The Reporters: US mid-terms

Hard to argue? What a silly thing for you to say. The fact of the matter is this: the poor and uneducated are more likely to enlist. It's the simple truth, and would be even if Kerry hadn't admitted to mucking up the line (he was insulting Bush's intelligence, not the troops'). And it doesn't require a genius to realize that if you enlist, you'll likely end up in Iraq.

Who cares what John Kerry said,attempted joke or not. It's amazing with so many serious issues at stake, we would focus on any distraction. The White House and all the candidates need to stick to the issues and stop making a mountain out of a molehill (I believe that is the expression.)

If anything, Bush should apologize to the troops for sending them to Iraq. Still though, Kerry's comments are sketchy. He said the statement was misphrased, but either way, Kerry should know better. With less than one week to go until elections, this is the last thing the democrats need. Again, the dems are beating themselves.

Kerry has got it correct!
For example, during the Vietnam War, if you did not attend college, you were drafted upon graduating from high school. You simply went to Vietnam! It's that simple!
Kerry is not insulting soldeirs in Iraq; he is actually giving voice to the growing opposition to the war in the military today. Secondly, Kerry is telling you what the Bush administration has planned in the upcoming draft bill in Congress. Go read it! This new bill forces high school graduates to serve in the US military before attending college.

The complete comments say it all. Kerry was after Bush, Cheney, Limbaugh and all the other chicken-hawks.

They both seem capable of botching jokes but Kerry is still far smarter than Bush.

I think Senator Kerry finally remembered where his backbone is located. To me he is showing the difference between those do service, and those that give 'lip' service; making sure they and theirs are well hidden.

Is Mr. Greene joking? A 5 year old could see that Mr. Kerry was referring to Bush and Cheney. It's equally obvious that the Bush camp and McCain are blatantly spinning Kerry's words for political gain. Why can't Mr. Greene see this?

I think he was talking about the soldiers for if you see the pattern they are mostly uneducated and tough.

John Kerry was right. The kids who can afford top colleges and have parents rich enough that joining the army isn't a viable option don't join. They don't go to Iraq. It's the poor, the lower-educated who make up the ranks in the military, because the military will pay for your college if you serve. Why else do you think Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld's kids aren't in uniform? Daddy's rich enough that they don't have to be. It's not an insult; it's the truth.

I suppose you think it's funny that Dub is responsible for getting over 100 of our young people killed this month so that the price of oil gets raised to where he and his fellow criminals can make more bucks.

I would love for "reporters" to stop joining in on the spin brigade and do their all important job as the 4th estate. Kerry was referring to George Bush in his criticism, not the soldiers. Clearly. Why Mr. Greene feels the need to join in the GOP spin attacks in a time of war is beyond me. It's tiresome. Can someone in the media call the GOP on their ridiculous spin for once? Is that too much to ask?

If Bush can't find anything better to talk about, then I think *he's* losing.

Shouldn't he be busy running the country?

Bush and Cheney are fools if they believe that their scare tactics are going to keep the Republicans from losing the House. Both men are acting out of sheer desperation. They both continue to lie and deceive by lumping the war on terrorism with the occupation of Iraq. They are shameful liars.

Hard to argue? Mr Greene you've got to be kidding. What Mr Kerry meant to say was all about President G.W. Bush not the troops in Iraq. Even my stupid dog Johny knows that.
I think Mr Greene owes his readers apology.

I guess he could have said that if you could get 5-deferments like Cheney did, you'd be safe. Still coming across a little kind if you ask me.

Mr. Greene sounds more like a cheerleader for the Bush Administration and the neocons than a Washington reporter. Where are the journalists when we need them most?

It's something no politician in his right mind would ever say, but the truth is....Kerry is absolutely right. These days, the only decent reason to join the armed forces is to get them to pay for college. Otherwise, joining the Army is for losers with no other good options in life.

You write that "when you review Mr Kerry’s comment, it’s hard to argue" that he was in California insulting the troops, as Mr. Bush and his spokesman would have us believe.

Perhaps you would profit by actually reading Kerry's explanation of the comment instead of dismissing explanation as a sign of political defeat. Kerry explains that he intended to say that if Bush had studied Iraq -- or listened to the hundreds of scholars who dedicated their lives to such study and told him that his war was doomed to failure -- before waging war against it, he would not have led us into a catastrophe like the one in which the US currently finds itself.

Let's see if this argument is so hard to make, as you allege. Interpreting the pronoun 'you' not as the second person pronoun but as a colloquial substitute for the third person, that is, 'one', we find that Kerry does not need to have been referring to his student audience. It is complete plausible that he was referring to the third person in general. Additionally, "getting stuck in Iraq" need not mean the passive construction of "someone sticks someone in Iraq." It could mean the reflexive "one gets oneself stuck in Iraq," in the sense of implementing policies that bring the US into Iraq in such a way that it cannot extract itself from Iraq.
Combining the interpretation of 'you' as 'one' and 'get stuck' as 'get oneself stuck', we see that it is completely plausible that Kerry meant what he says he meant, namely, "if one studies hard, one does not get oneself stuck in Iraq. Mr. Bush, known to have no interest in his studies, did not study the situation in Iraq before invading, and now he has gotten himself stuck in Iraq."
No doubt this joke could have been clearer. However, I have just as little doubt that this is what Kerry intended to say.

Of course, you will simply repeat that old maxim, "if you're explaining, you're losing." In doing so, you justify the laziness which allows you to content yourself with the first explanation you hear. Your unwillingness to hear out an explanation offered by someone other than the Bush administration, or even consider whether the Bush administration's explanation makes sense, displays the ideological prejudices that guide your reporting.

Mr. Kerry's comments have lent themselves to the explanation which Mr. Bush's spokesman has offered and which you parrot, and as such they have done damage to the Democratic cause. However, it is not Mr. Kerry who has done this damage but you and your ideologically grounded laziness as a 'reporter'.

It is clear that Kerry meant to insult GW in that comment. Bush is not an intelligent man, and people usually associate with like-minded people, hence the administration he picked to work with. The war is another Vietnam without the draft and we clearly saw the effects of Vietnam on economy and warfare. If Kerry runs and he keeps this current attitude, he very well may become the next president because he represents both the silent majority and those who let their voice be heard.

Mr. Kerry is an elitist and finds it hard to hide. To him people who enlist are not only poor and low class but also stupid and lazy. The rest of us are perhaps not smart enough to get Mr. Kerry's jokes.

I am so tired of the people who (like Kerry) are embarrassed to be US citizens. I have nothing to be embarrassed about, only to be proud about. Kerry has been dogging the Army since his days as an appeaser and so-called activist. Check the stats and one will see that the volunteer Army is made up equally from all US econonic sectors.
Some people marry well, others have to work for a living, John!

