Dick Cheney is somewhat more elegant about it: "It's my belief that [the insurgents are] very sensitive of the fact that we've got an election scheduled... [They believe] they can break the will of the American people," and "that's what they're trying to do."
Josh Marshall reads the linked article and comments: "Get ready for the fangs and knives... The desperation will be ferocious. Imagine everything from the last six years rolled into one toxic week. An electoral gauntlet of hacking knives and fire. But, then, where did one party rule ever end serenely?"
A gauntlet of hacking knives and fire? That's one crazy image. Like something out of "Edward Scissorhands" or maybe "Yellow Submarine" -- remember The Dreadful Flying Glove?
Ah, but wait. Only conservative usage writers insist on the gauntlet/gantlet distinction, and since Marshall's no conservative, he's allowed to stir up distracting glove imagery as he makes his point that the President is getting really, really desperate.
Everyone knows Bush speaks inelegantly. Is he charged up as the election nears? I hope so. He should be. Imagine what people like Marshall would say if he seemed ennervated and resigned. And it's not as if we aren't going to see Democrats reveal their sharp edges this week. Fangs, knives, fiery gloves, what have you. And it's not as if Democrats aren't going drop their guard and let a blunt phrase slip out.
UPDATE: If you listened to the audio at that last link, there's more commentary here, here, and here. It really is amazing how politically inept John Kerry is.
Posts
60 comments:
Did John Kerry just call the troops in Iraq stupid?
Though, it is true that infrantry requires lower scores on the entrance exam.
The other Simon Kenton and the other gauntlet.
Yep, that's the way John Kerry supports the troops: imply they're stupid/lazy just to score political points.
Meade, one of the companions of Simon Kenton on the fateful day Bonah captured him was my great, great, great, great, great grandfather Alexander Montgomery. The Shawnee war party killed grandpa as he rushed for the river after he tried to kill Bonah, who was menancing the captured enemy combatant Simon Kenton. They scalped grandpa then repeatedly slapped Simon's face with the scalp. Simon, grandpa and the other fellow had taken some Shawnee horses and that's why they were chased to the Ohio river, not because they were on a recon mission. It goes to show what can happen in the absence of Geneva conventions - stealing, abuse of detainees, mutilation, torture. More importantly, if grandpa had been trying to read, write and cipher better, he might not have been stuck in Indian country. Proof positive of this is the fact that his two sons, Alex Jr. and John, were themselves in combat against the British and Indians at the age of 16 and 15 respectively.
“You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq,” said John Kerry before an audience of college students (in California?) one week out from the mid-term elections.
I question the timing. George and John both at Yale. Both Skull and Bones. I'm thinking were witnessing the continuation of some kind of secret ritual taking place. Or Kerry bet his soul on some Tuesday Beer and Poker Night and lost to a Bush inside flush. Bush then transferred the rights to Rove and...
You can almost hear the RNC ads making themselves.
Goesh:
Thanks for your interesting, personal, and humorous take.
John Kerry may have been luckier in battle, but clearly your grandpa Montgomery would run mental circles around him in any gauntlet of morality and intelligence.
It's funny reading Marshall's purple metaphor butchery, as that purported teacher of journalism calls out Bush on his inarticulate speaking. I suppose it falls into the pot/kettle category.
This arguing about plans is ridiculous. Neither party has a clue about what will work. If either Party had a good plan, this coming election would be a rout.
I think it's foolish to continue to allow the present people in charge to continue their badly bumbling bungling ways. Whether or not Democratic control of the house and/or senate -- something I'm not sure will happen -- will help in Iraq is unknowable. That is the dilemma for someone like me -- a strong urge to penalize horrible performance (Republicans), but not knowing what the replacement will do.
A third choice would be nice.
The beauty of Kerry's quote: it slams the door shut on '08. How could any Democrat in good faith countenance supporting him, knowing that that quote will be rebroadcast ad nauseum.
The inelegant speech of politicians is breathtaking.
I don't know how the president expect to "win" this war if he doesn't even grasp the problem.
