Kerry shows true self

[Gem]

Just to give you an Air Force Officers opinion...

I asked my husband this evening what he thought of the statement....then I read him what Kerry said...

After laughing and saying that it was pretty much more of the same from Kerry...I asked my husband, a Captain in the Air Force (which means he had a college degree) and presently in the reserves as he attends law school...if there could be anyway in his opinion Kerry meant it as a condemnation of the Bush administration...and not blatantly albeit stupidly calling troops in Iraq dumb.

He, the Air Force Captain, being a very open-minded libertarian, said "I suppose its possible that in his head thats what he thought he was doing...but as a soldier in our nation's military...I just don't think theres anyway I could hear it any other way than 'smart people go to college...dummies go to the military.'"

Kerry is a pompous elitist who felt that it was his God-given right to become President and still can't believe that the "dumb hicks" in this country took it away from him. Bush won about 80% or more of the military vote...therefore they are "dumb hicks" who helped Bush take away what Kerry felt was rightfully his...he's a spoiled little John F. Kennedy wannabe....and hopefully everyone is starting to see it.

What disturbs me far more than Kerry himself, is the Democratic party that chose him to represent them. Kerry is an asshole...everyone knows that...but what does it say about the party that wanted this nation to be led by that elitist pig?!?!?

 

[Annie]

It occurs to me that the other side of what Kerry said is that if you are stupid and lazy and ignore education you can be President! That's quite an implication, especially given that the person he considers "dumb" beat is butt in national elections! That says a lot about what he thinks of over half the American citizenry too!

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to CSM again." Excuse my French, but no shit!

 

[Annie]

Seems like a good idea:



http://instapundit.com/archives/033668.php

October 31, 2006

FOR A CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONSE TO KERRY'S REMARKS, how about donating to project Valour IT, which provides voice-activated laptops for injured troops?

Valour-IT: Marines
We've collected
$6,185.00 of our goal of $45000!

Valour-IT: Army
We've collected
$6,388.00 of our goal of $45000!

Valour-IT: Air Force
We've collected
$6,214.79 of our goal of $45000!

Valour-IT: Navy
We've collected
$4,177.00 of our goal of $45000!

You know, lemons, lemonade, etc.
posted at 07:47 PM by Glenn Reynolds

Since this is such a worthy cause and I know that many here have the $$$ to make a donation, here is the link:

http://soldiersangels.org/valour/listteams.php

Project Valour-IT
(Voice-Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops)
In memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss

The Valour-IT Fundraising Competition
Teams & Members

We have raised $ 22,964 towards our goal of $180,000 so far!

About SFC William V. Ziegenfuss

Project Valour-IT
(Voice-Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops)
In memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss


SFC William Ziegenfuss served 17 years in United States Army, as a medic, and later a nurse. He fought in the Vietnam War from 1968-1969 and was decorated for actions during the Tet offensive. His military decorations included the Vietnam Cross of gallantry with Palm, and the Army commendation medal, which he was awarded three times.

But his military record isn't what made "Bill" special. Bill joined the service in 1967. In 1976, while everyone else was celebrating the U.S. Bicentennial, he found out that he had cancer when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, for which there was no cure. He would later find out that this cancer could only have been caused by his exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam. Always a fighter, he decided to stay in the army, where he could continue to treat soldiers and serve the country he loved so much.

Bill still continued to serve the Army and the military, and continued to help soldiers. But finally in 1985, his medical condition brought him to a point where that was no longer possible. He would continue to fight the cancer for the next 16 years while he worked as a government employee, and he raised a family that would produce a daughter and son who would continue in his footsteps. He left a daughter in the Air Force and a son in the army when he passed away. Today these children carry on his legacy: a daughter raising a family after returning from a deployment to Afghanistan with the United States Air Force; and a son recovering from wounds received while commanding a tank company in Iraq as a captain in the United States Army.

The injuries CPT Ziegenfuss received in Iraq became part of the inspiration for Project Valour-IT and he honors the memory of his father, SFC Ziegenfuss, by his participation.

