“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.”This is what had been scripted for him to say:
“I can’t overstress the importance of a great education. 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.”In reponse to Kerry stating that Bush and the White House aren't very smart - they proceeded to prove him correct by blasting him for - attacking the troops.
Yesterday, my opponent in 2004 presidential race, Senator Kerry, was speaking to a group of young people in California.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: I want you to listen to what he said. He said: you know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well; if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq.
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: The Senator's suggestion that the men and women of our military are somehow uneducated is insulting and it is shameful. (Applause.) The members of the United States military are plenty smart, and they are plenty brave, and the Senator from Massachusetts owes them an apology. (Applause.)
Whatever party you're in, in America, our troops deserve the full support of our government. (Applause.) And I don't have any doubt that Mac Collins will stand strong for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States. (Applause.)
Tony Snow's Response:
Q If I could follow up, on the campaign trail, Senator Kerry was in Los Angeles and speaking to some students, saying if they were able to navigate the education system, they could get comfortable jobs, but "if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq." Can you react to that?
MR. SNOW: Yes, I'll actually give you a fuller quote. He said: "You know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard and you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."
It sort of fits a pattern. You may recall that last year Senator Kerry -- on CBS's "Face the Nation" -- accused U.S. soldiers of terrorizing kids and children in Iraq; and recently also described troop concentrations in Baghdad as "having failed miserably."
What Senator Kerry ought to do first is apologize to the troops. The clear implication here is if you flunk out, if you don't study hard, if you don't do your homework, if you don't make an effort to be smart and you don't do well, you "get stuck in Iraq." But an extraordinary thing has happened since September 11th, which is a lot of people -- America's finest -- have willingly agreed to volunteer their services in a mission that they know is dangerous, but is also important. And Senator Kerry not only owes an apology to those who are serving, but also to the families of those who have given their lives in this.
This is an absolute insult. And I'm a little astonished that he didn't figure it out already. I mean, you know, if I were Senator Kerry -- I mean, you've seen me, I say something stupid, I apologize as quickly as possible. (Yeah, Right!) And this is something for which he ought to apologize. Meanwhile, it's probably reasonable to ask some of the Democrats -- ask a Jim Webb or a Tammy Duckworth, both of whom are citing their military record -- okay, what do you think about it, what do you think about this quote? Do you agree with him? He was your presidential nominee. And as for the notion that you can say this sort of thing about the troops and say you support them, it's interesting.
This was further blasted by the right-wing echo chamber on Fox News:
- On the October 31 edition of Fox News' The Live Desk, anchor Martha MacCallum declared that Kerry said "[i]n essence ... only uneducated people fight for our country." MacCallum further reported on criticism of Kerry's remarks by the White House and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) without noting that a Kerry aide had already stated that Kerry was referring to President Bush.
- Also during a subsequent report on the October 31 edition of Fox News Live, while Fox News Washington managing editor Brit Hume discussed Kerry's statement, on-screen text read, "Kerry defends statement on troops & education." In fact, Kerry defended his statement by explicitly asserting that he was not talking about the "troops" but, rather, about Bush.
- On the October 31 edition of Studio B with Shepherd Smith, Smith cropped the portion of Kerry's remarks where he stated that his remarks were about Bush, then asserted that "Kerry told a group of college students, 'if you do your homework, and you do well, you won't get stuck in Iraq.' "
Even Lou Dobbs on CNN ( oh wait, Lou Dobbs is a Republican) got it horribly wrong:
DOBBS: Outrage tonight after Senator John Kerry says students should think about getting stuck in Iraq if they don't work hard at school. President Bush is demanding an immediate apology from the senator. What is the impact on Democrats and these midterm elections? We'll have that special report and a great deal more, straight ahead here tonight.
Washington – Senator John Kerry issued the following statement in response to White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, assorted right wing nut-jobs, and right wing talk show hosts desperately distorting Kerry’s comments about President Bush to divert attention from their disastrous record:
But Kerry has done anything but apologize - he's gone on the attack.
