All Those Right Wing Morons

"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."

Those were the words of Democratic Senator John Kerry on Monday night while campaigning for fellow Democrat Phil Angelides in California.

By midday Tuesday, outrage from the active duty military, veterans groups, online pundits, talk radio personalities and conservative politicians (and from conservative politicians that are veterans) had reached a crescendo, and Kerry, instead of apologizing, stated that he would not apologize, instead stating that the controversial line was targeted at the White House.

Funny, that.

I read the line, delivered at a Democratic campaign rally at a college campus, and cannot see how Kerry can claim how what he said could be construed as anything other than an insult to the intelligence of those Americans who chose to serve in the Armed Forces. Kerry's implication is clear:

"If you are smart and do well in school, you can be successful. If you don't do well in school, and you don't make an effort to be smart, you'll end up in the military... and shipped off to fight in a war I do not support."

How can any logical person construe this as an attack on President Bush or his leadership, as Kerry claimed? Clearly, neither the President, not the White House, nor even conservative politicians were referenced or even implied in what Kerry said. His statement, regardless of intent, directly challenges the intelligence of those who have and will join the Armed Forces of the United States.

This of course is not the first time that Kerry has slandered American servicemen and women. He has a long history of such behavior, dating back to the 1970s and his infamous and unsupported "Genghis Khan" testimony, to his more recent allegations in our current conflict in Iraq that U.S. military forces were "terrorizing" Iraqis. When given a chance to attack the enemy, Kerry consistently defines the "enemy" as those wearing camouflage and the flag of the United States on their sleeves.

Accidentally or not, John Kerry has offended those who serve this nation, and will not apologize to those he slandered.

To me, that speaks volumes both about the man, and the Democratic Party that he represents.