 

[Annie]

VFW not cottoning to Kerry explanation:

http://www.legion.org/?section=pub_..._listreleases&content=pr_press_release&id=405

American Legion to Sen. Kerry: Apologize Now

INDIANAPOLIS, October 31, 2006 - The National Commander of The American Legion called on Sen. John Kerry to apologize for suggesting that American troops in Iraq are uneducated.

“As a constituent of Senator Kerry’s I am disappointed. As leader of The American Legion, I am outraged,” said National Commander Paul A. Morin. “A generation ago, Sen. Kerry slandered his comrades in Vietnam by saying that they were rapists and murderers. It wasn’t true then and his warped view of today’s heroes isn’t true now.”

While addressing a group of college students at a campaign rally in Pasadena, CA., Monday, Kerry suggested that they receive an education or “if you don’t, you’ll get stuck in Iraq.”
“While The American Legion shares the senator’s appreciation for education, the troops in Iraq represent the most sophisticated, technologically superior military that the world has ever seen,” Morin said. “I think there is a thing or two that they could teach most college professors and campus elitists about the way the world works.

“And while we are on the topic of education, why doesn’t the senator and his comrades in Congress improve the GI Bill so all of today’s military members – reserves and guard included – can achieve the educational aspirations that the senator so highly values?” Morin said. “The senator’s false and outrageous attack was over-the-top and he should apologize now.”

The 2.7-million member American Legion, www.legion.org, is the nation’s largest veterans organization.

 

[glockmail]

I never cared much for Kerry, but its pretty obvious that it was a clumsy swipe at Bush.
.....

Sure. That's why he was giving advice to a bunch of college students: to blast Bush?

Isn't it true that Bush has a higher college degree than Kerry? Wouldn't that make Bush better educated?

Sorry hottie, but your excuse for Kerry makes no sense.

 

[glockmail]

From someone like CSM, that has served. Yea, links:.....

Shows a pattern, doesn't it?

 

[Annie]

What Kerry has wrought. There are links:

http://www.donaldsensing.com/index.php/2006/10/31/i-try-i-really-try/

I try, I really try . . .
by Donald Sensing

Since the 2004 election, I decided to avoid posting about partisan politics, that is, issues attached to candidates or holders of office. I decided to discuss issues as before, but without discussing the personalities behind those issues except, as far as possible, in a non-partisan way.

Until today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLuMWiQ6r2o&eurl=

In about 30 minutes I wll leave to attend the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Richard Buerstetta, killed in action in Iraq two weekends ago. He was a 2004 graduate of Franklin High School, where both my sons knew him. He and my eldest son were actually scheduled to go to boot camp at Parris Island, SC, the same day, but a change by their recruiter sent them on different days. Lance Cpl. Buerstetta was a Marine reservist, enrolled in college at Middle Tennessee State University, when his callup came. Without a flicker of hesitation at being yanked from his college courses, he shouldered his seabags and went off to war. “His bags stayed packed,” according to a family member. He died about a month after arriving in Iraq.

Got that? High school graduate. College student. US Marine. Iraq.

This Youtube video of Sen. John F. Kerry laying the most grievous insult upon Lance Cpl. Buerstetta and his peers explains why, as much as I will hold my nose to vote Republican next week, I cannot possibly bring myself to vote at this time for any Democrat.


I dare you, Senator Kerry, to come to Lance Cpl. Buerstetta’s funeral and tell that to his parents. Tell them that their son, high school graduate, college student, was just too uneducated and too stupid to avoid enlisting in an all-volunteer military. You tell them that, Senator, you inexecrable, miserable excuse of a public servant.

Drudge Report carries Sen. John McCain’s response, here in full:

McCain Calls On Kerry To Apologize
Tue Oct 31 2006 11:43:14 ET

Senator Kerry owes an apology to the many thousands of Americans serving in Iraq, who answered their country’s call because they are patriots and not because of any deficiencies in their education. Americans from all backgrounds, well off and less fortunate, with high school diplomas and graduate degrees, take seriously their duty to our country, and risk their lives today to defend the rest of us in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.

