There's a difference between smarts and book-larnin'

[aureantes]

So, this is what's got the politicos' panties in a bunch lately.....

White House, Kerry exchange accusations

By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer
Wed Nov 1, 12:05 AM ET 

WASHINGTON - The White House and Sen. John Kerry traded their harshest accusations since the 2004 presidential race on Tuesday, with President Bush accusing the Democrat of troop-bashing and Kerry calling the president's men hacks who are "willing to lie."

The war of words, tough even for this hard-fought campaign season, came after Kerry told a group of California students on Monday that those unable to navigate the country's education system "get stuck in Iraq."

The two parties are searching for any edge amid indications Democrats could take back the House and possibly win control of the Senate in next week's midterm elections. Though neither Bush nor Kerry is on any ballot, the bitterness with which they fought each other as 2004 rivals spilled over as both campaign hard for their parties in a race shaped in large measure by public doubts about the Iraq war.

As Republicans demanded that Kerry apologize, a Democratic congressional candidate in a close race in Iowa canceled a campaign event with Kerry, saying the senator's comments were inappropriate.

White House press secretary Tony Snow was asked about Kerry's comment at his regular briefing with reporters, and had clearly come prepared with a lengthy attack. He said the quote "fits a pattern" of negative remarks about U.S. soldiers from the decorated Vietnam veteran and suggested that whether Democratic candidates — particularly those running on their military service backgrounds — agree with their 2004 standard-bearer should be a campaign litmus test.

Bush, campaigning later in Georgia, said Kerry's statement was "insulting and it is shameful."

"The members of the United States military are plenty smart and they are plenty brave and the senator from Massachusetts owes them an apology," Bush said during an appearance for a former GOP congressman, Mac Collins, who is trying to oust Democratic Rep. Jim Marshall. There were boos at the mention of Kerry's name and cheers at Bush's call for an apology.

Kerry, who is considering another run for the White House in 2008, angrily fired back.

At a hastily arranged news conference in Seattle, Kerry said: "I apologize to no one for my criticism of the president and of his broken policy."

Kerry said the comment in question was "a botched joke about the president and the president's people, not about the troops ... and they know that's what I was talking about."

It came during a campaign rally for California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides. Kerry opened his speech at Pasadena City College with several one-liners, saying at one point that Bush had lived in Texas but now "lives in a state of denial."

He then said: "You know, 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."

That, Kerry said, was meant as a reference to Bush, not troops. Kerry said it is the president who owes U.S. soldiers an apology — for "a Katrina foreign policy" that misled the country into war in Iraq, failed to adequately study and plan for the aftermath, has not properly equipped troops and has expanded the terrorist threat.

"I'm sick and tired of a bunch of despicable Republicans who will not debate real policy, who won't take responsibility for their own mistakes, standing up and trying to make other people the butt of those mistakes," he said. "It disgusts me that a bunch of these Republican hacks who've never worn the uniform of our country are willing to lie about those who did."

Unsubstantiated allegations about Kerry's Vietnam War heroism from a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth figured prominently in the 2004 Kerry-Bush race.

In Iowa, a spokesman for Democratic congressional candidate Bruce Braley said Braley had decided independently to cancel an event with Kerry scheduled for Thursday. Braley, who is running against Republican Mike Whalen in the state's 1st District, said in a statement that the White House and Kerry should stop bickering and focus on how to change course in Iraq.

Other Republicans issued demands for an apology from Kerry.

GOP Sen. John McCain, like Kerry a decorated Vietnam veteran and a potential 2008 rival, said while campaigning for Republican candidates in Indiana that "the suggestion that only the least educated Americans would agree to serve in the military and fight in Iraq is an insult to every soldier serving in combat today."

Added House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., struggling to keep his party in control of Congress: "Our soldiers risk their lives in the face of grave dangers on the battlefield, and no one who chooses to courageously and selflessly defend our country can be considered 'uneducated.'"

The national commander of the veterans group the American Legion, Paul A. Morin, called on Kerry to apologize for a "false and outrageous attack."

___

Associated Press writers Michael Blood in Los Angeles, Mike Smith in Indianapolis and Henry C. Jackson in Des Moines contributed to this report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061101/ap_on_go_pr_wh/white_house_kerry_13

Admittedly, it was awkwardly said and then hastily clarified....but then, it's really talking about two different things if you look at it closely enough, and neither side quite seems to grasp that. Failure to navigate the country's education system, regardless of actual intelligence, may very well lead to military enlistment as the most-likely way to gain financial stability.....and lack of practical intelligence, regardless of the amount of "education" that one has bought (navigating the educational system by money), can lead to some plenty stupid policy decisions -- like "getting stuck in Iraq."

I don't think that Senator Kerry meant anything against the actual intelligence of the average American soldier, but it is thin-skinned defensiveness/denial on the part of his attackers to ignore the fact that lack of successful formal education and the career paths it opens is a well-known reason why people join the military -- because what they've gotten so far hasn't worked for them and they want a better chance via training experience and college funding through the G.I. Bill. That's hardly unintelligent as a motivation, but it is exploited to cover over the risks and compromises, and it is a situation that makes educational and socioeconomic inequity highly advantageous to recruitment efforts, because it means they have leverage. Lack of opportunity = "hungry' recruits (remember The Firm?) = soldiers who will not question orders or make trouble, because they know they're both beholden and under the thumb of the DOD. Which is no fault of their own, but it is an insult to them that they are so obviously used.

That's one point in favour of universal socio-military service....not only would the rich not be able to buy their [kids'] way out of it, but it would desegregate the military services from being a bloc apart from civilians, desegregate the social assumptions of who can and does serve their country, and involve all citizens in the decisions (rights, training discipline, obligations, benefits, risks, rehabilitation) that go into such service -- and making sure that it is service, and not slavery, that is being practiced.

Oh, and make us think a lot more carefully about going to war, 'cause we'd know that it was all of our asses on the line. Something to think about the next time, eh?

Comments

[aureantes.livejournal.com]

I can agree on that -- one feels inclined to almost regard them as cult members seduced against their own interests and common sense -- unless of course they're seduced by their own narrow interests above common sense....

Thanks for the add, and I add back. I suppose I ought to mention that Australia's on my shortlist of places to consider emigrating to if this place goes any more Fourth Reich on us....which means that my birthday'd be in the spring and not the fall, but hey, I've had a good run with autumnal metaphors...it'd be a fair change to be on the other half of the Eleusinian festivals and all their chthonic goodness.

[chops-a-must.livejournal.com]

Well, we are pretty fourth reich here as well.

At least we do have a decent public health system, and you can earn a lot of money if you want to. Weather is generally great. Good luck.