Over at JustOneMinute someone in the comments nailed it: Kerry's gaffe was a classic Freudian slip.

It doesn't really matter if it was off-the-cuff or truly a flub of a prepared joke; the sheer awkwardness of what he said pretty much ensures it was exactly what he was thinking.

I'm gonna miss him in '08.

I imagined Kerry's handlers worked him over. We should check him for bruises.

Jay, I like the way you think.

Ah, bullshit. If it blows your mind that a guy with no sense of humor can't properly tell a (bad)joke, so be it.

The idea that Kerry decided - apropos of nothing at all - to insult the grunts is roughly as stupid a notion as the idea you so desperately want to believe Kerry meant.

Oh, if Kerry's people couldn't work him over two years ago, I don't know if they can do much now. Now Rahm Emmanuel and Chuck Shumer are pretty damn ruthless and they may do a number on Kerry (not that it matters much, bye bye House and Elizabeth Dole should never ever have a leadership position again-though the GOP keeps the Senate).

Charles:

I guess you don't know anything about Kerry's activities after he was forced to leave the Navy during the Vietnam War.

It was obvious that he hated the military, he hated everyone in the military and he hated everyone who did not hate the military.

What he said at that college fits in exactly with his continuing hatred of everyone connected with the military. He meant to say it and it did not bother him to say it as 85% of the Democrats feel exactly as he does.
Listen to the loud cheers he got from his left-wing audience.

Thank you Kerry, you just lost the House for the Democrats.

Jake is a bit more optimistic about the GOP chances in the House than I am.

If I recall correctly, John Kerry, who I agree is an out of touch leftist elitist, was honorably discharged from the service. Does Jake know something the rest of the world does not ? If so, please share with the group.

Charles,

Of course he didn't insult them deliberately. It's just the way the man thinks. He was probably tired and forgot to take the additional mental steps to keep it from being obvious.

But this has been obvious for years - what makes it funny is how many gyrations he did before finally apologizing. If you told a joke, and in doing so accidentally insulted someone you didn't intend to insult, wouldn't you apologize pretty much right away?

You would if you had character. If you didn't, you would probably try to pretend you didn't say what you actually said. Like Kerry.

Kerry's an idiot.

That being said the real people who need an education is Bush and Co. for setting our troops up in this guerilla war with no clear victory conditions or exit strategy.

Just the daily grind of losing people every day...FOR WHAT. We got rid of Saddam time to bring the boyz home. We already gave Iraq to the Isalmic fundamentalists because that's who they will democratically (sp) elect anyway.

I respect the discipline and fortitude of our armed services but warping nationalism and fear to accomplish a political goal...Shame on you BUSH, and you Neo Cons.

(happy now Karol...hahaha)

Not only that - in response to Bell - but Bush had better grades at Yale than Kerry. It's as idiotic as Gore calling Bush dumb. Gore flunked out of Divinity school!

Kerry remains one of the most tone deaf politicians around.

FWIW, I think Eric is pretty close to my own take. More a Freudian slip than a concious attack. I am sure that his prepared text said "Like President Bush" - but his prepared text is always better than the word salad that comes out when he tries to be... what is the word ... human.

Von Bek:

As I stated before Michele Bachmann rep. candidate from Minnesota was down 8 points two weeks ago during the Foley Frenzy. Earlier this week before the Kerry Krackup, she was up by 6.

Newest poll after the Kerry Krackup has her up by 10 pts. Thank you John Kerry.

That is a reversal of 18 points in two weeks. The Republicans have momentum and the Democrats are doomed. Doomed I tell you.

I hope you're right.

I think the Dems will pick up a seat in Arizona with Giffords beating Graf (while I like Graf, who is almost as good as Tancredo, this is ok since Giffords is one of the most attractive women in politics) and I think one other pickup, either the 1st or the 5th but not both. I think one of the Colorado seats will change hands, the 7th. Musgrave is in a bit of trouble in the 4th. I think the Dems pick up 1 in CT, maybe 2. I think the Dems pick up the 11th and 13th in FL and that's assuming Shaw holds. I think Sali will cost us a seat in ID. The Dems will pick up the 1st in IA and at least 2 in IN (I have to say Dick Lugar has done a hell of a job trying to hold IN-if the GOP bleeding stops, we owe him big). I think Hill wins in KY by the skin of his teeth. I'm pretty sure Taylor goes down (does any Redskin fan really want Heath Shuler back in DC?) in NC though I think Hayes wins. NY will be bloody-Sweeney (another GOP 911 call?), Walsh and Kuhl get burried in the Hillary/Spitzer landslide. I think we lose to one of the Murphys in PA (probably Lois). Ohio...who knows but the entire state looks bad and Schmdit and Chabot could suffer. I can't even tell you what's going on in Nevada but it's a mess with Gibbons exploding (and sadly rival Republicans helping the Dems here) and that may cause a pick up in the NV2 as well as Tidus as governor (who may well be the most liberal governor in the nation if she wins). So that's why I am a bit down. A lot of our seats look very vulnerable.

Since you are from MN, give me some reassurance on your governor. I like him, he's one of the few governors I like (the other is in SC and is helping McCain...look for SC 2008 to be SC 2000 with the role of Bush being played by McCain and the role of McCain being played by Romney). No way is Tim P in the trouble I hear, right ?

And this is without naming Doolitle and Palombo in CA who both look to be in dogfights.

For the Right, Kerry never, ever, ever just comes out and says what he means in plain straightforward English. It has been the linchpin of their whole attack on the guy for years.

Why now is the "botched joke" explanation implausible? Suddenly the guy's verbally infallible?

Which is it, guys?

I must say that when it looked like the Republicans were falling on their faces, Kerry bails them out. Republicans should give him a position of power in their party.

All in all, though, if you were twenty, you'd be pretty dumb to join the military. Then again, other people went to school and are still dumb and uneducated.

Isn't using Iraq as the punchline of a joke, just as bad as implying that those in the military are uneducated? Especially from a politician and would-be commander-in-chief.

Y'know that sign would have been a lot more spot on if it was done by men in Iraq....as opposed to men stuck in Minnesota.

i think Maryland stands a good chance fr a rep senator. Steele and Cardin are close and some surprising people are backing Steele.

Von Bek,

Those men ARE in Iraq: Here.