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Kerry camp swears he won't apologize
Boston Herald ^ | 12/8/03 | David R. Guarino

Posted on 12/08/2003 9:47:00 AM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection

White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card yesterday called on his home state's senator to apologize to President Bush, calling it ``beneath'' John F. Kerry to use an expletive to blast Bush's handling of the Iraq war.

The Holbrook native, who serves as Bush's top deputy, said Kerry shouldn't have used the phrase ``f--- it up'' to assail Bush.

``I've known John Kerry for a long time and I'm very disappointed that he would use that kind of language,'' Card said on CNN's Late Edition.

``That's beneath John Kerry. . . . I'm hoping that he's apologizing, at least to himself, because that's not the John Kerry that I know,'' Card said.

The comments were the first White House rebuke of a Democrat in the presidential primary campaign.

Local and national Republicans joined the fray, saying Kerry's comments seemed to be prompted by his steady drop in primary polls.

``A drop in the polls seems to correspond with a drop in word choice for Sen. Kerry,'' RNC spokeswoman Lindsay Taylor said. ``It's not the type of language you would expect to hear from a leader.''

``John Kerry's pathetic campaign has sunk to a new low,'' added Massachusetts Republican Party Executive Director Dominick Ianno. ``It's to the point where he just keeps embarrassing himself.''

Bush's White House, including the president, has ardently declined to comment on any Democratic bashing - letting the Republican National Committee and other elected Republicans take the lead.

And it marks a rare flashpoint between the two Massachusetts politicians.

Kerry told Rolling Stone he didn't expect to be hurt politically over his vote to support Bush's resolution to use force in Iraq. Since his vote, Kerry has been hobbled on the campaign trail as anti-war Democrat Howard Dean has soared to the lead in most primary polls.

``I voted for what I thought was best for the country. Did I expect Howard Dean to go off to the left and say, `I'm against everything'? Sure,'' Kerry said.

``Did I expect George Bush to f--- it up as badly as he did? I don't think anybody did,'' Kerry said, not deleting the expletive.

Kerry, speaking to reporters on a conference call from San Diego yesterday, refused to answer questions about the dust-up.

A Kerry spokesman said Bush won't get any apology.

``No amount of apologies is going to make up for the Bush administration's failed policy on Iraq,'' Kerry spokesman Michael Meehan said. ``John Kerry is so angry about the failed policy that, yes, he swore about it.''

Meehan noted Bush's caught-on-tape swear about a New York Times reporter, whom Bush called a ``major league (expletive),'' saying Kerry would apologize when Bush does.

Another Kerry aide, Stephanie Cutter, said the Rolling Stone comments aren't the first time Kerry has used the obscenity and denied he was trying to appear more hip to the youth-oriented magazine.

``He's said this before, it wasn't any effort to play up to a younger audience,'' Cutter said.


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004; apology; fword; johnkerry; kerry
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection
``That's beneath John Kerry. . . .

No, it's not. Perhaps he could go to Iraq and drop f-bombs on them.

21 posted on 12/08/2003 10:21:29 AM PST by Colonel_Flagg ("I keep myself in a constant state of utter confusion." - Self)
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Kerry is not getting this gig, whether he apologizes or not.

He will live to regret using foul language on the record

22 posted on 12/08/2003 10:23:11 AM PST by george wythe
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To: gov_bean_ counter; Grampa Dave
Rush never gives credit.

No one does. Just ask Grampa.

23 posted on 12/08/2003 10:33:31 AM PST by Shermy
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Dean is mean in an unstable way, Kerry is lashing out in an unstable way, Clark is acting in an unstable way, Hillary is screaching in an unstable way. Sheesh, where's Tipper Gore when we need some pyshicatric help for our citizens.
24 posted on 12/08/2003 10:38:04 AM PST by 1Old Pro
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Meehan noted Bush's caught-on-tape swear about a New York Times reporter, whom Bush called a ``major league (expletive),'' saying Kerry would apologize when Bush does.

Uh, that was said in an aside to Dick Cheney near what they thought was an off mike and the remark was about a journalist, not a sitting president.

Also, Dubya was perceived as being right on the money with his comment about Clymer, whereas few would agree that Bush has "screwed" up Iraq, and THAT'S the real problem with Kerry's exhibition of pique.

Kerry displayed poor taste and poor judgement with this utterance.

Another Kerry aide, Stephanie Cutter, said the Rolling Stone comments aren't the first time Kerry has used the obscenity and denied he was trying to appear more hip to the youth-oriented magazine.