John Kerry only said what is universally acknowledged in the U.S. Why is that the prestigious, academically advanced prep schools don't receive the heavy pressure of military recruiters that more economically and socially depressed schools and students do? In many cases, the recruiters are so desperate to correct their underperforming quotas, that they bribe students to sign up. My full sympathies are with the students and their families, but John Kerry didn't say anything that any hardworking American doesn't know.

Mr. Green should be ashamed of himself,he is using Mr. Kerry's words out of context. What was said prior to this quote, that Mr. Bush was not smart enough, never studied hard enough to understand history and politics, that's why he is stuck in Iraq. Anybody understands this, but Mr. Green. He is deliberately chosing to ignore it, just trying to score some cheep points and now twisting the whole sentence.

So America isn't the only country in decline with lazy reporters...

Yeah, you're enabling them - bushco that is - because you're simply transmitting their bunk and calling it news. You call yourself a reporter?

Why don't you provide some critical analysis to the affair and say how bushco is trying to make hay out of what Kerry said, and how pathetic it is given what Kerry MEANT. He was referring to bush and his effort in regard to the Iraq war - HOW BUSH WAS LAZY AND DIDN'T DO HIS HOMEWORK, AND AS A RESULT IS STUCK IN THE SAND.

Geez, glad he didn't use some churchilian allusion or something. That would have sailed completely over your head.

You should not hold the job you're in. The BBC - and the public - are poorer for it.

If you read the entire speech of Mr. Kerry, it is obvious that he was referring to Bush. It looks like Mr. Greene has read only part of the speech. I hadn't realized BBC employed reporters, who jump to conclusions without doing proper homework!

Well, Kerry said he meant Bush, not the solders. It is well known that Bush has done less than good in his studies. Anyway, this whole thing will benefit Democrats, simply because everyone knows that what Kerry allegedly meant is true, and the Republican denial of the obvious only exposes them as liars to even the most gullible.

I've served in the military for 17 years. I take insult to the claims that only the un-educated serve. I joined after completing a high school education. After my enlistment I went to college and attained an MIS degree (computer programming) with a 3.0 GPA. In my final 3 semesters I took no fewer than 18 credit hours per semester. Thanks to my initial enlistment I had the discipline to buckle down and study while the traditional age students partied their way through college. I then went to OCS and became an officer. Shortly thereafter I served in An Najaf in Iraq during 2004. The majority of the soldiers in my platoon had associates and bachelors degrees. The youngest of my soldiers had aspirations of attending college, and are doing so, after returning from Iraq. In my opinion the ignorant are the ones that never step outside our country or even offer to serve their fellow citizens. After all these years of being a politician the Hon. Mr. Kerry should have known better. I guess everyone is entitled to a Freudian slip (learned that in College thank you).

Watch the video if you get a chance. It's the same Kerry from 2004 - always having to qualify an answer. From the tape - and this is only my opinion - it appears that his 'joke' justification is warranted. Since it is Kerry delivering the joke, however, it could easily be "spun and runned". Of course, this is what happened. But the Republicans should best watch out: too much discussion about the war could backfire on Tuesday.

John Kerry was after the president, not the troops. And, sorry, but the troops are not the "best and the brightest." Give me a break. They are taking people with criminal convictions, mental health problems and other health problems. And are they all heroes? Or did they need money for college, like poor little Jessica Lynch?

This is absolutely hilarious! If the man keeps putting his foot in his mouth he is liable to get athletes tongue! I have never been in the military, but I was a cadet in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) for about a year. The soldiers I came to know, both officers and enlisted, were the most professional, intelligent, hard working people I have ever met. We got the joke Mr. Kerry. It just wasn't funny.

Come on, Richard, Kerry's comments aren't a gift to Republicans. It's idiotic for the Republicans to suggest that Kerry was attempting to insult the troops. If anything, this was an opportunity for Kerry's vitriolic rebuke today that Bill Clinton paved the way for in his Fox News interview last month.

Please don't misrepresent this as a gift to Republicans. My fellow Americans have been seeing how transparent these Republican attacks have become.

Senator Kerry got it completely wrong. For example, I have the lowest level of education of any member in my family and I am also the only one to never serve in Iraq. I guess this is one time when my lack of education hasn't hurt me none.

Sorry to say that I disagree with your analysis here. I think Kerry's joke is obvious though, as he admits, botched: if you don't work hard in school then you might find yourself tripped up by difficult situations, like Bush in Iraq. Furthermore, I wouldn't say that this is evidence of a Kerry 2008 bid. Rather I think it is merely evidence of Kerry's continued disgust with the Bush administration and maybe a healthy dose of spite as well.

Its actually hard to argue that an experienced politician, who is himself a veteran, would publically insult the soldiers in Iraq. Kerry was obviously making a joke about Bush.

But this election is about getting people to the polls, so the spin is designed to inflame otherwise disillusioned Republican voters. You Brits stand with Bush regardless I guess...

"if you;re explaining you're loosing"

and of course if you are not explaining you are not governing.

Here's another one

"Politics is the last redoubt of hypocrisy"

It doesn't matter wheather the joke was inteded for the troops or Bush. The reality is that Kerry just GAVE THE REPUBLICANS AMMO to paint the Democratic party as Weak on Defence, and Weak on Terrorism. All other Democrats should put tape on his Kerry's mouth.

Senator Kerry was NOT referring to the military. He was referring to Mr. Bush, who should be ashamed of himself for constantly invoking "the troops" for political gain while simultaneously being responsible for killing thousands of them each year.

Even if Mr. Kerry were referring to the troops, what he says would not be untrue. Like it or not, the truth isn't always flattering, and the truth is that many kids who don't have the financial resources for a good education end up in the military. This is a sad commentary on our education system, not on a specific person or group of people.

Kerry has again said the right thing. The only thing that is wrong with what Kerry said is that what he has said is right.

Richard Greene is a crypto-neocon: so much is obvious. But what is he doing working at BBC? Has the famous British network become a venue for Republican propaganda?

The election will not be based on the intelligence level of the troops, it will be based on the decisions of this administration.

Yes, it gives Bush some talking points if the US public allows it.

If anything, the Republicans will find their attacks on Senator Kerry boomerang. Parents like me who have teenage sons and daughters are horrified at the loss of young lives in Iraq. I grew up during the Vietnam war; being in college was one of the only ways you could hope to avoid being shipped off to war. As the Iraq war drags on, it's hard not to worry that our kids will be forced to serve. Regardless of what Senator Kerry meant to say, the attention the Republicans are placing on it only serves to remind me -- and moms like me -- how misguided the war is and much I want the Republicans out of power.

Kerry was criticising Bush's wisdom -- and quite right, too! -- not that of the troops.

Shame on you for peddling GOP propaganda, Mr Greene!

