John Kerry is now my hero

[Jeff C.]

I just want to say that Kerry is now officially my hero. I am overjoyed that he very publicly insulted the intelligence of everyone wearing a US military uniform. It could not have come at a better time; I expect his comments will help the Republicans win the majority.

Jeff Cook

[Jared Sutton]

Speaking to a group of students at Pasadena City College, the Massachusetts Senator said, "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."

J. Sutton

[Webmaster]

John Kerry is such as incredible arrogant idiot. I cannot believe he actually said what he said and now is not man enough to apologize. The amount of anger over his remarks is incredible and even the normal liberal democrats are hauling butt away from him. One unnamed congressman told ABC News, "I guess Kerry wasn't content blowing 2004, now he wants to blow 2006, too''.

[jabonn]

Paraphasing "Kids, if you don't get an education you will end up in Iraq like the rest of those idiots."

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry defiantly and in no uncertain terms declared Tuesday that he would "apologize to no one" for statements made a day earlier, in which he told a gathering of California college students that if you don't do well in school, you will "get stuck in Iraq." http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,226525,00.html

John Kerry will single handed bring down his party's chances of a majority.

[bustr]

He probably believes that the draft is coming and was advising the students on how to avoid it. He's still an idiot though.

[jabonn]

When is John F'n Kerry going to sign Standard Form 180 (SF-180)?

[Jared Sutton]

Whatever happened to apologizing if there might have been a misunderstanding? I apologize anytime I come across as a complete dirtbag the first, second, or maybe even third time I say something, why can't our leaders? Apparently a little humility is a bit harder to come by for some.

J. Sutton

[Webmaster]

When is John F'n Kerry going to sign Standard Form 180 (SF-180)?
Never. He doesn't want the truth of his military record to become public knowledge, otherwise everything the Swift Boat folks have said about him would be proven to be true (and note that he has NOT sued them as he promised he would).

[AllanJGAnderson]

Wow, I once liked Kerry. Now I think he's a complete D*** ***. Just like the pansy candy-@$$ protesters chant "The cost of arrogance is blood". . . .Yeah, you're arrogance and our blood"

[Webmaster]

They are running away from Kerry as if he were a rabid dog!

Iowa candidate asks Kerry to cancel campaign visit (http://www.eyewitnessnewstv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5616595&nav=F2DO)

[R. Johnson]

*Dances Around Gleefully*CHRISTmas came two months early! I think I might just send the esteemed Senator Kerry a thank you card!

[Webmaster]

*Dances Around Gleefully*
:bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop:

[Jared Sutton]

Hoorah for badly-timed bad jokes!!!

J. Sutton

[AllanJGAnderson]

*Dances Around Gleefully*CHRISTmas came two months early! I think I might just send the esteemed Senator Kerry a thank you card!
I sent him an Email. As I'm sure 100's of other PO'd men and women have.

[AllanJGAnderson]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-10-31-kerry-whitehouse_x.htm Update.

[starkjudo]

It's always pleasant to see Kerry make a fool of himself. He's such a pompous a**.

[Lame Leopard]

It's frightening to think this guy came close to being the President.:(

[R. Johnson]

The following is the email I sent to the esteemed senator:

Sen. Kerry,
I'm just writing to thank you for the early Christmas gift. I really think that it is great that you're doing you're part to make sure we retain our tax cuts, and that we don't turn tail and run before the job is done in Iraq. Oh, and by the way, grats on those Purple Hearts you were awarded, they must have been noble injuries!

-R. Johnson

P.S. I love capitalism!

[diabolicpastry]

It's frightening to think this guy came close to being the President.:(

Scary? Kerry would have been twice the leader than the idiot whos in office now , and not to mention the bs with Bush serving in the air force reserve.

but yeah, kerry should probably apologize for the comment

[R. Johnson]

Ah the wisdom of a 16 year old.

[starkjudo]

Based on grades, the idiot in office did a point better on his over all GPA that Kerry - 77 to 76. Which also begs the question, if he was referring to the person in office, wasn't he calling himself a loser moron in the process?

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/06/07/yale_grades_portray_kerry_as_a_lackluster_student/

The story also claims that Kerry released his records last month, but I can't find a record of it - the Glob won't let me back in after the 1st visit, now saying I have to register.

[tcomea2]

Scary? Kerry would have been twice the leader than the idiot whos in office now , and not to mention the bs with Bush serving in the air force reserve.

but yeah, kerry should probably apologize for the comment



:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Have you ever filed taxes???

I think im getting my tin foil hat out on the airforce stuff too.

[Webmaster]

Scary? Kerry would have been twice the leader than the idiot whos in office now , and not to mention the bs with Bush serving in the air force reserve.
I rather doubt that and President Bush DID honorably serve in the Texas Air National Guard. Many of the National Guard units were deployed and served in Vietnam. So just because he was with the Guard didn't mean he was going to get out of service in Vietnam.

[Webmaster]

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Have you ever filed taxes???

I think im getting my tin foil hat out on the airforce stuff too.
He was a tender 12 years old when President Bush was elected. At that age, he was probably all happy at getting his first pubic hair and couldn't even name the two major candidates for President. :laugh:

[Defined]

Out of curiosity and not coming from America so I obvious don't have the biggest background here. In terms of the next president (when is the election by the way?) is there anyone better? Bush has made more than a few dooseys in terms of underthought comments.

