Are our soldiers dumb? See what Kerry has to say...

[Broken Glass Can]

So John Kerry is in California campaigning and has this to say about our soldiers...

<font color="green"> “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.” </font>

KNBC news report including the statement.

[junglewarfare]

Yeah I don't really disagree with that.

[andyfox]

Was he talking about our soldiers, or about our president? I suspect the latter, since Kerry himself has served. Either way, not the most savvvy commment. But we know Kerry is not smart on the campaign trail.

[canis582]

Ask the rich republicans what they think of soliders behind closed doors.

Calling it a volunteer army is such a misnomer...Its a [b]mercenary army

[Broken Glass Can]

This is the same John Kerry who said:

<font color="green"> "And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the-of-the historical customs, religious customs. Whether you like it or not... Iraqis should be doing that." </font>

Face the Nation transcript - quote starts at bottom of page 3 (PDF).

[Freerollin`]

[ QUOTE ]
This is the same John Kerry who said:

<font color="green"> "And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the-of-the historical customs, religious customs. Whether you like it or not... Iraqis should be doing that." </font>

Face the Nation transcript - quote starts at bottom of page 3 (PDF).

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm pretty sure that if you read that quote in its proper context (which is intellectually honest), you'll see that he's criticizing presence in Iraq and not the choices of individual soldiers. He's complaining about our presence in Iraq. He, as a former soldier, realizes that the individual soldiers don't decide what they do on their own.

[junglewarfare]

[ QUOTE ]
This is the same John Kerry who said:

<font color="green"> "And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the-of-the historical customs, religious customs. Whether you like it or not... Iraqis should be doing that." </font>

Face the Nation transcript - quote starts at bottom of page 3 (PDF).

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't really see what's wrong about that quote either. What's so bad about it?

[BCPVP]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
This is the same John Kerry who said:

<font color="green"> "And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the-of-the historical customs, religious customs. Whether you like it or not... Iraqis should be doing that." </font>

Face the Nation transcript - quote starts at bottom of page 3 (PDF).

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't really see what's wrong about that quote either. What's so bad about it?

[/ QUOTE ]
The only thing wrong with it is that Iraqis shouldn't be breaking into homes and terrorizing people either.

[junglewarfare]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
This is the same John Kerry who said:

<font color="green"> "And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the-of-the historical customs, religious customs. Whether you like it or not... Iraqis should be doing that." </font>

Face the Nation transcript - quote starts at bottom of page 3 (PDF).

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't really see what's wrong about that quote either. What's so bad about it?

[/ QUOTE ]
The only thing wrong with it is that Iraqis shouldn't be breaking into homes and terrorizing people either.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well of course, I agree with that as well. We shouldn't be over there at all in a ridiculous position where this is necessary.

BGC is implying that Kerry is criticizing American soldiers for terrorizing Iraqis in their homes, which in the context of the quote Kerry isn't doing at all. He is saying that if you are going to have break in and search Iraqi homes it should be our Iraqi allies instead because that is a less traumatic way of doing it. I think Kerry would still say that we shouldn't be over there in the first place, but now that we are there and forced searches are necessary it would be less damaging to our position of Iraqis did it instead of Americans.

[Broken Glass Can]

[ QUOTE ]
So John Kerry is in California campaigning and has this to say about our soldiers...

<font color="green"> “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.” </font>

KNBC news report including the statement.

[/ QUOTE ]

Breaking from Drudge:

<font color="blue"> FLASH: McCain Calls On Kerry To Apologize
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.

END </font>