Kerry: NEW Statement/Apology: "I Will Continue To Fight For Change"

[kpete]

November 1, 2006

Statement of Senator John Kerry

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 never intended to refer to any troop.

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.

It is clear the Republican Party would rather talk about anything but their failed security policy. I don’t want my verbal slip to be a diversion from the real issues. I will continue to fight for a change of course to provide real security for our country, and a winning strategy for our troops.

http://www.johnkerry.com/news/releases/release.html?id=37

[jefferson_dem]

1. Well done! I'm proud of John for issuing this statement.

It was needed.

Now...back to work!

[Rick Myers]

2. Amen.

Now let's let this stupid thing die... They got NOTHIN' hear me, NOTHIN'


It's all about IRAQ, and making Dubya 'quack!'

[Mass]

3. Good statement. Time to go back to work!

[C_U_L8R]

4. ok now that's over with,,,,

can we get on with thrashing republicans please

[Catherine Vincent]

5. I like that statement. He still isn't backing down on his point.

But the CNN Breaking News alert I received said only this:

-- Sen. John Kerry issues a statement saying: "I personally apologize to any service member, family member, or American who was offended" by comments he made about being "stuck in Iraq."

[Nordmadr]

6. Yeah, but look at the way the networks are portraying it.

Trying to make him look weak and indecisive. Go figure. Please can't we have just a little f*cking reality?

CNN:

Kerry previously had said the comments were a "botched joke" and that his real target was President Bush and his Iraq war policies.


This hasn't changed, but that statement makes it seem like Kerry has changed stances. You have to actually read the statement, which doens't appear on the front page, top get the full gist.

Olafr

[Tigress DEM]

14. Clarification was needed for those who don't do their homework.

To my mind, though, even IF Kerry was dissing the process of the "volunteer" army recruiting disproportionately in poor areas where this administration has made it nearly impossible to get an education without "signing your life away" to the military, then he STiLL has no reason to apologize.

NONE of these bozos who have been flapping their jaws except McCain have even been in the service.

WHEN *ush finishes his tour of duty out their on the front line and earns back all those awol days, then maybe I will consider listening to him about other people who HAVE put their ass on line supporting or not supporting the troops.

[Tigress DEM]

15. self delete - duplicate

[file83]

7. There is a reason Kerry is a Senator, and NOT a Comedian...

...he isn't funny. The punch line makes the joke funny, and if you don't specify "BUSH" in the punchline, mother fuckers are going to spin it... allllllllll daaaaaaaaaaaay looooooooooong.

[Snivi Yllom]

20. there is a reason Kerry is a Senator and not the President

If you have to to respin and interpret for the media what you 'meant' you should not have said it at all.

[Sticky]

8. Why doesn't Kerry ask the Whitehouse

to please accept his apology? What choice would they have but to accept and that would pretty much be the end of it. Bushco would pretty much have to shup up after that.

[The_Counsel]

9. I Don't Get It. Why The Hell Is Kerry Apologizing???

Because the GOP and their pundits SAY he should?

Because mealy-mouthed Dems are trying to throw him under the bus?

I can't be the only one who thinks Kerry didn't say anything he should be apologizing for.

This is how the GOP gets us every time. They say whatever the hell they want, no matter how offensive, but when a Dem say anything that makes them uncomfortable they start bitching about how an apology is in order. And like dumbasses, the Dems apologize every time. Meanwhile, the GOP is seen as strong because they can get Dems to say/do whatever, while the Dems look like weenies.

Quit apologizing, dammit! Say what you mean, and mean what you say! And when some GOP asshat tries to call you on it, smack 'em with logic again! It can't be that hard: Kerry himself was doing that same exact thing until he caved in this morning.

Wrong move, John. Wrong move. :eyes:

[Cetacea]

11. Was Kerry's apology enough. I can see it now.

They'll really go after him now.

[rox63]

13. He's apologizing to any troops or their families who took offense

I think he needed to get this out of the way, so the news cycle would move on to something else. He doesn't want them to be talking about him. He wants the Dems who are running for office to be able to get their message out, and win their races.

[Tigress DEM]

17. Because HE cares that his words are being USED to hurt the troops.

Because DEMs CARE when damage is done in their name, whether or not it was with their consent or behind their back.

It is the same reason if one of us met an Iraqi who had lost a loved one we would feel bad about people being murdered or people tortured in our name and would say, "I'm so sorry for your loss, I'm doing all I can to stop the insanity, but I feel awful that this war was ever allowed to happen."

He basically said, I am sorry that stupid people are trying to hurt the troops with what I said or if anyone misunderstood my meaning.

THAT isn't being a weannie. IMO. It's the character mark of a man who give a damm about not having his words turned into something they aren't.

[Kierkegaard]

26. Agreed.

In this sound bite world, Kerry sounds like: "YOU GUYS SUCK! No, wait, I didn't mean you... I'm not apologizing to anyone! Umm, I'm sorry, k? Can we be friends, please?"

This whole mess has been handled with an incredible level of ineptitude, at just the wrong time, and I think it's going to be costly.

[Arkana]

28. It sounds to me like this:

"I'm sorry the President is too stupid to know when he's being made fun of, and I'm sorry if any of our American troops overseas were offended by my misinterpreted comments. Thank you."

