You can hardly blame Republicans for celebrating Kerry's ill chosen words about our Iraqi troops. It might be the Democrat's first significant unforced error in this election cycle since John Murtha broke ranks with his fellow Democrats and actually declared a position on Iraq.
But Kerry's gaffe, in itself, hardly amounts to anything. It is precisely the kind of stupid thing one can say when one is speaking off the cuff all the time. He could have gotten out of trouble easily enough just by saying: "It was a stupd thing to say, I didn't mean it, and I am sorry I said it."
But of course he didn't say that. Politicians rarely do the simple thing, and Kerry never does. He first blamed everyone else, then tried out various contradictory interpretations of what he had said, and only belatedly apologized. But he apologized for appearances without ever quite admitting that he had said anything unwise or wrong. I am inclined to agree with the LATimes assessement of Kerry's current position.
washington — Ever since he came within 118,000 Ohio votes of winning the presidency, Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts has refused to give up the idea that he could try again. He kept much of his 2004 finance team together and campaigned aggressively this year for dozens of fellow Democrats who could turn around and help him make a comeback in 2008.
But with one "poorly stated joke" this week in Pasadena, Kerry not only sapped momentum from his party in the final week of a competitive election, he dealt a blow to his own White House aspirations.
I don't think Kerry ever stood much chance of making it back to a nomination speech, but this surely drives home that point.
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