Kerry Apologizes for ‘Misinterpreted’ Words
John Kerry is sorry that you (like President Bush and/or our troops in Iraq) are too stupid to understand him and, to the extent that you took his words literally and were thus stupidly offended, he apologizes.
Sen. John Kerry apologized Wednesday for a “poorly stated joke,” which the Massachusetts senator says was aimed at the president but was widely perceived as a slam on U.S. troops. “I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform, and I personally apologize to any service member, family member, or American who was offended,” he said in a written statement.
“As a combat veteran, I want to make it clear to anyone in uniform and to their loved ones: My poorly stated joke at a rally was not about, and [was] never intended to refer to any troop,” he said.
Nothing a little more education wouldn’t solve, presumably.
UPDATE: I heard about this on the radio on the way to dinner and Len posts it:
I actually think it’s pretty funny no matter how you come down on what Kerry said/meant. Tweaking hamhanded politicians is almost always funny, in fact.
Its not his fault. The secret service guy tripped him… the voting procedures are real complicated… its all about nuances so subtle no idiot like you could ever hope to understand… people heard what I said and not what I meant to say after thinking about it 48 hours.
This isn’t an apology – this is CYA – he apologize if all of us uneducated service members and Americans “misinterpreted” his words – rather than say he F-ed up!
For John Kerry that’s pretty good. Someone finally smacked him and got him to think about something other than his bruised ego.
I’m a die hard liberal, but this apology was the final straw as far as I am concerned.
I live in Mass and I do not care who runs against him in 2008 — it could be Mao for all I care — I will vote against Kerry.
I’m aproximately as impressed by Kerry’s apology as I would be by a cow pie sandwich. I’m not interested in any apology from this slimeball. I want him gone.
-CNN
How many times did Trent Lott apologize for what was clearly an intentionally misinterpreted statement? ANd Kerry was still calling on Lott to resign?
Go ahead, Mr. Kerry. Prove to us you have more integrity than Trent Lott.
Resign.
Now.
You’d vote for the Dixiecrats if they were still around, wouldn’t you?
While he is making his apologies, I hope he fires whoever wrote that idiotic joke, because even if he had delivered it correctly, it was a really dumb joke, and honestly doesn’t make tons of sense, given the fact that Bush, while not a stellar student did complete a Master’s degree.
(Chuckle)
Thanks for demonstrating part of the problem so very clearly. Couldn’t have done it better, myself.
And in fact had a higher GPA than Kerry did.
I forget… what office is John Kerry running for this year? Why are we parsing every word he says rather than paying attention to the candidates who are running for office?
John Kerry ran for president in 2004. He lost. Get over it already. He is now the junior senator from the state of Massachussets. Not party chairman, not minority leader, nothing… just a junior senator. He can’t even get a joke right!
(BTW, by name is Len, not Ken… not that it really matters, but… whatever.)
Oop. So it is. Fixed now. Sorry. -JHJ
It’s time to get unstuck in Iraq…..If any of those American kids who we’ve trained to kill other humans want to stay let the Iraq government pay them out of their oil revenues as mercenaries.
Otherwise let’s stop spending 11 million an hour (not even BUDGETED) in Iraq and spend it on freeing ourselves from the grip of petro-products here on our soil so we can have a future for the children of peace.
God will never forgive King George and Queen Laura.
Big deal. So did I. A couple of them, in fact. Doesn’t make me any smarter than you, and sure doesn’t qualify me to be POTUS!
Well, the answer’s simple enough, and fairly profound:
It wasn’t just that he wasn’t so labeling our troops. He’s done that several times previously, and been gioven a pass by the press repeatedly… so it’s hardly news. But….did you notice the large number of people in that conflagration of Democrats who were laughing loudly over his cut at our troops? They agreed with him ! The reason Kerry is still of import is because he and his words are emblematic of the Democrats as a whole. Sorry, but what it is… and the laughter in the room in response to his line, tells us that clearly. Kerry’s crime is, he gave words to what the Democrats have been saying for years.
But now, John Carey has the opportunity to prove himself of worth; he can with action prove himself of greater character than Trent Lott. He can resign.
His followers and the remainder of the democratic party, can prove themselves of worth and of character by demanding he do exactly that.
But we both know that’s not going to happen, because Kerry doesn’t have the integrity, nor do those in his party.
By the way, if you think what I’m saying about Kerry giving words to what the Dmeocrats really think, witness Kos:
Like I said… that’s really what they think.
Bithead,
Are you as simple as you sound? Do you really boil down millions of Democrats to a monolithic “they”, that thinks as one?
I mean, I do know that there are members of the GOP who think Saddam was poised to his us with WMD and the Rumsfeld has done a bang up job, but I don’t think all Republicans hold these questionable views.
To represent what one person says on Kos as what “they” think displays a remarkably simple worldview. Perhaps that is why you are more comfortable with GW’s comic book view of the world then with the complicated place we actually live in.
No, Bithead. Lott really *does* think segregation days were the good old days. It’s not exactly a secret, down here in the Magnolia State.
Banner photo: pretty funny.
Also funny: this cartoon that Hilzoy linked as encapsulating the best reason to vote Democratic.
Hey Anjin-san, u must be so happy, Ohhh, your hero John Kerry! You must be so proud!
And you don’t think nearly all repubs support Bush? How do u think he won reelection. OMG you liberals are such LOSERS! Your japanese but u all act like the French! Viva la surrender!!! Appease the terrorists. Negotiate with them. Reason with them.
LOL! Bush has us in Iraq for many good reasons. One of the best: to kill terrorists day in and day out, by the scores, bullet by bullet, beating heart by beating heart. Meanwhile you liberals sit on your arses and t-a-l-k.
Christopher,
Thank you for displaying the intellectual firepower of Bush’s few remaining supporters…
Oh by the way, why do you refer to how Bush has “us” in Iraq? Your sorry butt is not there. Real men are doing the fighting and dying.
Frankly, I have no interest in this subject. (It’s been explained to me what all the outrage is about, and my response is: “Yawn”.)
But that picture is funny. Very funny.
And Kerry really does believe that the troops are dropouts, rapists and murderers. If he didn’t he wouldn’t repeat it over and over and over.
Yes, real men and women are doing the fighting, angin-san. Volunteers all, patriots all. And John Kerry thinks they are all stupid idiots (just listen to him say it, don’t take my word)
OK, show us a Democrat who support the war effort. Oh, that’s right, that would be Joe Lieberman. We know what happened to him, don’t we?
Bithead,
The comment you were referring to has NOTHING to do with Democrats supporting/not supporting the war.
>John Kerry is telling the truth and everyone knows it. Rich kids do not join the military, college bound kids don’t join the military, only the poor and those who can’t get scholarships do. Acting like he was lying or insulting people is just bullshit.
Are confused, or are your arguments so poor that you have make things up as you go along? (taking a cue from GW?)
Or are you just as simple as you sound?
Well you have probably “cut & run” from this thread, which seems to be your MO when your arguments get shredded….
Tell me; when may we expect your call for Kerry’s resignation?
And BTW, the quote was directly from the Kos site. You have crashed, Try again