Kerry Addressing Students

[Nbadan]

Statistics from the U.S. Army's own data corroborate comments made by Senator John Kerry on the education levels of U.S. Troops.

Specifically, over 82 percent of enlisted soldiers have a high school degree or GED, while less than 6 percent had a batchelor's degree or higher.

Nearly half of enlisted soldiers are under the age of 25.

No matter how you spin it, the majority of of enlisted soldiers in the US army are under 25 years of age with no college education.

Doesn't mean they're stupid. Just means they've never been to college. For some reason, once people have been to college and gotten a degree and a future lined up, they seem less excited about getting "stuck in Iraq."

Link

[Nbadan]

Not to mention that Kerry's remarks were directed at the WH not at the troops...

October 31, 2006

Statement of John Kerry Responding to Republican Distortions, Pathetic Tony Snow Diversions and Distractions

Washington

– Senator John Kerry issued the following statement in response to White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, assorted right wing nut-jobs, and right wing talk show hosts desperately distorting Kerry’s comments about President Bush to divert attention from their disastrous record:

“If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they're crazy. This is the classic G.O.P. playbook. I’m sick and tired of these de able 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, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox’s Parkinson’s disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq. It disgusts me that these Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country lie and distort so blatantly and carelessly about those who have.

The people who owe our troops an apology are George W. Bush and Cheney who misled America into war and have given us a Katrina foreign policy that has betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it. These Republicans are afraid to debate veterans who live and breathe the concerns of our troops, not the empty slogans of an Administration that sent our brave troops to war without body armor.

Bottom line, these Republicans want to debate straw men because they’re afraid to debate real men. And this time it won’t work because we’re going to stay in their face with the truth and deny them even a sliver of light for their distortions. No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut and run policy in Afghanistan and a stand still and lose strategy in Iraq.”

John Kerry

[PixelPusher]

Not to mention that Kerry's remarks were directed at the WH not at the troops...

Unfortunately, perception is reality, and Kerry remains the wrong messenger.

[IceColdBrewski]

Statistics from the U.S. Army's own data corroborate comments made by Senator John Kerry on the education levels of U.S. Troops.

Specifically, over 82 percent of enlisted soldiers have a high school degree or GED, while less than 6 percent had a batchelor's degree or higher.

Nearly half of enlisted soldiers are under the age of 25.

No matter how you spin it, the majority of of enlisted soldiers in the US army are under 25 years of age with no college education.

Doesn't mean they're stupid. Just means they've never been to college. For some reason, once people have been to college and gotten a degree and a future lined up, they seem less excited about getting "stuck in Iraq."

Link

Here comes dan with the deflection attempt. Forget that Kerry made a terrible mark about our fighting men and women. Let's look at some recruiting stats instead.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

82 percent of enlisted soldiers

Um, yeah, most enlisted go in straight out of high school, which would corroborate that stat.

Conversely, the majority of officers in the military got a bachelor's degree.

What's your point dumb ?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Washington – Senator John Kerry issued the following statement in response to White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, assorted right wing nut-jobs, and right wing talk show hosts desperately distorting Kerry’s comments about President Bush to divert attention from their disastrous record:

“If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they're crazy. This is the classic G.O.P. playbook. I’m sick and tired of these de able 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, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox’s Parkinson’s disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq. It disgusts me that these Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country lie and distort so blatantly and carelessly about those who have.

The people who owe our troops an apology are George W. Bush and Cheney who misled America into war and have given us a Katrina foreign policy that has betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it. These Republicans are afraid to debate veterans who live and breathe the concerns of our troops, not the empty slogans of an Administration that sent our brave troops to war without body armor.

Bottom line, these Republicans want to debate straw men because they’re afraid to debate real men. And this time it won’t work because we’re going to stay in their face with the truth and deny them even a sliver of light for their distortions. No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut and run policy in Afghanistan and a stand still and lose strategy in Iraq.”

Senator Kerry owes an apology to the many thousands of Americans serving in Iraq, who answered their country's call because they are patriots and not because of any deficiencies in their education. Americans from all backgrounds, well off and less fortunate, with high school diplomas and graduate degrees, take seriously their duty to our country, and risk their lives today to defend the rest of us in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.

They all deserve our respect and deepest gra ude for their service. 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, and should deeply offend any American with an ounce of appreciation for what they suffer and risk so that the rest of us can sleep more comfortably at night. Without them, we wouldn't live in a country where people securely possess all their God-given rights, including the right to express insensitive, ill-considered and uninformed remarks.

That last quote comes from John McCain, U.S. Senator, and Former Prisoner of War in the Vietnam War.

Try again Dan.

[nkdlunch]

well, let's face it, no 3.0 or more GPA students are running to enlist in the army

[Nbadan]

Kerry's suggestion "that the men and women of our military are somehow uneducated is insulting and it is shameful," Bush said at an appearance in Georgia tonight. ``The members of the United States military are plenty smart. And they are plenty brave. And the senator from Massachusetts owes them an apology.''

