up to his mistakes?

What a man who spent three years in a Vietnamese prison and never once broke (despite what Hillary's handlers say) and proudly supports the military today thinks of Kerry and his "botched joke."

"Senator Kerry owes an apology to the many thousands of Americans serving in Iraq, who answered their country's call because they are patriots and not because of any deficiencies in their education. Americans from all backgrounds, well off and less fortunate, with high school diplomas and graduate degrees, take seriously their duty to our country, and risk their lives today to defend the rest of us in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. They all deserve our respect and deepest gratitude for their service. 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, and should deeply offend any American with an ounce of appreciation for what they suffer and risk so that the rest of us can sleep more comfortably at night. Without them, we wouldn't live in a country where people securely possess all their God-given rights, including the right to express insensitive, ill-considered and uninformed remarks." - John McCain, U.S. Senator (R-Ariz.)

I don't think Kerry's comments is a big deal, but calling our soldier killers is stupid. The "killer"s are protecting losers like "dogs of war" from being killed by Al Qaeda. They do so by putting their own life on the line. You can disagree with the military strategy and reasons for the wars, but catagorily calling soldiers "killer"s is wrong and stupid.

This is all the Republicans have to offer???
Is this their October surpise???

Do the Republicans really believe that a quote from John Kerry is going to overcome six years of lockstepping with the inept Bush Whitehouse???

Does this validate Bush's unwarranted,unprovoked invasion of Iraq???

Does this validate all of our troops dying because Bush lied,and the Republican led Congress gave him a blank check on Iraq???

Where is Osama Bin Laden???

I think most Americans are smart enough to see that this Kerry thing is a non-issue,and the Republicans are very desperate to hold on to their power.

I choose to vote Democratic this year,not because I know that they have a plan,but because I know that after six years the Republicans definitely DON'T have a plan.

Benchmarks???.. please,..don't insult my intelligence anymore Mr.Bush.

Anyone with half a brain realizes that Kerry was referring to George W. Bush and the Bush administration when making his "education" remarks NOT U.S. troops. This entire matter has been distorted by the likes of Rush Limbaugh and other corporately control media personalities who are indeed the enemy Tokyo Rose's of this war.

"If we don't re-elect all of the Republicans the terrorists will attack us over here,so we won't have to fight them over there,or something like that."

Wait a minute...didn't we already try that trick?

Ok,here's a new one:

"If we don't re-elect all of the Republicans,John Kerry will eat your children."

There we go;

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

This message has been brought to you by Karl Rove

I have spent my fair amount of time in the great ashtray, re-deployed and voluntarily extended time on my contract. I don't care much for politics, never have. I have always voted my conscience regardless of party. I have always voted what I thought I wanted for the children I hope to have some day. Senator John Kerry made a mistake....and since folks are asserting their rights to speak "freely" based on service to our great nation, I give homage to them and assert my right to speak "freely" as well. Senator Kerry will not change the way I vote. He will not change the way discerning people vote either. Its a pity that an apparent REMF who has the nations ear, and must realize the significant sway of his words on the uneducated masses, would be so careless with his jokes.

I would ask this man with his significant power and sway if he would offer an apology. It's not all that painful. I think LCPL Jeremy Z. Long (JZ) would like that apology. I think JZ would enjoy a sincere "sorry for that one guys". Its too bad he (nor anyone else for that matter) will never get a chance to hear it. JZ was killed in August of this year while serving in the ashtray within the Al Anbar province. I think he was only 18 if I remember right. So I guess that would make him uneducated? Now LCPL Dechen who was killed a week earlier in the same damn province, he was an old man of 24. So I guess he had a chance of getting some education in....but decided to serve his country and get a different type of education. The pain of an apology given by this Senator would be far less than the pain the Marine Corps family feels at losing these souls. What say you Senator Kerry....sincere or not....mouth the words and pay respect as you are now a REMF.

I don't care that Senator Kerry is a Democrat. I don't care that he served. I care that he set off a roadside word bomb with his mouth and I feel like I have a nice little pump that went through my flack jacket. Just remember WHO is doing the dieing over here. And for the love of God, the next time you have a major malfunction of the mouth, have the common courtesy of saying excuse me.

The comments by Kerry go to the heart of why liberals and the Democrat party are despised by the majority of Americans. They betray a lack of civility and common decency to such a degree that it can only be described as immoral. Kerry was the Democrat presidential nominee, he and his elitist attitude epitomize the defining qualities of the Democrat party. The electorate has seen these qualities laid bare once again, and once again they will reject them resoundingly.

Yes , by all means, embrace the war Mr President. Try to make it seem worth the slaughter.

It's obvious that John Kerry can't tell a joke and he should apologize to those that were offended but at least his misstatement doesn't have a body count attached to it unlike: "the insurgency is in its last throes" (Cheney) or the insurgents are just "a few deadenders" (Rumsfeld). We are still waiting on those two nitwits, neither of whom has ever had a shot fired at them in combat, to apologize.

Well it seems to me that (AWOL) Bush and (Draft Deferment) Cheney have never apologized to the Veterens of Vietnam. Why did Bush and Cheney miss that one? VIETNAM (Here kitty, kitty, kitty) But Bush and Cheney continue to lecture everyone on Patriotism. Especially when 'Dick' Cheney says that knowing what we know now, no WMD's in Iraq, the Iraqi Invasion whould have still went forward. Wow! No WMD's and the 'Dick' Cheney still wonders why he owes an apology to the American peoples, and especially to the mothers of those 2500+ Americans deaths in Iraq.

You people who lambast John Kerry for doing something rarely done in US politics, telling the truth, are forgetting it is George W. Bush who has sent almost 3000 US military personnel to their deaths in Iraq and sentenced thousands more to living without limbs.

And he blithely states it is all justified and he would have no hesitation in doing it all again.

On the contrary, John Kerry said something which badly needed to be said. It sure struck a raw nerve with Bush enthusiasts.

And there goes Kerry killing another election year for Democrats!

ha ha ha...

Good job Kerry.

Sure, Kerry said something boneheaded. Gee, good thing Bush has never said something ridiculous (like, "bring it on" or "Mission Accomplished"). I care a helluva lot less about what Kerry SAYS than I do about what Bush DOES.

John Kerry may not as slick as Cheney and Bush, but he is so telling the truth.I could tell here from the woods of Maine we had no reason to even go in to Iraq. This is an OIL war.

It is clear that John Kerry is not apologizing to the troops because he had no intention of criticizing the troops, but rather President Bush. People need to know what he intended to say to make a fair judgment.

He meant to say:

Mr. Kerry said that he botched a joke that his aides said had been prepared as follows: “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.

Bush supported the troops by sending them into battle without armor. He shows his support by tripling the cost of prescriptions to veterans.

More than 60% of Iraqi's say they approve of killing Americans. The President of Iraq hugged the President of Iran our dangerous enemy.

For this we have suffered more than 25,000 casualties and spent more than 300 billion dollars.

Al Queda wants us to waste our resources in Iraq instead of capturing Ben Laden in Afganistan and beefing up homeland security.

They want a big hit in the U.S. like 100,000 killed instead of a few hundred Americans in Iraq.Bush is playing right into their hands like he did with the warning he got in Aug. 2001 when he just sat on it instead of alerting the nation.

What you need is a woman President to come and sort out the mess you've created.

Hillary, come on down!

If you didn't get what this war vet said to a college crowd, then you too need to go back to school! We all deserve what's coming because none of you have the intelligence to see through the twisted lies of this president and his sick un-godly cabinet. They owe us all the apology. Wake up already Americans!

If Bush cared anything for those American troops he would have sent reinforcements long ago. They are completely under-manned and dying in useless war of attrition. All this talk of "winning" is meaningless when he won't give them the resources to do the job properly. What happened to your precious "shock & awe?"

Wow. Unbelievable.

The vitriol which is still spewing over the last election is amazing.

I started reading all the comments and while there are a few sane ones, this is beginning to sound like the ravings of lunatics in an asylum with a few non-insane people trapped in with them (get out quick! before you are a goner too!)

I was going to put in my own comment and reference comparisons of Kerry's and Bush's careers to show how much more Kerry has done for the military and others as compared to how much Bush has done for himself. I don't think many people remember that he was considered, at best, a joke before 9/11 and essentially ran on a platform of 'Gore is really, really bad -- vote for W'.

But then I realized I would be one more voice in a sea of madness and I've opted against it.

Oh, by the way, since we're talking a little bit about education here, the pages of extremely poor grammar, spelling and punctuation I had to wade through speak volumes of those typing it. May I suggest copying and pasting your text into

http://www.spellcheck.net/cgi-bin/spell.exe

before posting it? It may not catch the grammatical problems but it should catch most of the typos.

In conclusion, I look forward to the Democratic Party gaining control of at least one house of Congress so we can start getting some balance back in our government. Anytime one party controls everything for too long... well, history tells us plenty of what happens then.

Kerry sure got the attention focused where it should be: on Iraq. Now we don't have to listen to Bush pander to his base about the sanctity of marriage for another week.

Is it that hard to say sorry?

All John Kerry had to say was this: "I'm deeply sorry about my recent misstatment. I did not mean for it to offend any U.S. soldier or family. My comment was meant to be critical of the Bush administration's policies and not our brave soldiers, who are the finest—and smartest—in the world." See, three sentences, issue over. How hard was that?

Instead, Kerry uses his mangled joke as a political springboard to lash back at Republican criticism. Compare what Kerry said to what I wrote above. Which do you think the U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan would prefer to hear? Which one do you think would better defuse criticism from Republicans?

If you can figure that out, you're smarter than Kerry.

The most interesting aspect of all this noise is that so many people BELIEVE that John Kerry would disparage the troops in iraq.

There's something about Kerry that induces people to feel he's an elitist. (And his wife's attitude doesn't help.) Thus, when he misspeaks as badly as he did yesterday, his listeners are completely prepared to throw rotten vegetables.

I guess the Demorcratic party never figured out WHY Kerry lost the election--it's because he projects a kind of cold snobbishness (much like Dick Cheney--but without the foam-at-the-mouth meanness). If the Dems had figured this out, they NEVER would have let Kerry out of his castle just before a crucial election.

How dumb can you get?

You Dem's cannot stay on task. Kerry made a statement that he believes is true. Otherwise he would apologize. That is the focus of this discussion. It's not about W or the war. It is about Kerry and his fool hearty comment.

HELP WANTED:

Title: President of USA

Position Available: ASAP

Education Qualities Needed: Educated in FOREIGN Policy; Educated in USA and WORLD ECONOMICS; Educated in being a Negotiator; Educated in FOREIGN RELIGIONS; Educated on Relationships; Educated in Military Manpower planning; Strong GRAMMAR skills required.

Personal Attributes: ability to hear the people you represent, truthful, sincere, hardworking, dedicated to the people you serve, high morals, strong ethics of an individuals life, willing to get along with other foreign countries, willing to place YOUR LIFE on the line before the people you represent as a NOBLE cause!

A "proven track record" of the abilities and personal attributes for all the above!

Benefits:
Vacation Time: 3 weeks per year in total

Please forward your resumes to the CONGRESS! You may send via FED _EX.

Pinocchio Puppets need NOT APPLY

Mr. Dolan, Kerry received a "scratch on his hand" manning a riverine patrol craft IN Viet Nam, not from a bar maid in Alabama. There are veterans who spoke to Mr Kerry IN Viet Nam. There are photos and videos of Mr. Kerry IN Viet Nam.
John "The Manchurian Candidate" McCain deserves the awful treatment he received from the Bush, Cheney, Rove Mean Machine. They will stop at nothing to keep themselves in power.
Also, there was another posting from someone regarding the Legion or VFW, who gave his intials, I give my full name. I stand by my words!

While Kerry is an idiot to be caught in such a situation, it is so obvious by his preceeding jokes that he was talking about Bush, not our servicemen. I am 55 and was in the Navy during Vietnam. When Bush accused the Democrats of supporting the terrorists, I saw red.That was the supreme insult to me...That was more insulting to ex veterans like me then Kerry's spun attempt at a joke against Bush. Many of us are voting anti-Republican, not pro-Democrat. About the education comment.....Yes, don't do your homework and if you are President, you will find your self in a miserable religious civil war in Iraq that was a war of choice by the Chicken Hawks....WHAT ABOUT OSAMA AND AFGHANISTAN!!

Listen to yourselves. You are all so full of hatred for the other side. Actually, listen to Save America. He/She is right on the money. If we all don't stop this vitriol, we'll all be sunk. Just because our politicians are morons doesn't mean that we have to be morons too.

I would like to offer an opinion on this. My nephew was killed in Iraq and he was neither stupid nor uneducated. I listened to Kerrys comments and I took it as a slam against the troops. I can confirm that I am not crazy as he said I would have to be if I believed that. The fact is, I heard with my own ears what he said. Now he can spin it however he likes, but he did insult the troops. Perhaps that was unintentional and he was referring to President Bush. It would not kill him to apologize to those of us who took offense at his words instead of calling us crazy. And for those of you who say otherwise, my nephew served because he believed that the terrorism problem had to be solved now, not later. Iraq was in non-compliance with 17 UN resolutions, remember those? The ones that ended the first Gulf War? His non-compliance is why we are in this war and those of you who choose to believe otherwise are simply unimformed. Kerry is an elitist and imo he meant what he said. Can you excuse what he said several months ago in an interview when he said the troops are "terrorizing" the Iraqi people? How about when he was back from his long 3 months in Vietnam and he said the troops were raping and pillaging on par with the likes of Ghengis Khan? Were those comments also misinterpreted? Just like always he tries to spin his way out of his disparaging remarks against the troops. His contempt of their sacrifice is dispicable but oh so expected. His commments on the "Republican run" Congres, blaming them for the war is truly stunning seeing as how he himself voted FOR this war. He can twist in the wind for all I care but know this....the military families of America know that most Democrats view the military with contempt and we will vote accordingly. Better hold off on measuring those drapes Pelosi.......

Does Kerry think he is culturally and educationally superior to all of us because he speaks French fluently?

Kerry shouldn't apologize. The ones who should apologize are Bush, Rumsfeld and Chaney.

I hope Kerry's foolish remarks resonate with the undecided voters out there who are looking for a reason to vote for or against a specific ideology. Would this gasbag ever made such comments in front of a military audience (like he ever would in the first place)? He was obviously pandering to campus liberals and clearly demonstrating the elitist snob that he and his kind really are. What a two-faced phoney Kerry is! Incredibly, his follow-up did even more damage to the Dems. And to think the libs claim the intellectual "high-ground". What a joke!!

I found the exact commment Kerry made during his testimony to Congress in 1971:

Perhaps because John Kerry brazenly told Congress in 1971 that American soldiers had "raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam."

I believe that would count as "troop bashing".

Loony Lefters continually show their hypocrisy!!

George Allen jokingly calls some guy a "macacca." The Loony Left goes berserk, talks about it for weeks and weeks.

John Kerry insults the troops. The Loony Left says it's all a joke, no harm, no foul, a mountain being made from a molehill, let's move on.

The Left: Nothing but a bunch of Forrest Gumps.

those defending Kerry need to get your story straight,

was he;

A) referring to Bush and therefore botched the joke

OR

B) referring to the troops and therefore accurate

?????

the two are mutually exclusive

Kerry has claimed it was A - but I cannot see how that could be likely after reading the script twice and watching the video twice

if he was talking about the troops , then he may be right (in part) but he's also heartless

My main point is what does the DNC officially say about his comments

I am already dubious of the DNC intentions for Iraq after the election

I do not support Bush's current war strategy but all I see so far from DNC is posturing to use the natural dissatisfaction of the public with the way the war is going to get votes without having a policy/plan of their own -- in other words, vote for us cause they suck

all I see of their plan for after Nov 7 is to use a majority in the house to help get a dem elected president in 2008 by staying on the attack against the republicans -- not the Taliban or Al Quaeda

I see no concern for the soldiers in the field from the dems -- this is accentuated by Kerry's response and the lack of a DNC condemnation of his remarks -- "we are bringing you home because you are fighting in a worthless cause" does not reflect the fact that the soldiers in the field do believe they are fighting for a cause -- I've interviewed them myself

sure we found no WMD's but at least those conniving repubs didn't plant some to make themselves look good

and Saddam is out of power -- a tyrant on the level of Milosevich

and we haven't been attacked on our own soil as we were both while Clinton was on guard and shortly after his departure

there main be disdain towards our military left over from the vietnam generation

but our military has a job to do and it is honorable work

little t ---- tom (the registered independent MD ............. and veteran)

ps if it was A as Kerry maintains, it was not only a lousy joke with a lousy delivery (especially so for one who speaks often in public) but it was also sour grapes to the point of pathological immaturity -- attack the intelligence of the man who outperformed you in school and in a national election

this was much more ridiculous than mispelling "potatoe"

Kerry is irrelevant to be sure but the response of his party is NOT

Bill....Your reaction to this surprises me. You are smart enough to know this was a "misstatement" or botched joke or what ever you want to call it. I know that you smart enough
to understand Kerry does not, being in the service unlike Bush, think bad of the service...thats just plain crap and you know it.
Yet I see you writing how Kerry owes this...and Kerry thinks this.... You are grasping for anything you can to shift the focus of how the right screwed the pooch in Iraq.

Kerry has clarified his remarks. It is very plain to see that he was referring to former college cheerleader and draft-avoider Bush. But of course now the rabid right-wingers are eager to continue pretending that Kerry meant the troops--engaging in intellectual dishonesty so that they can make political hay. At the top of the dishonesty pile is, naturally, George W. Bush--a cowardly man who is so desperate and whose standards are so low that he will gladly appear with Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh-the person who mocks & laughs at those stricken with Parkinson's Disease.

http://time.blogs.com/daily_dish/2006/11/abandoning_an_a.html

Better keep that Kerry story on the front page. Don't talk too much about how the current occupant has abandoned a US soldier at the behest of a foreign leader.

