The Silly Kerry Mess

A classic case of bungling on the Democratic side, and projection/sophism on the Republican. What a difference a word ("us", in this case) can make! What Kerry said:

"Education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

What Kerry says that he meant to say (and the prepared text confirms):

"... you get us stuck in Iraq."

Memo to John Kerry: It is, in fact, possible to apologize for something you did not say, or you did not mean to say. Just say: "what I meant to say was X. If it came out as Y, or if someone interpreted it as Y, then I am reallly sorry."

The Republicans seem to be adopting the strategy of not accepting the apology unless Kerry actually says that he meant to say Y. Could they be so shameless?

[An update: I thought they had managed not to go over that line, but I was wrong. Look at this election-eve interview with Karl Rove, also discussed here:

HUGH HEWITT: Do you believe [John Kerry's apology for his botched Iraq joke] was an apology, Karl Rove?

KARL ROVE: Well, I’m going to take it as such. But you know, I thought it was interesting that he couldn’t bring himself to come out and face onto the camera and say you know, I made a mistake, I’m sorry, I apologize to our men and women in Iraq.

HH: A lot of military have not accepted it as such, but I’ll leave it up to them.
]

Kerry is actually helping the Republicans with his later remarks ("I apologize to no-one"). Looks like he'll get Swift-Boated again! And it looks like Swift-Boat II will be enabled by Kerry's anger at Swift-Boat I. Fascinating, if it wasn't so depressing.

By the way: look at how an AP wire describes this:

What triggered it was Kerry's comment, to a group of California students on Monday, that people unable to succeed in the U.S. educational system would likely "get stuck in Iraq."

Isn't this pre-judging the point?