Kerry should have not used such a language, since it's offensive to anyone in the military, and it goes to show why Kerry seems such a log. But i am glad he has come out swinging. I only wish he had done it when running for president. The republicans are only grasping at straws, and if the democrats don't come out swinging but wait for this to die down, they will die with it.

Senator Kerry obviously missed his verbal mark. At the same time, Richard Greene is right...by doing so, Sen. Kerry did hand Bush & Co. a short-running political gift. He gave them a negative sound-bite to focus on, so ultimately the Republicans (I hate calling them that, since they're not real Republicans...they're political profiteers) won't have to talk about the war, the US death toll in Iraq this month, the Mark Foley scandal, the Katrina fiasco, etc., etc., etc.

The fact remains, if you flunk out in school, the military will always be an option (this is not in anyway saying that all military employees are dumb)....and with Bush & Co. destabilizing world politics for the past 6 yrs, US Military is a pseudonym for senseless cannon fodder.

Only God knows what John Kerry was thinking when he made that remark. However, I don't think he needs to apologize. As a Democrat looking for someone to feel good about, John Kerry will give me a gift if he decides not to run. I believe that he is too bland to be an effective and electable Presidential candidate.

kerrys right... most kids go in the service cause they either knock there girlfriend up,have no chance of a job or get conned by a recruiter...cheney got 5 deferments in college to avoid the service... most of the white house have yellow stripes down there backs and cut-n-run from vietnam.. i know i lived all over the usa and thats how it is.. the ones with brains that do enlist are looking for a free ride so the government picks u[p there college bill notice most right wing talk show host never served either.. i did by the way as the rest of my family and my father who just passed away who served in 2 wars hated bush`s dum iraq move

Kerry should start by apoligizing to ALL Vietnam Vets. He is NO Statesman and the sooner he leaves, the better Americans are of.

Richard Greene writes, "If he doesn’t have jokes funnier than this, he's going to lose again."

The flaw here is that Kerry didn't loose the election -- it was stolen -- just as the 2000 one was. The only way candidates can "win elections" in the US today it seems is by election fraud.

If John Kerry beleives that, "then where would this country be today?" Perhaps he should get educated and realize that there are intelligent people in the military and people willing to defend what we all have, Freedom." Kerry is a disgrace!

There are many people in this Country that make me sick. You have to realize that we Americans can sleep easy at night knowing that we have a strong military that protects us.

I still beleive that are Democrats that would like to give the Country away. I guess the problem is that Republicans are stronger, and people fear that.

At the very least, I would think that Kerry would support our troops.

Thanks for the explanation, Richard. "If you're explaining, you're losing." I hope that you and the
rest of Bush' mindless media echo chamber, lose sooner rather than later.

Welcome to American politics.

If the politicians can't find any mud to sling they start chucking handfulls of bull-crap and bologna at each other--and in cases just like this, Americans just eat it all up.

To those who have sided with Bush, do you honestly think someone who was in the military would insult soldiers so blatantly? It was clearly a simple botched joke aimed at the Bush administration's mismanagement of the Iraq crisis--stop being so over-sensitve!

But perhaps Bush is proving all his skeptics right--perhaps he does not even understand that this was aimed at him, thus proving yet again that G-Dub is not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

What he meant to say was "get us stuck in Iraq" The original text he was reading has been released. If you include the word "us" in his sentence it is clear he was talking about Bush.

The fact that there is legitimacy to Kerry's comment is no laughing matter. Academic success is intrinsically linked to later economic prosperity. For those kids unexceptionable enough to fail in the scholership grab, the military and fighting to pave the way for Bush's monetary interests often awaits. Thats a fact. Failing in school might lead to a young persons sacrifising their life for Bush's pocketbook. Funny? I don't think so.

As you can see from my spelling, I'm off for the middle east tommorow!

'Mr Kerry. How you ride the white horse. Oh Mr Kerry. It's symbolic-but of course.'

Mr Green appears like a dedicated Republican who is making mountain out of a molehills. Even Bush knows that Kerry is insulting whom and Republicans are not going to get any benefits from this statement.

Thousands of innocent human beings dead, billions of dollars squandered, the treasury looted, the US government hamstrung for years no matter who gets in office. Rich criminals and religious fanatics have hijacked the USA. However, one thing is certain; this country always gets the government it deserves.

"stuck in Iraq"? The last I heard Bush was either at the ranch or sitting pretty in the White House. No way is he "in" Iraq. He ain't no Leonidus.

(hey is it just me or did this go over the Kerry disdainers' heads?)

Of course Kerry was insulting the frontline soldiers. No amount of partisan spin is going to change that. Is it so surprising, Kerry belongs to that elitist class that has always despised the common man.

I find the fact that both Kerry and Bush are "brothers" in Yale's Skull and Bones has a significance that too many people relegate to the conspiracy trash bin much too quickly.

Something is incredibly rotten is the state of the Unites States.

I hate to see this kind of reporting from the BBC, which was one of the last borderline responsible news sources in the US or England. Greene should explain himself.

It seems pretty clear that Kerry was talking about W not being very smart and getting stuck in Iraq. All of you people who misunderstood this are as thickheaded as W. Learn how to decipher a quote!!!

Dulhhha... I guess the BBC thinks rich kids in America join the infantry and go to Iraq to fight for "freedom" and "Iraqi liberty".

Think this reporter has been embedded in Chelsea too long.

This seems to be an interesting slip by John Kerry, if he is indeed referring to students and not to the current administration. What he said would be true for Vietnam era students, when there was a draft and one risked losing a II-S deferral status by flunking out. I doubt anyone who funks out today would necessarily go to Iraq.

Kerry is, I think, correct, in the technical sense. His comment does seem, however, politically ill-advised, to put it mildly.

But one issue that seems to be conveniently ignored in this conversation is the social context of the military since the abolition of the draft in 1973 (I believe). In that time, America, and many other western countries (but America most esepcially) has undergone a vast retreat from the social democratic/New Deal style welfare state. In the meantime, military spending has increased dramatically. To put it very simply, the army seems to be fulfilling many of the functions of the (dysfunctional) welfare state (in spite of the fact that Bush, Rummy, and friends have done all they could to eviscerate this function as well, which in turn has hobbled the abillity of the army to, for example, provide proper armor, health care, etc., to troops).

But the main point is that is that the military provides enlisted people with social goods that are really the duty of the state. I don't blame any of the many economically and politically powerless who seek refuge in the military because American society has systematically failed them. Any rational person in the same situation would do the same. Kerry's would have done well to acknowledge at least some of this. Apparently Democrats are as class-blind as Republicans.

I'd rather someone more intelligent than the both of them.

A childof 5 yrsofage would know that John Kerry is not referring to the Army but to G W Bush Dick Cheney and others who are taking the good Country and People thru the wrong dirrection since the last republican party took over, thanks.

