NOW WE KNOW WHY KERRY WOULDN'T APOLOGIZE Past Statements Show What Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) Really Thinks Of U.S. Troops SEN. KERRY HAS BEEN BELITTLING U.S. TROOPS FOR DECADES FLASHBACK: In 1972, Kerry Said A Volunteer Army "Would Be An Army Of The Poor And The Black And The Brown" And More Likely To Perform War Crimes: "During A Vietnam-Era Run For Congress Three Decades Ago, John Kerry Said He Opposed A Volunteer Army Because It Would Be Dominated By The Underprivileged, Be Less Accountable And Be More Prone To 'The Perpetuation Of War Crimes.'" (John Solomon, "Kerry's '72 Campaign Comments On Army Mirror Latest Flap," The Associated Press, 11/2/06) NOW: Sen. John Kerry Implied U.S. Troops Were Uneducated: Sen. Kerry: "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 ." (NBC 4's Website, www.nbc4.tv, Accessed 10/31/06) NOW: Sen. John Kerry Accused U.S. Troops Of Terrorizing Children: Sen. Kerry: "[T]here 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 ..." (CBS' "Face The Nation," 12/4/05) NOW: Sen. Kerry Said He "Apologize[s] To No One": Sen. Kerry: "Let me make it crystal clear, as crystal clear as I know how: I apologize to no one for my criticism of the President and of his broken policy." (Sen. John Kerry, Press Conference, 10/31/06) SEN. KERRY WAS FORCED TO APOLOGIZE Sen. Kerry Was Forced Into Written "Faux" Apology: "Under Pressure From Many Democrats, Kerry Issued An Apology ..." (Peter Wallsten, "Kerry's Fighting Words Give Way To Apology," Los Angeles Times, 11/2/06) "Mr. Kerry's Apology, Delivered In A Written Statement Yesterday Afternoon, Seemed To Be Grudging." (Josh Gerstein, "Senator Kerry Apologizes For Comments On American Troops In Iraq ," The New York Sun, 11/2/06) Time's Mike Allen: "When you listen to the words of the apology that you played, that is not a complete or sweeping apology. He is apologizing for the fact his words are misinterpreted. That's like saying to your girlfriend, I'm sorry you are mad." (MSNBC's "Tucker," 11/1/06) ABC's Jack Tapper: "But for Senator Kerry to say that anybody who interpreted it the way that the Republicans are now saying is, quote, unquote, 'crazy,' says a lot about why this faux apology isn't gonna work." (ABC's "'Countdown To Vote 2006," 11/1/06) Dems Worried Sen. Kerry May Have Hurt Dems' Election Chances: "Democrats Worry Kerry's Words Have Made Party Candidates Vulnerable To Accusations Of Insensitivity Toward Troops In The Final Week Of A Campaign In Which Democrats Seemed To Be Benefiting From Voters' Unhappiness With The Iraq War." (Peter Wallsten, "Kerry's Fighting Words Give Way To Apology," Los Angeles Times, 11/2/06) "[S]en. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Said He Thinks Kerry's Comments Could Hurt Democrats On Tuesday If The Story Continues To Thrive In The Media." (Ashley M. Heher, "Howard Dean Addresses Kerry's Remarks," The Associated Press, 11/2/06) Democrat Strategist Joe Trippi: "[T]he big winner really is Howard Dean, because frankly, if we lose a couple of these close Senate seats and don't take the Senate back the establishment was all going to gang up and blame it on him. And now if we miss on a couple of these races, they are all going to blame it on Kerry." (Fox News' "O'Reilly Factor," 11/1/06) Sen. Kerry's Presidential Ambitions Are Ruined: "[F]or A Politician Striving To Prove That He Had Become A Better Candidate Than He Was When GOP Attacks Helped To Derail His White House Campaign In 2004, The Damage Was Done." (Peter Wallsten, "Kerry's Fighting Words Give Way To Apology," Los Angeles Times, 11/2/06) o Cohen: "It's getting played over and over again ... You just need one instance that can define a campaign. This may be one of those things, and if that's the case, I hope John Kerry likes staying in the Senate." (Peter Wallsten, "Kerry's Fighting Words Give Way To Apology," Los Angeles Times, 11/2/06)