[wildwills]

Ah the wisdom of a 16 year old.

And one who hasn't yet had the privilege to wear the uniform and serve his country...:wink2:

[Ramirez]

I am not sure how it works, but isn't one of the motivating factors for a lot of armed forces personnel in the U.S. education in the first place?

That is insulting to the service people who are trying to better themselves through the armed forces.

[wildwills]

:
I think im getting my tin foil hat out on the airforce stuff too.


If one shaves their head like I do...do you still need a "Foil Hat"????:laugh:

[Webmaster]

If one shaves their head like I do...do you still need a "Foil Hat"????:laugh:
Oh most definately. The "rays" tend to penetrate the skull more easily when not buffered by a layer of hair. However, wiith some of these threads lately, I am starting to think that a tinfoil full-body suit would be a good idea. :D

[Jeff C.]

I don't believe for a second that Kerry was intentionally insulting troops. I do believe him when he said he was insulting the President and his people - also in extremely poor taste, in my opinion. I am amazed that politicians cannot argue the issues without being purposely insulting these days.

A true indication of the depth of Kerry's arrogant elitist pomposity is not in what he said initially, but how he is dealing with it now. He is chastizing and trying to shame people who are criticizing his comments. A real man would say "Yes, I did choose a really poor choice of words. That is not what I meant, this is what I meant to say....." and then apologize for totally blowing the "joke."

He admits to blowing the joke, but refuses to apologize for his totally assinine choice of words? I guess he thinks he is smarter than everyone else. Maybe he thinks we should have been able to read his mind, and shame on us for not realizing what he REALLY meant to say!

Jeff Cook

[Webmaster]

I don't believe for a second that Kerry was intentionally insulting troops.
I agree that he was not intentionally trying to insult the troops, but I think his "slip" has revealed a great deal about his real attitude and opinion toward members of the US Armed Forces.

[Ramirez]

I don't believe for a second that Kerry was intentionally insulting troops. I do believe him when he said he was insulting the President and his people - also in extremely poor taste, in my opinion. I am amazed that politicians cannot argue the issues without being purposely insulting these days.

A true indication of the depth of Kerry's arrogant elitist pomposity is not in what he said initially, but how he is dealing with it now. He is chastizing and trying to shame people who are criticizing his comments. A real man would say "Yes, I did choose a really poor choice of words. That is not what I meant, this is what I meant to say....." and then apologize for totally blowing the "joke."

He admits to blowing the joke, but refuses to apologize for his totally assinine choice of words? I guess he thinks he is smarter than everyone else. Maybe he thinks we should have been able to read his mind, and shame on us for not realizing what he REALLY meant to say!

Jeff Cook

You expect a politician to demonstrate humility and be reasonable? One tin foil hat for you.

[Brian R. VanCise]

Personally I do not think he was trying to insult the troops. The real fact of the matter is that he was trying to insult the President. (he just blew the joke and it was in poor taste at that)

As to the state of intelligence in our military? It has never been better. The United States military has never had as intelligent, confident or professional personnel. Having a military comprised of enlisted people has shaped our military into the finest and most professional military the world has ever seen!

[Jay Bell]

Did anyone catch him talking on Maher a couple weeks back? He made some off-colored comment about 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. And what did the mindless drones in the audience do? Cheered and clapped.. (they clap and cheer at anything, regardless of how moronic it may be)


BM: Earlier today I spoke with the Senator from Massachusetts, who was of course the Democratic nominee last time, Senator John Kerry. (Applause…)

How you doin’?

JK: I’m feeling great, how you doin’? I can’t see you, but I presume you look good.

BM: Yeah. I know you’re at your wife’s birthday party, so I appreciate very much that you take a few minutes to talk to us.

JK: Well, actually not at this instant, but I’m glad to be with you.

BM: What do you… she must be hard to shop for?

JK: Very hard, very hard.

BM: What’d you get her?

JK: I did not get her ketchup. (Laughter in audience…)

BM: Well, what’d you get her this year for her birthday?

JK: Actually, we ran away for a wonderful retreat in VT, and that was our, sort of, getaway.

BM: You could have went to NH and killed two birds with one stone.

JK: Coulda gone to 1600 Pennsylvania and killed the real bird with one stone. (Laughter…)

BM: Speaking of that, do you run into a lot of people these days, who, considering the way things have gone with the bloopers, and practical jokes the last few years, have a lot of buyer’s remorse about the way they voted in 2004?

JK: I actually do. I run into a lot of people – most people, as a matter of fact, except for Donald Rumsfeld.

(Laughter…)

BM: Uh…

JK: And Cheney…

BM: And if I may just ask one question about that election.

JK: Sure.

BM: It seems to me, that when you look back, probably, that you took the high road. I mean, you could’ve called Bush out in 2004, and called him a draft dodger, uh, you could have called him a deserter, certainly that was a lit more true than what he was saying about you. But you took the high road, and lost. If you took the low road, do you think you would have won?

JK: Uh, I’ve thought about it a lot. The answer is that we bet, I bet, that the truth is out there, that I’d gotten the truth out there, and it was the wrong bet. You know, you make that kind of decision in the campaign. I thought Americans really wanted to hear more about health care, the environment, energy independence, the real war on terror, and obviously, those kinds of attacks make a difference. The great lesson is, that’s a great lesson for everybody in ’06. Just don’t give them an instant. Don’t give them one breath of daylight, and if I ever do anything again, I never will.

