Kerry thinks, like I used to until recently, of the military as a last resort for those who failed at everything else. He has always looked down his nose at everyone else, including while he served, so it does not surprise me for him to believe he is above the average intelligence of the military. I was wrong in my belief and realized that after September 11th.
Those who serve in the military are people who put country above all else and that is not a reflection of their success or intelligence. The truth is that I could not handle the military and I know it. I am also very thankful to every single person who has volunteered to protect my pacifist derriere. I realize I can be a pacifist because there are those willing to die for me.
Kerry screwed up royally yesterday in his speech at Pasadena City College. He must have a foot fetish or something the way he jammed it in his mouth. He got carried away with his elitist attitude while speaking to a lowly community college and let slip his belief that the military are a lower class than he is.
I cannot say I am unhappy about this turn of events either to be honest. I would love the nationally known names from both parties to retire in disgrace and let the Congress return to serving those it was intended to serve: the people. Party over country is my definition of treason.
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Mary Rosh
Goddamn, are you a professional moron, or just a gifted amateur? The ONLY POSSIBLE meaning of someone who could get "stuck in Iraq" is a reference to our soldiers? There's NO ONE else whom that description could fit? A reference to someone who didn't use his education and do his homework, and therefore got stuck in Iraq HAS to mean that an uneducated person would be forced to become a soldier and get stuck in Iraq?
And that's the only possible meaning of those remarks, in a talk which included this:
The Massachusetts senator, who is considering another presidential run in 2008, had opened his speech at Pasadena City College with several one-liners, joking at one point that Bush had lived in Texas but now "lives in a state of denial."
?????
When you refer to someone getting "stuck" or "bogged down", you can't possibly be referring to a general or commander???
No, what happened, obviously, was that Kerry was referring to Bush's various failings that led him to get stuck in Iraq, the Republicans deliberately misinterpreted the remarks as an attack on our soldiers, because they routinely try to use our troops as shields to deflect criticism away from themselves.
[Personal attack deleted]
2 - brad schader
Your hostility needs medication. Calm down, start over and we can discuss.
3 - Kyle
It is equally obvious to me that Kerry was NOT talking about the troops in Iraq as it apparently was to you that he was. Kerry served in Vietnam, was he an idiot? Assigning the logic that you are on his statements is inconsistent with his own history.
What kind of politician goes out and insults the troops in Iraq that has a lick of sense. Kerry may not always deliver a bashing well but he is not stupid. He was bashing Bush, it was worded poorly but that's what he was doing.
4 - brad schader
Kyle,
Kerry used the military. He used it to get elected. It was a tool to him. He has no respect for any of the people serving. It was not his intent to say the troops were stupid, but he was also not attacking Bush. He exposed his belief that college students are above soldiers.
"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."
If you study you do well. If you do not you end up stuck in Iraq. It was a plea for the students he was talking about to take education seriously. He just happened to insult the troops while he did it.
5 - Clavos
When one considers Kerry's testimony before Congress in 1971, in which he viciously (and falsely) slandered all of us who served in Vietnam, the ONLY correct interpretation of his latest remarks that fits is exactly what you have said in this article, Brad.
John Kerry is arrogant, contemptuous and condescending in his attitudes towards America's military, and he's demonstrated that for 35 years.
6 - Rob Silver
The paragraph you site from the speech is taken out of context. Oldest trick in the book. The media was too lazy to pick up on it, and bought the story hook line & sinker from the RNC. But at this point the 'merican people catch on even if the media dont. They're tired of being tricked and left holding the bag by Bush et al.
7 - SFC SKI
Excellent article! This quote, "Today I am kind of happy he did not ascend to the White House.", mirrors my sentinments exactly. I have served under several Presidents, and while I have respectfully served them all, I also know which ones returned their genuine respect. I ma so thankful Sen. Kerry did not become Commander in Chief in 2004. He has no respect for those who serve, and I think he has no respect for the American public as a whole. Everything he says appears to me either to be opportunistic pandering, or thinly veiled elitist arrogance. It's even evident in his tone of voice from his Vietnam testimony. Sen. Kerry served in Vietnam as an officer, but in his testimony, did he ever once express what he personally tried to do to stop the actions that so disgusted him?
I am apolitical, because I have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States and to obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me.
All I ask is that everyone votes wisely, and not merely for political partisanship, in this and every election.
8 - Kyle
Brad,
Your comment that Kerry has no respect for anyone serving in the military is preposterous.
The man who has no respect for those serving is currently biting his fingernails in the white house praying to his war-mongering god that his rubber-stamp doesn't get taken away from him in november.
9 - SFC SKI
Kyle, I have met President Bush, I believe he respects the troops. I also don't believe he thoughlessly sends us into harm's way.
10 - Sylvia Muffaleto
Sorry, but I have to vote for the choice left out. C) The writer of this piece is an idiot.
"Kerry thinks, like I used to until recently, of the military as a last resort for those who failed at everything else."
There's your problem, aside from the fact that you are using The Simpsons to inform your politics, you are projecting your thoughts onto Kerry. You are the one who used to be anti-troop, so spare everyone your guilt transfer.
Have you ever heard of context? You weren't there and you didn't hear the entire speech. If you take one sentence out of a speech, you can twist it into anything you like, but that doesn't make you correct. Kerry was talking about the President to start his speech, so when did he change subjects? Are only soldiers stuck in Iraq or is it the whole country? And if everyone in the military is stuck in Iraq, you might want to tell all those serving elsewhere that they are AWOL.