Probably the same way you can hold yourself out as an authority on the issue, without mentioning the Iranian part of the problem, which is not a minor issue. How can you expect to critique people on this war, if you don't even grasp the problem?
Kerry's comment shows where his head is really at, which is back in the Vietnam era. What he said doesn't even make sense, since we don't have a draft anymore, and thus there is no issue of poor students being unable to get draft deferrals and having to go to war. No one is in Iraq who didn't voluntarily join the military, or join the National Guard (with the understanding they could be called up).
As the Reps get out the "knives," the nutroots will all be at the genteel new movie, Assassination of the President. Or maybe they will stay home and replay the fair, scholarly Farenheit 9/11.
Boy, freder's all worked up today. I am glad to see, however, that he's admitting the Bush strategy defeated the insurgency and now we're trying to fix a civil war. That's not easy, but it's doable.
Then I really, really like his bald assertions about conditions in Iraq before and after the invasion. Way to lay the facts out there fred. Oh, I see you didn't. Oh, well, nice try, anyway.
I suggest it's time for another election in Iraq. The propositions to be voted on would be:
A) release Saddam and put him back in power? Yes/No.
B) All American troops leave immediately? Yes/No.
I'm willing to have such an election. Are you freder, or are you just blowing smoke, again?
Isn't a verdict on Saddam due November 5? The reaction to that will in part answer your first question.
McCain takes off the gloves, gives friend John a hard jab (via Drudge):
"Tue Oct 31 2006 11:43:14 ET
Senator Kerry owes an apology to the many thousands of Americans serving in Iraq, who answered their country's call because they are patriots and not because of any deficiencies in their education. Americans from all backgrounds, well off and less fortunate, with high school diplomas and graduate degrees, take seriously their duty to our country, and risk their lives today to defend the rest of us in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
They all deserve our respect and deepest gratitude for their service. The suggestion that only the least educated Americans would agree to serve in the military and fight in Iraq, is an insult to every soldier serving in combat, and should deeply offend any American with an ounce of appreciation for what they suffer and risk so that the rest of us can sleep more comfortably at night. Without them, we wouldn't live in a country where people securely possess all their God-given rights, including the right to express insensitive, ill-considered and uninformed remarks."
"Fangs,hacking knives and fire." The evil of it all.
The Repubs should be more like the Dems and use blackface and gay-outing. Far more civilized.
On a less snarky note, we would do well to remember something Dag Hammarskjold, former UN Sec. General, once said:
"The pursuit of peace and progress cannot end in a few years in either victory or defeat. The pursuit of peace and progress, with its trials and errors, its successes and setbacks, can never be relaxed...
...and never abandoned."
PatCA,
...the nutroots will all be at the genteel new movie, Assassination of the President....
I can't remember where I saw it yesterday, and haven't been able to find it, but the box office results for this movie are very unimpressive. It may drop off the radar screen here soon.
“You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”
Okay, let's look at the language Kerry used.
"[I]f...you make an effort to be smart...." Make an effort to be smart? Make an effort to be smart? What's that supposed to mean?
"If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."
Of course, Kerry got "stuck" in Vietnam, so we can infer that he didn't make enough of "an effort to be smart" when he was younger. Apparently, he still hasn't.
Supporting my contention, Drudge provided this link. Plus, a bonus picture of Kerry looking like someone Flounder from Animal House wouldn't want to be seen with. Ugh.
Rather you are voting Democrat because you think it's unsalvageable and you would like to wash your hands of the whole mess so the US can get back to being popular.
Oh brother. Should I vote Republican because they're doing a heckuva job, Brownie?
I realize you think I'm an obstructionist. It's a horrible job to expect accountability in important jobs.
Icepick, doesn't it look like Kerry is telling the photographer how to take his picture? The man just cannot stop talking.
And Bush looks vaguely unibrow-ish.
'Yep, that's the way John Kerry supports the troops: imply they're stupid/lazy just to score political points.'