The various comments posted here show one thing, undeniably: Most Liberals have no respect for our men and women in uniform and couldn't care less about the defense of this country. The comments posted here show that again and again ad nauseam. So, whatever Sen. Kerry may or may not have intended to say, the liberals of the land have filled in the blanks: Liberals don't respect our leadership, don't respect our country, love every petty murderous dictator more than we love our own President, and consider our men and women in uniform to be stupid, overpaid killers. My friends, this liberal group is one sick bunch! Their postings here say it even more clearly than John Kerry's stupid statement.

The press in this country is pathetic. Almost everything John Kerry said during his Presidential race is happening. I cannot believe we all sit around and not discuss what a debacle Iraq is. Bush Cheney Rumsfeld, none of them have served. How many politicians kids are serving in Iraq? I think Bush's daughters should be there. It's sickening. The "big story" is what Kerry said yesterday. Oh yeah...that was just the "ammo" the republican party needs. Lets talk about it for the next several days instead of what is really going on in Iraq. Lets stop protecting Israel and get the hell out of the middle east. Lets give the Jews Wyoming.

Kerry's remarks may have not been politically expedient, but there's plenty of truth to them. I know plenty of smart people who could have gotten full scholarships to college if they'd taken school seriously and tried to do well. They didn't, and when the time came to pay the tuition, there was only one choice: the military. Those who disparage Kerry for his remarks seem to fall into two camps:

1. Those who have fallen for the Republican spin that saying anything about those who serve in the military that isn't 100 percent praise are somehow disparaging those who serve. They're not. If you can't understand this, you are either too big of a partisan to use the part of your brain involved in logic and reasoning, or you're just an idiot.

2. Those who are creating the Republican spin described above for purely cynical reasons. It's the soulless liars like this who are ruining democracy. They're the ones who ought to apologize.

Amazing to see the spin given this by Tribune columnists, bloggers. Seems 180 degrees wrong. This refocuses debate on Iraq debacle, which GOP can't win on. Sunshine patriotism and feigned indignation of GOP huff n puffers only preaches to the irredeemable base.

Kerry's only mistake was calling those who misinterpreted this crazy. He should of said "stupid" and immediately applied it to journalists. Everyone would have gotten this.

It is possible that Kerry did, in fact, botch a joke about President Bush and inadvertently insult the US troops. It's possible - just not plausable. If it were, if he really didn't mean to say what he said, why wasn't the first statement out of his mouth "I apologize to the men and women in uniform" (or some version).

That wasn't Kerry's first comment. It wasn't his 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, either. In fact, it wasn't his comment at all; he has yet to speak the words "I apologize".

That says a lot about his character.

Spin it all you want, he said what he said. If he misspoke, he can apologize. He refuses to do so.

In light of his Vietnam-era statements and his trips to Paris to negotiate with the North Vietnamese, how can we not think the worst of this statement?

By the way, stating 'putting food on families' is not in the same league with this statement.

For those of you that get your news and information from the likes of Rush "DoughBoy" Limbaugh or Bill "Phoney O'Reilly", read a book about the Iraq War. Written by Bob Woodward called "State of Denial." There you will find some truth instead of lies and innuendoes and smears that the Right Wing Hatchet Job Machine regularly grinds out around Election Time. It is better to read "State of Denial" then to continually live in it.

It is pretty clear, even to my six-year-old daughter, that Kerry was referring to Bush and not the soldiers, but the President, the Administration and their loyal hacks in the press will flog this moment for all it is worth. Why? I'll tell you:

They are looking down the barrel of a big, scary electoral gun and it's got them shaking in their boots. The only solution is to grasp at straws, make it sound like Kerry said something he didn't and mislead (and scare) their base into an anti-Democratic fever.

Typical Republican tacticts. If you let them get away with it on Tuesday, shame on you.

I don't see why everybody is so upset at Kerry. All he did was call bush a boob, which is true.

Bill R., Dave, and all the Kerry apologists. With all due respect, I DON'T know what was going on in Kerry's head and his statements since his supposed misstatement have made this situation much worse.

You both are smart enough to know that Kerry has a history of calling soldiers rapists (1971 congressional testimony, quoted for your pleasure: U.S. soldiers "raped, cut off ears, cut off heads ... and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam.") and accusing them of terrorizing Iraqi women and children in their homes (2005 on "Face the Nation"). So don't you dare lecture me about how Kerry doesn't "think bad of the service."

Let's take Kerry at face value and say this was a mistake or a banal attempt at humor (although he doesn't stammer once on the video and doesn't seem to be reading from a script). Okay fine, what's the right thing to do in that case?

Do you A.) Admit YOU MADE A MISTAKE and apologize to anyone in the service you might have offended with YOUR poor choice of words like an adult as U.S. Senator John McCain, the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars have asked Kerry to or B.) call everyone who didn't understand that YOU MADE A MISTAKE "crazy" and accuse them of being part of a vast conspiracy to make you look bad and vow to "apologize to no one."

If you chose A then you're a responsible adult. If you chose B you're John Kerry. Because in Kerry's world it's up to everyone else to understand that he made a mistake. No responsibility falls on his shoulders whatsoever.
It's that attitude that makes me believe that Kerry never made a mistake in the first place as he's now trying to spin it. Like the elitist that he is he said how he truly feels about our men and women in uniform and now he's doing whatever he can to twist his way out of it and make it about the Bush White House and not him and his horrible statement.

There's a reason why the DNC has canceled all his planned campaign stops.

You apologists deserve Kerry.

So we hear again that Bush is a dummy (although his Yale GPA was one point higher than Kerry's), that Bush is a draft dodger (though millions served in the National Guard during the Vietnam era), and that Cheney received 7 deferments (the actual number was 5, matched by John Kerry). The only difference between Cheney and Kerry was that Kerry's sixth and final deferment application (to attend grad school) was rejected, after which he volunteered for Vietnam. Of course this too was only reported after the election, and largely ignored.

There is plenty to criticize about Bush and Cheney without distorting the facts, which to a reasonable person only raises the question: aren't the facts sufficient?

Of course Mr. Kerry should apologize for being deliberately misunderstood -- right after Mr. Bush apologizes for challenging those responsible for killing scores of American troops to "Bring it on."

Main issue = IRAQ

OBL alive = Afghanistan (remember that war)

Soldiers DEAD = Incompetent War Plan

Soldiers DEAD = Lied to about WMD (info surpressed)

Soldiers DEAD = NIE Report reflects we are spreading the terror. (more info surpressed)

Soldiers DEAD = reasons keep moving around why we are at war from one month to the next.

Soldiers DEAD = repeat same house cleaning of same towns, just a different month, no progress.

Soldiers DEAD = Americans told LIES of New Tactics, none exist.

Soldiers DEAD = Unable to tell WHO is the enemy, as they change by day and night

Soldiers DEAD = Not correct Equipment

Soldiers DEAD = Not enough troops

Soldiers DEAD = given IMPOSSIBLE tasks

Soldiers DEAD = conditions on the ground are Civil War

Soldiers DEAD = General Westmoreland management style...lie and lie and lie some more.

Soldiers DEAD = Bush in denial.

Soldiers DEAD = generals afraid of lost retirement benefits.

Soldiers DEAD = Republican Members in wh and congress making $$$$$$$$ from defense companies and OFF of the WOUNDED and the DEAD!

Soldiers DEAD = K Street Lobby Boys Profit from the wounded and the dead soldiers.

Soldiers DEAD = American Oil Companies report record profits from Iraq.

Soldiers DEAD = War being run by "politics"

Soldiers DEAD = Spreading terrorists around the world by sitting in Iraq through want to bees using same as a training camp.

Soldiers DEAD = Saddam gets back at Bush Family through 11/2000 statement " no oil sold in US Dollars" when Bush was elected.

So bottom line " soldiers LIVES are expendable to this current POWER CONTROL in the USA "!

Yes, NT, but they never learn, despite numerous examples, do they?

Think of how differently things would have turned out had the following statements been made:

Dick Nixon: "Some of my people got a little overenthusiastic and tried to break into the Democratic headquarters. I didn't authorize it, I deplore it, and I'm taking care of it by firing those responsible and cooperating fully with local law enforcement."

Bill Clinton: "I have difficulty keeping my pants zipped, just ask Gennifer and Paula. Miss Lewinsky came on to me, and foolishly, I reciprocated. It was my fault, and I'm assigning Hillary to watch me 24/7 to make sure it never happens again."

Jack Ryan: "My marriage was in trouble, I was desperate, and I took Jeri to a sex club in order to try something different in order to recapture the magic of our early times together. Obviously, it was a mistake and it didn't work."

I could go on and on. John Kerry is just the latest example. Whenever these politicians step on their privates, they cover up and dissemble, piquing everybody's curiosity until what could have been a small thing turns into a national scandal. It must be something in the breed.

Kerry and his supporters keep trying to claim that he merely misspoke. Their “evidence” is:

A) Someone who served would never show such disrespect for the military, and

B) There would be no political advantage to making such a comment.