Wow you guys are really putting the Fox News makeup on these days. Way to go, Beeb!!!

I am in the US Army, I have a masters degree in finance, a bachelor's in accounting, and am a CPA (Chartered Accountant)and an MBA. I believe an Englishman was the one who said if don't have an educated military, your fighting will be done by fools and your thinking will be done by cowards. Mr. Kerry is a rich, effite, arrogant, political elitist who uses his US Navy service as a crutch, and that was all it was ever intended to be. If he runs again, he will lose again. He has no platform other than "I'm not Bush" and that simply is not good enough.

I don't understand how Kerry's comments are perceived to be directed at the military troops. Obviously his comments were directed at Bush, who got bad grades at Yale, and is currently stuck in Iraq. Please explain the other interpretation.

I don't think it makes any sense to waste time talking about whether "smarter" people are more or less likely to enlist in the military. I think it should be said that FINALLY a policitian has had the guts to bring up what is on the minds of most Americans. Countless lives are lost each day, and even though all of these troops are full of heroes and brave souls, they really do not need to be risking their lives for a cause which was full out shown to be false (as WMD were never found in Iraq and later determined to be placed in a report because of political pressures). So, thank you Mr. Kerry, I really wish I could be trying to criticize you as our president...

Bush and the far right wing of the Republican party are out of touch with the average American. That said, Kerry and the far left wing of the Democratic party are just as out of touch. What an arrogant comment to insult those that place themselves in harms way for the average American's benefit. Could we fire both parties? What a political mess we are in.

A gift?

during the presidential campaign Kerry never really attacked Bush, he lost.
The mood right now for Democrats is to see someone stand up and start throwing the mud back at Republicans.
Kerry meant Bush and Cheney were unaducated on the iraqui issue,
why does the BBC even make a polemic out of it?
Is there an unsponsored news outlet out there?

I'll read the news in French from now on, they seem to be a little better informed.

Amazing- a decorated Vietnam war veteran being taken on by a man who didn't attend--and no-one seems to notice- our combat veterans are a source of wisdom on the subject of war. I think it is the "cut and run" comment that denies the sacrifices of our people who have laid down their lives in Iraq-- If we leave we run?!!-- we have already paid a serious price in Iraq ask any family of any soldier who won't be coming back.

Mr. Greene, The animosity that some of the bloggers show toward you and your comments, although completely neutural, shows the same type of hatred that is shared by many hate groups worldwide including the radical Muslims. When will these people grow up and see that apathy toward defending ones liberties brings nothing but chaos and dictarian rule. Rule of Judaic/Christian based law brings liberty, justice, and peace. The US (and other nations) under the leadership of President Bush is taking a stand in the defence of that (their) liberty and our men and women in uniform are smart enough to know that and fight for it. What is wrong with the thinking of the educated elite?

The other comments have sufficiently addressed all that needs to be said. Kerry's joke was misinterpreted and this article should be retracted.

And I tend to agree that Mr. Greene sounds more than a little biased in his writing.

Living hell!
This is what Kerry is on about. Until one has personally been involved in a war which is baseless & politically/financially motavated, others may not understand his sentiments. Go to school, be smart, and don't be led blindly by the heartsrings to death or dismemberment.

Perhaps the ease with which he got his Purple Hearts is a reflection of this condescending attitude. Thank God he is never going to be our Commander-in-Chief.

Shovan Das

I completely agree with #26, that's what I was going to say...
Richard Greene You are lazy, flippant. Peoples lives are at stake here.

Also this whole thing will backfire on the GOP as they will run with Iraq, Iraq, Iraq now and it will just serve to remind ppl.

Arguably one of the most malevlent and incompetant Admins in history, Bushco is never held accountable and with journalists like you it's no wonder.

95% of all enslistees in US Military have High School degrees.

Only 75% of US population does.

100% of all Commissioned Officers have at least 4 year degress from acredited Universities.

While only 25% of the US population does.

Our review of Pen­tagon enlistee data shows that the only group that is lowering its participation in the military is the poor. The percentage of recruits from the poorest American neighborhoods (with one-fifth of the U.S. population) declined from 18 percent in 1999 to 14.6 percent in 2003, 14.1 percent in 2004, and 13.7 percent in 2005. . . .

In summary, the additional years of recruit data (2004–2005) sup­port the previous finding that U.S. military recruits are more similar than dissimilar to the American youth population. The slight dif­ferences are that wartime U.S. mil­itary enlistees are better educated, wealthier, and more rural on aver­age than their civilian peers.

Recruits have a higher percent­age of high school graduates and representation from Southern and rural areas. No evidence indicates exploitation of racial minorities (either by race or by race-weighted ZIP code areas). Finally, the distri­bution of household income of recruits is noticeably higher than that of the entire youth population.

http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/cda06-09.cfm

Just don't wind up a clueless U.S. Senator like Kerry, or some readers of the BBC blogs?

What a jerk! Kerry should keep his mouth shut. Here's an example of the patrician not knowing how to relate to the common man.

Please check the air in Washington, maybe a little low in oxygen, high in carbon monoxide? Some people living and working in the city do not seem to think clear...
Mr Greene, I suggest you move to the Falklands to take some healthy break away from The White (people's) House and get some fresh air. Unwind a bit after spinning with the GOP.

Having done 20+ years in the all-volunteer US military and seeing what kind of people were coming in, I can say in no uncertain terms that Sen Kerry and those of you who claim the military is a jobs program have no idea what you're talking about. You're playing old old old stereo types and haven't actually met the people you claim to be talking about. I have met them and worked with them. The military is not a jobs program for the uneducated. Most of the enlisted people I worked with had college degrees.

If the Senator is so sure of himself, he should try making that same "speech," "joke," "mis-quote," or mis-whatever to an audience of soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. Then we'll see just how arrogant he will be after they show him off.

I honestly think Bush wants to make something out of nothing. Kerry didn't refer to the troops serving in Iraq or men and women enlisted in the army.He referred to George Bush, but as you could see Bush is too slow to understand-he couldn't read between the lines.

What's almost as pathetic as John Kerry trying to explain his "joke" is that so many agree with the uncorrected version: that the military is only for the poor and stupid. Just remember that those troops you look down on still get to vote - even the rich ones with master's degrees. We have them in the US. Perhaps things are different across the pond....

To address "what John Kerry really meant", here's something else to chew on: PRESIDENT Bush didn't have to be the smartest person in the country - he just had to be smarter than John Kerry.

Apparently that was smart enough.

US Military Academic Education Stats

-- 49.2 percent of officers have advanced or professional degrees; 39.4 percent have master's degrees, 8.5 percent have professional degrees and 1.3 percent have doctorate degrees.