A couple of weeks back this graph was all over the blogs except this one. It illustrates very well which senators truly support the troops. The survey was done by the organization Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran of America.
http://bobgeiger.blogspot.com/2006/10/
iava-support-troops-rankings-for-
senate.html
Oh enough with the Katrina stuff already. Today's Democrat has completely perverted Kennedy's phrase.
ask not what you can do for your country—ask what your country can do for you.
MM wrote: Icepick, doesn't it look like Kerry is telling the photographer how to take his picture? The man just cannot stop talking.
Yes, and what a break for Republicans!
And Bush looks vaguely unibrow-ish.
The Walker-Bush clan's dirty little secret: W. is the secret love-child of George H. W. Bush and Leonid Brezhnev.
MM also wrote: Oh brother. Should I vote Republican because they're doing a heckuva job, Brownie?
I realize you think I'm an obstructionist. It's a horrible job to expect accountability in important jobs.
Okay, I'm a conservative Republican, and the only arguement I can make for keeping the bone-heads in my party in charge is that the Democrats that would replace them would be worse. That's really not much of an arguement, is it?
My advice to reasonable Americans: vote for whomever you feel is the least awful choice. The test for reasonability? Well, if you think there are GOOD choices this election season, then you're not reasonable.
Actually seeing the video clip of John Kerry's latest gaffe is quite illuminating. It was quite clear that he was not referrring to young people working to avoid becoming Rumsfeld et al 30 years hence.
Big bonus: watching the reaction of, especially, the young lady behind and to the left of Kerry. She appears to not be blessed with Kerry's tin-ear and, therefore, at least fleetingly, looks chagrined.
And as I type this comment? Kerry's on the TeeVee telling us how he didn't say what he said, or at least he didn't mean what he said, or at least Republicans etc. are putting what he said in the worst, wrong light:
"... I'm not going to stand for this anymore. Period. That's the apology people are going to get...."
Heh.
My advice to reasonable Americans: vote for whomever you feel is the least awful choice. The test for reasonability? Well, if you think there are GOOD choices this election season, then you're not reasonable.
It seems like this is a very common sentiment right now. I don't understand why a Kadima-style third party isn't viable. Is it that anyone with any power feels like there's too much at stake?
And he thinks McCain should go look for an apology from someone else.
And that accusing him (Kerry) of EVER insulting troops, or even thinking he ever WOULD insult troops, is itself an insult. (Note, he wasn't intending to refer to McCain in the statements expressing that sentiment, I don't think. Although, how it wouldn't apply in that way in the more generic sense, I don't know.)
WTF?
Can someone kindly show me some examples of "Arab Democracy" in action? There is no such thing, just as there is no such thing as the "Arab world"
Best example on how to deal with wmd's, and rogue countries is Libya, who had much more advanced weapons systems than Saddam ever had. The Bush Admin (and Brits) gets not enough credit for this -- secret back-door diplomacy that de-fanged, and dis-armed a country that had some really nasty shit.
As for Iraq -- withdraw into friendly surrounding areas -- let it flame out -- come back and try to pick up the pieces. And make sure the maniacs that hatched this suicide mission are never allowed policy decision-making again.
no one can say anything anymore without becoming a sound-byte in the blogosphere. Yet i think there's some serious good here because it forces politicians to be more, not less authentic. My collegue and I produced a podcast today for our company talking about these very issues and the changing face of politics in the "new world" of online political activism. If you're interested, here it is:
http://thehub.orrasgs.com/audio/sgs-2006-10-31-59560.mp3
p.lukasiak,
My nephew volunteered for the Army and served with honor in Iraq. He saw first hand the difference he, and his fellow soldiers, made to the Iraqi people. His greatest frustration is the twisted and warped comments people like you, John Kerry and other defeatests are making.
"Lame spin attempt, Freder. Completely lame."
Josh Marshall is trying the same thing.
If Repubs are for our troops -- why are Iraq vets coming back from Iraq by a 50-1 margin, as Democrats? And the one R is going to lose.
Anybody??
I have a theory....