First, Kerry has a thirty year plus history of accusing the military of widespread criminal abuse – something more heinous and equally inaccurate when compared to his recent insult.

Second, Kerry is apparently playing to his base. Last night, while the Swamp was inactive, I counted at least 34 individual posters who, in essence, said Kerry was right – the military is a dumping ground and it was just impolite for him to mention it (a few didn’t even think it was impolite). More have posted similarly since. I am not claiming the Swamp is a representative sampling but that tells me that a lot of people on the left side of the fence have both a deep disregard for our military and a complete ignorance or the standards one must meet to join.

Just for clarification (and you can find more detail with links on my earlier post under the original thread), the US military has much higher education levels than the US population aged 25 and up (which is the limitation of the census material I could find). This is based on available numbers for the enlisted ranks (74% of which has at least some college vs 53% of the general population) – which includes a substantial number of 19-24 year olds who would tend to bring the average down. Add in the officers and the educational advantage of the military population is overwhelming.

I also have to correct the people who do not understand the recent “lowering of standards” for military recruitment. First, you need to understand how high those standards were to begin with. Every enlistee must have a HS degree or higher and then must score well on an aptitude test that is quite demanding. This combination eliminates a huge percentage the youthful population, the vast majority of which go on to get other jobs and even go to college.

In terms of lowered standards, in the past, a maximum of 2% of those recruited in a year could come from those who scored at the minimum acceptable level of the aptitude test and the exceptions were made on the basis of other criteria (above average HS grades, extra-curricular activities, et cetera). When the standards were lowered recently, the percentage was changed to 4%. They also changed the percent of GEDs accepted in one or two branches of the service (in most cases it is still fewer than 5% of recruits) whereas most private sector employees do not distinguish between a diploma and a GEd.

So, when people like Rob Norris say that to get into our military “you basically just need to be alive and not retarded. You can even be a gang member, a felon, or a fricking neo-nazi skinhead.” it obviously is a combination of profound ignorance and intense bias.

Why do some (apparently many) “liberals” feel this way?

RRD

If you read the Kerry comments in their commpletely you would realize that the 'You" mentioned by Kerry DOES NOT not refer to the troops in Iraq. You refers to GW Bush. Bush is the one who refused to educate himself and to study hard at school and to listen to the advice of his generals. Bush was a play boy at school and since he has been president he has played at being a commander-in-chief. "Mission accomplished" he said as he pretended to be a soldier in a flight jacket and landed on the aircraft carrier. He was just playing soldier but he's not even a very good John Wayne. Kerry has nothing but respect for the US troops who are brave and the best trained in the world. After all Kerry was a soldier who saw combat and the effects of war on the men and women who are on the battlefield. Bush was a stay at home guy. Nov. 1, 2006 11:30am

It sounds like JK's been reading too many Raving Loon threads. When is the KKKARL speech coming?

"I believe that would count as "troop bashing".

Posted by: Christie | Nov 1, 2006 8:41:54 AM"

Kerry would know, as he was there.

It's not called the biggest foreign policy mistake of the 20th century for nothing, you know.

You can really tell that the Republitards are getting really deserate!
Anyone with half of a brain (that excludes the vast majority of republitards)knows that John Kerry was actually talking about Dumbya Bush & co.
I am a Marine who served in the mid-70's. I can tell you that from personal experience, that the majority of the guys that I served with, were liberals.
I challenge any one of you pathetic Republitards to tell us how many of the Idiot in Chief's cabinet served in combat?? I'll tell you...NONE...ZERO...ZIP...NADA!!
The last idiot republitard that said because I hated Dumbya, I was an 'unamerican terrorist lover' to my face, took 20 minutes to regain contiousness...
Vote the Republitards out Nov. 7th!! See you at the Polls!

Stupid is as stupid does......

This is very sad. Is there any point in trying to analyze what Kerry said? The bottom line is that he encouraged some students to study hard and discouraged them from getting stuck in Iraq. Is Mr. Bush suggesting that getting oneself stuck in Iraq is an intelligent thing to do?
Has anyone brought up the front page story on the Chicago Tribune? The U.S. military just ended its blockade in Sadr City under the orders of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The point of the blockade was to provide a check-point to search for a missing U.S. soldier. I suppose Bush feels no obligation to apologize after abandoning this soldier to appease al-Maliki. Somehow this is not as harmful to the soldier's welfare as Kerry's supposed insult, eh?

Thats it!!! I'm not voting to re-elect John Kerry for President.

Does anyone find Kaptain Kechup's failed "joke" and subsequent lack of apology toward the members of our armed forces disturbing in light of his failed bid to be their/our COMMANDER IN CHIEF??!!??

This guy is supposed to be a "moderate" Dem? Until your Dem leadership quits viewing the US military with its elitist contempt, get used to being the minority party.

If Kerry meant to direct his comments to the troops, he would have said:
" ...You will wind up SERVING in Iraq!"

No apology is needed for those who understand English.
For the others, they do need that education.
If Bush had not squandedered his education on parties, booze, women and how many illegal [?] concoctions, he might get the point.

Damn NeoCon Morons do need a Moron-in-Chief.
My Bad! I have it backwards.
He needs them, so as to have someone to talk down to.

“You can fool some of the people all of the time
and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.”
—George W. Bush, March 2001.

Kerry and his supporters keep trying to claim that he merely misspoke. Their “evidence” is:

A) Someone who served would never show such disrespect for the military, and

B) There would be no political advantage to making such a comment.

First, Kerry has a thirty year plus history of accusing the military of widespread criminal abuse – something more heinous and equally inaccurate when compared to his recent insult.

Second, Kerry is apparently playing to his base. Last night, while the Swamp was inactive, I counted at least 34 individual posters who, in essence, said Kerry was right – the military is a dumping ground and it was just impolite for him to mention it (a few didn’t even think it was impolite). More have posted similarly since. I am not claiming the Swamp is a representative sampling but that tells me that a lot of people on the left side of the fence have both a deep disregard for our military and a complete ignorance of the standards one must meet to join.

Just for clarification (and you can find more detail with links on my earlier post under the original thread), the US military has much higher education levels than the US population aged 25 and up (which is the limitation of the census material I could find). This is based on available numbers for the enlisted ranks (74% of which has at least some college vs 53% of the general population) – which includes a substantial number of 19-24 year olds who would tend to bring the average down. Add in the officers and the educational advantage of the military population is overwhelming.

I also have to correct the people who do not understand the recent “lowering of standards” for military recruitment. First, you need to understand how high those standards were to begin with. Every enlistee must have a HS degree or higher and then must score well on an aptitude test that is quite demanding. This combination eliminates a huge percentage the youthful population, the vast majority of which go on to get other jobs and even go to college.

In terms of lowered standards, in the past, a maximum of 2% of those recruited in a year could come from those who scored at the minimum acceptable level of the aptitude test and the exceptions were made on the basis of other criteria (above average HS grades, extra-curricular activities, work experience, et cetera). When the standards were lowered recently, the percentage was changed to 4%. They also changed the percent of GEDs accepted in one or two branches of the service (in most cases it is still fewer than 5% of recruits) whereas most private sector employees do not distinguish between a diploma and a GED.

So, when people like Rob Norris say that to get into our military “you basically just need to be alive and not retarded. You can even be a gang member, a felon, or a fricking neo-nazi skinhead.” it obviously is a combination of profound ignorance and intense bias.

Why do some (apparently many) “liberals” feel this way?

RRD

and "they" say Bush isn't bright... I understand that Kerry's grades during his college years were lower than Bush's... just another example of the dim-wits that wind up running this country...

Blaming the Republicans for not admitting fault, either, is not an excuse.
"I did not have sex with that woman."
"It depends on what your definition of 'is' is"
"Vast Right Wing conspiracy"
"botched joke"
"I didn't inhale"
"Wardrobe malfunction"
Well, except for that last one, is it possible for Democrats to demonstrate integrity by taking blame, admitting fault, and moving on?

I was glad to see the comments of Richard Zaccone. He points out how the men in this administration avoided service in a war during which they were all of military age.

John Kerry went to Vietnam. As an officer yes, but still, he was there. And he could have easily avoided it.

There has been some change today I suppose, but let's be honest here: working class kids still tend to fill the enlisted ranks of our military. And they're the ones who are dying over there. How many Northwestern grads do you think are enlisting to go to Iraq as privates? Not many is my guess.

My amazement has never ceased over how America fell hook, line and sinker for the claptrap of an administration filled with men so eager to send young Americans to die, but who themselves had shamelessly avoided war-time military service.

John Kerry may have said a dumb thing. But he's combat vet and that's a fact.

Republicans are quick to divert public attentions from the main issues. After all, who is really stuck in Irag??? U.S. Soldiers?? or George W. Bush??? John spoke the truth.

What are you all talking about? You are talking about things that politicians give you. Behind the scenes you must understand it is one government. We are the most dumbed down electorate in the world. 1984 certainly applies here. The reason things are the way they are is we trust and listen to our Politicians. If we don't they reform. Because they must or leave government.

