Pride before the fall...
Posted on 10/31/2006 3:54:12 PM PST by MikeA
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 31, 2006 — For weeks, Republicans on the campaign trail have been looking for something — anything — to talk about other than the record of the Republican Congress and the way the Bush administration has conducted the war in Iraq.
Monday, they got their wish. While stumping for local Democrats in California, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., addressed students at Pasadena City College and made a comment about education and the war in Iraq that lent itself to much controversy.
"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. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq," he said.
It was a rhetorical gift for the embattled Republican Party which is eager to run against Kerry again. The White House unusually notified the media ahead of time that the president would address the issue in remarks at today's campaign rally in Georgia.
Election Fodder
The Kerry kerfuffle is a prototype of controversies of the new media age. "Thanks to the Internet, all life is on the record now," observed journalism professor Jeff Jarvis of CUNY. "Everything a politician says and does is public and the world can see in a second … that's life now."
After Kerry's remarks were mentioned on the Web sites of local newspapers, including the Whittier Daily News, the video popped up on YouTube and conservative blogs like Newsbusters.org, and then talk radio seized on them.
Though, as opposed to 2004, it didn't take Kerry weeks to respond to attacks against him. Shortly before noon, Tuesday, Kerry, a Vietnam veteran, responded, insisting in a statement that he had not belittled the intelligence of soldiers serving in Iraq, but rather, that of "the president who got us stuck there."
But it may have been too late, the train had left the station.
"I believe Sen. Kerry owes an apology to many thousands of Americans serving in Iraq, who answered their country's call," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., campaigning in Indiana.
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said, "It tells us what John Kerry himself and the Democratic Party think about the troops and the U.S. military."
By the time Kerry got to a microphone in Seattle this afternoon to explain what he called a botched joke about the president, hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Americans, had already heard about this new issue and Republican candidates were talking about it.
"It disgusts me that a bunch of these Republican hacks who have never worn the uniform of our country are willing to lie about those who did," Kerry added.
What's unclear is if Kerry's comments will help rally Republican voters or help their party portray Democrats as against the troops to score victories next Tuesday. A Democratic congressman told ABC News, Tuesday, "I guess Kerry wasn't content blowing 2004, now he wants to blow 2006, too."
Contrast to Lott's comments at Strom Thurmond's Birthday party. The MSM was in full cry for weeks.
Looks like kerry may have to go S. Amer. to shine Bush's shoes after 08?
Pride before the fall...
Thank you! And the troops thank you. They deserve better than having the Dems in charge.
He's just reminded the entire Republican base as to why they voted against Democrats in 2004. A greater gift we could not have imagined.
ROVEMBER!!!!Thats the first time I have seen your new word!!!!... can I borrow it??.......Very classic!!!!
Should Kerry respond? I think he will and dig himself deeper.
What the brilliant, elitist leftists never learned is the first rule of holes.
Keep talking...keep talking.
Christian news and commentary at: sacredscoop.com ...
In the interest of accuracy, Kerry has a law degree.
Both went to Yale and produced similarly mediocre grades -- they were "C" students...but Bush's grade point was a fraction higher than Kerry's.
Subsequently, Bush went to Harvard and got an MBA -- when an advanced degree from Harvard still meant something. For his part, Kerry went to Boston College and got a law degree...because he couldn't get into Harvard.
And, just learned this today- George Bush got better grades in College than Kerry did, yet Kerry feels it's his right to insult the President's intelligence? Yeah, Kerry has a higher IQ- but my gosh- it sure don't make him smarter- And, speaking on the differences of the old democrats and the new vitriolic ones, We've REALLY digressed to a very low gutter mentality in this country when a member of Congress tries to excuse his moronic statments about soldiers by saying "I meant to insult the President' Since when is is socially acceptable to insult the highest position of this country? Had he actually insulted the President, Republicans should also have demanded an apology- pretty said when you can't even respect your leader regardless of your differences. David, in the old testament, when he was being chased by King Saul who wanted to kill him, had a perfect chance to kill him when Saul fell asleep- YET out of respect for Saul's Kingship, chose NOT to. How the democrats have sunk to despicable levels!
Spot on. In the "glory days" of the Dinosaur Media, Kerry's outrageous statement NEVER.... EVER would have seen the light of day. Jake Tapper, Mark Haperin, Brian Ross and their DNC kneepadders can go pound sand.
Let's Praise the Lord! He brings down the powerful using their own pride.
Kerry's probably blown 2008, too. For him, at least.
In the post-election analysis, they DBM will point to Kerry's gaff and blame the whole thing on him.
The Blowhard was serious.
It's a given that Kerry will stick his foot in his mouth....the real question is, how is he going to get the other one in there with it.
The Dems are really great at "blowing" a lot of things. (wink)
Ergo, Kerry is just being himself and when that irrationality appears, he doesn't even know he stepped in it.
These are evil people folks!
Rove does it again!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.