The problem with voting Republican is the underlying message that I think the war is going swimmingly and George is doing a Heckuva job, and we should just keep torturing people and spending money like there's no tomorrow. But that's not what I think at all.
The problem with voting Democratic is the underlying message that is George W. Bush is an idiot and get us the Heck outta there! Well, that's not what I think at all, either.
That's why I'd like a third choice. So I'll vote Libertarian, maybe, for the US Senate. I know Senator Do-Nothing MoneyBags doesn't need my vote.
If Repubs are for our troops -- why are Iraq vets coming back from Iraq by a 50-1 margin, as Democrats?
I'd be really interested in seeing the survey you have that backs that up. Otherwise I'm gonna have to call bs on that one.
That guy who told me to join the Army... doesn't seem to realize how old I am!
Salamandyr
I was wrong. Sorry. I committed my own worst pet peeve.
Its 10-1 favor of Dems
Total of 50 Vets overall running as Dems.
And only 5 running as a Republican?
I hadn't read that. How are the Republicans doing? Is GWB stumping for them?
No offense, but the Marines are not exactly the same as the Army infantry divisions.
Of course, Kerry got "stuck" in Vietnam, so we can infer that he didn't make enough of "an effort to be smart" when he was younger. Apparently, he still hasn't.
No, he volunteered during the era of the draft after going to officer school, or whatever. He chose it when others had to go against their will. So he would say he wasn't "stuck". Just to be clear, I'm not defending Kerry and I have never voted for the man.
I wouldn't put it past Kerry to hurt the Democrats' chances in 2006 just to help himself in 2008 -- there are plenty of military-hating Democrats this will rile up, believe it or not. I know liberals who root for American soldiers to be killed. No, I'm not making that up.
I for one am glad Ann did her nails instead of being on a swiftboat with Kerry. Heck, I'm just glad she does her nails.
Sorry, Democrats, best thing to do here is call Kerry an idiot and step away from him; he's starting to smell like three-day-old fish.
isn't there a Failed-Pol Rehab Clinic in L.A. or Montana, where Kerry can disppear to for awhile, with Foley perhaps? Some good 12-step program where they admit they have no control over their idiot mouths, and subsume it to a higher power?
Actually, now that I see Kerry's explanation and press release -- in the Washington Post article -- I think Kerry planned this. The way it was worded is exactly the kind of thing the GOP could be counted to jump on, especially coming from Kerry, and the ambiguity in the statement and his explanation seems too well-written so quickly for it to be an extemporaneous mistake; it was likely calculated. We're talking about a Senator who sends out press releases while he is at dinner in a restaurant and calls for procedural moves in the Senate while he is in foreign countries.
He's a rather calculating fellow. I'll give him that. This rings as hollow as Clinton's explosion on Fox.
I know liberals who root for American soldiers to be killed. No, I'm not making that up.
Yes, you did just make this up.
So he would say he wasn't "stuck".
Everyone in the military today has volunteered, so this explanation doesn't wash.
Yes, you did just make this up.
No, I actually didn't. I actually had a conversation with a friend who made the remark that he hoped more American troops died in Iraq, because we shouldn't be there. He also claims to be equivocal on Chavez's regime in Venezuela and thinks it is great that Chavez is trying to give us a hard time. Furthermore, he also thinks that until an international body, i.e., a world government, has total control over all the nukes, it's just fine for Iran to pursue them to counter our power in the region, and he thinks, even though there were real flaws in the Kyoto Protocol, we should have signed it anyway, just because it's an international agreement. Likewise, he believes we should join the International Criminal Court just because it is international, and didn't care when I explained to him how silly universal jurisdiction is. I know more than one person like this, and they all call themselves liberals and all voted for Kerry. I live in a blue state.
So he would say he wasn't "stuck".
Everyone in the military today has volunteered, so this explanation doesn't wash.
Yes, but there is no draft today, so the argument would be that people who volunteered were forced by economics, etc. His argument would be those kinds of pressures did not influence volunteering in his day. So it does wash, actually.
You know what, maybe I should just join a local Republican club, because you just made me realize why I dislike many of my friends.