If you want things to change yyou must go for the facts and then tell the world. The light in a dark corner reveals the secret deals. Those who don't want to be seen. If you want to make a change, expose what is under the carpet to see if they have swept cleanly according to what they say. If not, they cannot deny the truth. Though they will, and follow Hitler's mantra. Tell a big lie and have everyone repeat it till accepted. That is how you conquer.=-)

Ted Jefferson, it's also a fact that he trashed his fellow veterans in congressional testimony in 1971 and just a few months ago said American soldiers terrorize Iraqi women and children on "Face the Nation."

For those reasons and a list too long to count, Kaptain Ketchup doesn't get a pass. John McCain was in a Vietnamese POW camp for three years. He and every other soldier and veteran deserve an apology.

As someone who did the "Mad Dash to Baghdad" and spent an additional 2 years on active duty since (all as a "reservist", no less!), I am not in the least bit surprised Ketchup Man (John Kerry) said something like this. He has a first ammendment right to expel barf like this. This was no joke - this was a deliberate statement. I heard the sentences before and after the key remark to ensure this was not taken out of context. Except Kerry was attempting to tailor his speech to college students and the vast majority of them will tell you (naievely) that a college degree should qualify you to not have to go to war (Source: 2003 Chicago Tribune article titled "Hell No, They Won't Go"). He basically said out loud what a lot of these little bastards think anyway! Spoiled rotten by booze, MTV, easy sex, student loans (or daddy, either way its free money to them!), and believing idiotic appeasers in an effort to rebel, they have no clue about the real world is about. I think it will only be after North Korea does something like lob a nuke on CA (or worse) will some see in hindsight the significance of recent news (and even then, they will still want "proof").

I am especially amused after reading the drivel above. For the simpletons who still think this is "Bush Lied, Kids Died", there were WMDs over there - how many times did CNN report of things like the Sarin gas roadside bomb in 2004? From having been there, I know better than to believe a foolish Cyndi Sheehan-esque statement. That would be almost as stupid as those who actually believe the spin that Kerry "botched a joke" (which means for you believers of this mindless spin, the joke is on you).

Kerry: "Bush and company are the ones who should apologize for my comments. I mean I voted for the war in Iraq...after I voted against it... Wait, didn't I vote to go into Iraq? I'm not sure. Wasn't that one of the days I just didn't show up for work? I mean I meant to vote against it, but I voted for it, and then I found out that it was unpopular, so I wish I hand't. So it must be all Bush's fault even if I voted for it. And I'm smarter than that old Bush guy anyway...even if he got higher grades than me at Yale, and even if he had higher test scores. I really am smarter...I just can't figure out how to speak without sticking my foot in my mouth. What I really meant to say was that if you study hard in school, you can succeed. If you don't, you'll end up a Democrat like me."

Bill,

Your braindead alligence to the Cheerleader in Chief,Vice Dictator Cheney,and your hero KKKarl Rove is revealing.

I guess we can now lump you in with Paulo,and little Johnny/JD "Tammy" as wingnut robots.

I ALWAYS suspected as much about you,that's why I never bought into any of your wingnut apologies for the current idiots in the Whitehouse.

Nov.7,2006 - GOP Funeral - wear your best black clothing Bill.

John McCain is now a fulltime Republican Pod.

He gets swiftboated by the KKKarl Rove boys team,and what does he do???

He joins up with them in order to further his Presidential hopes.

McCain will not win the Presidency in 08 because he is now a W.and Cheney apologist.
W will have an approval rating in the low to mid twenties in the next two years.

John McCain,go ahead,keep sucking up to the Loser in Chief,YOU HAVE ZERO CHANCE OF EVER BECOMING PRESIDENT NOW!!

John E.! so nice to have someone from of the kindergarten class represented here. Your attempts at humor are precious. I take you about as seriously as everyone else on this blog does, which is not very.

I feel like I an seeing kids in a school yard over theis Kerry comment. It would have been wonderful to see the Repubs ignore the misphrased comment Kerry made. I don't think there is a politician in the country who "gets" that there is more to be gained by taking the high ground and giving your "honorable opponnent" the benefit of the doubt. The terrorists aren't going to beat us - we are beating ourselves daily!

Kerry was absolutely correct in his remarks to the Pasadena City College students. We all know that this war, much like Vietnam, is being fought by those who had no alternatives to pay for an education and saw the military as their best hope. Now Bush has exploited them to die in a senseless war of his choosing. Kerry served heroically in Vietnam and was one of the few of his class and background to choose to service, unlike Bush and Cheney who chose to avoid combat. Republicans are such hypocrites on this issue, it is truly sickening.

Indeed. BILL (with no last name given)... remove your head from your behind and go to Iraq!

We need everyone we can get over there. Flat-footed 55-year old accountant with high blood pressure? No problem. There is a job to do in Iraq.

Each and every type of service - military, civilian, logistical, etc., etc. - is needed in Iraq.

So BILl, whoever you are, whatever you do, if you support this WAR, get goin'!

OR... would you rather let someone else do the dying for you?

John Kerry's been to war. Have you?

Kerry sticks his foot in his mouth and half the country demands an apology from Kerry the other half cry out that Bush should be the one to apologize. This kind of behaviour is raising the impotence of government to new heights. We need to kick the extremists out of the parties or better yet build a strong moderate third party, where people can have differing points of view but still work together.

Why is the president more concerned abouot meeting Rush Limbaugh to talkk about Kerry than he is about meeting the leaders of Iran and North Korea. Aren't we strong enouogh to meet with anybody, talk to anybody? Why go so low and cheap and sling the mud with Rush?

My friends overseas do not understand why so much attention is given to such trivial matters when there are huge problems to solve. We are not taking on the role of a world superpower, we are squandering our gifts and our place in history.

He's right. It's the "job of last resort" for young people who don't get a degree. Now your going to burn him for being honest? God forbid a politician should be that!

Let's see.

John Kerry pretty much said this. "If you go to college and are smart you won't get stuck in Iraq. The Democrats are calling Iraq a "quagmire". Vietnam was called a "quagmire". If you were smart you didn't get stuck in Vietnam. Therefore, Bush is smarter than I am, and as I have proven time-and-time again, I'm an idiot."

John E,I take you seriously.I think your humor is precious.

And,we're going to party next week.Are we not!

We're going to drive around the North side till we find Billy and make him party with us!!

I thought the job of last resort for young people who don't get a degree was McDonald's.

Oops, wouldn't want to offend all of the fast food service men and women!

From what I've read today, Kerry had the lower scores and more D's. He should get in touch
with real people. How can he insult so many of
our fighting personnel?

kerry is telling more lies, if that was meant to be a joke what was the punch line? If a misspoken word is said you correct it. I do not think it was a mistake. kerry is a flip & a flop i do not think he really knows what he is going to say or do next...

Mom... you must be a mom. Are you encouraging your children to go to Iraq? If they're too young, will you encourage them to go to war - if they can - when they grow up?

Have you been to war?

My father was in heavy combat in Germany in 1945. He knows from whence he speaks regarding war. He hates war. And he warns about people who are quick to want war, but have not themselves seen war. He's told me as much about war as he can. But I know there's still much that he keeps secret.

War often destroys the people who survive it. And destroys those who loved the ones who don't. War doesn't kill cleanly - like in the movies. It tears people to shreds with chunks of metal moving at the speed of sound, crashing through flesh and bones and teeth. It splashes buring oil into men's eyes, or peppers a child with thousands of shards of broken glass. It can turn young men into animals who kill with relish - and then leave those men haunted and ruined when war is over.

War is doing much damage to this country right now. Only a fool can't see it. And the true and final price of this war will be paid a long, long time from now.

So Mom, be one of the smarter ones on here. Before you approve of war again, imagine visiting your son's grave, or having him come home from the war quiet and changed forever - maybe because he saw a man's face and then had to kill him. Just like John Kerry did when he was at war.

Isn't anyone curious as to why this guy kills the election for dem's?

My brother is in the Marines and slated to go to Iraq in June. While I found Kerry's remarks insensitive they are in no way, shape, or form as insensitive and disgusting as Bush's reasons for getting us into this war and his piss poor handling of it. Plus, in typical Bush fashion, he has taken these remarks and trumped them up to the point of hysteria in the hopes that the public is stupid enough to forget all the bulls**t that the Republicans and Bush have pulled in the past six years. Shame on Bush for thinking that we are that dumb and shame on those of you who are falling for it.

Molly, I like the cut of your jib.

"Those who have long enjoyed such freedoms as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Kerry needs to learn to be a man and admit that he blew it! Then he needs to be a bigger man an say the words I'M SORRY!!. But when you blame everyone else for the mistakes that you make, you'll never be that bigger man.

Shame on Bush for thinking that we are that dumb and shame on those of you who are falling for it.

Posted by: molly swanson | Nov 1, 2006 4:17:07 PM

........Well said Molly. In hindsight John Kerry may not be as dumb as most people are thinking. It goes without saying that he's not as dumb as George Bush.

What John Kerry said has meaning - like a grim and sad self revelation.

