Gawd, this just won’t die. 

OK, I want to address the Seattle Post Intelligencer’s defense of Sen John Kerry and the representation they, and now he, are making about the military.

First a recap to the folks asleep the last week.  This stemmed from what Kerry claims was a botched joke. 

Education…if you make the most of it and you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.

He says he meant to say "get us stuck in Iraq", an obvious jab at Bush.  Others disagree, and accuse him of making a deliberate slam on the military.

The Seattle PI said in an editorial Thursday that both are correct:

Was Kerry making fun of the president, or warning students against the pitfalls awaiting the undereducated in general?

It doesn’t matter. Kerry was right either way.

Kerry wasn’t saying — regardless of the Republican spin — that our troops are stupid.

Well, sadly, yes that is exactly what he said if you read his statement literally.

Break it down. The elements are:

Do that and you can do well.

But if you don’t make the most of it, study hard, do your homework and make an effort to be smart, well then you are stuck in Iraq.

A literal read clearly implies that those in Iraq did not make the most of their education, did not study hard, did not do their homework and made NO effort to be smart and therefore ended up in the military, stuck in Iraq.

Regardless of whether he intended that meaning or not, that is how it came out, which is why the military people got mad, and took offense.  They had every right to be.

And the PI clearly thinks the military is a place for undereducated people.  How condescending.

The PI continues:

I said I was done, I know.  But this was too funny…

I think the issue is essentially dead.  We have heard all the apology we will get, I wager.

I would be more satisfied were it not for two things.

First, it has to do with his assertion this was a joke.  I can buy that as being plausible, and the initial reports seemed very reasonable.  But his later explanations seem to keep getting more and more elaborate, which as most parents know, is a sign your kid is lying, as they embellish the story to make it more believable.  So far we have hear 4 slightly different variations.

The other reason is the apology itself.  Let’s deconstruct it.

Statement of Senator John Kerry

As a combat veteran, I want to make it clear to anyone in uniform and to their loved ones: my poorly stated joke at a rally was not about, and never intended to refer to any troop.

OK, here he does take some responsibility.

I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform,

Sorry, but your words were not misinterpreted, they were taken literally at face value.  This is an attempt to mitigate the blame and share the responsibility. 

and I personally apologize to any service member, family member, or American who was offended.

Fair enough, if not for the previous line.

But why close with this?

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

No it is clear that when you put your foot in your mouth, people may demand an accounting.

People are calling for his resignation.  Good luck.

Allah at Hot Air looks at it more, and he is with me in the "yes it is easy to believe he can’t tell a joke" category.

From his website:

Statement of Senator John Kerry

As a combat veteran, I want to make it clear to anyone in uniform and to their loved ones: my poorly stated joke at a rally was not about, and never intended to refer to any troop.

I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform, and I personally apologize to any service member, family member, or American who was offended.

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

Sigh.  You could have just made the damn apology, why editorialize it?

Typical.

But the apology is done, so let’s see where this goes now.

More at Breitbart:

Kerry Apologizes for Remark About Troops

Thrust into the midst of the midterm election campaign, Sen. John Kerry apologized Wednesday to "any service member, family member or American who was offended" by remarks deemed by Republicans and Democrats alike to be insulting to U.S. forces in Iraq.

Six days before the election, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee said he sincerely regretted his words were "misinterpreted to imply anything negative about those in uniform."

In a brief statement, Kerry attacked President Bush for a "failed security policy." Yet his apology, issued after prominent Democrats had urged him to cancel public appearances, was designed to quell a controversy that party leaders feared would stall their drive for big gains on Nov. 7.

Kerry beat a gradual retreat in his return to the national campaign spotlight. Earlier in the day, appearing on the radio program "Imus in the Morning," the Massachusetts senator said he was "sorry about a botched joke" about President Bush. He heaped praise on the troops, adamantly accused Republicans of twisting his words and said it was the commander in chief and his aides who "owe America an apology for this disaster in Iraq."

To be fair, Hillary may be seeing this as a way to school one of her potential challengers for the 2008 ticket.  But even a broken watch is right twice a day, and in this case she is too.

Sen. Clinton visits Kingston, says Kerry should apologize

Sen. Hillary Clinton, speaking at a Kingston campaign stop this morning, joined the chorus of Democrats criticizing Sen. John Kerry for what the former presidential candidate has called a joke gone awry.

“What Sen. Kerry said was inappropriate,” she said.

Even she get’s it.

Asked if Kerry should apologize, President Bush and other members of both parties have said, Clinton said “I heard he said he was sorry.

So he says, yet no one has really heard it.

Clinton tried to deflect attention from the controversy by saying “elections are about the future,” and “we don’t have to be re-fighting the 2004 election, as much as President Bush would like that.

Of course, she wants to make it fade too…..

Also at Michelle Malkin

From Thinkprogress, we hear Kerry talking about this this morning on Imus. (see the video)

He says he apologized for the botched joke, but I really don’t hear an apology for the people offended.

It is a start, but in my opinion, not enough.

(by the way, there are many clips from Imus ruinnign around, all contradicting each other.  Hopefully someone will post the whole thing)

UPDATE-  Kerry has the whole transcript up on his site here.  He twices claims he has apologized.

LSU asks WHERE?  WHEN?  So far I have not found anything but redirecting the issue with counter attacks.

