Who does this sound like?

[XtremeJibber2001]

From John Kerry's Blog:

Kerry: "If anyone owes our troops in the fields an apology, it is the President"

Kerry: “If anyone owes our troops in the fields an apology, it is the President”

Transcript of John Kerry Responding to Attacks on his Remarks

Today in a press conference in Seattle, Washington, John Kerry responded to Republican attacks and partisan efforts to distort his botched George Bush joke.

Below is a transcript of Kerry’s remarks, as delivered:

SENATOR 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.

If anyone owes our troops in the fields an apology, it is the President and his failed team and a Republican majority in the Congress that has been willing to stamp -- rubber-stamp policies that
have done injury to our troops and to their families.

My statement yesterday -- and the White House knows this full well -- was a botched joke about the president and the president's people, not about the troops.

The White House's attempt to distort my true statement is a remarkable testament to their abject failure in making America safe. It's a stunning statement about their willingness to reduce anything in America to raw politics. It's their willingness to distort, their willingness to mislead Americans, their willingness to exploit the troops, as they have so many times at backdrops, at so many speeches at which they have not told the American people the truth.

I'm not going to stand for it.

What our troops deserve is a winning strategy. And what they deserve is leadership that is up to the sacrifice that they're making.

Sadly, this is the best that this administration can do in a month when we have lost 100 young men and women who have given their lives for a failed policy.

Over half the names on the Vietnam wall were put there after our leaders knew that our policy was wrong. And it was wrong that leaders were quiet then, and I'm not going to be quiet now.

This is a textbook Republican campaign strategy: Try to change the topic; try to make someone else the issue; try to make something else said the issue, not the policy, not their responsibility.

Well, everybody knows it's not working this time, and I'm not going to stand around and let it work. If anyone thinks that a veteran, someone like me, who's been fighting my entire career to
provide for veterans, to fight for their benefits, to help honor what their service is, if anybody thinks that a veteran would somehow criticize more than 140,000 troops serving in Iraq and not the president and his people who put them there, they're crazy.

It's just wrong. This is a classic GOP textbook Republican campaign tactic.

I'm sick and tired of a bunch of despicable Republicans who will not debate real policy, who won't take responsibility for their own mistakes, standing up and trying to make other people the butt of those mistakes.

I'm sick and tired of a whole bunch of Republican attacks, most of which come from people who never wore the uniform and never had the courage to stand up and go to war themselves.

Enough is enough. We're not going to stand for this. This policy is broken. And this president and his administration didn't do their homework. They didn't study what would happen in Iraq. They didn't study and listen to the people who were the experts and would have told them.

And they know that's what I was talking about yesterday. I'm not going to be lectured by a White House or by the likes of Rush Limbaugh who's taking a day off from mimicking and attacking Michael J. Fox, who's now going to try to attack me and lie about me and distort me.

No way. It disgusts me that a bunch of these Republican hacks who've never worn the uniform of our country are willing to lie about those who did.

It's over.

This administration has given us a Katrina foreign policy: mistake upon mistake upon mistake; unwilling to give our troops the armor that they need; unwilling to have enough troops in place;
unwilling to give them the Humvees that they deserve to protect them; unwilling to have a coalition that is adequate to be able to defend our interests.

Our own intelligence agency has told us they're creating more terrorists, not less. They're making us less safe, not more.

I think Americans are sick and tired of this game. These Republicans are afraid to stand up and debate a real veteran on this topic. And they're afraid to debate -- you know, they want to debate
straw men because they're afraid to debate real men.

Well, we're going to have a real debate in this country about this policy. The bottom line is: These Republicans want to distort this policy. And, this time, it won't work because we are going to stay in their face with the truth.

And no Democrat is going to be bullied by these people, by these kinds of attacks that have no place in American politics. It's time to set our policy correct.

They have a stand-still-and-lose policy in Iraq and they have a cut-and-run policy in Afghanistan. And the fact is, our troops, who have served heroically, who deserve better, deserve leadership that is up to their sacrifice, period.

QUESTION: Senator, John McCain said that you owe an apology to the many thousands of Americans serving in Iraq, who answered this country's call because they are patriots.