Maybe Mr Kerry does believe that the American citizens who risk their lives and well being representing their country in war are intellectually inferior to their "more educated" fellow citizens.
The guy need educating himself he does - like in how to think in depth and read about what makes human beings tick.

Mr Kerry needs to learn about the myriad of variables that shape our destinies.
No Australians have lost their lives in combatt in Iraq or Afghanistan but every night, on PBS News, when I see the lists of Americans who have lost their lives helping people find a better life in far off countries I pray for them.
We are all related &
The brightest people just think deeply about what matters most and the power of words?

Kerry finally spoke the truth but 2 years too late. As a matter of fact we shouldnt be in any war. We are a warmonging country and we can not resist. The US has had more wars than any other country in the world combine. The US theme is terror in this century since the previous theme was communism. The United Nations was created to unite countries and settle any diplomatic disputes. I won't be surprise if these wars were instigated for political gains and fortunes. I hope that Americans can wake up and hold every politician accountable for not representing them. The final thing we need to do in Iraq and Afghanistan is to pullout and bring our troops home.

Bush has sent over 2800 of our men and women to their deaths in IRAQ.

Kerry has sent zero.

Who owes our troops an apology?

Number of troops that die in a real war in 1 hour-2000

Number of Iraqi people exterminated by Sadam's weapons of mass destruction- 300,000

Number of people willing to keep fooling themselves and others by voting for the democratic party- 8 million less than Republican voters

I like how libs like to use terms like neo conservative, and neophyte, just exactly what the hell does that mean? Stop trying to blame this on any ideology or gain of power.
We were attacked, there are nuts in the middle east that need to be exterminated.

We are staying in Iraq and Afganastan, waiting comfortably, surrounding Iran, hopefully for another 10 years until they fold as well.

Get over it, stop thinking with your hearts.
You think this country was founded without war?

I wonder what the Libs will say when we get attacked again?

I have an Idea " Its Bush's Fault" whah whah whah, oh and " free health care for everyone"

Mr. Kerry was damned right. Only the bad graders
who cannot get jobs elsewhere enlist themselves in the army to die. Mostly Blacks, Hispanics and other minorities join army for the sake of piece of bread, while the vast majority of White Americans do corporate jobs and talk big words.

Sanjay Goswami, Houston

"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."

I can see how this was meant as a bungled jab at the administration and their lack of preparation for the postwar period, but I can also understand how it can be more easily seen as an 'insensitive' warning to our youth.

But as a retired military member, I don't take this as an insult to those that serve or have served. It is not about intelligence.

Let's put the political correctness aside for a minute and get real. Even though it's not what Kerry meant, and despite that neither he nor Bush will admit it, I believe many parents in this country, from all political parties, are telling their teenage sons and daughters the same thing.

My oldest son is 17, a senior in high school. He's considering the military. I'm telling him he should go to college. Then, when he nears graduation, if he still feels the same way, then he can apply to be an officer, combat or support -- his choice.

In my experience, the vast majority of those that choose to serve do so because it is an honorable profession, not because of limited opportunities.

-Jim (23 years active duty; 6 years enlisted, 17 commissioned)

Kerry might have offended the troops? So what's the big deal about it? Those soldiers in Iraq ARE uneducated, a bunch of under 21 years old losers most of whom without even a college degree. It is one of the reasons why the war is going wrong there. Look at the veterans in VA Clinics all over the country..., addicts, pervs, criminals, screwed up low lifes, being in Iraq is really the best thing that could happen to them in life. And all of us who play the offended, we never really think of joining the military. So how about we reinstall the draft, so that there will be a few more educated people in the military?

LETS FACE IT YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH !!!!!!

HAVE YOU READ - "BLOOD FOR OIL" ?????

"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."

Consider: many of our more educated Commissioned Officers, with four-year degrees from accredited schools (not mail order, or online) are "stuck" in Iraq.

So Kerry's comment is only accurate for those that chose the military under desperate circumstances, or possibly peer, family pressure. That is not the entire military, but consider, there is only one Battalion Commander, and far more enlisted High School graduates - maybe 100 to 1 .

The sad fact is that OUR OWN MILITARY believes the Kerry rhetoric. The sly never ending Army Reserve ads with father vs son "becoming a 'real man'", really make me SICK. It's like the father is so disappointed with his loser son, that the only way for his son to regain RESPECT is to join the military.

I'm not sure Kerry is completely wrong.

Frankly I find the sly and sneeky ARMY ads to pull people very temporarily into the Army Reserves - FAR more insulting than Kerry's rather accurate statement about the TRUTH for some of our unfortunate young people that are simply striving for more out of life than minimum wage.

Maybe our general public CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH:

Our nation's congressmen are NOT SENDING THEIR CHILDREN TO WAR, NOR ARE THEY INSTITUTING A DRAFT TO DO SO.

FACT: ANYONE THAT JOINS NOW WITH THE PUBLISHED DAILY DEATH NUMBERS IS EITHER - SUICIDAL, DESPERATE, OR STUPID!

The number that are truly Patriotic, well, being a REALIST, I think is - very LOW!

LET'S FACE IT: The public doesn't want to hear THE TRUTH, but rather some glorified excuse for why someone put their life at risk for our crummy oil.

Otherwise, there would be a DRAFT right now, with no resistance against it. Let's see how many REALLY PATRIOTIC PEOPLE WE REALLY HAVE!!!

There is no HUMANITARIAN MISSION:

Iraq is in a strategic territorial position where we can put pressure on OPEC to control oil prices to some extent.

We might as well rename Iraq as the Commonwealth of United States MASSIVE Oil Interests.

AGAIN >>>>>>>>

We might as well rename Iraq as the Commonwealth of United States MASSIVE Oil Interests.

The Islamic Arabs from far beyond Iraq resent our Israeli/American presence and are financially motivated to make sure we cannot gain a stranglehold on this region, where we can put military pressure on the OPEC oil countries.

Unfortunately, I believe the delusional Bush dream for democracy is just that. There's just too much resentment for us to be successful there.

I would recommend perhaps a political emissary from the Arabs very respected Egypt maintain control over there, allowing us to pull out now, and actually allow the peace processs to take place.

Unfortunately, things are NOT GOING TO GET BETTER THERE FOR US OR IRAQ AS LONG AS WE, THE ISRAELI JEWISH ENEMY SUPPORTERS REMAIN THERE !!!!

I still think Kerry should know better than insult a huge number of voting Americans, even if his statement is somewhat true.

I am very concerned about the leadership we have in this country now, and cannot believe the Democaratic Party can't find someone a little more perceptive to be their front runner.

I agree with the last poster so thankfully I am not the only who doesn't see an insult here. He said, (paraphrasing) "...if you do this and you do that you can do well, if you don't get stuck in Iraq." That doesn't sound to me like an intellectual poke at the troops that are there... if anything it sounds like he's extending his faith in everyone, including the troops. Imagining being a capable, intelligent person with a bright future and then facing the possiblity of getting "stuck" in a war that wastes those efforts (via a military conflict he disagrees with). Condeming the war as a waste is an opinion of the war, not the troops. This is spin-factor, and I honestly believe that his words are being misconstrued.... and I don't even really like the guy.

By the way... shame on the Chicago Tribune for the propoganda sensationalist headline... "John Digs a Deeper Hole". You know, that really reads like objective reporting. Journalistic integrity? Sounds like a Fox News lead-in. Grow up Chicago Tribune and stop taking sides. How bout, "John Swallows Whole Leg after Foot"... "John Pours Gasoline on the Funeral Pyre"... "John Kerry Doesn't Deserve to be Heard." What else is new though, the 'news' letting us down. I sure hope that article was originally published as an editorial.

I thought they were editing these posts: I hate to repeat Tony, but here goes:

I can't believe that one mans foul up with choice of words can sway the American people to believe that Republicans should be in charge. One mans words are far less damaging then one mans decision to take us to War. The Presidents decision has him with hands full of blood. He will do what ever he can to cover his hands up as long all those that are trying to run with this story. Take it for what it is and watch the entire video before making your decision.

For those of you who believe that Kerrys foul up is far worst the President George W. Bush's decision to take us to War when they had no WMD'S then be blind and vote to support him. For those Republicans that can see things for what it they are and vote for a change please do so. Your far more intelligent then our President. Come to think of it..who with a C+ average isn't.
Posted by: Tony | Oct 31, 2006 6:21:23 PM

Tony, are you a D student?

I wonder how this country has survived on the extreme views of our two main parties. Oh yes, I forgot, it is seeing the Dems stay Dems through thick and thin, and Repubs stay Repubs through thick and thin. I thought we were a society of free thinkers, but instead we are a society of stubborn asses that do not adapt, nor do we change our minds despite overwhelming evidence that we were wrong. Well, other than the majority of Congress who supported the Gulf war at the beginning. Anyone who thought it was going to be a short term task was living in fantasy land. Worse, they blame someone else for their past opinions once they realized how difficult this war is going to be. Shame on all of you flip floppers. Don't cry me a river over "there were no WMDs." You voted for the war, now quit your whining and do your jobs to complete what we started.