[Tigress DEM]

30. Yup. I believe you have captured it quite splendidly. nt

[Kierkegaard]

33. Yes, but you're literate.

I'd venture to guess that most Americans are only going to see the quotes out of context, the clipped headlines and the corporate owned medias feined outrage at Kerry's 'outburst.' I don't see how this debacle can help us at all.

[lapfog_1]

10. Sure wish he had done this right from the start...

before Snowjob and Bushitler "demanded" it from him. Would have shaved 24 hours or more from this on the cable media whores...

Plus, he should have included a very simple explanation of what the joke was that he was trying to say.
One that even the most idiotic koolaid drinker would have followed.

Well, I hope this ends it.

Now, can't we leak something from the foley coverup investigation?

Or find out if Macaca really is a "wife spitter" or some other type of misogynistic asshole?

[Beelzebud]

12. Kerry's inept response to this is exactly why he should not be our candidate in 08.

He should have just fucking done this yesterday.

[BeFree]

24. Just can't stop, can you?

You'd make a good representative for the rovian spin machine. You just can't stop hacking at Kerry... what is it with you people that you can't stop? Do you really hate Dems so much that you have to keep on and on with this crap?

[Beelzebud]

32. It's just the truth. Kerry is totally inept at dealing with the media.

He showed it in the 2004 election, and proved it this week.

[BeFree]

34. Oh, but bush is not inept?

You see, when I see a reply like your's it reminds me of rove.

It isn't Kerry's fault the media is sucking bush off, but you seem to think Kerry is a failure? Why that's just as rovian as can be.

Just to educate you: the media is against the Democrats.

[Beelzebud]

36. Just stop it. Kerry handled this extremely poorly. No excuses.

[Tigress DEM]

29. I disagree. Yesterday was too soon.

He cares about the troops. He didn't really do anything wrong, but OTHERS have used his words in such a way as to cause harm WITH those words by THEIR actions.

His clarification shows that he gives a damm about the people involved and understands that the troops are being manipulated. It's like he is the mature parent in a divorce apologizing to a child whose feelings were hurt by the other parent twisting heated words about the parent into something bad about the child.

If he apologized yesterday, it would have been before his words were taken out of context and blared on the airwaves as something hurtful after he had already clarified what exactly he meant.

Also, I don't know if you are old enough to remember, but everyone thought that Jimmy Carter's inability to come up with anything but a sincere truthful response to rethug spin made him a bad choice to run against Reagan. People put more faith in candidates that could talk the talk than those who walk the walk.

Jimmy was one of our best presidents when it came to getting the job done. If he had been supported against Reagan, we would not be having conversations about rethugs with unchecked power destroying our country. If Carter's wind fall profit tax hadn't been gutted by Reagan, we wouldn't be seeing the oil company's record profits without something coming back to help us get out from under dependence on oil.

I say if people write off Kerry for 08, then it is the fault of the people doing the writing off, not the person who has more than enough capability to get the job done, despite his issues dealing with the out of control rethug spin machine.

[ohtransplant]

16. Once again the bigger man...

while * lowers himself and the Presidency to baselss partisan accusations.

I agree with Newsweek. This will hurt the GOP. In the longer run (6 days), they don't want Iraq to be the topic of the day. If it was helping them, they ride this until election day

There are reasons not to do it (and * would never do it)but I'd love to see a debate between Sen Kerry and W about who has actively and substantially supported the troops more - over a lifetime. I say throw down the gauntlet.

[Old and In the Way]

19. Gee, if we penalized every candidate that ever made a mistatement

we'd have a pretty small pool of candidates to choose from. Sorry, I won't let the corporate media dictate my choice on who I want representing me in the WH. Kerry is an exceptionally well spoken, thoughtful, and intelligent person. That's why the Republican media are scared shitless of him and want to destroy him for a mis-speak. Guess I'll slip him another $25.00.

If managling a sentence is such a crime, I guess we could charge Bush with crimes against humanity.

[ohtransplant]

27. I'll see your $25 and raise you $25!

This doesn't change a thing. As you said, Kerry is still an exceptional Democrat, has helped many of our candidates, and if he decides to run in '08 will be an excellent option. No one has fought * harder for the last two years.

Let's get it straight - the pubs don't get to tell us who is a patriot, a supporter of the troops, or a good Dem! I'd put Kerry's record of service and support for the troops up against *'s any day!

The issue of Iraq is not a strength for the pubs. If they want to debate it for the next six days, let the games begin.

[Snivi Yllom]

18. this is what Kerry should have said right away

.

[OzarkDem]

22. Wouldn't have mattered

the media would have jumped on it anyway. Its what they're paid to do.

[BeFree]

25. Its good the media did jump on it

Because now everyone is talking about the troops bush has gotten stuck in Iraq. Right?

[ProSense]

23. No, his first statement should have sufficed!

This is what he needed to say now, so that the RW meme pusher in our own party can STFU!

[ProSense]

21. Perfect! n/t

[Xenotime]

31. Take IMUS' advice and now go on a bike ride.

[SlipperySlope]

35. He should have just explicitly said that Bush is an idiot.

No retreat John, charge!