The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney

31 October 2006

John Kerry, KFI, Los Angeles

KERRY FIRESTORM

With Attack On Troops, Mass Senator Fuels Outrage




*** Updates Below ***

Like a last- minute, pre- election gift from the heavens, John Kerry has ignited a Democrat- damaging firestorm with an incredibly insulting comment about American troops in Iraq.

After the Massachusetts senator appeared at a campaign rally for Democrat gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides in California and made the gaffe, talk radio and the blogosphere immediately jumped into action.

Here's the comment in question:

You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.


Leading the charge was Los Angeles news / talk powerhouse KFI, where host John Ziegler was the first to jump on this story. From KFI, it spread like wildfire across the Internet and other talk shows.

Here's video of the already- infamous incident:





And below the YouTube clip, 1000 comments have already been left by viewers, with some defending Kerry or making excuses for him.


Meanwhile, Michelle Malkin reports that the mainstream media has been busy covering for Kerry today and points to this highly slanted AP report, which seems to focus more on the White House than Kerry himself:


The White House accused Sen. John Kerry on Tuesday of troop-bashing, seizing on a comment the Democrat made to California students that those unable to navigate the country's education system "get stuck in Iraq."

"Senator Kerry not only owes an apology to those who are serving, but also to the families of those who've given their lives in this," White House press secretary Tony Snow said. "This is an absolute insult."

Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran and Bush's rival in 2004, fired back, saying the president and his administration are the ones who owe U.S. troops an apology because they "misled America into war and have given us a Katrina foreign policy that has betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it."

"This is the classic GOP playbook," Kerry said in a harshly worded statement. "I'm sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did. I'm not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium."

Snow was asked about the comment which Kerry made during a campaign rally Monday for California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides. The White House spokesman was clearly ready, consulting his notes to read a fuller account of Kerry's statement and unleashing a sharp attack.



Many bloggers are covering this today, including Patterico, Riehl World View, Sister Toldjah, Kathryn Lopez and others.

We'll continue to follow the reactions to this story as they develop.

UPDATE: Joel Connolly interviews John Kerry, dishonestly blaming it all on the "right wing".

From the Boston Herald: Bay State military families react to Kerry's pathetic "joke".

Here's John Kerry's crazed, defiant official statement:


Statement of John Kerry Responding to Republican Distortions, Pathetic Tony Snow Diversions and Distractions

Washington – Senator John Kerry issued the following statement in response to White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, assorted right wing nut-jobs, and right wing talk show hosts desperately distorting Kerry’s comments about President Bush to divert attention from their disastrous record:

“If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they're crazy. This is the classic G.O.P. playbook. I’m sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did.

I’m not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox’s Parkinson’s disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq. It disgusts me that these Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country lie and distort so blatantly and carelessly about those who have.

The people who owe our troops an apology are George W. Bush and Dick Cheney who misled America into war and have given us a Katrina foreign policy that has betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it. These Republicans are afraid to debate veterans who live and breathe the concerns of our troops, not the empty slogans of an Administration that sent our brave troops to war without body armor.

Bottom line, these Republicans want to debate straw men because they’re afraid to debate real men. And this time it won’t work because we’re going to stay in their face with the truth and deny them even a sliver of light for their distortions. No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut and run policy in Afghanistan and a stand still and lose strategy in Iraq.”



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14 Comments:

  • More false outrage by spineless pundits. While Kerry's comment was dumb, it is was hardly an attempt to smear our soldiers.

    You know where the outrage over this unethical and botched war lies Maloney and it is not with the Democrats.

    After 6 plus years of Bush, I am still trying to understand what "compassionate conservatism" is.

    By Blogger none, at 31 October, 2006 17:22  

  • BWAHAHAHAHA!

    John Francois Kerry - the gift that keeps on giving - at least to the GOP.

    No amount of "they misunderstood my point" or "those nutjobs are misquoting me by not including the words I had intended to say but left out" is going to let this one go away.

    Bill Frist had the best line of the day so far: "Senator Kerry clearly owes an apology to our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines serving in Iraq. But Mr. Kerry has refused to do so. Instead, he’s claiming that Republicans are “desperately distorting” his comments. Watch the video yourself … it is perfectly clear what Mr. Kerry said … what’s unclear is whether Mr. Kerry ever means what he says. Perhaps he was against his comments before he actually made them."

    Kerry could, of course, have come right out and said something like 'I effed up, I apologize to the soldiers/sailors/airmen', etc. etc. but instead has decided to double down.

    Regrettably for Kerry, and magically and fortuitously for the GOP, it was caught on both audio and video, and will be played over and over until November 7th.

    What. A. Jackhole.

    By Blogger SierraSpartan, at 31 October, 2006 20:04  

  • Robert and Elle Monika believe Kerry's comments were:

    It was a slip of the tongue. He intended it to be a remark critical of Bush

    Time to wake up guys and girls! Kerry's supposed slips of the tongue against the US Military are too many to ignore.

