By now, most people have heard what John Kerry recently said about getting a good education or you’ll “get stuck in Iraq.” He tried to play it off, claimed that he simply misspoke, and that he had intended to bash the Commander in Chief instead of the troops (as if that were a good thing). He claimed it was a botched joke, but unfortunately for him, nobody is laughing.
Kerry was asked to apologize, which he would not immediately do. After hearing terms like “political suicide,” used to describe his career and future election plans, he did apologize. At first he basically said, “Sorry you misinterpreted my comments.” He later went on to give a more detailed apology, citing his own military service.
Many people were very offended by his comments, including some troops as well as their families. Some soldiers in Iraq responded with a message painted on a large banner, which read “Halp us Jon Carry – We R Stuck Hear N Irak.” The misspellings were obviously intentional, and meant to show Mr. Carry… um… Kerry, what they thought of his message. You can see the photo HERE.
Kerry’s handlers are now working overtime in damage control mode and have issued a “transcript” of the speech, indicating that he was supposed to have said something else. The claim is that the comment should have actually been something to the effect of, “If you don’t get a good education, don’t do your homework, you get us stuck in Iraq (like Bush).”
Whatever, Mr. Kerry. Most people aren’t buying it. A pattern is noted, from “testimony” about Vietnam as well as accusations of our troops “terrorizing” women and children in Iraq, to these latest words.
When even some fellow Democrats are disgusted, it means trouble, and it doesn’t look like most are lining up to defend him. Apparently, some support Kerry in the same manner that he supports our troops.
President Bush described the recent remarks as “shameful” and “insulting.” The White House later issued a response, stating that while it came late, Kerry did the right thing in apologizing.
For more on John Kerry, here is some related reading:
Excerpt from Unfit for Command
Comments about Vietnam and Iraq
For those who would like to show real support for our troops, here are some resources:
Projects to Support Our Troops
The United Service Organizations (USO)