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See also: Some gear for the next Kerry Lied rally

“You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”  -- John Kerry, 2006.10.30

Yesterday's post got a bit large. We'll see if things are any calmer today. I'll try to remember to do something today that I should have done yesterday and note the times of the individual updates in this post so if you're a repeat visitor it will be easier to scroll down to the newer stuff.

Where's John?
Dan Riehl

Update: Even the BBC turns on Kerry:And when you review Mr Kerry’s comment, it’s hard to argue:

When you lose the BBC, you've lost it all.

Update 2: Okay, I take it back. When you lose the BBC and Andrew Sullivan, you've lost them all. It's a sad, sad situation

Michelle Malkin has a screen cap of Kerry's schedule this afternoon. It ran through Nov. 4. Not no more! Looks like Kerry's future is very much in doubt. Rumor has it that Therezzzza has weighed in, "Hey, I'm smart and rich and I still married a boob!" ...

***

Who's in the Military?
Michael Barone

Here's an interesting report from the Heritage Foundation on who is enlisting in the military. It uses census and other data to identify the origins of recruits in addition to statistics the military provides. Here's the conclusion:

Overall, the wartime recruits are more similar than dissimilar to their civilian counterparts. The all-volunteer force displays near proportional representation of income backgrounds. Whites serve in approximate proportion to their population, although representation of minority groups varies. Recruits must meet educational standards, and the military provides resources for furthering education to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend four-year colleges. Although rural representation is disproportional, the military offers the opportunity to gain new skills and enter industries that are not available in rural areas.

With regard to income, education, race, and regional background, the all-volunteer force is representative of our nation and meets standards set by Congress and the Department of Defense. In contrast to the patronizing slanders of antiwar critics, recruit quality is increasing as the war in Iraq continues. Although recent recruiting goals have been difficult to meet, re-enlistment is strong and recruit quality remains high. No evidence supports arguments for reinstating the draft or altering recruiting policies to achieve more equitable representation.

It would be interesting to go back and get comparable numbers from the Vietnam era, when we had a military draft. My own sense is that today's volunteer military is more representative of the country than the draft military of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The Heritage report refutes utterly the statement made by John Kerry yesterday at a rally for California Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Angelides. Kerry was talking about education and segued into Iraq: ...

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John Kerry thinks
Washington Times Editorial

When you get right down to it, the thoughtless foot-in-mouth disease of Sen. John Kerry is a strain unique to him. The senator gives elitism a bad name.

"Education," Mr. Kerry told a rally this week for Phil Angelides, the Democratic candidate for governor of California, "if you make the most of it, if you study hard and 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."

Stuck in Iraq -- that's what Sen. Kerry thinks happens to people who don't study hard. You end up in the uniform, serving your country and getting shot at. Nice going, Senator Winter Soldier.  ...

    We understand that Mr. Kerry's primary aim on Monday was to bomb the White House to get at the commander in chief. The troops were an afterthought. Which, come to think of it, is the point -- just as it was in the 1970s, when Mr. Kerry made a career of smearing American troops as killers on his return from Vietnam.

It's one thing, bad enough, to be an elitist who knows the facts. It's another to be an elitist who doesn't know them. So thank you, Mr. Kerry, for speaking so candidly. People can see clearly who you are. 

*** 10:32

Why has TypePad developed this knack for getting a headache every time there's something important going on? I really don't want to have to move this blog but I'm beginning to wonder. Guess I'll get an update ready offline and post it when and if I can. Beginning this update offline at 10:17.

Embattled Kerry Cancels Appearances to Distance Himself From Dem Candidates

WASHINGTON —  Demands for Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry to formally apologize to U.S. troops for his "stuck in Iraq" comment crossed the political aisle into his own party Wednesday, adding fuel to the growing firestorm that has sent the senator into a self-imposed campaign exile.

"Whatever the intent, Senator Kerry was wrong to say what he said," Tennessee Democratic Senate hopeful Rep. Harold Ford Jr. said. "He needs to apologize to our troops," Ford said.

Kerry goes scarce on campaign trail

Right about now, Democrats don't want Sen. John Kerry's snakebit support. The senator's "botched joke" about bad students getting stuck in Iraq unleashed venomous GOP reaction. And Democrats in tight congressional races want the Massachusetts lawmaker off their stumps. "You just don't need something that might bring out extra people for the other side," a campaign official said.