To those people who didn't get your joke, who may have misinterpreted you as saying the undereducated are cannon fodder, what do you say?

KERRY: I never said that, and John McCain knows I've never said that and John McCain knows I wouldn't say that.

And John McCain ought to ask for an apology from Donald Rumsfeld for making the mistakes he's made. John McCain ought to ask for an apology from this administration for not sending in enough troops.

He ought to ask for an apology for putting our troops on the line with a policy that doesn't have an adequate coalition, that doesn't have adequate diplomacy, where we don't have a strategy to win.

And what we need is to debate the real issues, not these phony, sideline issues that are part of the politics. Americans are tired -- sick and tired of this kind of politics.

They know my true feelings. They know I fought to provide additional money for veterans. They know I fought to provide money for combat for veterans. They know I've fought to put money for V.A. They know I've honored those veterans.

They know that this is the finest military -- and I've said it 100,000 times -- that we've ever had. They know precisely what I was saying.

And they're trying to turn this because they have a bankrupt policy and they can't defend it to the nation and they can't defend it to the world.

KERRY: And I'm not going to stand for this anymore; period. That's the apology that people ought to get.

QUESTION: Do you need to go to joke school?

KERRY: Sure.

QUESTION: Senator, do you regret saying the remark? And what were you trying to say?

KERRY: Very simple: that those who didn't study it properly, those who made the decisions, they got us into Iraq. Very simple.

The fact is they know that. The administration knows that. And they're simply trying to distort this. They're trying to play a game.

And, again, I'm not going to stand for it. This is the kind of thing that makes Americans sick. People know -- I mean, there ought to be some level of honor and trust in this process.

I have fought a lifetime on behalf of veterans. We have the finest young men and women serving us in the United States military that we've ever had, and I'm proud of that.

But this administration has let them down, and that was clearly a remark directed at this administration. They understand it. They want to distort it. It's a classic Republican playbook. They want to change the topic.

We're not going to let them change the topic. The topic is their failed policy in Iraq. The topic is that they don't have a strategy, they don't have a way to be able to win.

You got Dick Cheney saying everything's just terrific in Iraq only a week ago. John McCain ought to ask for an apology from Dick Cheney for misleading America. He ought to ask for an apology from the president for lying about the nuclear program in Africa. He ought to ask for an apology for once again a week ago referring to Al Qaida as being the central problem in Iraq, when Al Qaida is not the central problem.

Enough is enough. I'm not going to stand for these people trying to shift the topic and make it politics. America deserves a real discussion about real policy. And that's what this election is going to be about next Tuesday.

One more question, then I got to run.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

KERRY: Let me tell you something: I'm not going to give them one ounce of daylight to spread one of their lies and to play this game ever, ever again. That is a lesson I learned deep and hard.

And I'll tell you: I will stand up anywhere across this country and take these guys on. This is dishonoring not just the troops themselves by pointing the finger at the troops, it's abusing the
troops. They're using the troops. They're trying to make the troops into the target here. I didn't do that, and they know that.

KERRY: And for them to suggest that somebody who served their country, as I did, and has a record like I have in the United States Congress of standing up and fighting for the troops would ever, ever insult the troops is an insult in and of itself.

And they owe us an apology for even daring to use the White House to stand up and make this an issue again. Shame on them. Shame on them.

And may the American people take that shame to the polls with them next Tuesday.

Thank you all.

QUESTION: What do you say to the men and women fighting in Iraq if they hear this in passing, that may be confused on the issue, sir?

KERRY: They will hear what I just said. I honor their service, and I always have.

Posted by John Kerry on October 31, 2006 4:13 PM | Link
Filed under: The War in Iraq
Tags: John Kerry, All tags

BK .. take a moment, read what he said, and please point to where he made it absouluty clear what he meant to say. Even if we give him the benefit of the doubt ... joking about soldiers dying in Iraq? That just goes back to standards. If you get a chance, check out the comments on his blog too.

[MarieM]

In 1972, I respected and admired John Kerry when he ran for Congress in the Fifth District of Massachusetts against Cronin. I thought he was dynamic and enthusiastic. He has changed, and my feelings about him have changed.

