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Kerry's political instincts fail him again

Published November 1, 2006 at midnight

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The two years since his loss in the presidential election have done nothing to dull John Kerry's gift for political tone deafness. Surely the man would have learned by now.

Preaching the virtues of education, Kerry told a group of California college students "if you make the most of it, you study hard and do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq." Only the dumb ones join the military and serve in Iraq? Where to start? It was elitist and patronizing and demeaning to the troops.

It was also, of course, just plain stupid. And just like in 2004 the Republicans hopped all over it, demanding that Kerry apologize.

Indeed, Bush spokesman Tony Snow said at the White House briefing that Kerry "not only owes an apology to those who are serving, but also to the families of those who've given their lives in this. This is an absolute insult." Kerry lashed back fast and hard: "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."

Where was this flash and fire in 2004? As for the soldiers serving in Iraq, they should take their GI Bill money when they return, go to college if they haven't yet, study hard, do their homework, make an effort to be smart and then move to Massachusetts and run for the senator's seat.