What we do know is that Democrats made a conscious effort to recruit Iraq vets to run. That is about the extent of what one can draw from that statistic.
And/or Repubs didn't make the effort to recruit, or were unsucessful.
I have a lily-white upper-middle class ass but also served 4 years in the military. Do I get an opinion?
Oh.My.God.
We are really, really, doomed aren't we? We have a world situation with bombs poised at our heads; and according to some of your posters - it's NOT IMPORTANT.
and I blame the news media that REFUSE to report the news objectively. I have family members that are basing their voting on sound bites they get from CBS, NBC et al - and have no idea what the real situation is. They don't have time to find it out, either. So they rely on the 'big 3' who, I imagine must be in 8th grade somewhere in Utopia and never grew up.
We are dealing with propaganda, my friends. The true patriots are the one's rebelling - and I do not include all Republicans in the patriot category.
Well, it is all going to be a great surprise, isn't it? When we have our final attack.
I am going to vote straight Republican, whilst holding my nose, and then going home to plant a vegetable garden - and arm myself. Because if it goes south, everyone will be on their own. Yep.
Yeah, sure. If you never voted for him, it's probably because you are Canadian.
So earlier in the thread I'm called a liar by someone on the left because I said I personally know nutty liberals who root for our troops to die; now I'm accused of voting for Kerry by someone on the right because I point out that Kerry would have a valid argument for distinguishing volunteering today (in an all volunteer army context) from volunteering for optional service in a conscription regime.
Why don't you two get together and trade notes? Why would I talk about how silly universal jurisdiction is and lampoon joining the International Criminal Court and ratifying the Kyoto Protocol if I had voted for Kerry? That makes absolutely no sense. I voted for Bush in 2004.
Stop slandering people.
Oh, and by the way: my daughter served in Iraq for a year, in Baghdad, after going to college, and after 9/11 - although she was too old for most of the branches, she persisted until she got in. She was not stupid and not financially in need - and I really resent Stupid-Never-Disclosed-All-His-Records implying that would be the reason.
She's up for redeployment again; shortly, and I really really REALLY worry about who will be in charge. I would go too if I was of an age.
It's hopeless.
I want to go to bed.
You know what? Some other people served, besides your "token" democrats. Many other people. So take your FU right back at you. And rest easy, knowing that no matter how you believe, there are people ready and willing to defend you. No matter what you believe.
Sleep well.
Gore served, even Ted Kennedy served. Jimmy Carter served. Charles Rangel served. George McGovern served.
And I bet they're all (well, the ones who are alive) ruefully shaking their heads, dumbstruck at Kerry's true ineptness.
Well, you posted all the FU diatribe after all. So why can't I sink to your level?
FYI: my daughter was not a Republican when she enlisted.
She is now.
I, am on the fence.
You - are not encouraging me in your direction.
"Take your condescending "you hate the troops but they'll defend you anyway" and shove it straight up your ass."
You have such a way with words! You should learn more words!
Cedarford:
His explaination that he was really talking about them not being Leaders like Rumsfeld, Bush or Cheney 35-40 years down the road making mistakes that a good education would prevent doesn't wash. He was speaking to students of military age about their own situation and that of young peers of theirs that lacked choices.
He was firing off zingers at Bush and had just said that Bush used to live in Texas, but now lived in a state of denial.
And an aide explained that his planned comments were to say "you end up getting us stuck in Iraq".
And, Bush, who didn't study hard and try to be smart about Iraq, *is* stuck in Iraq... making such a flub very easy to make.
Sorry to ruin such a fine rant with inconvenient facts, but the fact of the matter is, Kerry had no intention of insulting the troops, or suggesting to college kids that they might end up stuck in Iraq; he was trying to say Bush was stupid to get us into Iraq.
But, if you'd rather spread a hateful lie than to research a bit and discover the truth, be my guest. I know lots of people are slurping up the hate right now, so it must be awfully tasty.
Why is it that angry liberals use so many sexual metaphors?
Trey
Or, is Michael just incredibly horny?
Trey
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