OK, I hope this is the last post on this subject, but who knows. I can't promise not to post something if Kerry puts his foot in his mouth again. But I hope to be able to refrain since I don't want to rename this blog, Reformed Chicks Blabbing about Kerry.
Is it any surprise that Kerry is damaged goods? The man who would be Commander in Chief makes a joke and insults the troops and refuses to apologizes and then makes a non-apology apology, why would we want a man like this in charge of our troops (when he clearly doesn't respect them):
Ever since he came within 118,000 Ohio votes of winning the presidency, Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts has refused to give up the idea that he could try again. He kept much of his 2004 finance team together and campaigned aggressively this year for dozens of fellow Democrats who could turn around and help him make a comeback in 2008.At the end of the article the Times throws Kerry a bone:
But with one "poorly stated joke" this week in Pasadena, Kerry not only sapped momentum from his party in the final week of a competitive election, he dealt a blow to his own White House aspirations.
Under pressure from many Democrats, Kerry issued an apology late Wednesday, two days after telling college students that without an education, "you get stuck in Iraq." In a written statement, Kerry lamented that his words were "misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform" and said: "I personally apologize to any service member, family member, or American who was offended.
[...]
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.
Moreover, the flap allowed the GOP to remind voters why they chose Bush in 2004 over a Democrat who was portrayed as a flip-flopper. It was enough to make some wish that Kerry would just go away for a while.
"Nothing against John Kerry, but this election is not about John Kerry," said Gordon Fischer, former Democratic Party chairman in Iowa, where one congressional candidate canceled an appearance with Kerry.
Fischer, whose home state caucuses play a key role in choosing a presidential nominee, said Kerry's gaffe would undoubtedly hurt his chances in two years — a sentiment echoed Wednesday by several other Democrats.
Burton Cohen, former New Hampshire state Senate majority leader and a key Kerry backer in 2004, said the botched joke could rival former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's famous Iowa scream in terms of media exposure and political damage.
"It's getting played over and over again," Cohen said. "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."
David Wade, a Kerry spokesman, predicted that Democrats would "respect someone who fights like hell against a broken policy in Iraq and has the guts to offer a real change in course that honors our troops."Not if he's down in the polls, just ask Ned Lamont.
And then there's this:
The Republican National Committee helped fan the flames, distributing talking points to radio hosts and bloggers. Bush; Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne; and White House Press Secretary Tony Snow also addressed the senator's remarks.Hey! Where are my talking points? I didn't receive any! I guess we're too small to receive them. One day, I want to be big enough to receive talking points from the RNC so I know what to say.
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