Crazy
Greyhawk

1971:
...they had personally 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 in addition to the normal ravage of war...

2005:
And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the--of--the historical customs, religious customs. Whether you like it or not--Iraqis should be doing that.

October 30, 2006: ...

*** 10:44

Kerry's Schedule Starts To Lighten Up (Updated)
Ed Morrissey

John Kerry may have some spare time to spend with the family. After his ridiculous comments on Monday and the equally ridiculous explanation on Tuesday, Iowa Congressional candidate Bruce Braley has asked Kerry to stay away from their scheduled campaign appearance this week: ...

... Kerry won't be campaigning with Tim Walz or the DFL, either. The AP reports that Kerry has canceled all of his Minnesota visits: ...

*** 10:52

Kerryism
Bryan Preston

VDH explains Kerryism, the affliction of lefty elites who no longer care for the little guy beyond his political usefulness to them. (h/t Eric)

Reader Brett drew this cartoon in 2004. It was relevant then, and it’s relevant now:

[image]

And finally, let me assure John Derbyshire, that as a top ten percent high school grad, member of the National Honor Society, and in college president of my trade fraternity, member of a couple of student honor societies and who graduated on time with a double major — and then enlisted in the Air Force — the outrage directed Senator Kerry’s way isn’t manufactured. It’s real, and Kerry deserves it.  ...

***

They don't support our troops
Michelle Malkin

Dan Riehl notes that libs are rallying behind Kerry because he was just speaking "the truth." Via the SFChronicle website: ..

[multiple images and quotes]

Chickenhawk invocation? Check. Absolute moral authority card? Check. Unapologetic elitism? Check. Check. Check.

***

It's moonbat season and you can count on more outbreaks like this up to election day: ...

... John Kerry's elitist anti-military smear is no errant remark. It's emblematic. Just look who Kerry has turned to for support: Markos Moulitsas of The Daily Kos. Yes, the "Screw Them" guy. Here's the praise he heaped on Kerry last night (hat tip: Allah): ...

... Kerry was standing up "on behalf of our troops"...by suggesting they were uneducated morons who were "stuck in Iraq?!?"

Don't question their patriotism. Question their sanity.

*** 11:32

Moonbats And The Military

***

Video: Retired Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney calls for Kerry’s resignation
Allahpundit

And then proceeds to impugn his service in Vietnam.

From an active-duty soldier in Karol’s comments section:

Is Kerry reffering to all the officers proudly serving over here as well? “Stuck in Iraq” he said, nice. I know first hand that I am not “stuck in Iraq”. I proudly put my boots on everyday for people back home so they can sleep soundly. We get blown up by IED’s/landmines, have mortar attcks, and the snipers are getting good over here. Just about everyday. It pisses me off to hear politicians bad mouth the situation over here. I have lost 4 damn good brothers. 2 in my own arms. People will NEVER understand what we go through everyday! It even makes me sick to my stomach that Kerry and I are considered “shipmates”. God Bless our great nation! Please keep praying for the ones still in harms way thoughout the world! Semper Fi

CJ points to one nutroots blog as evidence that whatever Kerry might have meant, “[his] base knew exactly what he was saying.”

[video link]

*** 11:54

Video: New RNC ad calls on Kerry to apologize
Allahpundit

[video link]

They’ve got an online petition going, too.

Kerry hasn’t yet released the full video or transcript of his speech at the Angelides event so it’s still unclear if he was referring to the troops or to Bush. More than one conservative commentator believes it was the latter, with true believers reacting predictably at their willingness to say so. ...

... Harold Ford called on him to apologize within the past few hours, so whether it’s true or not is almost beside the point now. It’s an issue, and smart pols will use it to their advantage. Harold Ford: smart pol. Most of the time, anyway. Not always, and not lately.

Here’s video of another (usually) smart pol on the campaign trail yesterday.

[video link]

***

Click the pic, then click through to see it full size.

Only one thing an Old War Dog can say about something like that:

NUMBAH ONE!

*** 12:36

What a sense of humor looks like
Michelle Malkin

Attention, John Kerry: Here's a banner message from the troops "stuck in Iraq" that's spreading like wildfire across the 'Net. (Hat tip: Leonard and Anthony J.) Click for enlarged photo:

[above image]

Laffing out lowd!

Update: Drudge just picked up on it. It's gone viral. Well done, troops.