BM: Good. You famously said, I think, about Vietnam, I think in about 1971, “How do you be the last man to die for a mistake?” Is there any reason that line doesn’t work now? Or even more so, for Iraq?

JK: I think it’s much more poignant today than in Vietnam. The fact of, that this war was of a different kind of choice, pure choice. This a war where a president has a policy of “stand still and lose,” not in the center of the war in terror, in Iraq, and where we do have the center of the war on terror, in Afghanistan, and the northwest corner of Pakistan, they’re basically walking away and not finishing the job. It‘s the most extraordinary contradiction. It is a deception – a war of total and complete deception, and misleading, and I think our troops have done their job, and it’s time for Iraqis to do theirs, and bring our heroes home. (Applause…)

BM: Well, let me talk about the thing that drives a lot of Democrats, liberals, at this point, maybe a little crazy, which is that it seems that so often, the Democrat, uh, you, for example, has the right answer. As, the answer you just gave. But can not seem to win the debate with the American public. Give you an example – in 2004, in talking about the war on terror, you said it would be, “occasionally military, but primarily an intelligence and law enforcement operation that requires cooperation around the world. That seems to be the right answer. It doesn’t sound as good as, “We’ll put a boot in your ***...” (Laughter…) So what can you do differently when you run in 2008?

JK: Well, if I run…

BM: I though I’d catch you there.

JK: If I do… (laughter…) No you didn’t – I know you didn’t think so. You’re too smart to have thought you would, but anyway, what you do, is you just put a boot in their ***. Period. (laughter, applause…) Look, you know, we’re in a very different place than where we were two years ago. We were one year away from the start of the war. Katrina had just torn away the curtain, and all of America has seen there clearly isn’t any wizard behind the curtain. This is a failed policy, beyond anybody’s imagination. And I think everyone understand that now. We have a Katrina foreign policy. I mean, how can these guys possibly protect the United States of America from terrorists, if they can’t even protect us from Congressman Mark Foley? (Applause…) These people are incompetent. (Applause…) I’ve never seen anything like it. I mean you have the Dubai Ports, you have Katrina, where, CNN is broadcasting what’s happening at the Superdome, and they’re sitting there, trying to pretend to America, “Uh, we didn’t know people were there.” Every step you go there, there’s a disconnect to the real lives of Americans, and I think the American people know that now, so I think we’ll have an easier time, making a clearer simpler message.

BM: But I have heard that before, from the Democrats, and it hasn’t worked out…

JK: Well, stay tuned.

BM: You, for example, somehow they were able to paint you, in 2004, as suspect as an American, because you know, you were smart, and a reader (laughter.)

JK: Fancy that.

BM: You know, you spoke French, and you were cosmopolitan, and your wife, where was she from? All this nonsense, and uh, I noticed that Bill O’Reilly has a book out now, and his thesis is that there’s a war between the real Americans, and the people who want to be a little more like Western Europe, and my question is: What’s wrong with being like Western Europe in the ways that they’re better than us? For example, you mentioned Katrina; I think, if we could build levees like they do in Holland…

JK: Uh, with you… I think that Americans have really realized that they’re not going to fall prey to the games that these guys play anymore. I think the card is worn thin. I think any time something happens in America, that begins to nibble away at the perception these guys know what they’re doing, they try to trot out the fear card, and they play the fear card again and again. Every time we did something, you’d turn around, there was an orange alert, there was a red alert… there hasn’t been any – I don’t think there have been any, fundamental alerts, since the election, but more importantly, I think what Americans really care about, is what’s happening here. They don’t worry about Europe -- they don’t need to worry about Europe. They’ve seen an administration that screwed up the marketplace, they’re losing jobs… They’re healthcare is disappearing, they’re pensions are disappearing, they see executives walking away with unbelievable golden parachutes, while the average worker is struggling to pay the tuition, pay the gas bill, and make things work. So, I’m not worried about what’s happening in Europe, I’m worried about what’s happening right here. And I think that’s what most Americans are concerned about today, Bill. And I think there’s gonna be a profound shift in about five weeks when we have the elections (applause.)

BM: I think you’re just one sexually harassed page away from having that happen! Senator, thank you very much for interrupting your day for us I appreciate it.

JK: Good to be with you.

BM: And tune in in 2008. John Kerry… (applause.)


*sigh*

[Webmaster]

Personally I do not think he was trying to insult the troops. The real fact of the matter is that he was trying to insult the President. (he just blew the joke and it was in poor taste at that)
I agree that he was not trying to insult the troops, but I reinterate that this "slip" is indicative of his distain for the military and it is not the first time he has had such a "slip". Remember, this is the same man that testified before Congress during the Vietnam war and called the troops murderers and rapists. Only two years ago, he said that American troops were killing and terrorizing Iraqi women and children in the night. Now this latest. No, clearly John F. Kerry has nothing but distain for the men and women in our military and only gets onboard to show support for them when it is politically expedient.

Also, his "joke" excuse is lame. You know and I know that when we tell a joke and even if no one in the room "gets it", we tend to laugh at the end of the "joke". Notice that there was no laugh at the end of his statement and this "joke" excuse is nothing more than spin.