Now if anybody has a clear and achievable exit strategy, now is the time to step forward.

No wonder we all miss Ronnie so much, we see who came after him. Darwin was wrong; we are getting (and I say this in Tony's honor) dumbererer and dumbererer.

Think outside your party people!

maybe kerry did or did not flub a joke. maybe he was pointing a finger at bush who frankly is not the blade in the knife drawer. but someone really should look at the facts and recognize that a very many (certainly not all and certainly the corps elites who graduate from the service academies) young men and women join the armed services because their options are limited and that if they had taken their educations more seriously and worked/studied harder, a lot more of them would be driving desks and helping to grow the economy instead of driving bradley fighting vehicles and helping to grow the deficit.

Booo Hooo Hoooo

I was in the Military so I can hate Bush... SO
I went to Vietnam.... SO
I cant beleive the lied about WMD... SO
I cant beleive we cant get out of Iraq.... SO

SO What.... NO WMD.... NO Al Qaeda... NO end in site....

The EDUCATED People signed UP Voluntarily knowing they could be sent anywhere at any time even if there was no War..... They do a damn fine job and sacrifice their lives so we all can sit here and LIVE the American Dream.

Kerry should be tossed in a hole and left there with water dripping on his head. Drop Dead....

God Bless America Our Troops and Whomever gains Control in Congress and the White House

GO GOP!!!!

John Kerry is a joke. His Viet-Nam service is a joke. He was there,what, three months. I don't see how he could be awarded all those decorations in just three months. But then anyone that was there knows how some of the officers got their decorations.

If the likes of Kerry and Kennedy had supported the Prez instead of trying to block every thing he tried to do, maybe we would not still be involved in a middle east Viet-Nam.

With each passing day it becomes more clear why the Democratic symbol is a JACK-ASS.

Has anyone ever ask why it is so wrong for Bush to be President considering his Viet-Nam service record or lack of it? WHERE WAS THAT JERKOFF CLINTON DURING VN?

This is meant to knock the smile off the Bubba NECON SHRUB supportors WHO HAVE PROFESSED THEY ARE 911 "SECURITY MINDED" ( HOMELAND SECURITY, 130 BILLION!!! FOR NOTHING, A BLOWN UP "GON" UNDER RUMMIES AND SHRUB'S WATCH MILITARILY, NOT CLINTON OR GORE, IT JUST CAN'T HAPPEN, PERIOD, PERIOD, PERIOD!! AND PROTECT THIS COUNTRY AND IT'S PEOPLE ) THOUGH THE REPUBNENTS DAMAGED FOREVER THE POWER OF THE DIA, I.E. DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY..PATRIOTS MY ARSE!!....a "reality-check" leeson to Annie ( Author of TREASON ) and Rovie ( And SHRUB's Texas brain ), as the Repub Radio talking heads ( Lintball and IMUS..) for a great number of years called DEMs and Independents that they are seditionous and treasonous, if you can not prove it you are in fact the ones...I celebrate a 2 year death of my Veitnam buddy Vince, who died fron "Agent Orange" dioxin poisoning ( WHICH KERRY HAS BEEN WORKING ON TO FIX FOR THE VAERS, WHAT WE SEE IS A FAILURE ON OTHERS TO SUPPORT OUR VETERANS, PERIOD!!!ANY QUESTIONS EINSTEIN!!!, Kissy's and Bush 41 "profiteering during war", as now is going on with Chaney and company...read it a commit suicide...Oh, one last thing you can not hurt a politician if he is not in office, period!!!!TRICK or TREAT!!!! 52 years old, Inlisted in 71 ( USAF ), 56 on the lottery, I had to go, WHAT WAS SHRUBS EXCUSE..THREE DRAFTS TO NAM..SHRUB, AWOL, and can not be "Commander and Chief" of the Military, violation of his oath as a soldier and the Presidential Oath he has recieved illegally...care to flame...

Kerry's faux pau, is so clear as to prove his point of the "inherent stupidity" we ( ULTRA~TESLANs(Hm) for Kerry, 2004 ) all are facing in a self-serving, moronical mentality, only that of a "NASCAR Dad" intelligence, which this incompetent administration possesses, and such they think to use this as some "October Surprise", the counter is waiting as a stand by political Weapon of Maximum Destruction, i.e. WMD.

More destructive than anything the Republican NECONs can through at the Dems ( as we are very good at such tactics, we shut-down ENRON!! ( They lied about having the broad bandwidth ( ENRON Commodities sales, of which we had but they did not, as their law firm Vinson and Elkins, gave permission to sale the bandwidth to the X-Rated/Child Porn Industries, of which we stopped cold on learning their despicable plans, not with our Teslan Science, PERIOD!!).

Here is all in the "Nut Shell" if it can be put so simple, after research based on more than 12 years...So here goes.....

1) All US Patents were originally granted as a completed form, costing only the inventor a "Filing Fee", not the purposely destructive "Maintenance Fee" which was originally started officially in 1992, I was granted my 17 year issued US Patent in 1991, filing for same in 1990.

2) Clinton was elected in 1992, which at that that time Layman, was appointed our US Trade Representative in our G7 GATT ( Government Affair of Theft of Trade ) talk of which he agreed to change the constitutional established laws of our sovereign United States Patent and Trademark Office, i.e. USPTO ( URL: USPTO.gov ) to balance out the trade with the other G7 world trading partners, one being the Japanese. Whose Patent Office was styled as a twenty year maximum issuance holding, different from the USPTO, which had a maximum holding of 17 years. Laymen agreed to change our USPTO to "Harmonize" of as we call it "Japanize" the issuance time, though truly harming the US Inventor, so this was a conspiracy back then of unbelievable range, starting with G7 and GATT.

3)Because VIACOM, Subner Redstone's M-TV, majority help to get Clinton elected in 1992, by pushing him heavily promotionally by use of their political PAC like group, "Rock the Vote", promoted by Madonna and the band Aerosmith, Clinton receive 17 percent over what he would have gotten to be elected.

4) Two years later, in 1994 , the US House of Representatives and the US Senate, by a "landslide" was taken over by the "criminally minded" Freshmen class of Republicans, out to do their soon presented "Contract on America", which now gave them control of the Legislative branch of our country, all because Redstone's M-TV did not launch "Rock the Vote" in 1994, which would have prevented the Republicans from passing those criminal bills, in in Congress, period, but did not and resulted in what we have had to deal with at present, the forced shutting-down of the USPTO, and absolute nessicity if we are to recover the US Inventor's lost constitutional rights.

5) Meanwhile, the US Inventors had to start to pay on those issuance due, starting with the first extortion payment of $ 550 ( My first payment ), small, but not all, as two more "overwhelming", excessive payments will still have to be paid, the second one that I was required to pay, or lose my 17 year issued US patent, $ 1,500 ( $ 1,800 with fine, failure to pay "maintenance fee" ) and the third possibly $ 3,500 as I was told it might cost, I only paid $ 2,500 total to get my patent documents done, criminal.

6) In 1994, the Republicans started to plan there criminal second offensive on the US Inventor, by up-holding the GATT Treaty, that contained the provision to change the US patent office to a "Government Corporation" status as will soon be that of the US Postal Service, USPS.gov to a USPS.com ( the law suit of Pitney Bowes/E-Stamps vs. USPS, and the USPS lost )

This is a good start...."one does not look into the face of the Gorgon, and live".....but there is a great deal more damaging evidence of Sedition and Treason, sad to say.

For 13 years now, we have been working to correct the damage that was done in the Clinton Administration ( I am a third generation Democrat, but Trade Representative Leyman was appoint to Director of the USPTO, which was a commissionership originally in 1992 by Clinton ( he used MTV "Rock-the-Vote to be elected in 1992, Sax playing, Chelsea, etc. ) then the House and the Senate was stolen by the Republicans, in 1994 ( no "MTV "Rock-the-Vote" ), purposely or not, i.e. the privatization of the USPTO.CON ( as conning the US Inventors, American citizens and tax-payers, as yourself and the other 3 million Inventors in our Inventor's Association, ULTRA~TESLAN(s), the New International TESLA Society )...

And our group is planning on shutting down the USPTO ( as we informed through the "Invent This" forum ) for creating a heavy burden ( especially to the "handicapped" part of our American Society, totally disabled of 49 Million Americans, ADAPT.org ) of the " maintaince Fees, three that will have to be paid or they will take your patent away..and give it ( steal it !!!) to the "Big Boys" ( the Fortune 500 and 100 ).

Now to the point, if anybody decides to start listen ( the Institutionalized Media have purposely failed to listen to our story, it has been 13 years of precision planning, now to be precisionly to be executed ), they have been warned...the forum, so we start by suing Time Warner/AOL/Turner for patent infringement and copyright violation, my 17 year issuance US Patent, which I received in 1991, USPTO No. 5055918, PIX~I~E (Hm),

Which to my surprise I got it in 14 months instead of the usual 18 on average, I have petitioned the USPTO and forced them to place my "so-called" spunt patent, for failure to pay my 2nd maintaince fee, bring my RICO criminal charge, based on the violation of the 1ST Ad right to freedom of speech ( our right to invent and it's given protection by the USPTO.CON ) and practically all other Amendments to the Constitution ( 1ST AD, Article 1, Section 8 ) and the Bill of Rights....