***

President Bush on the Rush Limbaugh show this afternoon: ...

*** 15:15

John Kerry is a uniter
Michelle Malkin

He's brought Hillary Clinton and the Republican National Committee together! ...

***

Video: Tony Snow vs. the press corps on Kerrygate
Plus: Waffles was for sending more troops before he was against it.

Tony’s milkin’ it, Cheney’s milkin’ it, Santorum’s milkin’ it, and I’m milkin’ it with both hands. As you’ll see, TS commends Democrats who have already “stepped up” to denounce Waffles’s remarks. The latest to do so? Hillary, who called them “inappropriate” earlier this morning. Near as I can tell, Fox is the only major news outlet reporting that; a search for “hillary kerry” on Google News returns nothing on topic.

Snow’s main point throughout is that Kerry could have defused this easily by apologizing. Not so, though; as Tom Maguire explains, Waffles is now a card-carrying member of the fightin’ nutroots. And the fightin’ nutroots does not apologize. Which explains why the latest post at Kerry’s moronic left-of-Kos blog praises the “inimitable common sense” … of Keith Olbermann.

For the record, Kerry’s office has released what he claims were his prepared remarks at the Angelides event. In pertinent part:

[...]

Judge for yourself. Here’s the video of TS dealing with hard-hitting questions about why Kerry should have to apologize when Rush Limbaugh hasn’t apologized to Michael J. Fox. Except, of course, that he has. Don’t miss the end, either; Tony’s got a good question of his own. Below that video ...

*** 15:36

Video: Murtha: Kerry ‘needs to explain’ what he meant
Ian Schwartz

[video link]

Vietnam War veteran Rep. John Murtha (D - PA) said Senator Kerry “needs to explain” what he meant by remarks made earlier this week. Commenting on the stereotype that troops are poor, Murtha said he has “always been for the draft”. ...

***

Kerry apologizes to the troops
Allahpundit

Just across on CNN. I can’t find it online so I’ll cut the video of Wolf Blitzer reading it. According to Drudge, Kerry was supposed to do an interview with him today but pulled out. Maybe this was his way of making it up to him.

While you wait, read Dean Barnett on why what Kerry said matters.

Update: No need for video. The statement’s just been posted.

...

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

... Update (Ian): White House statement on Kerry’s non-apology apology:

Sen Kerry’s apology to the troops for his insulting comments came late, but it was the right thing to do. Our military is the best and the brightest, the most courageous and professional or an military in the world and the President is honored to be their Commander-in-Chief

In other words, "I'm still not going to apologize but now I can pretend I did."

*** 17:58

I refused to apologize to anyone... before I apologize to the troops
Michelle Malkin

[image]

Too little, too late, Lurch:

Thrust into the midst of the midterm election campaign, Sen. John Kerry apologized Wednesday to "any service member, family member or American who was offended" by remarks deemed by Republicans and Democrats alike to be insulting to U.S. forces in Iraq.

Six days before the election, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee said he sincerely regretted his words were "misinterpreted to imply anything negative about those in uniform." ...

*** 18:06

Supporting Our Troops
Mark Steyn

I find the Derb/Jay line, agreeing that Senator Kerry was making a joke about Bush, highly implausible. If you talk to Democrats of the middle-class and upper-middle-class and (in John Heinz Kerry’s case) the neo-Gulf-emir-class, you’ll have heard the same thing a thousand times: these poor fellows in Iraq, they’re only there because they’re too poverty-stricken and ill-educated so they couldn’t become Senators and New York Times reporters and tenured Queer Studies professors like normal Americans do. ... John Kerry’s soundbite is interesting not because it’s the umpteenth self-inflicted wound by Mister Nuance but because it gets right to the heart of the Democrats’ “support” for the troops.

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Same Old Kerry
Insulting the military, again.

By Mackubin Thomas Owens

John Kerry, the junior senator from Massachusetts apparently had a Vietnam flashback the other day when he said to some students in California: “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.”

It’s not quite the same as telling the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that his “band of brothers” spent their time in Vietnam committing atrocities and war crimes, but the objective observer must conclude that what Kerry said constituted an insult to the uniformed military. Kerry’s response? Brazen it out.

[...]

What can we say about John Kerry? He’s caught red-handed insulting military folks and his response is Well, who are you going to believe? Me, or your lyin’ eyes?