Here is a partial transcript:

IMUS: It was my inclination to try to defend you in this, and I said, I think I know what he meant, I mean it’s clear what he meant. But I had to acknowledge in my conversation with Charles that that’s not what you said.

KERRY: Of course it isn’t what I said. I left out one word, I left out the word us. They got us stuck. Instead of that, I said they got stuck. And they’re taking advantage of it. And here’s what’s wrong.

IMUS: Why not apologize for the misunderstanding?

KERRY: I did, I said it was a botched joke, of course I’m sorry about a botched joke. You think I love botched jokes? It’s pretty stupid.

I looked and never found anywhere yesterday where he apologized. 

FWIW, Tony Snow isn’t buying it either.

All you have to do is say, I apologize. I said something, it came out wrong, I’m sorry. And instead, what Sen. Kerry has done, is he’s tried to whip it into a big thing…

John just make a blanket, heartfelt apology to the troops, and release it on your website, like you should have done in the first place.  Gawd.  Quit playing games with it. 

Dude, the longer you let this fester, the worse it looks.  The interview with Imus is a start, but it is not enough.

John, still think that the the troops have confidence you support them?  I don’t think they are buying the "botched joke" excuse.

John?  Show some friggin humility and apologize.  Geeez!

Click on picture for High Rez version.

(from drudge)

Hot Air provides a better quality picture.

Previously:

• The fallout grows: Some Dems line up against Kerry 
• Kerry sees 1st fallout as Iowa Democrat cancels Kerry event 
• Max Cleland defends John Kerry; Bill Frist joins call for apology 
• Was the Kerry “faux pas” just a botched joke? If so, then why won’t he just apologize 
• John Kerry has a meltdown, and issue a non apoology Updated 
• John Kerry suffers foot and mouth disease 

Others continuing the coverage:

Hot Air, Blue Crab, ALF, Captain Ed, Say Anything, Riehl World, QandO, Time, Hugh Hewitt, Right Wing, Iowa Voice, Anchoress, Sister Toldjah, Stop the ACLU, Chez Diva, Michelle Malkin, Big Dog; Woman Honor Thyself, Right Wing Nuthouse; Tammy Bruce, Flopping Aces, Squiggler, LGF

The first tangible fallout has hit as an Iowa Congressional candidate Brucy Braley cancels a campaign event.

Iowa candidate asks Kerry to cancel campaign visit

DES MOINES, Iowa A Democratic Congressional candidate from Iowa is canceling a campaign event later this week with Senator John Kerry.

Brucy Braley says Kerry’s recent comments about the Iraq war were inappropriate.

Braley is running against Republican Mike Whalen in Iowa’s First District congressional race. It’s a contest considered to be one of the most competitive House races in the country.

Braley’s decision to distance himself from Kerry came as a furor grew from comments Kerry made about the Iraq War during a campaign stop in California on Monday.

Kerry said if you make the most of your education, you "can do well." The Democrat went on to say that is you don’t, (quote) "you get stuck in Iraq."

The remarks prompted sharp criticism from some Republicans, including President Bush and Arizona Senator John McCain.

Kerry refused to apologize.

This article asks "Did Kerry Hand Republicans a November gift?"  Even the Democrats seem to think so-

For weeks, Republicans on the campaign trail have been looking for something — anything — to talk about other than the record of the Republican Congress and the way the Bush administration has conducted the war in Iraq.

Monday, they got their wish. While stumping for local Democrats in California, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., addressed students at Pasadena City College and made a comment about education and the war in Iraq that lent itself to much controversy.

What’s unclear is if Kerry’s comments will help rally Republican voters or help their party portray Democrats as against the troops to score victories next Tuesday. A Democratic congressman told ABC News Tuesday, "I guess Kerry wasn’t content blowing 2004, now he wants to blow 2006, too."

And this one is hard for him to ignore:

Marine’s Family Urges Kerry To Learn More About Military

Senator’s Comments About Iraq, Troops Draw Criticism

Shocker….Max Cleland defends John "I Apologize to no one" Kerry.

Statement of Max Cleland on John Kerry’s Response to GOP Attacks

"I think people will remember John Kerry’s press conference today as the moment we Democrats stopped once and forever accepting the disgraceful smears of Republicans. John Kerry showed our Party how to fight back with the truth.

“John Kerry is a patriot who has fought tooth and nail for veterans ever since he came home from Vietnam. He has stood with his brothers in arms unlike this Administration which exploits our troops to make a political point and divide America.

“John Kerry should apologize to no one for his criticism of the President and his broken policy in Iraq. George Bush is the one who owes our troops an apology. This is text book Republican campaign tactics.

“Everybody knows it’s not working this time around. If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they’ve got a partisan political agenda and that’s the bottom line. We’re not going to take it any more."

Has anyone grabbed Kerry by the collar and just told him to apologize for crying out loud? 

On the other side, Bill Frist condemns:

Senator Kerry Owes Our Troops An Apology

“Education … If you make the most of it, if you study hard, if you do your homework, if you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”  Senator John Kerry, 10/30/2006

While America’s servicemen and women are fighting and dying against our adversaries in the global War on Terror, John Kerry has the gall to criticize their intelligence, their education, and their motivation for service. His comments represent the absolute worst in Democrat scare tactics and present a grave insult to our all-volunteer Armed Forces.