And just what John McCain doing while this was going on? He was insulting and patronizing Iraq Veteran and Democratic Congress hopeful Tammy Duckworth who lost both legs in the war, while campaigning with her opponent:“If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they're crazy. This is the classic G.O.P. playbook. I’m sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did.
I’m not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox’s Parkinson’s disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq. It disgusts me that these Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country lie and distort so blatantly and carelessly about those who have.
The people who owe our troops an apology are George W. Bush and Dick Cheney who misled America into war and have given us a Katrina foreign policy that has betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it. These Republicans are afraid to debate veterans who live and breathe the concerns of our troops, not the empty slogans of an Administration that sent our brave troops to war without body armor.
Bottom line, these Republicans want to debate straw men because they’re afraid to debate real men. And this time it won’t work because we’re going to stay in their face with the truth and deny them even a sliver of light for their distortions. No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut and run policy in Afghanistan and a stand still and lose strategy in Iraq.”
John McCain:
Anyone think McCain owes Duckworth an apology?"I go out to Walter Reed quite often and see these brave young soldiers who have served and sacrificed so much. Many of them have lost limbs, as you know. And it's a very sad thing to see. But at the same time it's very uplifting.
What about former Senator Max Cleland (no stranger to GOP smear tactics he)? Cleland issued a statement in response to Bill Frists claim that Kerry owed the troops an apology.:
Many have said they wished they'd seen this side of John Kerry two years ago. But they did, it was there - he was just as forceful then, but rarely received coverage for his comments. The only thing he wouldn't say then, but will now, is the "L" word. Liar. He repeatedly said that the President "misled" us into this war, and he continues to say that now.“I think people will remember John Kerry’s press conference today as the moment we Democrats stopped once and forever accepting the disgraceful smears of Republicans. John Kerry showed our Party how to fight back with the truth.
“John Kerry is a patriot who has fought tooth and nail for veterans ever since he came home from Vietnam. He has stood with his brothers in arms unlike this Administration which exploits our troops to make a political point and divide America.
“John Kerry should apologize to no one for his criticism of the President and his broken policy in Iraq. George Bush is the one who owes our troops an apology. This is text book Republican campaign tactics.
“Everybody knows it’s not working this time around. If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they’ve got a partisan political agenda and that’s the bottom line. We’re not going to take it any more.”
I think most of us are smart enough not to fall for this trick yet again. The Ameican People aren't buying what Bush is selling.
Iraq remains the biggest issue to voters in this upcoming mid-term election. (29%), followed by the Economy (21%) and Healthcare (19%). John Kerry's comments aren't on the list.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for America rate John Kerry's legislative record as a "B" for how well he supports the troops. (Oddly enough they don't rate the President, but Bill Frist and John McCain both get a "D")
But then I think many of the troops already know that Bush doesn't support them (Letters excerpted from Stars and Stripes)
Bush, Republicans failed/Sad 'State' of cartoon affairs/Inferior body armor for Army, Oct. 31, 2006
When Americans see the new Republican political campaign fear ad that shows a picture of bin Laden, it should remind all Americans of Bush’s and the Republicans’ failure to accomplish the one mission that all Americans came together to ask of them: “Get bin Laden.”
Time to vote for Democrats, Oct. 30, 2006
Kevin Tillman’s commemorating the birthday of his brother Pat on Nov. 6 is a withering excoriation of Bush’s policies of pre-emptive strike, kidnapping, torture, war profiteering, subverting the Bill of Rights/Constitution/Geneva Conventions and suspending habeas corpus. Tillman reminds readers that the U.S. is still a democracy, and that change can still take place within our government, starting the day after Pat Tillman’s birthday, Election Day.
Print all political views, Oct. 28, 2006
Dr. Laura Schlesinger recently commented on her radio show that the Democrats should shut up about former Rep. Mark Foley’s escapades and should be more concentrated on trying to get North Korea to stop nuclear testing. This is a sad commentary of a doctor who is supposed to help people, including those who are victims of pedophilia. Moreover, she forgets that Republicans have lost credibility worldwide, which is why they have to consistently convey their failed policy to the North Koreans and Iranians that “if you take one more step, I’ll, I’ll … (add punishment here)” and then do nothing.
Vyan
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