[Jeff C.]

The economy is better than it ever has been. Is he a liar or an idiot?

Jeff Cook

[starkjudo]

The economy is better than it ever has been. Is he a liar or an idiot?


Jeff, why are you making us choose?

[Brian R. VanCise]

I agree that he was not trying to insult the troops, but I reinterate that this "slip" is indicative of his distain for the military and it is not the first time he has had such a "slip". Remember, this is the same man that testified before Congress during the Vietnam war and called the troops murderers and rapists. Only two years ago, he said that American troops were killing and terrorizing Iraqi women and children in the night. Now this latest. No, clearly John F. Kerry has nothing but distain for the men and women in our military and only gets onboard to show support for them when it is politically expedient.

Also, his "joke" excuse is lame. You know and I know that when we tell a joke and even if no one in the room "gets it", we tend to laugh at the end of the "joke". Notice that there was no laugh at the end of his statement and this "joke" excuse is nothing more than spin.

Robert,

I cannot really disagree with anything that you said as I to feel pretty much the same way.

[Rasputin]

I am starting to think that a tinfoil full-body suit would be a good idea.

Try an alloy endoskeleton. All of the protection against unwanted radiological intrusion, plus the added bonus of making you nearly indestructable.

[Webmaster]

From the Drudge Report (http://www.drudgereport.com/)...

http://www.drudgereport.com/irak.jpg

[Jay Bell]

From the Drudge Report (http://www.drudgereport.com/)...

http://www.drudgereport.com/irak.jpg

HAHAHA Nice! :D

[tcomea2]

thats freaking histarical!!

Funny funny

[TEA]

http://www.drudgereport.com/irak.jpg

Now thats a funny joke. Maybe John Kerry wouldn't look so much like a mortician if he actually developed a sense of humor. As for the "joke" on Maher, wouldn't that constitute a felony as a threat against the President's life? Sometimes I wonder if he was secretly hired by Karl Rove to sabatoge the Democrats.

[Ron Tisdale]

Only two years ago, he said that American troops were killing and terrorizing Iraqi women and children in the night.

And Now What?? we find out that indeed, a woman was raped, and her whole family was murdered to cover it up. Another group dragged out of their homes, murdered, and made to look like terrorists to cover up a mistake...

I do understand that these are (hopefully) isolated events...but he wasn't so far off, was he?

Sheesh,
Ron

[Jeff C.]

Uh, sheesh, somebody was murdered in New York, so all New Yorkers are murderers?

Jeff Cook

[Jeff C.]

Robert, that picture is the BEST!!! I spewed coffee all over my DoD monitor. Needless to say I have emailed that to a number of my Army comrades.

Jeff Cook

[Ron Tisdale]

which is why I specifically said..

I do understand that these are (hopefully) isolated events...but he wasn't so far off, was he?

or didn't you read that far?

Best,
Ron

[AllanJGAnderson]

The following is the email I sent to the esteemed senator:

Sen. Kerry,
I'm just writing to thank you for the early Christmas gift. I really think that it is great that you're doing you're part to make sure we retain our tax cuts, and that we don't turn tail and run before the job is done in Iraq. Oh, and by the way, grats on those Purple Hearts you were awarded, they must have been noble injuries!

-R. Johnson

P.S. I love capitalism!
I also sent him an email, except I won't repost the content here. :D

[Webmaster]

I do understand that these are (hopefully) isolated events...but he wasn't so far off, was he?

He was WAY off. His statement was a characterization of the whole US Military, not just an isolated incident(s). He was specifically referring to raids conducted in the middle of the night on suspected terrorists. These are a normal part of the mission and it is the safest way for our forces to conduct these raids. Would you prefer that they go in broad daylight and politely knock?

[Jeff C.]

Ron, what Robert said. I don't think I have a reading-comprehension problem (today, that is ;) ), but Kerry has tried to paint the entire military based upon isolated incidents.

Jeff Cook

[elder999]

He was WAY off. His statement was a characterization of the whole US Military, not just an isolated incident(s). He was specifically referring to raids conducted in the middle of the night on suspected terrorists. These are a normal part of the mission and it is the safest way for our forces to conduct these raids. Would you prefer that they go in broad daylight and politely knock?

..and I bet he's delighted by all the attention-two days, and hardly any mention of that other Demoncrat anti-christ, Hillary, and we're still talking about a putz who isn't even running for anything this year, but probably still thinks he wants to be President. What is it they say? That no publicity is bad publicity......:laugh:

[AllanJGAnderson]

Here are how the Democrats are responding to Kerry's foolishness:

Canceled Appearances

Democrats also have criticized Kerry's comments. Kerry won't appear today in Mankato, Minnesota on behalf of Tim Walz, a Democrat challenging Republican Representative Gil Gutknecht. The decision to cancel ``ultimately'' was Kerry's, said Walz spokeswoman Meredith Salsbery.

Bruce Braley, a Democrat running for Iowa's 1st congressional seat, asked Kerry not to campaign with him tomorrow, the Quad-Cities Times reported. Braley thought Kerry's remarks were inappropriate, the paper said, citing Braley spokesman Jeff Giertz

Kerry also won't appear today in Philadelphia with U.S. Senate candidate Bob Casey, ABC News reported. Casey's race to unseat Republican Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania could be pivotal to Democrats' hopes to gain control of the Senate.