-- 22.8 percent of company grade officers have advanced degrees; 16.5 percent have master's degrees, 5.9 percent have professional degrees and 0.3 percent have doctorate degrees.

-- 85.4 percent of field grade officers have advanced degrees; 70.7 percent have master's degrees, 12.1 percent have professional degrees and 2.5 percent have doctorate degrees.

-- 99.9 percent of the enlisted force have at least a high school education; 73.3 percent have some semester hours toward a college degree; 16.2 percent have an associate's degree or equivalent semester hours; 4.7 percent have a bachelor's degree; 0.7 percent have a master's degree and .01 percent have a professional or doctorate degree."

http://www.af.mil/news/story_print.asp?storyID=123027385

You probably don't listen to Air America (since you are obviously not progressive) but if you did you would have heard multiple military personnel calling in saying that they signed up not out of patriotism but because of cash bonuses (up to $20,000) and educational benefits because otherwise they could not afford to get an education. While he may have botched the joke there nonetheless was truth in the words.

What a shame for Mr. Greene to say "And when you review Mr Kerry’s comment, it’s hard to argue:". That comment is definetly about Bush's lack of knowldege of Iraq and stupidity in general.

Senator John Kerry was right on target, except that his joke was too sophisticated for the Republican Party's Amen Corner to grasp.

For it is Mr. Bush who is actually stuck in Iraq, not our soldiers, who are getting killed in their numbers because Mr. Bush failed to diligently do his homework as a war-mongering student.

And so I don't see Mr. Kerry handing over any "gift" to the frustrated and reeling Republicans.

Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Garden City, New York.

Feeding the spin beast again. What Kerry says about who's an idiot or who's lazy is irrelevant, or at least should be. I don't care if it was the troops or the president. Let's talk about the real issue- Republicans are loosing, and desperate to make the Democrats look bad. In fact, look at the other comments here. The Swift-Boating of Kerry is still going on.

How disappointing that Kerry has made such a foolish comment. The US military people have to do what they are told, and one can only feel very sorry that they are so poorly led in terms of their so-called commander-in-chief, but there is no doubting their zeal or patriotism! My late Father fought in Burma in the Second World War: his take on American troops was that they were brave and enthusiastic, but badly led. Dad always said he was happy to fight alongside "GIs" - but for heaven's sake, under British or Australian generals. Whilst I am no expert, John Kerry seems to me to be a rather poor specimen and the Democratic Party rather bereft of talent with money (plenty of talent without money, of course), that they would have put up this rather grey, dull, pompous gentleman in 2004, when what they needed was a candidate of far better calibre to stop Mr G W Bush from gaining a second term. What Mr Kerry is doing now is hardly helpful when many of us on the outside would dearly love to see the GOP (I believe that's the correct title) receive the drubbing in the forthcoming polls that they deserve (fixed, biased voting machines geared, allegedly, to elect Republicans, notwithstanding of course). Mr Kerry, you weren't up to the job in 2004 and your colleagues should put you out to grass before you do any more damage to their cause! Bring on Clinton (Hilary) and Obama!

Senator Kerry's remark so typifies the attitude of the Democratic leaders. This type of blundering rhetoric is why I voted for the GOP. This and the fact that President Bush is actually a very learned man, reading on average 90 books a year. Maybe a better plan on terrorism might have been implemented but I failed to see any action at all from the previous president. (other than with Monica Lewinski)

Despite what Rove & Cheney & Bush come up with the damage this group have done to the US world standing is irreversible.

They are INWARD LOOKING and in 20 years from now this will serve them well and the CHINESE will make them irrelevent!!!

John Kerry is an intelligent man. whether he botched a joke or not he makes one heck of a point.

That idiot in the White House has got the USA embroiled in another Vietnam.

Thank goodness for men who speak up and say "the emperor has no clothes". If anybody has shown his disrespect toward the military it is that knothead Geroge Bush who has put hundreds of thousands of servicemen and women in harm's way. Bush did that---NOT Kerry.

How much did the Republicans pay you for the headline?
You ought to be dumped by the BBC for your ridiculous slant on the issue. It's people like you that help keep people like Bush and Blair in power, and killing hundreds of thousands of people.

Face it: Joining the military is your least best option short of actually topping yourself. I realise you just want to be loved, but with your record that simply out of the question. Even respected is more than a little unrealistic. When we were empire building us Brits realised we were hated, but it wasn’t a big deal. As long as we were respected. Your problem is you never learned to be colonialists. But at least as pretty much the most despised, reviled, hated nation on earth your downside risk is minimal. Forget “Pariah nation status beckons”, you’re already there.

Notice how most of the comments here are from tissy left-wingers. Guess something must have touched a nerve?

This is an excellent example of why John Kerry was "Unfit for Command" in 2004 and still is today. He, along with the other Democrats, are a broken record when it comes to trashing Republicans and the war in Iraq. They say "we support our troops" but bash the troops command and chief, comparing him to Hitler and calling him a war criminal. So much for supporting our troops, right? Democrats say they offer a "different plan" for America, again like in 2004, by citing a "comprehensive" plan (Hillary uses that word more than Bush uses "freedom") that still consists of absolutely NOTHING! Nothing is new! Nothing original!

Bush is a fool, but in this case, the Democrats are just as foolish as he is. If they are truly going to offer anything different, I'd like to see it, but a week before elections, I see the same thing we saw in 2004. Swing voters will decide it all at the last minute, deciding who is the "lesser of two evils" - or just not voting at all.

BK Coleman's comment that "The fact of the matter is this: the poor and uneducated are more likely to enlist" perpetuates the myth the Iraq war critics have frequently put forth. The facts are quite the opposite, and show that the US military's recruits are "more highly educated than the equiv­alent general population, more rural and less urban in origin, and of similar income status"(http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/cda05-08.cfm) See other reports that claim higher education levels of US soldiers at http://www.dod.mil/prhome/poprep2000/html/chapter3/chapter3_5.htm and http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=5108&sequence=1#pt2.

This is honestly the republicans grasping at straws. Obviously this comment was aimed at the Bush administration and not the troops. And all the talking heads who are saying Kerry "knows what he said" know this as well. Why would a veteran who volunteered for 3 tours in Vietnam, then came back home and fought for his troops do that? He wouldn't. As for the previous comments, this statement had nothing to do with "getting an education to avoid going to war"

Mr. Kerry's comments are incredibly insensitive and above all condescending. It is the typical far-left elitist crowd that knows everything and also on how everybody should live. God forbid if you don't follow the New York Times line. There was a time when the Democratic party had figures like FDR and Pres. Truman who realized what was at stake and wholeheartedly supported our military. Now the Democrats only insult the very people in harm's way. We have comments from Sen Durbin comparing our troops to PolPot's mercenaries, Sen.Kerry saying that our troops harass civilians in the dead of night etc. Add Mr. Kerry's most recent comments and we see a pattern of outrageous behavior. The Democrat leadership has made it a fine art to spit ont he very people who protect our freedoms and extend all manner of comfort to the jihadists who want us dead! Mr. Greene's report is quite accurate

It is obvious Richard Greene is quite Biased.
Guess he is a bush man, for some unGodly reason.
Can't he see Bush has done nothing good for America or its people.
Bush (because of his daddy’s influence) is the cause of the heighten World terrorism situation along with failing domestic and international policies.
There is no doubt America and the World will be better, when bush and his snow team are out.

