Looks like the higher ups in the Democrat party have put a muzzle on this jerk.
Sen. John Kerry canceled campaign appearances with fellow Democrats today to return to Washington, saying he did not want his war of words with the White House to become a distraction in the final week before midterm elections.
At issue are remarks the Massachusetts Democrat made on Monday before a college audience in California in which he said he was joking that if people don't study and work hard they could end up getting "stuck in Iraq." He said it was a "botched joke" that was referring to President Bush.
ON DEADLINE: Day 2 debate | More on the war of words
The White House quickly jumped on the remark, which they interpreted as Kerry saying that only uneducated people end up in military.
Bush, campaigning in Georgia Tuesday evening, said Kerry's statement was "insulting and it is shameful." Like Bush, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called on Kerry to apologize.
An angry Kerry shot back at his critics, saying they were reading from the "GOP playbook" and distorting his words.
A Kerry spokeswoman, Amy Brundage, said later that the senator's prepared text had called for him to say: "Do you know where you end up if you don't study, if you aren't smart, if you're intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq. Just ask President Bush."
This morning, Kerry said on the Don Imus radio program the notion that he was criticizing U.S. troops "was an insult" to the troops.
"This is a great volunteer army and a volunteer army means you have to be smart to get in it," he said.
The senator said Republicans have "taken those words ... and distorted them on purpose in order to distract America from their policies."
Kerry canceled campaign stops today in Iowa, Pennsylvania and Minnesota, saying "I don't want to be a distraction to these campaigns."
Republicans continued to press Kerry to apologize to U.S. troops.
McCain said today he wasn't sure "how you could construe" Kerry's comment as a joke. Calling Kerry "my friend," the Arizona Republican said, "I've found that if it is just a botched joke then apologize and move on."
"As it stands, he owes an apology to the men and women who are serving in Iraq out of patriotism and love of country, not because of any academic deficiencies," McCain said on ABC's Good Morning America.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said today it was Kerry, not the White House, who "whipped this up into a big issue."
"Sen. Kerry may have botched the line, but what he said was insulting to the troops, and what he ought to say is, 'Look, I botched the line, but I'm sorry for giving offense,' "Snow said on CBS's The Early Show.
Contributing: Douglas Stanglin in McLean, Va.; The Associated Press
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-11-01-kerry_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA