Help us -- we can't spell

[x-y-no]

Agreed, sunny and gtalum. Joking about it was tasteless, and when the whole thing blew up he should have apologized right away.

Although part of me has to wonder if he wasn't beng a bit "crazy like a fox". Sure, he personally took a hit on this, but this also brought Iraq front and center in the last week as everyone reacts to this. One might almost think it was planned ... except I don't really believe Kerry is that politically clever.

[kevin]

Clearly in violation of board rules. But I agree, the comments were completely out of line.

I have to respectfully disagree. It's actually a test of our members self control. It's hard not to say what you really think without this topic being removed, however --- comments made by the troops themselves, are at the heart of the topic.


In all fairness, somebody please post a picture or some verbage from any troop member somewhere in this world, who has something positive to say about the subject person.

1. We are not sure of the authenticity of the image. It could have been photoshopped.

2. While I respect your respectful disagreement, if this was a Bush bashing picture it would be immediately removed and the person who sent it PM'd. I have been here long enough to know the administrative modus operandi and so have you.

3. Therefore this image exists to attack a particular person in a place where any rational defense is banned. It is therefore, information without context. In definition - propaganda.

[j]

c'mon...that is a stretch to suggest this was photoshopped.

I have to assume it was reviewed, and blessed by the admins and/or staff. I fail to see how you can with an imagined straight face, come to the defense of anyone, regardless of political affiliation, that would make a callous, disrespectful "joke" about the intelligence of our troops.

If I am PM'd, as I have been in the past, I will graciously offer my apologies for walking that thin line, and I will do it immediately without having to be hammered about it.

[angelwing]

From what I've read, it's been verified just go to drudgereport. Seen it on the NY Post also.

[dizzyfish]

1. We are not sure of the authenticity of the image. It could have been photoshopped.

.

See link http://www.nypost.com/seven/11022006/ne ... ington.htm

Apparently they are from the Minnesota National Guard. Not trying to stir anything up here.

[Regit]

Glad to see they have a sense of humor about it.

But you do all realize that what Kerry did was accidentally drop the word "us" from a (rather weak) joke someone had written for him, right? The offending line came right after a riff about President Bush, the state of Texas, the state of Denial, and the state of Deception. The idea was obviously to warm up the crowd with a series of jabs at the President.

I do know that I just think a joke about the war from anyone is in poor taste. My two cents.

Just to offer balance:

Bush jokes about the War in Iraq

[j]

Just to offer balance:

Bush jokes about the War in Iraq[/quote]

THe speech was brilliant, I've seen it before. What must be noted before you try to equate this to Kerry's botch, is this entire speech was satirical, from START to FINISH! He repeatedly took jabs at himself in fact.

Can you find a better example??

[j]

I can't let this rest....Do you think for one solitary minute, that any serviceman was offended by this stand up routine Bush did? I don't know, but I'd bet my last dollar you could not find one.

[x-y-no]

THe speech was brilliant, I've seen it before.

Well there's that perspective thing. I found it very offensive.

Go figure.

[Regit]

Ok, let's just deal with the whole matter using Occam's Razor:

Which of these two seems more likely?

-John Kerry, a lifelong politician with tons of advisors and who is running for President, inserts a joke into a speech that is being taped that makes fun of troops that are dying in a war, knowing that this will end his political career.

-John Kerry inserts into his speech a joke about the President and leaves out a single word.

[Lindaloo]

Instead of apologizing, he chose not to. Then started his attacks. How about accepting responsibility for your actions instead of making a bigger fool out of yourself on TV. What a goofball!

And to those of you trying to moderate a thread, please do not.

[Lindaloo]

Glad to see they have a sense of humor about it.

But you do all realize that what Kerry did was accidentally drop the word "us" from a (rather weak) joke someone had written for him, right? The offending line came right after a riff about President Bush, the state of Texas, the state of Denial, and the state of Deception. The idea was obviously to warm up the crowd with a series of jabs at the President.

I do know that I just think a joke about the war from anyone is in poor taste. My two cents.

Just to offer balance:

Bush jokes about the War in Iraq

This thread is about our troops and what was said about them. There is no need for balance.

Regit, you are borderline political. Stay on topic.

[Pburgh]

I agree with you Lindaloo, but I disagreed before I agreed and tomorrow I'll probably disagree again. ROTFLMAO

[therock1811]

LOL Karan!

I heard about Kerry last night and then saw this and I have to say, if this is what it takes to keep from going crazy in a war zone, by golly, let the troops have their fun! It's hilarious to me!

[sunny]

Love ya sis!!!

IMO - if anyone has the right to say anything about this, it IS the troops. And judging from that picture, they have indeed said something.

[j]

LOL Karan!

I heard about Kerry last night and then saw this and I have to say, if this is what it takes to keep from going crazy in a war zone, by golly, let the troops have their fun! It's hilarious to me!

you hit the nail on the head. Great comment!

[Brent]

I agree with you Lindaloo, but I disagreed before I agreed and tomorrow I'll probably disagree again. ROTFLMAO

[kevin]

Instead of apologizing, he chose not to. Then started his attacks. How about accepting responsibility for your actions instead of making a bigger fool out of yourself on TV. What a goofball!

And to those of you trying to moderate a thread, please do not.

I just call it how I see it. This isn't my board. It is Chad and Marshall's board. When I see the board rules being broken, I thought that was the obligation of members to state this. But whatever.

EDIT - Thank you to those who demonstrated its authenticity. I appreciate it. Often debates start from an assumption which turns out to be false. The message those troops sent was creative, and I like it.

[Lindaloo]

Instead of apologizing, he chose not to. Then started his attacks. How about accepting responsibility for your actions instead of making a bigger fool out of yourself on TV. What a goofball!

And to those of you trying to moderate a thread, please do not.

I just call it how I see it. This isn't my board. It is Chad and Marshall's board. When I see the board rules being broken, I thought that was the obligation of members to state this. But whatever.

EDIT - Thank you to those who demonstrated its authenticity. I appreciate it. Often debates start from an assumption which turns out to be false. The message those troops sent was creative, and I like it.

We have it under control. If you see rules being broken, please PM an admin or a moderator, keep it out of the forum.

[j]

I would just like to take this oppurtunity, (since this post is dying anyway), to post for everybody's reading enjoyment, John Kerry's "non-apology" followed by his "apology":


"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're crazy. This is the classic GOP playbook. I'm sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did.

I'm not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq. It disgusts me that these Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country lie and distort so blatantly and carelessly about those who have.

The people who owe our troops an apology are George W. Bush and Dick Cheney who misled America into war and have given us a Katrina foreign policy that has betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it. These Republicans are afraid to debate veterans who live and breathe the concerns of our troops, not the empty slogans of an Administration that sent our brave troops to war without body armor.

Bottom line, these Republicans want to debate straw men because they're afraid to debate real men. And this time it won't work because we're going to stay in their face with the truth and deny them even a sliver of light for their distortions. No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut and run policy in Afghanistan and a stand still and lose strategy in Iraq."

and the "apology":

"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."