Great way to win the votes of soldiers and veterans for the Democratic Party.

Just call us stupid.

Love it. And Kerry wonders why he lost in 2004.

And if the Democrats need to have that explained to them yet again, they'll lose in 2008.

Interesting comments here. I am a Canadian, not an American, for starters. I have two university degrees. I would consider myself of the same "intelligent" class that Kerry tries to appeal in these comments. But when I first read them, I thought they were aimed at the troops, not the administration. I don't see Bush and Cheney as being "mired" in Iraq. I see them as the ones doing the miring of these poor troops. He may have meant the administration, but let's be honest, you would have to be a serious Kerry apologist to think otherwise on this one, and have a serious hatred of the Bush administration to not see this comment for what it really was. Moralle over there is bad enough, the last thing those troops need is a potential Presidential hopeful telling the troops they are too dumb to be doing anything else.

Oh, and not all soldiers are dumb, nor are all soldiers' parents poor. I seem to recall Sen. McCain's son just enlisted a while back, keeping a family tradition alive. So let's stop with the stereotyping, please.

Kay and Andrew seem to have forgotten one thing. John Kerry fought, killed and bled for the United States, when, in Vietnam, and in spite of attending one of the elitist colleges he enlisted. Unlike George W Bush.

The joke was aimed at Bush. End of story, end of discussion. Now will the Republicans just leave quietly please?

It was obvious the it was a joke aimed at Bush. Maybe your spending a little too much time with "reporters" from Fox News down in Washington.

Really get an education or get stuck in Iraq- well number one many enlisted people are some of the brightest and most amazing people you will ever meet, some are simultaneously enrolled in college as I write this. Number two I am educated and financially secure but I love my country and want to serve it. If I do go to Iraq its because I chose to when I joined ARMY ROTC, its not because I'm stuck there. In fact I consider it an HONOR to go where ever my country deems it necessary for me to go. I guess John Kerry forgot about West Point and the ROTC program when he made his comment. Oh well its just another reminder why he is NOT our President. However, even if he was our President I would serve him too because thats what the Military does, they selflessly and sacrificially serve the country on the days that you agree with what the US is doing and on the days that you don't. You see its simple the US Military does not waiver- they just serve.

It is wonderful, watching all the same persons blogging again and again that Bush is at fault for everything.

When the economy or taxes are being discussed, this election is a referendum on Bush and Iraq, but when a Democrat makes a clear-cut gaffe, well, it's still somehow Bush's fault! I'm sure Bush managed to squeeze-in making hay of Kerry's "misspeak" while hiding his part in the Lindburgh kidnapping!

Of course the Bush Camp is going to take advantage of the Kerry statement, because it was exactly what the BBC reporter entitled his piece: A Gift from Kerry. Bush spent the last month driving home the message that the Democrats are anti-defense, and have no strategy for the War on Terror, and Kerry took the platinum spoon out of his elitist mouth just long enough to give Mr. Bush what he must have been praying for.

If the situation was reversed, we'd be blogging about a new Bushism right now. Make a mistake, and expect to hear about it. The sound bite is more important than the substance! Those are THE rules in politics.

Remember, all, that a week before the election two years ago, we were all basking in the imminent demise of Mr. Bush, and the Democrats managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Much like a side which has talent, but has come to accept losing, there is still time for the Democrats to lose this in added time!

Another piece of lazy amateurish journalism. In the US we are used to it but normally expect more from BBC journalists. Lets be straight about it -
Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, and Blair are cowards who have blood on their hands. They have sent their own citizens into an unjust war due to their self-serving lies. That is an act of treason.

The US's GAO (Government Accountability Office) did studies of enlistments and it found that military recruits were *more likely* to have completed high school than people in the general US population. The civilian population does have more college education than those in the military, but this is mostly because those in the military do not need a college degree for their military career, and those in the civilian workforce need a college degree to open doors when searching for employment.

This *doesn't* mean that the average person in the armed forces is uneducated. On the contrary, the modern US military utilizes technology much more than many other civilian employers. Because military technology can be both unique and confidential, the military will train and educate recruits for their chosen specialty unlike any university or technical school is able to. As a result, the military employs highly-trained experts in many technical fields such as electronic and communication equipment repair, nuclear engineering, computer sciences, medical and healthcare services, aircraft pilots and technicians, intelligence officers, craftsmen (journeymen), and so forth. Modern miltary technology means that somewhere less than 20% of the people in the US Armed Forces is on the frontlines--the majority the US military are employed in support or administrative roles.

The US military has minimum enlistment entry standards that prevent the so-called "losers" and "dropouts" from entering service. These minimum standards cover: Educational Level (the US military prefers applicants that have completed high school), Mental Aptitude (measured by the Armed Forces Qualification Test), Physical Fitness (enlistees must be free of certain medical conditions and show the ability to deal with physical challenges of military training), Moral Character (shown by the lack of criminal convictions or anti-social behavior). Additionally, other factors such as the number of dependant children a person has can prevent individuals from entering the US military.

While it is true that the upper-class is under-represented in the US military, the under-class is also under-represented too because they are less likely to meet the minimum entry standards. In fact, the average enlistment comes from a family that has nearly the same household income as the rest of the US civilian population: roughly $44,000/yr. Enlistments to the US military come mainly from middle-class households, and more likely from suburban and rural areas rather than urban or inner-city backgrounds.

Search for d05952 at www.GAO.gov, along with keywords such as "military enlistment" for more information and documents.

Too many people view the current US military with the retrospective impression of the Vietnam war. (Namely, John Kerry for one.) Sure, the US military has a number of bad apples in it. You would expect that in a workforce that numbers in the millions. But unlike the 1960s when people were drafted into the military, today's US Armed Forces is an all-voulunteer force of highly motivated, patriotic, and dedicated individuals. It's not the same force that John Kerry served with in the 1960s when individuals such as himself were drafted. He seriously misspoke when he inferred that the US military consists of college dropouts, and owes every individual in the US military a deep apology for being a traitor to his country and for being just plain stupid.

Who cares what Kerry said. He's right (if pretty stupid for expressing it), it is a common truth that the undereducated end up in the military and fight and die for this country while draft dodgers like Bush and Cheyney pretend to be patriots.