"He is a man who says exactly what he means to say and always has."
You mean like voting for money for the war before he voted against? But your right, he did say exactly what he meant. He just didn't realize how easily morons are manipulated by the political machines.
"If you study you do well. If you do not you end up stuck in Iraq."
That's incorrect because it's a volunteer army, or have all the unemployed been shanghaied into the service?
You are an embarrassment.
11 - Kyle
SFC SKI,
Of course I don't know the level of your relationship with Dubya, but I'm guessing you shook his hand in a line. Even if you're Barbara posting under some other name, I judge Bush's concern for the people in the military by his actions. The simple fact that he sent our people to be killed in a country that posed NO THREAT to us is enough for me to judge his depth of concern.
12 - MCH
"When one considers Kerry's testimony before Congress in 1971, in which he viciously (and falsely) slandered all of us who served in Vietnam, the ONLY correct interpretation of his latest remarks that fits is exactly what you have said in this article, Brad."
- Clavvy
But had he DESERTED from the Guards, and then lied about it 28 years later while campaigning, it'd be non-sequitur.
"John Kerry is arrogant, contemptuous and condescending in his attitudes towards America's military, and he's demonstrated that for 35 years."
- Clavvy
So is he worse than William Calley?
13 - SFC SKI
Kyle, I don't claim a close relationship to the President.
For you to say Iraq was no threat to our country is to exhibit ignorance of the histroy of the US and Iraq from August 1990 until March 2003, as well as the former Iraqi in the region during that time.
14 - Figment
Seriously guys, I hate to say "think outside the box", but the closest thing to a one party dictatorship is a two party democracy. It's just two parties taking turns dictating. Where is your choice? A minority government would make things less argumentive, less vicious, and more democratic, but that would just be un-American, huh?
And no minority government doesn't mean a government full of blacks. Don't be afraid, look it up.
15 - C.P.T.L.
The facts aren't straight here. When you want to discuss what someone "clearly" said, you quote them in context, both in the context of what they were saying, and what they say overall. And he said plenty that both "hints at Bush" and refers to him directly both before and after his mistaken remark. You can nit-pick at the quote or apply your mind sensibly. The man mis-spoke from notes and the notes clearly indicate Bush. Kerry was talking about this draft-dodging administration's failure to do right by our troops. Any fair examination of his speech will prove it.
16 - Malott
John Kerry is “stuck on Vietnam” and the 60’s -where if you didn’t go to college and make your grades, you got drafted. I think this explanation fits Kerry’s words better than simply “a quip gone awry” that was meant for Bush.
You can't ignore Kerry's rich and proud history of trashing the American soldier.
17 - Arch Conservative
Yeah John Kerry's a douchebag alright. But what can we expect? He learned from the best, the "Hero of Chappaquiddac" himself.
John Kerry loves the troops so much that he could see nothing in his 20 plus year Senate career to run on in 2004 but instead stood on the graves of 59K dead American soldiers who died in a 30 year old war and said "Vote for me because I'm a war hero and that's all you need to know about me."
This guy is seriously thinking about another run for the oval office? Didn't he have enough humiliation and punishment the first time around?
18 - Maurice
Well written, Brad. Every once in a while our elected servants actually say what they really think and it is disturbing.
Your most meaningful sentence for me:
...we should be distrustful of anyone who willingly puts themselves and their families through the hell that our election process...
Kind of like "I would never join a club that would have me as a member". -Groucho
19 - Ebony Ghost
I'm glad someone mentioned the D word before me. The man is in a position to know if the answer to meeting the recruiting quotas by repeatedly lowering the goal is to reinstate the draft. Once the election is over, we'll be back to admitting that this war is going to take years to complete. Perhaps this was your first hint.
20 - Les Slater
Figment #14
"A minority government would make things less argumentive, less vicious, and more democratic,..."
Minority government? Both parties are owned lock, stock and barrel, by a wealthy minority. They run the government. We have a minority government
We need a majority party, a majority government.
21 - Gomez
People get bent over a comment Kerry makes, but are comfortable with a blunderous foreign policy that has resulted in the deaths of 640,000 Iraqi and nearly 3,000 of our soldiers in pursuit of WMD that never materialized. Go figure.
22 - Mike
Exactly!
Hmm I wonder who has done more harm to the soldiers? Kerry with his comment, or Bush with his war.
23 - Steve
To: SFC SKI
First - Thank you for your service to our country.
Second - I agree with your comments regarding Brad's article and retorts to the other comments. Kerry said what he meant and those that suggest he was a victim of "out of context" are fooling themselves. My favorite line from this string is yours:
"For you to say Iraq was no threat to our country is to exhibit ignorance of the histroy of the US and Iraq from August 1990 until March 2003, as well as the former Iraqi in the region during that time."
Exactly.
24 - Steve B
Kerry's statement did not surprise me at all. I firmly agree with Brad that Kerry spoke circles around Bush during the debates in 2004...Bush has great planned speeches; but lacks in the improv department. Kerry is a person well aware of what he says. This quote was NOT taken out of context. I dont understand how someone that has served can disrespect those currently serving. maybe he is still bitter about how he almost offed himself with that grenade in Vietnam. Idiot.
25 - Alix
I respect your honesty. Since this is not the first time that Kerry has insulted the troops shows this is his thinking. This also goes with the same pattern with the liberals such as Bill Mahr who also said that troops are stupid. Kerry on Meet The Press, said the troops were a terror on Iraqi women and children. He believes this and should stand behind his comments.