- Dubya, today

Irony defined.

[IceColdBrewski]

well, let's face it, no 3.0 or more GPA students are running to enlist in the army

Wonder what Pat Tillman would have to say about that if he were still alive.

dumbass.

[nkdlunch]

Wonder what Pat Tillman would have to say about that if he were still alive.

dumbass.

easy, Pat Tillman is probly saying "why the did Bush sent me to die in this stupid pointless war"

[Nbadan]

Officers in the military are smart, but they are usually the perfumed prices that Col. Hackworth used to write about with very little actual combat experience and more doing the trig for mortar fire, flying the predator drones, directing air fire, intelligence...etc...but it's the grunts, the Pat Tillman's who acheived his way to Ranger, who are the real heros of the war. Life imitates art. If you saw the movie Jarhead you should know that war moves a lot faster than ground troops today, by the time ground troops get there, the enemy has been decimated, and you have mass surrendering. That's not to say that ground troops aren't still under considerable risks, any war is risky, and Tillman's death shows this, but it's not what it used to be - certainly no Normandy.

[IceColdBrewski]

easy, Pat Tillman is probly saying "why the did Bush sent me to die in this stupid pointless war"

Afghanistan was a "stupid pointless" war? Wow. Republicans and Democrats both agree that it was absolutely necessary. I guess we should've tucked our tails between our legs and did nothing after 9-11. That woulda showed em.

Tillman was eager to fight for his country after 9-11. Bush did him the favor of allowing him that honor. But for some reason, halfwits like you don't see it that way.

[Yonivore]

"A Democratic congressman told ABC News Tuesday, 'I guess Kerry wasn't content blowing 2004, now he wants to blow 2006, too.'"

John F. Kerry reporting for duty


What an October surprise!

[Nbadan]

What Kerry 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."

What Kerry ment to say:

"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 us stuck in Iraq."

See kids, blow a pun, be persecuted by the right.

[Crookshanks]

well, let's face it, no 3.0 or more GPA students are running to enlist in the army

You're quite wrong!

I heard two parents call in to the Michael Medved show today regarding Kerry's remarks. One has a son who is an honor grad from Princeton - who is now in the military; the other has a son who scored a 1400 on the SAT and turned down 7 scholarships because he wanted to serve his country.

[Nbadan]

Ah, the danger of making absolute statements.

[Yonivore]

blah blah blah

So, if you don't get an education you might become President of the United States?

Sorry, the "pun" still doesn't work but, at least they worked on that excuse longer than the "I apologize to no one..." indignant response.

[Yonivore]

So, how's that "Foleygate" working out for the Democrats?

[Nbadan]

So, if you don't get an education you might become President of the United States?...(incoherent drunken blabbering)

Is Dubya smarter than you? Could you take him at Chess? Risk? Jeopardy?

[IceColdBrewski]

Had he come out and said, "I obviously misspoke, and I appologize to our troops if my blunder somehow made them feel inferior", this would most likely have been forgotten by noon tommorrow. But instead, we get the "I appologize to noone, they have no right to criticize me, it's all their fault" responses. What a stand-up guy.

Not sure if he misspoke or not since Kerry is sticking to his guns, but if he did, It's the height of irony that two very critical words get left out of a speech he's making which questions the intelligence of the President and of others.

[Nbadan]

So, how's that "Foleygate" working out for the Democrats?

Let's see, former seat a lock for GOP now for the Demos to lose. I would say very well.

[Yonivore]

Is Dubya smarter than you? Could you take him at Chess? Risk? Jeopardy?

Your version of Kerry's quote has him telling college students that if they don't get an education they might someday be in a position to get us "stuck" in Iraq...ergo, they might become President.

So, which is he? A moron or anti-military? Probably both.

[Yonivore]

Let's see, former seat a lock for GOP now for the Demos to lose. I would say very well.

Well, duh, that one seat. I'm thinking they were banking on Foleygate to flip the House and Senate for them though...and, it hasn't quite worked out that way.

Besides, the Republicans may still keep the Foley seat. That'd be freakin' hilarious.

[Nbadan]

Your version of Kerry's quote has him telling college students that if they don't get an education they might someday be in a position to get us "stuck" in Iraq...ergo, they might become President.

So, which is he? A moron or anti-military? Probably both.

Getting C's in Harvard is hardly making the most out of a very expensive legacy-based edumacation, I mean, it's not like Dubya was flipping burgers at Dennys or delivering Pizza on his spare time, but I think the point is that Dubya went to expensive Prep Schools, didn't study, partied hard, too hard according to 'some sources' and made the wrong choices when it came to Iraq.

[LaMarcus Bryant]

It is obvious kerry is a sellout i said.