Tennessee Representative Harold Ford Jr., who is locked in a close race for retiring Majority Leader Bill Frist's Senate seat, called on Kerry to apologize.




Maybe there's hope for this country afterall. ;)

[AllanJGAnderson]

Another one: In Montana, Jon Tester, the Democratic challenger to incumbent Senator Republican Senator Conrad Burns, also sought to distance himself from Kerry.

[R. Johnson]

I still don't get the tin foil hat thing...

[Ron Tisdale]

He was WAY off. His statement was a characterization of the whole US Military, not just an isolated incident(s). He was specifically referring to raids conducted in the middle of the night on suspected terrorists. These are a normal part of the mission and it is the safest way for our forces to conduct these raids. Would you prefer that they go in broad daylight and politely knock?

I would prefer that we weren't there PERIOD. No American deaths that way. Lot less Iraqi deaths, too, I think. At least one of the incidents I mentioned took place at night.

Best,
Ron

[Patrick Hayes]

that other Demoncrat anti-christ, Hillary
Calm down there, Ms. Coulter. . .

[Webmaster]

I still don't get the tin foil hat thing...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinfoil_hat

[s.henson]

I would prefer that we weren't there PERIOD. No American deaths that way. Lot less Iraqi deaths, too, I think. At least one of the incidents I mentioned took place at night.

Best,
Ron

Had we not done anything and then been attacked I guess you would then be bitching about the Presidents lack of action.

[Aaron T Fields]

Albeit off the topic,to be honest on the whole, on any message board, I don't come across much that is "wise." Young, old, and in between, it seems that the cyberworld often creates sillyness. I am not sure the fellow's age is relevant.


Common sense is not common,

Talk less, practice more

Aaron Fields

[tcomea2]

Albeit off the topic,to be honest on the whole, on any message board, I don't come across much that is "wise." Young, old, and in between, it seems that the cyberworld often creates sillyness. I am not sure the fellow's age is relevant.


Common sense is not common,

Talk less, practice more

Aaron Fields

there are some very well educated people here. If you want my credentials speaking about politics id be glad to supply them to you. Just send me a PM and ask

[AllanJGAnderson]

Albeit off the topic,to be honest on the whole, on any message board, I don't come across much that is "wise." Young, old, and in between, it seems that the cyberworld often creates sillyness. I am not sure the fellow's age is relevant.


Common sense is not common,

Talk less, practice more

Aaron Fields

I believe that a 16 year-olds personal exposure to politics may be easy to estimate with reasonable amounts of accuracy. At that age, few people arn't influenced by there parents political views or sadly as of recent their lefty media's views.

[Aaron T Fields]

As some of you seem to have reacted, let me clarify. I'll just point out that I was speaking in general terms. Secondly, that young, old, or in between, educated or not, folks will think what they will think.

Anderson, I agree, as a former school teacher, I am up to date on what sixteen year olds are like and where they most often are coming from. My point was, knocking the kid based off his age is an easy way out. Disagree with him, or agree with him, it is patronizing to write him off based solely of his age.

I agree that Kerry's comments are out of line, but my point had nothing to do with the thread. If you notice I said it was, "albeit off topic...."

As to credentials and being well educated, I don't care what your credentials are, nor do you care what mine are.
My comment was not intended to imply there weren’t folks that possessed both education and valid points here. It was intended to imply that very often, SOME, folks say things for which they are not accountable. That manners, which would be enforced in person, are left aside on the net. If this is not you, then I guess I am not speaking about you eh?

But I'll one up you, if there needs to be any clarity as to where I am coming from, I'll PM you my phone and we can talk about it.:rolleyes:


Talk less, practice more

Aaron Fields

"Without the threat of violence there is no civil society"

[Jonathan Randall]

I just want to say that Kerry is now officially my hero. I am overjoyed that he very publicly insulted the intelligence of everyone wearing a US military uniform. It could not have come at a better time; I expect his comments will help the Republicans win the majority.

Jeff Cook

Well, I don't think one party rule (either party) is good for this country - so I don't wish a Republican House victory, but his remarks were truly and deeply offensive.

Regarding education and initiative, I couldn't disagree more. I felt that the young enlisted Coast Guard folks (not to mention officers) I served with were head and shoulders above similiar age kids in civilian life. In fact, I couldn't believe the contrast when I got off duty and went to the mall and saw 19-25 year old folks with less than half the maturity and intelligence - and none of the discipline - as most of the youngest people at the station.

BTW, my best friend joined the U.S. Army after High School Graduation. His G.P.A.? A "slacker's" 4.0. He served honorably in Dessert Storm and made Sergeant (E-5) his first term. Later he was selected as a Warrant Officer Candidate and Helicopter Pilot but had a severe respitory infection that nearly killed him and ended his army career. Except for that, this straight A student (my friend) would probably now be in Iraq.

My apologies Mr. Cook for this Senator's terrible and slanderous statements about you and folks like you who risk life and limb so that I can go to bed safely each night.

[J4d3]

i don't think kerry meant for it to be interpretted the way it has been. regardless he offended a lot of people. i don't see why he couldn't atleast call it a misunderstanding and apologize for it under that pretense. the fact that so many republicans can't find a better straw to grasp at then that statement says a lot about their situation tho. neither side has really impressed me much lately.