    Remember his comparison of Viet Nam vets to "Genghis Khan"?

    or his secret trips to Cambodia during Christmas that cannot be confirmed?

    or his questionable story about how the bullet hit him in the butt during Viet Nam?

    or throwing his medals away over the White House fence, and then mysteriously turning up again?

    or his belief that American soldiers were attacking Iraqi women and children in their homes at night?

    or how he voted for the money to support the military before he voted not to support the military?

    PREDICTION: Kerry has officially kissed off his last chance to run for Presidential Office. He can crawl back under the rock he came from.

    And maybe the Massachusetts voters will finally wake up and vote for a real American.

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 31 October, 2006 20:09  

  • If I may put it so simply:

    RECALL KERRY! Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap.

    RECALL KERRY! Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap.

    RECALL KERRY! Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap.


    Do I make myself clear????


    Le Poodle may have decided to "double down" as jd put it--but as far as I'm concerned he is going "all-in"--AND WITH A 2,7 for hole cards. If you follow poker, that, according to experts is THE WORST HAND TO PLAY!

    And to anyone who finds what Kerry said as a joke--I AIN'T LAUGHING!!!

    I have relatives living on Cape Cod, who served in the Army--and are Republicans by the way. I emailed my Aunt and Uncle about this. Their son is my cousin.

    My uncle and cousin served in the Army, with Danny (my cousin) living in Germany at one point waiting for deployment to Kuwait. Thank God he didn't go.

    For the GOP, and Brian forgive me for saying this, but what Kerry said is like a Tim Wakefield knuckleball not biting and then--BAM! It's hit over the green monster at Fenway.

    By the way, watched O'Reilly--he had two Democratic spinsterettes on--I cringed at EVERYTHING they said! NOTHIN' BUT SPIN!

    By Blogger The Real Bob Anthony, at 31 October, 2006 20:17  

  • No, actually Kerry was referring to our cockroach president.

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 31 October, 2006 22:40  

  • 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.

    By Blogger Malott, at 01 November, 2006 06:12  

  • pf1 said:

    And maybe the Massachusetts voters will finally wake up and vote for a real American.

    Benson do you really have that much faith in Massachusetts the home of Kennedy.



    Nope, there is something in the Boston harbor water that causes the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts to vote the crazy lib ticket.

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 01 November, 2006 06:43  

  • hasfanatic said:

    actually Kerry was referring to our cockroach president.

    Then why didn't he say it? Instead of waiting 24 hours and then spinning an idiotic answer when the issue got too hot for him???


    As I recall, Kerry bragged how he was an expert in diplomacy. He said he knew how to talk to the French and the Germans and the terrorists.

    What he is missing is the knowledge of how to talk to Americans!!!

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 01 November, 2006 06:46  

  • Give it up you lefty spinmeisters. The local Cut and Run Democrat told Kerry to cancel his campaign visit here. Drudge has the link.

    By Blogger PCD, at 01 November, 2006 08:08  

  • No one cares what the Democrats think about this. They were going to vote Democrat anyhow and this won't change their minds.

    It's all about getting Republicans to drag their Republican friends into the car and drive them to the ballot box.

    John Kerry is a tool, yes, but a in this case just a tool to increase Republican turn-out.

    The reason that this stupid statement resonates is that Kerry has a history of saying bad things about the military. It's not much of a leap to believe that he really does think that the troops are stupid people.

    If the Democrats were smart they'd have made him apologize and fast.

    Now this story has legs that will last 4 or 5 days....

    Oh, and one has to believe that this is just Republican luck and that the Republican October surprise is still to be sprung.

    One can only hope it involves Ted Kennedy (again).

    By Blogger Lokki, at 01 November, 2006 11:13  

  • Robert said: "Dont' forget the dozens of GOP Candidates don't want to be seen with the President of the United States or the Speaker of the House or don't even put "GOP" or "Republican" on their websites or advertising."

    I suppose that's why Air Force One has been piling up the milage of late (Tennessee, Florida, Pennsylvania, California, etc., etc.) - the Air Force gets a kick out of flying an empty 747 with fighter escort all around the country for no good reason.

    Kerry appearances in Iowa, canceled. Minnesota, canceled. Pennsylvania, canceled. Basically, for the rest of the campaign, canceled.

    Just keep digging, Robert. If you need another shovel, give us a holler.

    By Blogger SierraSpartan, at 01 November, 2006 21:54  

  • It's a shame the devil had to shamelessly exploit John Kerry's statements for his own propaganda purposes.

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 02 November, 2006 00:50  

  • hashfanatic said:
    It's a shame the devil had to shamelessly exploit John Kerry's statements for his own propaganda purposes.

    You've got it wrong. After listening to Kerry's continued rants over the years against the defense of America and for his own sick form propaganda, many people think Kerry is the devil himself.

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 02 November, 2006 06:29  

  • Kerry served.

    Bush ran and hid.

    Cheney ran and hid.

    Rumsfeld ran and hid.

    But Kerry served.

    Any questions?

    By Blogger hashfanatic, at 02 November, 2006 22:13  

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