I'm pissed. Joke or no joke, it was a stupid remark. I think Kerry's doing some tap-dancing now.

Yup, I'm thin-skinned. And I'm pissed off. Starting with Rumsfeld and Cheney...then Bush for listening to them.

I thought this was good. From Andy Rooney:

"I'd like to talk to you about something you probably don't want to be talked to about.

Someone - and I guess it's President Bush - has to tell us what in the world we're doing in Iraq now. I don't think any of us know. We did the right thing getting rid of Saddam Hussein, but what are we doing there now?

The Pentagon never tells us anything. Usually reporters and cameramen let us know quite a bit but it's so dangerous for them in Baghdad now that even they can't show us much of what's going on.

So far almost 2,800 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq. I say "almost 2,800" because there is no exact number. It changes by six or eight every day. That's how many of our young men get killed? And for what? Just tell us, Mr. President. For what? It hasn't even been good for Iraq; it certainly hasn’t been good for us. The whole world thinks less of us for what we're doing there.

This little war is costing us $2 billion a what? I forget, a day, a week, a minute? It's the kind of money I can't even imagine.

President Bush should stand up there in front of us on television and do the hardest thing of all for any president to do. Tell us the truth. He should just say "Americans, there's something I have to tell you. You trusted me to be your leader and I thought I was doing the right thing when we went into Iraq. Well, I hate to admit it but I was wrong. I'm sorry but we never should have gone in and now we should get out."

Well, I'm not holding my breath until President Bush says that because I've never heard him admit he was wrong about anything. It isn't something presidents do. I don't recall hearing Bill Clinton or Jimmy Carter admitting they were wrong either.

I was asked to keep this short tonight. Fortunately it's easier to be short when I’m serious. Funny takes longer."

[XtremeJibber2001]

Great post Marie ... as far as Andy Rooney, today I couldn't agree more with his statement. Sometimes you just need to cut to the chase and admit you were wrong ... no use trying to justify your actions day-in and day-out.

It's a mess and it's time to bring our troops home.

[BigKahuna13]

He was speaking to students ... all I see is the use of "you", referring to the students ... not a President, Sec of Defense, etc.

Jib - did you read the entire quote. He may have been speaking to the students but he was speaking about Bush. You can interpret the entire thing to mean "if you don't get a good education you can wind up being a fool who creates an Iraq situation"

[JerseyGuy]

The question at hand, to be clear, is whether Kerry should apologize for the way his joke was delivered and make it crystal clear what he intended to say.

1. Assume that Kerry's telling the truth and his statement was aimed at Bush.
Why should he or anyone apologize because someone chooses to misinterpret his statement?

2. He has already made his intended meaning crystal clear

1.) That might be clear to him, but listening to the media and others, it's not clear what he meant at all. Hence, at his press conference yesterday he should have made it clear what he intended and then move to his diatribe. He shouldn't apologize for what he meant to say, he should apologize for how he delivered it. I'm not misinterpreting what he said ... he said this:

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.

"If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

He was speaking to students ... all I see is the use of "you", referring to the students ... not a President, Sec of Defense, etc.

2.) Read his press release and then post it here, we'll see how crystal clear he made it.

If he was so crystal clear ... why is he canceling his appearances to appear with Democrats running in this months election?

"The White House's attempt to distort my true statement is a remarkable testament to their abject failure in making America safe," the senator said. "It's a stunning statement about their willingness to reduce anything in America to raw politics." (Watch Kerry say he won't apologize for criticizing the president and "his broken policy" -- 9:33 Video)

A number of top Democrats said they were upset with the senator for giving the Republicans election-time ammunition -- even if the GOP was hyping the remark.

"He has already cost us one election. The guy just needs to keep his mouth shut until after the election," a top Democratic strategist said Tuesday. (Watch how Kerry's gaffe may be a gift for the GOP -- 3:00 Video)

Good God, man. Are you simply pretending not to know what's going on, or are you really this thick?

1. He used the word "you" as a non-specific article, the same way that every other English-speaking person uses it in a conversation... you know? Or should I say, "does one know"?