[jabonn]

"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." http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06306/735027-177.stm

This is how his apology sounds,"I am sorry you took offense to me calling you an idiot."

[Rasputin]

This is how his apology sounds,"I am sorry you took offense to me calling you an idiot."

Ranks right up there my my personal favorite: "I'm sorry you feel that way."

[tcomea2]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06306/735027-177.stm

This is how his apology sounds,"I am sorry you took offense to me calling you an idiot."


the clasic way of appoligizing without actually apploigizing. He is not sorry he is the same person he was after vietnam. He never appoligized for his actions. If i was a republican in a tight race i would nail this to my opponets forehead. over and over again

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20061102/D8L4QH580.html


take a peak at that

[Ron Tisdale]

Had we not done anything and then been attacked I guess you would then be bitching about the Presidents lack of action.

Depends on the situation. Actually, he *didn't* do anything for about 7 minutes...sat there smiling at the kiddies.

Seriously though, I supported the move into Afghanistan...I think if the troops committed to Iraq were used in Afghanistan, the Taliban wouldn't be having a resurgence there. Unfortunately, Bush wasted a large amount of resources (unfortunately still not enough to do the job [thanks Rumsfeld]), a large amount of lives, to do the wrong job, at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons. And now we face increased threats from more fronts.

Hey, if that makes sense to you...no worries. It don't make sense to me though.

Best,
Ron

[AllanJGAnderson]

Depends on the situation. Actually, he *didn't* do anything for about 7 minutes...sat there smiling at the kiddies.
"Op, Sorry kiddies, our nation is under attack so I gotta skeedatle, stay in school"

That would have passed over well at the next PTA meeting.;)

[Jay Bell]

Depends on the situation. Actually, he *didn't* do anything for about 7 minutes...sat there smiling at the kiddies.


And every human being that throws that type of statement around would have called him a bloodthirsty war-monger if he hopped up and rushed out of the room.

Same ol song...

[Jeff C.]

Ron, how long should the job take? Should we just carpet-bomb both countries and kill everybody, to ensure that we kill the insurgents (who are indistinguishable from the rest of the population) according to your schedule?

Believe me, less US military lives would be lost if we just killed everyone in sight.

The President did exactly the right thing when he was in the school here in Sarasota, FL. It was a developing situation. He was awaiting information before taking action. Nobody had any idea what was going on at that point He got that information, and then took action. Would you feel better about his reaction if he had panicked?

Jeff Cook

[Erik]

Sorry for asking (I could look this up) but is Kerry running for office this year?

[CDunn]

Sorry for asking (I could look this up) but is Kerry running for office this year?

Kerry was last elected for senate in '02 - No run for him until '08, whichever way he goes. However, he is also a senator from the state that has elected Ted Kennedy 8 times running...

[Ron Tisdale]

Ron, how long should the job take? Should we just carpet-bomb both countries and kill everybody, to ensure that we kill the insurgents (who are indistinguishable from the rest of the population) according to your schedule?
The job in Afghanastan should take as long as it takes. With the proper support, at least we wouldn't be losing ground there.

There was no job in Iraq. No terrorists, no WMD (unless they slid them out the back door to Syria, always possible), no threat to us. Those resources should have been used in Afghanastan. Going into Afghanastan made me nervous, but it was obviously a good call on Bush's part. I'm knocking the series of bad calls he has made. You going to hyperbole makes a lousy arguement by the way. Since you are obviously intelligent, you know that...


The President did exactly the right thing when he was in the school here in Sarasota, FL. It was a developing situation. He was awaiting information before taking action. Nobody had any idea what was going on at that point He got that information, and then took action. Would you feel better about his reaction if he had panicked?




IT WAS A JOKE...

Best,
Ron :D:

[tcomea2]

The job in Afghanastan should take as long as it takes. With the proper support, at least we wouldn't be losing ground there.


i dont think that you can seriously say we are losing ground in afganistan. Sure the taliban is "coming back" thats what they do there historicaly. But we will never be militaryly defeated there.

Now with that said i do think that no matter what we do when we leave there will be civil war and tribal rule again. Thats the way it has been for 5000 years over there in that region. Its just a matter of historical fact going back beyond the vedic culture and time.

[Erik]

Does anyone know what the heck is really going on in Afganistan? There's far less press over there than in Iraq.

Also, I think it's pretty reasonable to consider that a lot of money and weapons went into Syria. They're pretty active.

Why we didn't seal those borders is something I don't understand.

[Jonathan Randall]

Ron, how long should the job take? Should we just carpet-bomb both countries and kill everybody, to ensure that we kill the insurgents (who are indistinguishable from the rest of the population) according to your schedule?

Believe me, less US military lives would be lost if we just killed everyone in sight.

Jeff Cook

Yes, and that is one of the things that GREATLY distinguishes our conduct in Afghanistan from the Soviets (not to mention that we were attacked from Afghanistan).

Frankly, I wish, for a large number of reasons, that we had NOT invaded Iraq - but I recognize the great differences in our tactics and consideration for human lives over what any Middle Eastern nation would ever consider. If we didn't care about human lives, we wouldn't be busting down doors - we'd just be calling in airstrikes on suspected insurgent safehouses like the Soviets would have - and to hell with civilian deaths.