So as this soon to be historical issue ( ULTRATESLAN(s) for Kerry ) starts to unfold on to the world stage, and all realize what we are doing and have done, they will sort of panic, as is our plan...

Soon our Mission Statement will be published for the world to "wake-up" as the American people shall soon see in these next months, and as you are a fellow "hand-capped" ( we prefer to call them and myself "Handi-hampered", severe head and back injury, now recovered with our own TESLAN science ) inventor such as we have been doing for more than 22 years in visual and physical ergonomics, with neural research in spinal cord injuries ( I work with the VA ).

To follow up, if you would like to know more about us here is a simple "White paper" I wrote back in the 1980's as a member of the HTTF, as far as my background....our websites are

http://launchitglobal.com the HOLIX Inventors and http://ultrateslan.com

My Bio Hazard "White Paper"......

Last, GE is a criminal organization spond by the history theif, Edison, against Tesla, who did in fact, invent the AC power we use...but that has lead to the abuse by those to control what is not there to control, this being IP, Intellectual Property, at the United States Patent and Trademark Office,i.e. USPTO.CON ( as in CONNING the US Inventors )and we will soon shut-down this criminal "government corporation", as the USPS.COM, and one last matter the USPTO is not owned by the "American Citizen" or the US Government, since the "9/10ths Rule" is in effect legally...so the First Amendment, Article 1, Section 8, only applies to the US Inventor and the authors, as it states, as a "Special Citizen", not the US Citizen...we are our 13 year plan to shut-down this USPTO and the copyrights ( DMCA ).

YOU WILL SOON BE HEARING FROM US ON THE WORLD STAGE!!!PEOPLE PRTECT THE CHILDREN WORLDWIDE, NOT JUST YOUR OWN..AND STOP BEING IDEOLOGS...

OUR CHILD PROTECTION PORTAL ( ANTI-CHILD PORN AND ANTI-DRUG campaigns ) AND TESLAN SCHOOLS: http://launchitglobal.com

"John Kerry is a joke. His Viet-Nam service is a joke. He was there,what, three months. I don't see how he could be awarded all those decorations in just three months. But then anyone that was there knows how some of the officers got their decorations."

So 'Earl',

You call into question everyones decorations from Vietnam?
You seem to be attacking the officers that served in combat?
Is this some sort of new class warfare that you have conceived?
The 4 months of combat would depend on the intensity of the combat.
You don't think a person can be awarded a medal in that time frame?
Did you frag anyone, buddy?

Four months? That's over 1000% more than the moral coward we have in charge of us now.

"Has anyone ever ask why it is so wrong for Bush to be President considering his Viet-Nam service record or lack of it? WHERE WAS THAT JERKOFF CLINTON DURING VN?

Posted by: Earl Prescott | Nov 2, 2006 8:17:31 AM"

Here's the diff; Put on the thinin' cap.

Bush supported the war in Vietnam but avoided service there.

Clinton opposed the war and avoided service there.

It's called 'monumental hypocrisy'.

You need to hustle on down to Wal-Mart and get a clue, old pard.

I can't believe how many really dedicated Bush haters will, once again, flock to support anyone who says anything against the current, elected administration just because of the defeat of two total dummies and liars such as Gore and Kerry.
Who flunked out of divinity school? Gore.
Who is "the goose hunter"? Kerry. Who ileagally used his office to raise money while Clinton was renting out the Lincoln bedroom? Gore. Who continually flopped over and changed his position according to what the polls said? Kerry.
Its time to get on the Nations bandwagon and not on the blatant blame slinging about everything under the sun that all the "Demoncrats" have been doing for yesars !!!

Dude, Mr. Morris, thank you, as a true patriot and my buddy Vince would thank you, but he is gone now..( THIS SOLDIER DID NOT FADE AWAY..HE DIED IN GREAT PAIN TO SERVIVE NAM THEN DIE FROM BUSH 41 MONSANTO MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX, PRESIDENT EISENHOWER WARNED US ABOUT, BUSH 41'S CARLYE GROUP ) to explain to the masses what a "Fire Fight" was like and in a 18 hour deployment, your life expectency is 40 percent at best......On the Me Kong Delta ( KERRY's swiftboat ), 20 percent at best, we got sniped as soon as we hit the path ( road ) 2/3 kill ratio and evac ( huey cobra, one of my other buddies, still alive, was a chopper piliot ) levels mindless numbers, so we finally bugged-out, to fight another day, not cut and run, what is that...NEOCON CIVILIAN SPEAK FOR BEING A IDIOT....THE VC HIT US IN 1968, THE TAT OFFENISIVE, WHICH WE WON, BUT WITH GREAT LOSS IN LIVES AND LIMB, THEN WE FALL CAME ON APRIL 30TH, A SAID DAY FOR THE US BUT A MORE SAD DAY FOR THE CIA, WHO LIED ABOUT THE BAY OF TONKEN, SURPISE!!!

Yes, you have another Veit Nam, but worse, and you better let the polished soldiers start to advise, as I and others made these weapons, and know more than the grunt on the line...though we are now old timers, as was the WWII crowd.

The ULTRA~TESLAN(Hm)

Mr. Morris, sir, thank you, as a true patriot and my buddy Vince would thank you, but he is gone now..( THIS SOLDIER DID NOT FADE AWAY..HE DIED IN GREAT PAIN TO SURVIVE NAM THEN DIE FROM BUSH 41 MONSANTO MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX, PRESIDENT EISENHOWER WARNED US ABOUT, BUSH 41'S CARLYE GROUP ) to explain to the masses what a "Fire Fight" was like and in a 18 hour deployment, your life expectancy is 40 percent at best......On the Me Kong Delta ( KERRY's swift-boat ), 20 percent at best, we got sniped as soon as we hit the path ( road ) 2/3 kill ratio and med-evac ( huey cobra, one of my other buddies, still alive, was a chopper pilot ) levels mindless numbers, so we finally bugged-out, to fight another day, not cut and run, what is that...NEOCON CIVILIAN SPEAK FOR BEING A IDIOT....THE VC HIT US IN 1968, THE TAT OFFENSIVE, WHICH WE WON, BUT WITH GREAT LOSS IN LIVES AND LIMB, THEN WE FALL CAME ON APRIL 30TH, A SAID DAY FOR THE US BUT A MORE SAD DAY FOR THE CIA, WHO LIED ABOUT THE BAY OF TONKEN, SURPRISE!!!Oh ya, don't forget about Me Li, Lt. Cauley, our soldiers never committed any war crime atrocities....and Rove's and SHRUB's un-desrved attack on Max Cleland, has lost 3 limbs, decorated, and war caused handi-capped..disgraceful and hypocritical.

Yes, you have another Veit Nam, but worse, and you better let the polished soldiers start to advise, as I and others made these weapons, and know more than the grunt on the line...though we are now old timers, as was the WWII crowd, like my father, US Army Air Corp ( the start of the Air Force from the Army ) now 85.

Also, my buddy vet Vince, just be for he died 2 years ago, stated that Rumsfeld had to go, as he was a disgrace to the military, after the undeserved verbal attack on the draftees, asa I believe they were dying along with the inlistees a greater number, he stated, as I paraphrase" the draftees had no value" though they were dying, not because of failure of training, but a illegal war that Westmoreland and McNamara lead us into, it destroyed a President ( Johnson, I an a proud Texan, born and educated, SHUB is a "Snow Bird" from Maine, not a true Texan ( the DIXIE Chicks sort of got it right, but said it the wrong way ) and quit by not running again ) so this ghost has come back to haunt us again...

Last, we may have to have aq draft, like Nam, but 18 year olds are to inmature, so we need to raise the legal age to 21 again, it will fix all. last, a two clear quotes...an truthful, sad to say...

"It is pretty clear, even to my six-year-old daughter, that Kerry was referring to Bush and not the soldiers, but the President, the Administration and their loyal hacks in the press will flog this moment for all it is worth. Why? I'll tell you:

They are looking down the barrel of a big, scary electoral gun and it's got them shaking in their boots. The only solution is to grasp at straws, make it sound like Kerry said something he didn't and mislead (and scare) their base into an anti-Democratic fever.

Typical Republican tacticts. If you let them get away with it on Tuesday, shame on you."
Posted by: Kevin Theis | Nov 1, 2006 9:23:09 AM

"Jeeze, John put a sock in it will ya!
This guy is still mired in the Viet Nam war
where the college pukes stayed home, got laid and went on to make a bunch of money....
This is an All Volunteer Military John....even the National Guard - who are really getting screwed. So, please this is tough enough as it is...go home shoot a goose."
Posted by: Quinton | Oct 31, 2006 6:23:57 PM

Final thought, the Trade Towers did not defend this country, the "GON" ( USAF,USN,US Army,USMC ) did....any questions?

The ULTRA~TESLAN(Hm)