finally, kerry learns how to counterpunch, and hard. just a smattering of that in 2004 would have gotten him into the white house.

I wonder if he actually did learn something from last time.

Wow. If Kerry had spoken like this two years ago, he would probably be President right now.

i'd love to corner any one of the faceless workers who work on the rnc website and do other technical work and ask them if they really believe the bullshit they post, or if they know it's spun more than someone driving off a cliff.

I read what Kerry said. I think that he ought to just sue the RNC for slander and libel. He made it clear that his intended target was Bush. The RNC said that he belittled the troops. Make them prove that this was indeed his intent. Sue.

During one of the debates, discussing taxes, Kerry said "jokingly" to moderator Bob Schieffer, something to the effect of "the 3 of us on this platform are the only ones in this hall who look like we make as much as $200,000 a year." It was clumsy and condescending, and in sync with the Republican reading of his remarks about "stuck in Iraq." He may have sincerely meant those remarks as he now explains them, but if so he was utterly inarticulate and careless on the one topic he should have learned to be most careful with - his bond with the military. I suppose it's good that he's learned when and how to defend himself, but he hasn't wised up nearly enough to represent the Democratic party.

Kerry's foolish, and possibly passive-agressive comments about U.S. soldiers in Iraq reminded me of why I posted this blog about him a few days ago:

http://people.bakersfield.com/home/viewblog.php?id=136&pid=2269

and why I wrote and recorded this song about him (Halloween, 2004):

Scary Kerry

words and music by Bruce L. Thiessen, aka Dr. BLT (c)2006

http://www.drblt.net/music/scarykerry.mp3

Bruce

aka Dr. BLT

King of Blog n Roll

http://www.drblt.net

Doesn't it bother anybody that this takes everything way off message in the final days of the campaign? WE are reading Kerry's strong response. But what do you think the casual TV news watcher in Virginia or the person who sees just a newspaper headline in Missouri will make of this? They'll hear that Kerry insulted the troops, NOT that he flubbed a joke. And they'll hear that Kerry said he was insulting Bush, not the troops. That's it. The whole story as it plays out there where we want to win. I'm glad Kerry's coming out, all guns blazing. But... jeez. This is going to eat up a lot of news cycle and not in the way we all wish it would.

The former male Yale cheerleader, who VANISHED when it was his time to serve, who lied and sent brave young Americans into a bloody desert war with no plan for victory, with no exit strategy, and with inadequate body armour and gave them a boss named Rumsfeld who couldn't fight his way out of a bathhouse, now wants an apology from a decorated veteran?

This same panzy said 'bring it on to Iraqi insurgents from his comfortable bubble 8,000 miles away only to watch now close to 3000 brave U.S. servicepeople die for no reason. And this Texas turd STILL hasn't attended one funeral for a fallen soldier, marine, sailor or airmen.....NOT ONE !!!!

Today, this same bowlegged dickhead and his chief bumboy Cheney and their yes men generals continue to abuse the honour of the brave kids who serve this country by extending them in some cases to 3rd and 4th tours !!!!

I would think the rank and file members of the U.S. military have had enough of George W. Bullshitter.....

Cheers, Semper Fi

You're absolutely correct, Smudge. Its up to our news media how to report this. It could (and should) be a story on how the Republicans were quick to leap on Kerry's misstatement and have ignored his public correction since, and how they are attempting to fill all media channels with misleading discourse that intentionally ignores that correction.

Sadly, its far more likely to be reported with repetitive, out of context rebroadcasts of the misstatement, so the average news consumer who is barely listening while dinner is sizzling and the kids are screaming will hear only the quote itself and Tony Snow and the other Republican talking heads shamelessly slandering Senator Kerry.

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

It sounds like the GOP is attempting to divert attention away from the Limbaugh/Fox fracas by accusing a democrat of the same thing Limbaugh did. Too bad that Kerry has stated repeatedly that he's not offering an insult to the troops, hence no reason to apologize.

This is cowardace on the part of the RNC, plain and simple.

It shouldn't be news to anyone that John Kerry is as tone deaf as politicians get. The Republicans are going to try to milk this for all it's worth. I guess we'll see if they succeed. But I'd rather he'd measured his words more carefully.

a still operate on the delusion that if you have a perfect candidate who says things which can't be spun by the Republicans, that the Republican won't lie about you anyway?

It is about time we stopped nitpicking our own candidates, and started telling the truth about the Republicans.

And please.....get over this fantasy that a magical candidate which nobody can criticise is gonna save you.

I don't think any of us expect perfection, but Kerry is an idiot. This does take the spotlight off of Bush and takes the focus off the important issues. As they quoted a Dem congressman as saying on ABC, "Kerry gave away the 2004 election, and now he wants to give away 2006 too." There was no reason for him to say what he did, and frankly I think it was rather offensive. In addition to the regular army there are tons of army reservists over there in Iraq. People who are from all walks of life doing all sorts of jobs, including doctors and goodness knows what other sorts of careers requiring a higher education.

He should apologize to anyone he offended, and then lay into Bush. But to not apologize at all makes him look even worse.