They all deserve our respect and deepest gratitude for their service. The suggestion that only the least educated Americans would agree to serve in the military and fight in Iraq, is an insult to every soldier serving in combat, and should deeply offend any American with an ounce of appreciation for what they suffer and risk so that the rest of us can sleep more comfortably at night. Without them, we wouldn’t live in a country where people securely possess all their God-given rights, including the right to express insensitive, ill-considered and uninformed remarks.​

I think McCain is too polite.

Update: MSNBC reports,

A source close to Kerry tells NBC News that he was trying to make a “tough and honest joke” about Bush and that in the process he omitted two words which changed the intended meaning. Per the source, Kerry meant to say that he can’t “overstress the importance of a great education” and that “if you don’t study, if you aren’t smart, if you’re intellectually lazy… You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq.” Kerry mistakenly dropped the “getting us” from his initial remarks.​

Is Kerry to be believed? First, the record is what the record is; he said what he said. If he truly didn’t mean to insult young Americans and intended his remarks as post-facto amended, then would not a proper gentleman recoil in horror at his won gaffe? Would not a proper gentleman immediately issue an unconditional apology for being such a verbal klutz? And all this before trying to play “what I meant to say”? The Anchoress (via BCB) puts it this way:

There is an art to good politics and there is a rule, too - and it’s a really simple one, but so many politicians can’t follow it, particularly if they have delusions of genius. The Rule goes like this: If you screw up, whether because you’re an idiot, or you’re just having a bad day, or a mic was left on - whatever - and you say something deplorable (even if it just sounds deplorable but you meant it well…) you admit it, you make a joke at your own expense and you apologize - even a half-*** apology will usually do.
​

So again: would not a proper gentleman, to say nothing of an astute politician, do this? Yes, a proper gentleman or astute politician would - but remember, we’re talking about John Kerry here.

Also, this man’s open contempt for American troops and his overt willingness to flat-out lie about them goes back more than 30 years.

They told the stories at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam in addition to the normal ravage of war, and the normal and very particular ravaging which is done by the applied bombing power of this country.​

Every word was a deliberate lie. When confronted by CNN’s Judy Woodfruff about this testimony during the 2004 campaign season,

Mr. Kerry tried to weasel out of his appallingly false accusations by saying he was merely quoting cohorts. He blamed his antiwar comrades.

When CNN’s Judy Woodruff asked Mr. Kerry if he had accused “American troops of war crimes,” he said: “No, I was accusing American leaders of abandoning the troops…. I always fought for the soldiers.” His answer was devious and downright false.
​

Kerry’s counterattack has no base of credibility, based on his longstanding record of hostility to American troops.

 

[MtnBiker]

I never cared much for Kerry, but its pretty obvious that it was a clumsy swipe at Bush.

You may view it that way. How do you suppose the active military personal in Iraq view Senator Kerry's statement?

Of course they will not say, they will continue to be non political.

 

[Rico]

What Kerry and the 'determined democrats' will never get, we and our military do know the price, which is high. The difference is we do understand it. One of my sons is seriously considering enlisting when he finishes school:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rWXrbNKWcg&NR

I can't speak for everyone that is conservative, but I'd never consider visiting Washington DC without going to Arlington. I'd never consider driving past Gettysburg without stopping to pay my respects. Same on Memorial Day, it's imperative to recognize the sacrifice of so many young, so very young, men and women.

Amen. When I went to Washington a few years ago I checked in to my hotel after the flight. Next morning I took the metro to Arlington. It is an experience all Americans should have. There are more rows of crosses than any photo or TV shot can show. There are no words to describe the feeling one gets in being present on that hallowed ground. At Arlington sacrifice is not just a word.