I think Kerry was a lousy 2004 candidate and his ego won't let him accept he wont ever be President (just like millions of American men with overblown egos) Granted, I wish he would shut his trap and disappear. But his comments wont make any difference. Americans are sick of Iraq, sick of this cabal of neo-cons that got us there through lies and trickery, sick of corruption and tired of these guys!

For once, your correspondent got it wrong. Guess he's becoming another "WAshington Insider"!

Republicans got the best Spin Doctors and a Clinic (FOX News Channel) in the country.

Roshan B.
Greensboro, N.C.

Kerry is RIGHT! and George Bush and his republian buddies know it's the truth! Too bad this is all we have to make noise over a week before the elections.

Kerry got it right. who could disagree with Kerry at a time when the federal governement is DECREASING student loans to the poorest students who want to go on to higher education. decreasing the student loans and subsituting them for GI Bills is hardly a gift to America's youth and is sever classism.

Mr. Greene --

It's about time that print news assailed Bush for his abuse of the U.S. military in Iraq. He sent them to a needless war after 9/11, looking for WMDs that didn't exist and capturing the wrong leader -- Saddam and not Osama. It's about time that the Mr. Bush take personal responsibility for the more than 2,800 American men and women have given their lives. It's about time that Congress, the House and all politicians make Mr. Bush accountable for his actions and lack of judgement. Perhaps Mr. Kerry made a poor "joke", but Mr. Bush's blunders have been far more costly and deadly.

It's disappointing that your column focuses on Mr. Kerry and completely sidesteps the real perpetrator in this war on Iraq.

Some comments refer to a "volunteer army". A curious expression, when you listen to the radio in South Carolina. "If you are eighteen to twenty-four, you MUST register for selective service". This is an interesting use of the term "volunteer" I was not previously aware of. It is also illegal for US Universities to ban military recruiters, so clearly not volunteering is not much of an option. Are there intelligent people in the military? Sure - Admiral Grace Hopper was one of the preniere computer nerds of her time. However, the fact remains that fast responses to stimuli and truly deep, intense logic are wholly incompatiable. It is simply not possible to do both at the same time. The brain isn't wired that way. This makes insanity an inherent part of the military, all other considerations aside.

For the benefit of Mr. Greene:

con·text (kntkst)

n.

1. The part of a text or statement that surrounds a particular word or passage and determines its meaning.

2. The circumstances in which an event occurs; a setting.

I think a lot of soldiers who currently are in Iraq would echo Kerry's sentiments, so I don't think it's anti-military at all. Anyway, I think Kerry has more right to say such things than Bush, because Kerry actually did serve his country. I think the fact that he's not backing down from what he said is a good thing. After having an election possibly stolen from him and being bombarded with insults from the Republican affiliated Swift Boat Veterans, I think he's probably just getting fed up with all the hypocrisy and demagoguery of the current administration and calling a spade a spade. I agree with another person who commented here that he's finally showing some backbone. Would that he had shown this side of himself more when it counted during his campaigning for the Presidency. I will always admire Kerry more than Bush, as another person observed, he is considerably smarter then Bush, and as far as i'm concerned has more of a right to make cynical comments about a certain segment of society "ending up in Iraq" because for one, it's true and secondly, he paid his military dues unlike Bush. He put his life on the line for his country and didn't try to weasel out of it like Bush. If you ask me, Kerry is a man, Bush is not. I also agree with another poster who said Bush is the one who should be apologizing, not Kerry. I think Bush should apologize for only caring about the privileged, well-heeled members of our society and his cavalier use of everybody else for cannon fodder in a war that he illegally entered us into for his own egocentric reasons. When i think of a man like Kerry, i think of a man with a conscience and a certain amount of integrity. I don't get that feeling from our current President at all.

kerry meant george bush is the "poor student" that gets all americans "stuck in iraq". when i first heard this i thought he meant the soldiers were stuck. that is beacause i, like the republicans, think only the disadvantaged would actually serve. the fact that the republicans are jumping on this quote shows that they are actually the ones who think this way. how could kerry have meant anything else?

If Kerry is sooo smart why does he make such silly comments which can be easily twisted.

Reminds me of the last time I saw him saluting and saying reporting for duty (as the president) - It killed him. Was such a sorry show. But he is is the smart guy.

Oh dear me, are the American electorate seriously so gullable as to see this as anything other than than the dig at Bush that it clearly is to anyone with any sort of IQ.

Comments stating that this jokes was aimed at the troops, based it seems either on anti-democrat feelings, personal stereotypes or wishful thinking, made me dispair.

this article is really a "surprise gift" itself. i would not expect to read this on a bbc site. it looks like most other news sources explain this in more detail. bbc should post some sort of correction. the reporter sounds biased

I came to America in my early 20s as a poor immigrant from Central Asia. I enlisted in the US Army in less than a year. By that time, I did have a good job, and I was on my way to making it just fine. I did not enlist because of the money, lack of education, or out of boredom. I was very thankful to the country that gave me the opportunities I never dreamt of otherwise. I don't like going to war, but that is what I was sworn to do. Since then, I have completed my service, got married, earned a computer science degree, a fine job, a nice house and a great vacation plan. This is my American dream in less than 8 years. So, here is my advice to a college student: studying hard and doing homework will get you through college, but it may not get you through life. If you are a spineless wimp who is afraid to serve your own country relying on somebody else’s courage to fight for your freedom, your full stomach and your children's safety, then may God help your children. You are beyond help.
Politicians sell ideas for a living.
Senator Kerry is obviously not a sensible man, and he is not a smart politician either.

Wow and I thought the BBC had decent reporter. I guess that messes up my view of the world.

hard to argue? he insulted Bush, and you bought the repub spin. i expect that kind of stupidity out of the press here, but i expect better of the BBC. straighten up.

Two points --

1 -- If you follow the logic of Kerry's attempted (presumed) joke, he would be saying that a failed education creates one being elected governor of Texas and then President of the United States...and then one gets stuck in Iraq -- an EXTREMELY convoluted and inconceivable line of thought...and pretty just plain DUMB!

Also, IF John Kerry was commenting on George Bush intelligence and education, he is really in denial. John Kerry -- as came out after his military records were released has a lower IQ than Bush -- and worse grades at Yale. In addition, Bush's BEST grades were obtained in courses like Anthropology and philosophy and Kerry's were in Political Science.

2 -- In any case, the people he owes an apology to IS the troops, and ALL military people and families. Even accepting that it was a bungled joke, the result was the fact that he HURT a whole lot of people. He needs to take responsibility for that hurt, even if unintended. We ALL have "misspoke", but if it hurt anyone, the decent thing MOST people would do is apologize for that hurt (due to the "bungle"). If Kerry was more of a person and less of a political animal, he would have immediately said he misspoke and apologized for the inadvertent hurt caused by his gaff. The time for Kerry to do this -- with ANY genuineness -- has now come and gone...more signs that he is far less intelligent than he like people to believe.