``He's said this before, it wasn't any effort to play up to a younger audience,'' Cutter said.

Since we're using salty language, I'll just say B.S.

25 posted on 12/08/2003 10:42:14 AM PST by cyncooper ("The evil is in plain sight")
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Poor John-boy.

Whenever politicians try to be "hip", it always fails miserably. That goes for both Dem and Republican.
26 posted on 12/08/2003 10:48:50 AM PST by FourtySeven (47)
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To: FourtySeven
Next thing you know we will be finding out that ole John can't keep his package wrapped.
27 posted on 12/08/2003 10:50:07 AM PST by gov_bean_ counter
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To: Drawsing
You just wait, they'll have John F'in Kerry show up on "South Park" now (if he hasn't already)

"John Kerry has 700 million reasons to be happy and they all have George Washington's picture on them [Teresa's
inherited fortune]...He made his money the old-fashioned way. He MARRIED it..."--Howie Carr (Boston-based, syndicated talk host whose imitation of JFKerry sounds based on Thurston Howell III; he gave Kerry the nickname
"Liveshot" for his tendency to dive in front of a TV
camera the moment he spots one)

Lovey! Lovey! :)
28 posted on 12/08/2003 10:50:40 AM PST by raccoonradio
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To: PistolPaknMama; dixie sass; basil
Couldn't resist pinging you to this...the F word looms everwhere.
29 posted on 12/08/2003 10:53:25 AM PST by Freedom2specul8 (Please pray for our troops.... http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/)
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To: gov_bean_ counter
Next thing you know we will be finding out that ole John can't keep his package wrapped.

Wait until next month's Rolling Stone; that's where this first "bombshell" came from anyway!

30 posted on 12/08/2003 10:56:13 AM PST by FourtySeven (47)
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection
CNN News Flash:
Latest quote from Kerry regarding his use of an obscenity;
I have no plans on making any F**KING apology regarding last week's outburst. DETAILS at 11

31 posted on 12/08/2003 10:57:41 AM PST by bush8years
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
There's a sign on the wall at my local bikers' bar (Bimbos) that says "The language you use tells us what you are". Until the owner explained it to us, we all thought it meant that if a person was speaking Chinese it told us that he was a Chinaman.
32 posted on 12/08/2003 11:02:44 AM PST by bayourod (Don't start no shit won't be no shit.)
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection

"Hey John, isn't Rolling Stone F_cking great to Democrats and their image?!!"



"F_ck you Al. Better yet, I would say put a f_cking sock it--but I see you already did."

33 posted on 12/08/2003 11:07:51 AM PST by SkyPilot
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To: Tumbleweed_Connection
I don't see what the big deal is. I use the 'F' word all the time, i.e.

"the f'in garage door is broken',

the 'f'in sewer line is hosed, thanks to the 'f'in tree roots..'

or the famous "the neighbors kids just put a big f'in scratch on the truck..'

What's the big deal?

34 posted on 12/08/2003 11:08:09 AM PST by SGCOS
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To: cyncooper
Wasn't it also Kerry who appeared with a heavy-metal rocker on stage who was also using colorful metaphors against Bush? I think John F-in' Kerry is having a mid-life crisis....just in time to get some "youth" votes.
35 posted on 12/08/2003 12:26:22 PM PST by cwb
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
the F word looms everwhere.

From a man who would be president speaking to a reporter!

When the Kerry camp tries to rationalize this (I've been hearing it discussed on MSNBC) they really sound lame.

36 posted on 12/08/2003 12:30:47 PM PST by cyncooper ("The evil is in plain sight")
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To: Drawsing
LOL! My thoughts exactly.
37 posted on 12/08/2003 1:02:27 PM PST by arasina (What will YOU do when Howard Dean or Hillary Clinton is president?)
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~
That was the very first piece of news I read this morning. I can't believe he used such a word when he knew he would be quoted. I guess he was trying to appeal to a more hip audience.
38 posted on 12/08/2003 2:25:29 PM PST by PistolPaknMama
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To: bayourod
The best graffiti I ever saw was in a bar in Houston(Griff's).....It read

"Profanity is the linguistic crutch of the inarticulate MotherF*er"..

It still cracks me up

39 posted on 12/09/2003 7:56:05 AM PST by Robe (Rome did not create a great empire with meetings, they did it by killing all those who opposed them)
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To: Robe
You ever seen Griff's daughter? Best thing to ever come out of that bar.
40 posted on 12/09/2003 4:24:01 PM PST by bayourod (Don't start no shit won't be no shit.)
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