2. In my opinion, he doesn't have to apologize for a damn thing. He botched the joke, he explained his mistake, and the GOP is jumping all over it by claiming that he was insulting the troops when they know perfectly well that he wasn't. To further use and abuse my previous Dubya flub example, it would be similiar to the Democrats saying that Bush's own words PROVED that he really was DELIBERATELY trying to "harm" America. It wouldn't have passed the straight-face test then, and it doesn't pass the straight-face test now.

3. Of COURSE he's going to cancel appearances -- for the same reason why so many Republican congressional candidates are suddenly "unavailable" when Dubya flies into in their districts to help them: if the heat's on a political figure, for whatever reason, you don't want to stand NEXT to that figure until the media eventually moves on to the next topic.

As far as your oblique reference to any kind of "threat" from me... oh, please. Take a step back, take a deep breath, and move on. As is usual, you're in over your head on this topic. Your fingers simply type faster than your little brain can function. Hell, there's no shame in that...

[XtremeJibber2001]

The question at hand, to be clear, is whether Kerry should apologize for the way his joke was delivered and make it crystal clear what he intended to say.

1. Assume that Kerry's telling the truth and his statement was aimed at Bush.
Why should he or anyone apologize because someone chooses to misinterpret his statement?

2. He has already made his intended meaning crystal clear

1.) That might be clear to him, but listening to the media and others, it's not clear what he meant at all. Hence, at his press conference yesterday he should have made it clear what he intended and then move to his diatribe. He shouldn't apologize for what he meant to say, he should apologize for how he delivered it. I'm not misinterpreting what he said ... he said this:

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.

"If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

He was speaking to students ... all I see is the use of "you", referring to the students ... not a President, Sec of Defense, etc.

2.) Read his press release and then post it here, we'll see how crystal clear he made it.

If he was so crystal clear ... why is he canceling his appearances to appear with Democrats running in this months election?

"The White House's attempt to distort my true statement is a remarkable testament to their abject failure in making America safe," the senator said. "It's a stunning statement about their willingness to reduce anything in America to raw politics." (Watch Kerry say he won't apologize for criticizing the president and "his broken policy" -- 9:33 Video)

A number of top Democrats said they were upset with the senator for giving the Republicans election-time ammunition -- even if the GOP was hyping the remark.

"He has already cost us one election. The guy just needs to keep his mouth shut until after the election," a top Democratic strategist said Tuesday. (Watch how Kerry's gaffe may be a gift for the GOP -- 3:00 Video)

Good God, man. Are you simply pretending not to know what's going on, or are you really this thick?

1. He used the word "you" as a non-specific article, the same way that every other English-speaking person uses it in a conversation... you know? Or should I say, "does one know"?

2. In my opinion, he doesn't have to apologize for a damn thing. He botched the joke, he explained his mistake, and the GOP is jumping all over it by claiming that he was insulting the troops when they know perfectly well that he wasn't. To further use and abuse my previous Dubya flub example, it would be similiar to the Democrats saying that Bush's own words PROVED that he really was DELIBERATELY trying to "harm" America. It wouldn't have passed the straight-face test then, and it doesn't pass the straight-face test now.

3. Of COURSE he's going to cancel appearances -- for the same reason why so many Republican congressional candidates are suddenly "unavailable" when Dubya flies into in their districts to help them: if the heat's on a political figure, for whatever reason, you don't want to stand NEXT to that figure until the media eventually moves on to the next topic.

As far as your oblique reference to any kind of "threat" from me... oh, please. Take a step back, take a deep breath, and move on. As is usual, you're in over your head on this topic. Your fingers simply type faster than your little brain can function. Hell, there's no shame in that...

Ah, I love the sweet smell of personal attacks. It feels so nice

1.) You're probably right, but many people don't think that hard ... several people hear the sound bite and don't investigate it further. If Kerry came clean and said 'this is what I meant to say' it'd take the heat away. Obviously I know what he meant to say, but several don't.

2.) He should apologize for botching the joke .. nothing more, nothing less. He didn't explain his mistake, maybe I missed it, can you post it?

3.) Case and point. Clearly his fellow Dems feel he's a liability. Why is he a liability if everyones crystal clear that Kerry was busting GWB's chops? One would assume no one is clear, if everyone was clear on his intent, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

It was a joke buddy. As far as the personal attacks, keep them to yourself, they're not wanted. Just because my thoughts and opinions are different than yours ... doesn't make my mind small nor does it make me any more inferior to you.

