Wednesday - November 01, 2006

Feedback For Senator Kerry

Kerry isn’t the only Democrat who understands how badly our soldiers are “stuck.” Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) spoke for many Democrats when he commented recently that the members of America’s armed forces “clearly come from the lowest economic echelon we have.”

Democratic opponents of the war in Iraq often complain that not enough of the soldiers serving are sons of congressmen and senators. Of course, many of these same Democrats wouldn’t send their kids off to public schools, much less public service in the U.S. military.

And then there’s this overlooked fact: Since 9/11, thousands of young Americans from every walk of life have joined the military with the purpose and intention of putting themselves in harm’s way, in order to keep the rest of us out of harm.

John Kerry looks at these young people and sees losers. Charlie Rangel sees desperate dead-enders. If the Democrats win on Tuesday, our soldiers in Iraq will look up at CNN International and see these two men leering back at them, flush with victory.

-- Boston Herald, “Who’s the real flunky? Someone tell Kerry it’s not military”

MANKATO, Minn. - The flap over what Sen. John Kerry calls his “botched joke” has prompted the Democrat to cancel a couple of upcoming appearances over the next two days, campaign officials said Wednesday. The Massachusetts senator — and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate — was scheduled to visit Minnesota State University in Mankato to campaign for 1st Congressional District candidate Tim Walz.

But controversy erupted over comments Kerry made to a group of California students. Kerry said those unable to navigate the country’s education system “get stuck in Iraq.” He later said his comment was “a botched joke about the president and the president’s people, not about the troops.”

In Minnesota, Meredith Salsbery, a spokeswoman for Walz, said Kerry canceled the appearance in Mankato. “He wants to make sure the campaign is about the issues we’ve been talking about the last two years,” she said of Kerry’s decision. “It’s important to him that we are able to do that.”

Meantime, in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, candidate Bruce Braley canceled a campaign event scheduled Thursday, saying that the senator’s recent comments about the Iraq war were inappropriate.

Braley, a Democrat, is running against Republican Mike Whalen in Iowa’s 1st District congressional race—a contest considered to be one of the most competitive House races in the country. Braley spokesman Jeff Giertz said the decision to cancel the event with Kerry was made independently.

-- MSNBC, “Kerry cancels campaign events after remarks”

If anyone is proof positive that a good education has nothing to do with being stuck in Iraq, it’s Senator John Kerry. The Massachusetts Senator removed the silver spoon from his mouth just long enough to insert foot, bobbing and weaving his way through a scandal that delights the talk shows and blogs.

Appearing in Pasadena on behalf of California gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides, Kerry quipped to a crowd of students: “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.”

America is stuck in Iraq, but earth to Kerry, no American is stuck in Iraq. There isn’t a draft anymore. The being stuck remark reminds me that if there’s any one reason why the stiff and out-of-touch Kerry lost the 2004 Presidential election, it is that Mr. National Security is stuck in his own Vietnam past.

Kerry, who has to amplify and defend and explain his remarks against a digital onslaught only too happy to have a nice diversion a week before elections, is swearing his allegiance to the troops. Rhetorically, we could ask who insults the troops more, but for now Kerry knocked himself out. It is another reminder that he is not viable Presidential material.

This is a bit of a Captain Queeg moment for Kerry—I veteran, defending the downtrodden and hungry against despicable non-veterans. In other words, the Kerry mindset is that the soldiers must be uneducated to serve in Iraq, and thus need his leadership to get out. What is more, Kerry seems to believe in his heart that only a veteran can claim the right to lead and defend the troops, a kind of military club dictatorship that has no place in American society.

-- William Arkin, WASHINGTON POST - “Sen. Kerry Gets Stuck in Iraq”

Posted by The Skipper     on 11/01/2006 at 09:34 AM   
Filed Under: •   
• Comments (5) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

DISCLAIMER

THE SERVICES AND MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE HOSTS OF THIS SITE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF SATISFACTORY QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICE OR ANY MATERIALS.

Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:

1. Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong
2. Stay involved with government on every level and don't let those bastards get away with a thing
3. Use every legal means to defend yourself in the event of real internal trouble, and, most importantly:
4. Keep talking to each other, whether here or elsewhere

It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

THE INFORMATION AND OTHER CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE ARE DESIGNED TO COMPLY WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS WEBSITE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ALL PARTIES IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE AMERICAN COURTS. IF ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE IS CONSTRUED AS BEING CONTRARY TO THE LAWS APPLICABLE IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY, THEN THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED TO BE ACCESSED BY PERSONS FROM THAT COUNTRY AND ANY PERSONS WHO ARE SUBJECT TO SUCH LAWS SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO USE OUR SERVICES UNLESS THEY CAN SATISFY US THAT SUCH USE WOULD BE LAWFUL.

Copyright © 2004-2015 Domain Owner