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The AP is reporting that John Kerry has apologized for ‘a botched joke‘. The distinction here is important. John Kerry hasn’t apologized for repeatedly taking underhanded swipes at the troops; essentially calling them stupid. Nope, he is apologizing because he “botched” the joke.

WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kerry apologized for “a botched joke” about President Bush’s Iraq policies that led Bush and fellow Republicans to accuse him of insulting U.S. troops. Some Democrats in close races assailed Kerry, while others called the flap a ploy by the GOP to improve its chances in next week’s midterm elections.

“Of course I’m sorry about a botched joke. You think I love botched jokes?” Kerry said during an appearance Wednesday on Don Imus’ nationally syndicated radio program. “I mean, you know, it’s pretty stupid.”

This is a joke in and of itself.

No Mr. Kerry, you are pretty stupid if you think that we are going to let you run away from a tried and true liberal talking point and redirect it as an issue about President Bush or his policies.

Make no mistake about it John Kerry did not make a mistake when he inferred that our soldiers were dumb. He thought he was appealing to the rabid moonbats that make up the anti-war left. It also played right into the mainstream media claims that the military has lowered standards to boost recruiting levels.

Hence Mr. Kerry was playing into a long litany of MSM reports that pretty much state the same.

A Google search for “military lowers standards recruiting” yields over 3.3 million hits. (Update: This search now yields over 4 million hits thanks in part to people like Senator Kerry)

The following list provides just a few examples from the mainstream hypocrites who are circling the wagons around John Kerry.

Slate.com, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2005, - The Dumbing-Down of the U.S. Army - Further evidence that the war in Iraq is wrecking the U.S. Army: Recruiters, having failed to meet their enlistment targets, are now being authorized to pursue high-school dropouts and (not to mince words) stupid people.

Miami Herald, October 4, 2005, Army Lowers Bar for Recruits - “Army Secretary Noel Harvey and Gen. Richard Cody, the vice chief of staff, said Monday that the Army is using looser Defense Department rules that permits it to sign up more high school dropouts and people who score lower on mental-qualification tests, but they denied that this meant it was.”

MSNBC, October 9, 2006, Army tops recruit goal by lowering standards - WASHINGTON - The U.S. Army recruited more than 2,600 soldiers under new lower aptitude standards this year, helping the service beat its goal of 80,000 recruits in the throes of an unpopular war and mounting casualties.

CBS News, October 9, 2006, Army Lowers Standards To Meet Goals (Same article as MSNBC one above with slightly different headline just to spread the goods) - (AP) The U.S. Army recruited more than 2,600 soldiers under new lower aptitude standards this year, helping the service beat its goal of 80,000 recruits in the throes of an unpopular war and mounting casualties.

The Guardian UK, June 4, 2005, US lowers standards in army numbers crisis - The US military has stopped battalion commanders from dismissing new recruits for drug abuse, alcohol, poor fitness and pregnancy in an attempt to halt the rising attrition rate in an army under growing strain as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I could go on forever.

Based on these reports I find it hard to believe that Senator Kerry isn’t being anything but disingenuous when he says “You cannot get into the military today if you do badly in school.” He doesn’t believe that and neither does the American left, the mainstream media or most of the left leaning politicians in Congress.

So thanks but no thanks Mr. Kerry. You can try and spin it if you want and the mainstream media can come to your rescue. Unfortunately both of you have a track record that doesn’t fool the American public. Save it for your diary on the Daily Kos.

BTW, I am going to keep beating this drum. Why does a U.S. Senator have a personal diary on the Daily Kos website that regularly accuses the U.S. military of being mass murderers, calls the president of the United States Bushitler and calls Pope Benedict a Nazi? This little fact would be front and center on every American newspaper and on the lips of every Democrat in Congress if the shoe was on the other foot and a Republican had a diary on a gay bashing or minority bashing website.

So save us your apologies; your actions and track record say pretty much everything we need to hear.

(Added thought - Why are Christians, the President and the U.S. Military treated any differently than the left’s favorite groups? Suddenly it is OK for people like Conyers and Kerry to have diaries on websites that often spew hate toward Conservatives; and not just your run of the mill hate. They have a special brand of loony vile moonbat hate that is somehow acceptable to the msm and libs.)

Others Bloggin on Kerry:

• the Anchoress
• Michelle Malkin
• Sensible Mom
• Bill’s Bites
• Flopping Aces
• Wizbang
• The Political Pit bull
• Captain’s Quarters
• Blue Crab Boulevard
• The Real Ugly American
• Riehl World View

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