[XtremeJibber2001]

He was speaking to students ... all I see is the use of "you", referring to the students ... not a President, Sec of Defense, etc.

Jib - did you read the entire quote. He may have been speaking to the students but he was speaking about Bush. You can interpret the entire thing to mean "if you don't get a good education you can wind up being a fool who creates an Iraq situation"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_Ve4JoY5GA

He was speaking about education, actually. This is close as I could get to the context of the quote. If you listen to the crowd, I don't hear a lot of laughs. But hey, you guys our right, everyone there knew what he meant.

You never told me at what point he made his intentions absolutely clear.

[HelmetCam]

[JerseyGuy]

Hey, that's a great picture! Sometime in the future, long after this is all over, some mother or sister or wife somewhere can hold up that snapshot and say, "My Jimmy was the third from the right. Didn't Jimmy have a great sense of humor? Before his legs were blown off, I mean. Anyway, this is what the Islamic Republic of Iraq looked like when we were still there."

Ah, memories.

[G-smashed]

I'm even embarassed by what Kerry said and no one despises this stinkin' administration more than I do. If we fail to take over Congress because of what this knucklehead said it would be a crime. The Dems have a good chance to neuter this administration next Tuesday and effectively end Bush's presidency 2 years early but Kerry had to shoot his mouth off and
jeopardise the whole thing. He should apologize to the troops, the vets, and to us Dems for hurting the cause. And then just go away...

[XtremeJibber2001]

I'm even embarassed by what Kerry said and no one despises this stinkin' administration more than I do. If we fail to take over Congress because of what this knucklehead said it would be a crime. The Dems have a good chance to neuter this administration next Tuesday and effectively end Bush's presidency 2 years early but Kerry had to shoot his mouth off and
jeopardise the whole thing. He should apologize to the troops, the vets, and to us Dems for hurting the cause. And then just go away...

I'm routing for the Dems to run the senate. We need more checks ... just hope more gets done though.

[Cityskier]

i think the biggest insult to the troops is to continue sending them to their deaths and maimings in this most questionable of conflicts, without so much as a broad plan as to how we can bring them home. isn't the commander-in-chief responsible for the full house in Landstuhl and the leaps and bounds made in prosthetic technologies at Walter Reed?

but yeah, make a big deal about a stupid thing Kerry said. that's clearly the biggest problem our nation and those fighting for it face.

[Dr. NO]

i think the biggest insult to the troops is to continue sending them to their deaths and maimings in this most questionable of conflicts, without so much as a broad plan as to how we can bring them home. isn't the commander-in-chief responsible for the full house in Landstuhl and the leaps and bounds made in prosthetic technologies at Walter Reed?

but yeah, make a big deal about a stupid thing Kerry said. that's clearly the biggest problem our nation and those fighting for it face.

Had a Republican made this statement the Dems would be looking for his head. Kerry went on Offense because he made a bad statement and a bad choice. Yes, young men and women are dieing due to bad decisions, but stupid statements about those who VOLUNTEER is no excuse for his stupidity.

[Dr. NO]

AND, G-Smashed almost agrees with me twice in one day. HELL IS FREEZING OVER. Where are the snow guns?

[Cityskier]

i think the biggest insult to the troops is to continue sending them to their deaths and maimings in this most questionable of conflicts, without so much as a broad plan as to how we can bring them home. isn't the commander-in-chief responsible for the full house in Landstuhl and the leaps and bounds made in prosthetic technologies at Walter Reed?

but yeah, make a big deal about a stupid thing Kerry said. that's clearly the biggest problem our nation and those fighting for it face.

Had a Republican made this statement the Dems would be looking for his head. Kerry went on Offense because he made a bad statement and a bad choice. Yes, young men and women are dieing due to bad decisions, but stupid statements about those who VOLUNTEER is no excuse for his stupidity.

I always like the "well the other guys would do it!" argument. Very enlightening.

You should moonlight as a subject for those who study people who are overly susceptible to poliitical distraction.