 

[Annie]

Amen. When I went to Washington a few years ago I checked in to my hotel after the flight. Next morning I took the metro to Arlington. It is an experience all Americans should have. There are more rows of crosses than any photo or TV shot can show. There are no words to describe the feeling one gets in being present on that hallowed ground. At Arlington sacrifice is not just a word.

 

[glockmail]

Amen. When I went to Washington a few years ago I checked in to my hotel after the flight. Next morning I took the metro to Arlington. It is an experience all Americans should have. There are more rows of crosses than any photo or TV shot can show. There are no words to describe the feeling one gets in being present on that hallowed ground. At Arlington sacrifice is not just a word.

I took the kids with the last time I went. Watched the changing of the guards. Damn leaf blowers were going the whole time. This was during the Clinton years. Also noticed a lot of the end crosses were chipped from getting hit by mowers.

 

[Avatar4321]

It occurs to me that the other side of what Kerry said is that if you are stupid and lazy and ignore education you can be President! That's quite an implication, especially given that the person he considers "dumb" beat is butt in national elections! That says a lot about what he thinks of over half the American citizenry too!

I was thinking that too. and remember, Bush still did better than kerry in school. Not saying much about the Senator are we?

 

[Avatar4321]

Just to give you an Air Force Officers opinion...

I asked my husband this evening what he thought of the statement....then I read him what Kerry said...

After laughing and saying that it was pretty much more of the same from Kerry...I asked my husband, a Captain in the Air Force (which means he had a college degree) and presently in the reserves as he attends law school...if there could be anyway in his opinion Kerry meant it as a condemnation of the Bush administration...and not blatantly albeit stupidly calling troops in Iraq dumb.

He, the Air Force Captain, being a very open-minded libertarian, said "I suppose its possible that in his head thats what he thought he was doing...but as a soldier in our nation's military...I just don't think theres anyway I could hear it any other way than 'smart people go to college...dummies go to the military.'"

Kerry is a pompous elitist who felt that it was his God-given right to become President and still can't believe that the "dumb hicks" in this country took it away from him. Bush won about 80% or more of the military vote...therefore they are "dumb hicks" who helped Bush take away what Kerry felt was rightfully his...he's a spoiled little John F. Kennedy wannabe....and hopefully everyone is starting to see it.

What disturbs me far more than Kerry himself, is the Democratic party that chose him to represent them. Kerry is an asshole...everyone knows that...but what does it say about the party that wanted this nation to be led by that elitist pig?!?!?

Another thing that gets me, werent we told all throughout the 04 election that Kerry was an eloquent and articulate speaker? (i never bought that because in the debates he came off more pompous than eloquent). But if he meant something other than what he said, why would he say such a thing if he is such an good speaker? Why is there even a question here?

 

[Annie]

Another thing that gets me, werent we told all throughout the 04 election that Kerry was an eloquent and articulate speaker? (i never bought that because in the debates he came off more pompous than eloquent). But if he meant something other than what he said, why would he say such a thing if he is such an good speaker? Why is there even a question here?

I do remember that. Funny, it's not brought up anymore.

 

[Rico]

I took the kids with the last time I went. Watched the changing of the guards. Damn leaf blowers were going the whole time. This was during the Clinton years. Also noticed a lot of the end crosses were chipped from getting hit by mowers.

It was June 1st the day I went to Arlington. It was hot, hot even for D.C.After visiting the grounds, the original Amphitheater, the Lee home, the unknowns of the Civil War, I went to the Tomb of the Unknowns to watch the changing of the guards. I was amazed at the concentration and respect the soldiers demonstated despite the heat and the crowds. Arlington made me very proud to be an American. Unlike some Senators seem to be.

 

[Annie]

It was June 1st the day I went to Arlington. It was hot, hot even for D.C.After visiting the grounds, the original Amphitheater, the Lee home, the unknowns of the Civil War, I went to the Tomb of the Unknowns to watch the changing of the guards. I was amazed at the concentration and respect the soldiers demonstated despite the heat and the crowds. Arlington made me very proud to be an American. Unlike some Senators seem to be.