I wonder what Jim Webb thinks about this. I know the depths of disdain he once felt for John Kerry in view of the latter’s slanders against his brother Vietnam veterans. During the 2004 campaign, Webb criticized Kerry for suggesting in his 1971 testimony that the “ugly extreme” in Vietnam — war crimes and atrocities by American fighting men — constituted the norm.  ...

*** 19:01

Massachusetts’ botched joke

***

I'm Sorry You Didn't Understand My Genius, Part 37B
Ed Morrissey

John Kerry has issued an apology, a day after insisting he would never apologize for his joke about George Bush (if you can read his mind) or American troops (if you quote him accurately). Here's the statement in its entirety:

[...]

Well, at least he said something, but this is hardly an expression of regret. His statement wasn't misinterpreted; even he admits that he issued a "poorly stated joke", which means Kerry failed to either write it clearly or read it properly. It's the non-apology apology that politicians have accustomed themselves to making when they've thoroughly embarrassed their colleagues -- and Democrats today made their displeasure known. ...

As it is, though, the story's over. It made for some interesting fireworks, but it won't do much to move the needle in either direction this year. The only benefit that will come from it is that we can all be spared the specter of another Kerry presidential run in 2008, a benefit that will be enjoyed by both political parties. Republicans will be better served getting back to the economy and national security, and let Kerry huff and puff his way back to oblivion. With only five campaigning days before the election, the GOP has little enough time to push its message.

***

John Forbes Kerry - Still An Asshat - Apology Issued
Blackfive

It would have been better if we had gotten a "I was wrong.  I am sorry."  Everyone in the military knows that you OWN your mistakes.

Here is what John Kerry released today:

[...]

Personally, I don't think that I "misinterpreted" anything.  I hate these qualified "if I offended you, I'm sorry" non-apologies.  I'm sick of victimization like that.  Dude, you suck.  Admit it.

Troops (especially, you all overseas), what do you think about the apology?

Good enough, or he still thinks you're all idiots for serving, or not contrite?

His apology has been issued.  Do you accept it?

***

Don't know how I missed Dafydds' post last night. Read it here.

From his latest:

I have now viewed the comment in context (click on John Kerry Speaks a Rally In Pasadena, sic)... and it is now plain to me that it was, in fact, a botched joke.

However, it is also quite clear that Sen. John F. Kerry (D-MA, 100%) said exactly what he meant to say. The reason he resisted apologizing for so long is that the "joke" was just what he said: if you don't study, you'll end up stuck in Iraq, as one of those lazy, dumb soldiers.

The opening is a series of three jokes, of which this is the third: but he says it smoothly, not stumbling; he does indeed have a smirk as he says it; and the audience laughs. There is nothing whatsoever to indicate, in even the faintest degree, that he meant to say "you end up getting us stuck in Iraq," referring to that lazy, dumb President Bush (who got at least a good a GPA at Yale and Harvard as did Kerry). Not at all.

This ends the discussion as far as I'm concerned. He was mocking the troops for being lazy and stupid; end of story, so far as this lizard is concerned.

***

Video: Kerry’s speech at the Angelides event, uncut(?)
Allahpundit

[video link]

Update: Dafydd ab Hugh agrees that it was a joke — a joke Kerry was directing at U.S. troops, not George Bush.

It was a “blooper,” says Dean-o.

Update: The boss agrees with Dafydd that Waffles’s delivery was too smooth to have been “botched.” She thinks he said exactly what he meant to say. It’s possible, although even as delivered, the line could be construed as a reference to Bush. James Lileks, to take just one example, heard it that way.

Of course, this doesn’t explain why Waffles’s version of what he meant to say keeps changing.

Update: Patterico thinks Kerry was making fun of Bush.

Update: Apparently I’m “crazy” for believing that Kerry’s remark might have been aimed squarely at Bush and not at Bush by way of American soldiers: ...

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Audio: The Kerry Montage
Bryan Preston

Good stuff from Chad and the Lars Larson Show. Click to play....

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How many of these have you sold for us today, Johnny?:

Those are just two samples of what we have available. Shirts, hats, track suits, coffee mugs ...  I don't have all the artwork set up on every item yet but if you email telling me what you need I'll get right on it.  We have gear with "Proud Veteran-American" replaced with "Proud American Veteran" and "Proud Viet Nam Veteran" and if you need something else I'll design it for you. Click the picture to go to the store for more information.