KERRY's Remark: Right Either Way (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

[liberalpragmatist]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/290735_kerryed.asp

Thursday, November 2, 2006

Kerry's Remark: Right either way

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD

Republicans evidenced their election desperation by braying about an offhand comment that Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., made at a California college rally.

...

Kerry wasn't saying -- regardless of the Republican spin -- that our troops are stupid.

Kerry's intended point was obvious. President Bush didn't do his homework before he ordered the invasion. He didn't study the intricacies of Mideast religion, culture, politics and tribalism. He wasn't smart about it and we are stuck in Iraq.

Although there are plenty of well-educated people in our armed forces -- Kerry was one of them -- military service has long been an opportunity employer for those with less education and fewer skills than they need to work in the private sector. Indeed, the military sells itself as a place to garner skills and to help pay for higher education.

And wars, including this one, are often fought by those less privileged -- albeit no less smart -- than the sons and daughters of those who lead us into them.

Apologies? Sure, from the cut-and-run Democratic candidates who've cancelled appearances with Kerry.

[celestia671]

1. We get what he was trying to say...

That the military takes advantage of those who can't get into college on their own or fail out due to grades. It just shows how desperate the repugs are, they're grabbing at anything to stay afloat.

[emulatorloo]

2. No - he was making a joke about Bush

He was not saying the troops were uneducated and hadn't done their homework.

He was saying BUSH hadn't done his homework

[sandnsea]

6. Tell me you were trick-or-treating

I'd honestly hate to think you were on DU the last 2 days and still don't know what the man said.

[celestia671]

16. Yes, I did miss the whole 'joke'..

I now know he was referring to Bush.

[blm]

3. Many of us here at DU made that same observation the first day.

And that was what was so compelling about the entire debate. It was about TWO SERIOUS ISSUES that are often overlooked.

[MessiahRp]

4. And as I always find myself agreeing with you blm...

I do once again. As a joke about Bush's stupidity, a commentary on how the military recruits, or as a comment on how Bush will treat the less than elite it really doesn't matter because every single aspect of Kerry's comment is spot on.

Hillary Clinton and Carl Levin can suck it. They're the spineless versions of the Democrats who have lost since 1994. This time it's about throwing some punches and knocking some guys out and it seems to me that Bush has arrogantly been leading with his chin the whole time with the belief that no Dem will ever hit him.

I hope Kerry keeps spouting off. After 2004, he certainly deserved the right to. Who the fuck is Bush to talk about jokes in poor taste anyway? The March 2004 WMD jokes or the Trifecta joke right after 9/11. Laughing at Karla Faye's plea to get out of execution or pumping his fist when we started bombing Iraq and exclaiming, "That feels good". He seems to get a kick out of helping people die.

Rp

[wisteria]

5. It is good to see a paper support kerry. n/t

[Erika]

7. YES!!!

Jessica Lynch put it very well when she said her only chance to see the world and get funds for an education was to sign up in the military.

[Canuckistanian]

8. This angle should be worked more

The question should be asked - why are so many recruits joining the armed forces out of desperation?

Why is there no other choice for them?

I remember the young man in the film "Why We Fight" and how he was saying that he couldn't make it on his own. He depended on the Army to give him a job and an education.

Are there truly no other options for some?

[johnnydrama]

12. yup

Any one of the 3 ways that the Kerry remark could have been taken is correct, but it's pretty obvious that when his original text said "intellectually lazy", that he was talking about Bush's lack of any understanding of the dynamics of Iraq.

Even some of the people I've seen who gave credit to Kerry for not saying anything bad about the troops thought Kerry was just talking about Bush's overall stupidity, but it's pretty clear he was talking about it in relation to Iraq.

[IndianaGreen]

9. Hillary cuts and runs on Democrats like Kerry and Murtha

but she stays the course with Bush on Iraq.

[Lugnut]

10. If you watch the TV ads for the military

This fact is very obvious. They are specifically targeting young people who have very few options or educational opportunities.

[ClayZ]

11. Don't forget to see "Horsey" in the same paper!

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/horsey/

[blm]

15. Is that up in its own thread?

It certainly deserves it.

[ProSense]

13. Excellent!

NYT on "creepy" Bush

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2546975&mesg_id=2546975

[primative1]

14. Its about time someone speaks straight

I got it as soon as I heard it. Who didnt. Kerry stated the obvious. I was in the military. I know this.
If you ignore the "officers core" and speak strictly of the enlisted man you will largely find people who are there because they have few if any other salient choices in life.
Period.
My nephew is at this stage now.
A scholastic misfit with little or no ambision or aptitude, he will graduate from high school this spring (social passing) and be left to choose between begging for his McDs job back (he quit twice) or some such carreer, or there is always the miltary.
Know what, he wont get accepted into any college and maybe the military would do him some good, but this was Kerry's point.
Why go to the school of hard knocks when you have the chance to apply yourself and go to a better school?
Spineless pols are amazing.

[wisteria]

17. Bravo, They are correct!! I am happy to see it acknowledged. n/t

[Katzenjammer]

18. And people wonder why liberals are considered elitist. Mary wept!

- Iraq is not a joking matter, it's a crime. Innocent people are being killed there every day. How out-of-touch do you have to be to try to joke about a crime against humanity? "Dja hear about the two Jews who were being pushed into the ovens? One turns to the other and says..."

- The "joke" wasn't. I first read about it in the context of the "explanation", that it was supposed to be about Bush. If I hadn't, I too would have interpreted it as meaning that the soldiers are there because they're stupid. It was muddy and turgid, and even ignoring the inappropriate subject matter it wasn't funny.

- Now here's the paper talking about how Kerry was right. He was frigging *wrong*. It was a crap "joke" about a desperately serious matter. If it was scripted by one of Kerry's handlers, then whoever did it must want the goddamned GOP to win on Tuesday.