No politician can really do so, compared to any honorable military member. Perhaps it's age, more likely, devotion.

 

[Annie]

I can't help it, sometimes I'm like a dog with a bone. Lots of links:

http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2006/10/democratic-leader-john-f-kerry-trashes.html

Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Democratic Leader John F. Kerry Trashes the Military (Again)

Updated Below: "The Truth about the US Military"

In a fashion reminiscent of his Genghis Khan remarks...

John F. Kerry trashed the American military again last night at an Angelides campaign event at Pasadena City College in California.

John F. Kerry reporting for duty in 2004,
Or as Ace would say... "Reporting for duty, idiots!"

"I'm John Kerry, and I'm reporting for duty," the Massachusetts senator in his acceptance speech while saluting the cheering crowd of Democratic delegates that packed Boston's FleetCenter in 2004. He also said the Republicans do not have a monopoly on the flag and patriotism.
...Or shilling for the enemy, or wanting to cut and run in war or treason.

JFK, the voice of the democratic party, has outdone himself this time.

Some things never change.

"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."
​

JFK October 30, 2006. Nice!
At the event, Angelides said, "We're going to make history!"
Just not the kind of history he had in mind!

Michelle Malkin has more on JFK's latest trashing of the troops.
And, this man could have been our Commander in Chief?!
Glenn Reynolds says John Francois Kerry is the gift that keeps on giving!

Allah has more.
American Thinker says JFK has his "Europeanization" Unmasked.
Political Pitbull says you don't say something like this unless you think it's true.
Sister Toldjah- and this man could be president.
Right Wing News points out the real idiot.
TigerHawk- Who says they have a contempt for the military? Who?
Tom Maguire- Kerry assures Americans they made the right choice in '04.
The Jawa Report- MSM in complete cover-up mode.
The Anchoress- Swift boater needs a swift kick!
Wizbang says "Man up, JFK. Man up!"
STACLU has Kerry's likely response.
Honestly, I thought that "response" was a joke from Scrappleface or IowaHawk... It's not! HAH!

Update: This ought to be mandatory reading for John F. Kerry and his ilk:

Official Debunks Myths About Military Recruits

"They are so clearly a cut above America," Bill Carr, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel policy, said of today's recruits.

Carr bristles when he hears unfounded charges that the men and women entering the military are less educated, less affluent or less likely than other 18- to 24-year-olds to have alternatives to military service.

He rattled off examples of those myths and set the record straight for each one.

* Myth 1: Military recruits are less educated and have fewer work alternatives than other young Americans.

In fact, military recruits are far better educated than the general youth population, Carr said. More than 90 percent of recruits have a high school diploma, compared to about 75 percent of the U.S. youth population.

That's an important issue to the military, Carr said, because a traditional high school diploma is the single best indicator of a recruit's stick-to-it-ness and likelihood of successfully adjusting to military service. Recruits with a high school diploma have a 70 percent probability of completing a three-year enlistment versus a 50 percent chance for nongraduates.

The military has exceeded the 90-percent benchmark for recruits with high school diplomas every year since 1983, Carr noted.

* Myth 2: The military tends to attract people with lower aptitudes.

Recruits actually have much higher average aptitudes than the general youth population, Carr said. In fiscal 2005, 67 percent of recruits scored above the 60th percentile on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. The test is designed so that the average young person will score 50 percent, he explained.

But high achievement on the test isn't new, Carr said. Sixty percent of new enlistees have scored at or above the 50 percentile -- the military's benchmark for recruits -- every year since 1985.

* Myth 3: The military attracts a disproportionate number of poor or underprivileged youth.

In reality, military recruits mirror the U.S. population and are solidly middle class, Carr said. He cited a recent Heritage Foundation report that shows most recruits come from middle-class families, rather than poorer or wealthier ones. Patterns in recent years reinforce this trend, showing a slight dip in recruits from lower socioeconomic groups and a slight increase from upper-class groups, Carr said.