John Buck
Washington D.C.

What amazes me is how you so readily pipe what the Bushies say, Mr. Greene. Of course another explanation could be that in fact Mr. Kerry DID make a bad joke and slipped up. But why would you report that...that would be the end of this story, and you would have to write a real piece...for once.

Rich, you got it all wrong here about Kerry. His joke was quoted with a crucial word omitted "us" that was uttered before "stuck". Hard to believe you could fall so easily into the trap here or did you also like the Swiftbooters?? who took the big-lie technique to heights that even Goebbels would have envied.

John Kerry's candidacy was destroyed by an orchestrated smear campaign carried out by Bush's people in 2004. Now that the Congress appears to be slipping away from the GOP, we can expect the likes of Kerry to be targets again. Maybe Kerry helps the GOP, but only because they desperately need to change the subject. We will be treated in the next seven days to intense Kerry-bashing, if Karl Rowe has his way."Damn the issues, Full Speed Ahead!"

It is all political spin. The Republicans are waiting for democrates true colors to shine out, then they advertise them (i.e. anti-Christian views, homosexuality support, etc...). The democrates are waiting for one of the Republicans to mess up, then they advertise them (Folley... no pun intended).

Yes, Kerry earned himself and his party a minor PR crisis - but isn't that how any country's war machine sees the faceless soldiers? As "disposable heroes"? If the American people choose the warmongering Republicans again because of Kerry telling the truth, let them be happy in their fantasy world. It's not as if they care about reality, or even about their fellow countrymen who don't share their boneheaded ideals.

The US Military is not made up of uneducated low income members. The majority of enlistees come from middle to upper middle class families. The US military has a higher percentage of undergrad and post grad educated members than the population at large. The US all volunteer military is the second to none in world history.

Sen Kerry's undergrad grade were worst than Pres Bush's. Pres Bush has a MBA and has been a corporate CEO, as well as Texas governor. Texas has 22.8 million citizens and a state gross product of $924.55 billion. UK has 60.6 million people producing $2.2 trillion. Per capita, Texas beats UK and Pres Bush led the state for many years.

I love that everyone who reads this and comments agrees with kerry. Of course we never hear from Bush supporters because they are less educated, and less prone to read the news.

Bush lost both elections anyway. Nov 2, 2004:

Ohio: 239,127 uncounted votes; bush's 'victory margin': 118,599 votes.

Iowa: 36,811 uncounted votes; bush's 'victory margin': 10,059 votes.

New Mexico: 33,981 uncounted votes; bush's 'victory margin': 5,988 votes.

The ratio of african-american to caucasian uncounted votes (by area) is
9:1. African-Americans vote overwhelmingly democratic. Do the math.

Source: BBC Journalist Greg Palast, 2006.

This is a pile of BS. There isn't anything the current administration wouldn't take and manipulate to form into their brand (Rovian) of messaging. This isn't a "gift" as is posited by the author of this article. Kerry was stating an observation based on the perspective of his audience. He didn't offer an apology when prompted, nor should he. There has never been an apology offered for any action taken by this most abhorrent and ridiculous and embarrasing of administrations. As a U.S. citizen I am ashamed to associate myself with any modicum of contemporary American perspective, or what is percieved as said perspective. The majority and good people of this country do NOT support this man or his cronies, and the wave is growing.

All Kerry had to say was "Think about it."

After watching Kerry's comments play on national t.v. a dozen times today there should be NO doubt in what he said. It is a good reminder why Kerry LOST to Bush. So to those who have posted comments regarding Kerry's superior IQ, you may want to re-think that. As for Iraq being another Viet Nam. Study your history. Currently, the economy in the United States is in better shape now than it ever was during the Viet Nam war. Our armed forces are now all volunteer. After 9/11 many Americans, young and middle aged, enlisted in the military and continue to do so. There is a more educated military today than during the draft years of Viet Nam. Maybe the person who needs to do his homework is Kerry.

Not supporting the war in Iraq and not supporting the troops are two very different things. I don't want the war but I support our troops. Its not there fault that they are there. The go where they are told. Our job is to make sure that they don't die needlessly.

I like how an uneducated man(bush) can't see that difference, or at least tries to get us to not see.

As a member of the military, I was very insulted by Senator Kerry's comments. He spoke in code to California liberals but his words were obvious.

However, I am a college graduate who CHOSE to go to the military just like every other person - the military is made up entirely of volunteers and we represent A CROSS-SECTION OF AMERICA.

The military is different from Vietnam, Korea and WWII when soldiers and sailors were drafted.

John Kerry has a history of insulting the troops. In the 1970s he called them rapists and criminals. He did the same thing earlier this year on the CBS show, "Face the Nation."

The Foley scandal received 2 weeks of attention for no reason. This man is the standard-bearer of the Democratic Party and his words matter.

...

In support of the comments made by Adam from Chicago at 10:53 PM on October 31, I suggest that Adam's argument is both logically and grammatically correct. I base this on over forty years of experience as a teacher of the English language with a discipline in creative writing and ethnic literature.

Mr. Greene, I suggest that in the future you do some research with your brain engaged prior to putting your typewriter in gear. Otherwise, the best that can be said about your writing is that it constitutes yellow journalism.

I believe Bush graduated from Yale University. Would you even jokingly call him someone who didn't study hard and do his homework? Democrats who resort to insulting their opponants do not deserve the respect of the voter any more than incompetent and thick-headed Republicans. I don't think any of these characters has actually studied history or had a serious thought about accomplishing anything other than their own self-interests. Where is Kerry's plan?

I am disappointed with Kerry's comment. I don't think that was the message he was trying to send out but the truth is that he did. The US military have one of the best intellects compared to any other military in the world past or present. I am previleged to deal with these intellects of today and tomorrow on a daily bases at west point. As a hard working cadet, I am not happy because I believe Kerry insulted my future troops.

Richard Green has his head up his _____!
The surpirze gift was to hear Kerry lay it out in todays news. I loved it, no holds barred tell it like it is. None of the dancing around most politcs favor. How is it that the media " Mr. Green " can jump in with the pro Bush spin?

Kerry is a Senator (1 of 100) in the minority party in the senate. Who cares if he makes a joke and botches the delivery? His stupid comment, even if it was not meant to be has no bearing on anything in the real world. People are dying by the scores and President Bush has time to respond to criticism from an irrelevant senator? Why is this news? By the tone of every other response to this blog, it isn't. Kerry is the junior senator from one of the smallest states in the union and has no bearing on how things are run in this country because of his position in the minority party so shouldn't we all worry about things that matter? And, lest we forget, Kerry served his country in a time of war much unlike those who are in charge of this war.