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Politics : Liberalism: Do You Agree We've Had Enough of It? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: American Spirit who wrote (7971)	11/2/2006 12:42:04 PM
From: Ann Corrigan	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 224724

MORON. Democrat Returns Contribution to Kerry By David Jackson, USA TODAY, Nov 2, 2006 Sen. John Kerry apologized Wednesday for a "botched joke" that suggested U.S. troops in Iraq are uneducated, as Republicans continued to assail him and one Democrat returned a political contribution. "I personally apologize to any servicemember, family member, or American who was offended," the Massachusetts Democrat said in a statement. Kerry was his party's 2004 presidential nominee. ON DEADLINE: Not his first foot-in-mouth ... \| Video As the parties argued about Kerry's words, strategists debated how they might affect Tuesday's elections that will determine control of Congress. Republicans such as pollster Frank Luntz said the flap could increase GOP turnout on Nov. 7, while Democrats such as consultant Jenny Backus said any discussion of the Iraq war can only help them. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino called Kerry's apology "late," but "the right thing to do." Democrats such as Rep. Harold Ford, who is in a Senate race in Tennessee, had called on Kerry to apologize. Former congressman Baron Hill, a Democrat trying to reclaim a U.S. House seat in Indiana, returned a $1,000 political contribution from Kerry, saying he was "disturbed and disappointed" by the Massachusetts senator's remarks. The firestorm began Monday when Kerry told a college crowd that if they studied hard and made "an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq." Kerry said he meant to refer to President Bush and the administration's handling of the war. He accused the White House of deliberately distorting the statement to distract voters from failures in Iraq. Kerry's office said he canceled campaign events in Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Iowa because he did not want candidates there to become "proxies" in a "distorted spin war." In an interview Wednesday with wire service reporters, Bush said the comment "didn't sound like a joke to me. More importantly, it didn't sound like a joke to the troops." Bush also criticized Kerry on Rush Limbaugh's radio program. The president is spending the last week of the campaign trying to rev up GOP turnout. Party officials said Kerry's joke should help with conservatives who are essential to their efforts to keep Congress. Republican Party spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt said Kerry's comments should remind all voters that Democratic leaders have "a fundamentally flawed perspective about both the honor of our troops and the importance of their mission." Luntz said the flap is "not a huge deal, but it does matter." He said it "sets a tone" for voters, including those who are undecided about whether to cast a ballot. "It could boost GOP turnout," he said. "That could make a difference in a tight race." The flap may end Kerry's hopes for another White House bid in 2008, said New York political consultant Hank Sheinkopf. He added that Kerry may now be seen as someone "who lost once and couldn't control what he said the next time." Kerry has said he will disclose his plans after the Nov. 7 elections. Sheinkopf said Kerry's comments could hurt Democrats' efforts to attract Americans who respect the military.