As to Kerry (and back on topic), he should have apologized immediately. Not to have done so demonstrated a great insensitivity both to the rights of deployed servicemen and women to be treated with dignity and respect by their civilian leadership (in this case the U.S. Senate) and also a gross level of political blundering.

BTW, the Iraq War (shoulda, shouldn't have, etc.) is a separate issue, IMO, from the topic of Kerry's remarks. Do you let your children excuse their misconduct by saying "...well, what Johnny or Susan did was worse..."? Thought not.

[Ron Tisdale]

I've never made excuses for Kerry's statement.

Best,
Ron

[TEA]

Does anyone know what the heck is really going on in Afganistan? There's far less press over there than in Iraq.

I got this in my e-mail yesterday. (Hmm, I keep getting an error message that this is to short. I wonder whats going on.)


Taliban Psyops: Taking the Fight Abroad
By Kamran Bokhari

An al Qaeda strategist issued a statement over the weekend threatening that unless Canada withdraws its troops from Afghanistan, it will face terrorist attacks similar to 9/11 or the Madrid and London train bombings. Given al Qaeda's penchant for issuing threats, this statement by itself does not indicate a particularly heightened level of risk for Canadians, who have been in al Qaeda's crosshairs since the jihadist war with the West began. But then, al Qaeda is not known for making one-off threats.

In fact, the statement -- attributed to Hossam Abdul Raouf, a member of al Qaeda's information and strategy committee -- marked the second time in recent weeks that jihadists have singled out Canada for special mention over the prominent role it is playing in Afghanistan. In September, Ayman al-Zawahiri referred to the Canadian troops in Kandahar as "second-rate Crusaders." Along with these remarks has come a separate warning from the Taliban, threatening attacks on the soil of European countries that are part of the NATO offensive in Afghanistan.

That is worth saying again, with emphasis: The Taliban -- a nationalist religious movement -- threatened to carry out attacks against civilians on foreign soil, blurring the already fuzzy line between the Afghan group and its transnational militant counterpart, al Qaeda.

The timing of all of these statements centering on Afghanistan seems hardly accidental. In Canada, there is growing sentiment that Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government is putting the country at risk by aiding what is perceived as, in truth, Washington's war. Canadian forces were deployed to Afghanistan under a Liberal government, but the Harper administration extended the length of the mission and, critics say, changed the mandate from peacekeeping to insurgent-fighting. With recent news that Canada is preparing to send Leopard tanks and CF-18 fighter jets into the fray, the country's military capabilities will be fully represented in Afghanistan -- and there is no fallback position if it then fails to defeat the Taliban. Voters also are dissatisfied over the absence of milestones by which to chart progress or determine an end point for the mission, and they are worried about the possibility of terrorist strikes on their own soil.

The general tenor of discussion is not unlike that in the United States, where the tally of Iraq war casualties is now a daily drumbeat underlying news coverage of the congressional election campaigns. There are some crucial differences, however: Because Afghanistan was a sanctuary for al Qaeda for years, the military invasion has never excited the kinds of political controversies that surround the Iraq war effort. While the attention of Americans and much of the world remains riveted on Iraq, the campaign in Afghanistan continues to grind away. But the outcome of this campaign -- at least as much as that in Iraq, if not more so -- has direct implications for the "global war on terrorism." As such, it bears careful consideration.

A Shift in the Military Balance

The recent spate of threats -- and particularly those from the Taliban -- is rooted, at least to some degree, in an increasingly confident military footing.

For most of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's time in power, the military situation has been primarily a stalemate. The young government in Kabul was not strong enough to control most of the country's territory, but was shored up by U.S.-led forces. The coalition forces were not able to eliminate the Taliban, which continued to move about with relative freedom in several southern provinces, but neither was the Taliban strong enough to quash either the coalition forces or the government in Kabul. The Karzai administration remained secure, though its power was circumscribed, and the Taliban waged a small- to medium-scale insurgency in the southern and eastern parts of the country.

This balance began to shift early last year. The Taliban, assisted by al Qaeda, began to engage in suicide bombings, surging to the north and east of their southern strongholds (where the guerrilla offensive continued). In fact, Taliban fighters were able to strike as far north as Kabul. This year, the frequency and intensity of these attacks climbed: So far, there have been some 80 suicide attacks, claiming more than 200 lives, compared to fewer than 20 in 2005. And in recent months, Western troops -- not just rival political targets in Afghanistan -- have been targeted with both suicide bombings and improvised explosive devices.

Perhaps the most noteworthy trend in all of this is that Taliban forces appear to be retaking some of the territory they lost following the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. They long have shown an ability to move in and out of the five key provinces where their strongholds are based -- Helmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Zabul and Paktika -- but there now are signs that Taliban fighters could be, if not holding more ground, at least shoring up their support in outlying areas.


http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid218/pd46389e6f18bc54e1ad84f97541f5673/ec37410a.jpg


In fact, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission in August went so far as to claim the Taliban now have "psychological and de facto military control of nearly half of Afghanistan," mapping out a line of control that runs right through the country's middle. We do not believe the Taliban firmly controls all of southern Afghanistan, but the line of control does conform with the areas of Taliban activity we have observed in recent months.

Sources of Strength

Several factors, both foreign and domestic, paved the way for this surge of Taliban influence. Let's consider these in turn:


The U.S. military stance: After forcing the Taliban from power, U.S. and coalition forces -- with too few troops to adequately control a large and difficult terrain -- moved to staging periodic anti-Taliban operations in southern and eastern Afghanistan. These periodic disruptions, however, were followed by entrenchment, with the Taliban resettling and digging in between offensives.


The military transition: Over the summer, U.S. forces began to surrender responsibility for the southern and eastern provinces to other NATO states, whose forces (even by their own admission) were ill-prepared to deal with the fierce insurgency there. Meanwhile, there appears to have been an influx of foreign jihadists, swelling the ranks of Taliban supporters.


The economic situation: Though the Karzai administration has scored notable achievements -- crafting a new constitution and providing a system of elections at all levels of government -- it has not been able to improve the economy or the daily life of Afghan citizens. In a country that never fully recovered from the massive devastation visited on it by the Soviets, this would be an uphill battle for any government. One of the key points of friction for the Karzai government, however, is that it has cracked down on production of the main cash crop -- poppies -- leaving many Afghans without alternative forms of income. The Taliban, of course, have moved to capitalize on the discontent, reportedly offering money to new recruits and offering social services, such as medical care, for supporters. In some areas, the Taliban apparently have established parallel governments that include district administrators, judges and other officials.


There are other divisions that the Taliban exploit: ethnic ties and clan loyalties, for example, or the rift in cultural traditions. The U.S.-aligned Karzai government is portrayed as chipping away at good, old-fashioned religious and tribal mores. But the economic arena is where the rubber truly meets the road: NATO's top commander in Afghanistan, British Gen. David Richards, warned Oct. 8 that a majority of Afghans likely will turn toward the Taliban if their lives do not tangibly improve during the next six months.

Psychological Warfare

If Richards' assessment is correct, it takes little imagination to envision what could follow. Memories of the Soviet withdrawal and the painful civil war that ensued spring quickly to mind. For coalition states in the West, the failure of Operation Enduring Freedom (or "Operation Enduring Frustration," as one U.S. senator recently dubbed it) would be a crushing political blow. Finally, there is the distinct possibility that Afghanistan, or at least significant portions of it, could again become a sanctuary for transnational Islamist militants (and certainly, the top al Qaeda leaders now believed to be sheltering in northwestern Pakistan wouldn't have far to travel.)

This is not a foregone conclusion, of course, but the stage does appear to be set for intensifying military conflict in Afghanistan as the Taliban move to consolidate their gains. With the annual fighting season drawing to a close, it is interesting that the jihadists have lately been waging a psychological offensive, targeting not only the Canadian and other NATO troops who patrol the roadways of Afghanistan, but also -- with a wave of threats and warnings -- their home countries and communities. This could be construed as an effort to maintain psychological momentum during the winter, until frozen mountain passes thaw in the spring and military offensives can begin again in earnest.

The recent statements of Mullah Dadullah, a top Taliban military commander, are particularly intriguing in this regard. In a Sept. 17 interview with ABC News, he claimed to have 500 suicide bombers under his command, willing to deploy at any time, and said that 12,000 Taliban fighters were fighting under him in four southwestern provinces. "We have no shortage of fighters," he said. "In fact, we have so many of them that it is difficult to accommodate and arm and equip them. Some of them have been waiting for a year or more for their turn to be sent to the battlefield." Dadullah also was quoted as saying the Taliban is gathering strength to launch bigger attacks in Afghan cities -- particularly Kabul -- next spring. And he expressed his opinion that the United States had cleverly handed responsibility for Afghanistan's most dangerous provinces off to British, Canadian and Dutch allies and withdrawn.

Now, in terrorism analysis, we steer toward the view that those who have knowledge of specific operations or targets don't talk, and that those who talk, don't know. It's a rule of thumb that makes fairly specific operational statements like Dadullah's quite interesting to consider. We are in no position to judge whether his numerical estimates are on track -- though if they are, larger military formations, which would create easier targets for NATO airstrikes, likely would be avoided in favor of a higher tempo of small-unit guerrilla engagements. His mention of Kabul, where foreign troops and the enemy government are centered, divulges nothing that would not be otherwise be reasonably assumed. The statement on the whole is designed to be a psychological weapon, used to drive a wedge between NATO allies and stir up dissent among the public in NATO states.

Together, the Taliban and al Qaeda appear to be using the psychological weapon in a focused way, attempting to break the back of political support for the war effort in Canada and other U.S.-allied countries. The jihadists are very much aware of the tone of Canadian politics and want to capitalize on the public's misgivings about the war effort. For the Taliban and al Qaeda, fueling the existing malaise in the war-weary West -- or forcing a general crisis of confidence among the coalition partners -- could be an effective way of weakening them all over the long term.

Whether the Taliban will manage to follow up this psychological offensive and consolidate their military successes when the fighting season resumes next spring is, at this point, an open question. But their staying power, after five years of warfare, is not.

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[AllanJGAnderson]

Very informative. Do any of you guts know the credibility of the source? Neve heard of Strategic Forecasting INC before.

[David Craik]

If Dave Chapelle can become wishy-washy, I suppose that it's only fair that Mr. Kerry be allowed to try his hand at comedy.