* Myth 4: A disproportionate number of recruits come from urban areas.

Inner cities are actually the most underrepresented area among new recruits, Carr said. Both suburban and rural areas are overrepresented, he said.

Texas Rainmaker has more facts for Kerry who is not only insulting but dead wrong!

Tony Snow had this to say about Senator Kerry's outrageous remarks today at the presidential press briefing:

Question: If I could follow up, on the campaign trail, Senator Kerry was in Los Angeles and speaking to some students, saying if they were able to navigate the education system, they could get comfortable jobs, but "if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq." Can you react to that?

MR. SNOW: Yes, I'll actually give you a fuller quote. He said: "You know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard and you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

It sort of fits a pattern. You may recall that last year Senator Kerry -- on CBS's "Face the Nation" -- accused U.S. soldiers of terrorizing kids and children in Iraq; and recently also described troop concentrations in Baghdad as "having failed miserably."

What Senator Kerry ought to do first is apologize to the troops. The clear implication here is if you flunk out, if you don't study hard, if you don't do your homework, if you don't make an effort to be smart and you don't do well, you "get stuck in Iraq." But an extraordinary thing has happened since September 11th, which is a lot of people -- America's finest -- have willingly agreed to volunteer their services in a mission that they know is dangerous, but is also important. And Senator Kerry not only owes an apology to those who are serving, but also to the families of those who have given their lives in this.

This is an absolute insult. And I'm a little astonished that he didn't figure it out already. I mean, you know, if I were Senator Kerry -- I mean, you've seen me, I say something stupid, I apologize as quickly as possible. And this is something for which he ought to apologize. Meanwhile, it's probably reasonable to ask some of the Democrats -- ask a Jim Webb or a Tammy Duckworth, both of whom are citing their military record -- okay, what do you think about it, what do you think about this quote? Do you agree with him? He was your presidential nominee. And as for the notion that you can say this sort of thing about the troops and say you support them, it's interesting.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist put out a statement moments ago saying "Kerry Owes Our Troops An Apology."
Yes... He definitely does! Will they get it?... Not likely!

posted by Gateway Pundit at 10/31/2006 05:33:00 AM

 

[Annie]

http://www.eyewitnessnewstv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5616595&nav=F2DO

Iowa candidate asks Kerry to cancel campaign visit

DES MOINES, Iowa A Democratic Congressional candidate from Iowa is canceling a campaign event later this week with Senator John Kerry.
Brucy Braley says Kerry's recent comments about the Iraq war were inappropriate.

Braley is running against Republican Mike Whalen in Iowa's First District congressional race. It's a contest considered to be one of the most competitive House races in the country.

Braley's decision to distance himself from Kerry came as a furor grew from comments Kerry made about the Iraq War during a campaign stop in California on Monday.

Kerry said if you make the most of your education, you "can do well." The Democrat went on to say that is you don't, (quote) "you get stuck in Iraq."

The remarks prompted sharp criticism from some Republicans, including President Bush and Arizona Senator John McCain.

Kerry refused to apologize.

 

[Redhots]

That was no swipe at Bush... that was a direct insult to the US military. the man has trouble concealing his contempt for soldiers; he has a history of trying to denigrate members of the military...he has a history of accusing them of all kinds of things!

Whatever, all the Bush one-liners leading up to it make it perfectly clear who he was talking about.

2-3 days? Heh, Kerry may have single handedly lost the elections for the Democrats.

Actually all the Republicans jumping on this without hesitation may have unwittingly shot themselves in the foot here. At first glance it may seem like a nice distraction or some red meat for the base, however in focusing in on it they're bringing up a subject many of them are trying desperatly to avoid right now, the war in Iraq. You can't talk about "the troops" without talking about "the war".

Time will tell.

 

[Redhots]

You may view it that way. How do you suppose the active military personal in Iraq view Senator Kerry's statement?

Of course they will not say, they will continue to be non political.

I have no idea. How do you think they feel about Rumsfeld's handling of the war?