http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/31/ker...cain/index.html

Bush on Kerry remark: U.S. troops are 'plenty smart'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush joined GOP lawmakers Tuesday in blasting Sen. John Kerry for telling a group of college students they could either work hard in school or "get stuck in Iraq."

"Even in the midst of a heated campaign season, there are still some things we should all be able to agree on, and one of the most important is that every one of our troops deserves our gratitude and respect," Bush said.

Kerry told reporters in Seattle, Washington, that the remark was a "botched joke" meant to target the president, not U.S. troops.

Bush added that U.S. troops deserve the full support of the government. (Watch Kerry say he won't apologize for criticizing the president and "his broken policy" -- 9:33)

"The senator's suggestion that the men and women of our military are somehow uneducated is insulting and shameful," Bush said. "The men and women who serve in our all-volunteer armed forces are plenty smart and are serving because they are patriots -- and Senator Kerry owes them an apology."

Republicans unleashed a firestorm of criticism against Kerry after the Vietnam veteran's remarks on Monday, but Kerry said Tuesday that he made a mistake.

"The White House's attempt to distort my true statement is a remarkable testament to their abject failure in making America safe," the Massachusetts senator said. "It's a stunning statement about their willingness to reduce anything in America to raw politics."

Kerry's comment did not sit well even with leading members of his own party. A number of top Democrats told CNN they were upset with the senator for giving the Republicans election-time ammunition -- even if the GOP was hyping the remark.

"He has already cost us one election. The guy just needs to keep his mouth shut until after the election," a top Democratic strategist said Tuesday.

But not all Democrats concurred. Vietnam veteran and former U.S. Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia defended Kerry and applauded the senator for showing "our party how to fight back with the truth."

"John Kerry is a patriot who has fought tooth and nail for veterans ever since he came home from Vietnam. He has stood with his brothers in arms unlike this administration, which exploits our troops to make a political point and divide America," Cleland said in a statment.

Before Kerry's clarification, White House press secretary Tony Snow, House Majority Leader John Boehner and Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, lambasted the four-term senator and demanded he apologize. (Watch Kerry's 'botched joke' that launched the political stink -- 1:50)

A CNN poll suggests that Iraq is the second-most important issue, behind the economy, as voters ponder for whom to cast their ballots in next week's midterms.

White House: 'An absolute insult'
"This is an absolute insult," Snow said at a daily press briefing. "Senator 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."

Boehner, an Ohio Republican, said the remark was "insulting" and called on "Democrat candidates across the country" to publicly denounce the comment.

"These Americans who are risking their lives in the fight against terrorism in Iraq deserve better than to have their service demeaned by a United States senator," Boehner said in a statement. "Our soldiers need John Kerry's support, yet John Kerry offers nothing more than disparaging commentary."

Kerry, who is not up for re-election this year, fired back at the White House and the GOP, saying he was not disparaging U.S. soldiers.

"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," he said. "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."

Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, spoke to students at Pasadena City College in California on Monday.

According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the senator took the stage to roaring applause before regaling the crowd with one-liners, Bush barbs and tales of surfing at nearby Mission Beach.

He then said: "You know, education -- if you make the most of it, you study hard and 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."

Comment 'mangled in delivery'
A Kerry aide told CNN that the prepared statement, which had been designed to criticize President Bush, "was mangled in delivery."

Kerry was supposed to say, "I can't overstress the importance of a great education. Do you know where you end up if you don't study, if you aren't smart, if you're intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq."

Before the announcement that the statement was botched, McCain, a Vietnam veteran and former prisoner of war, joined his GOP colleagues in condemning the remark and demanding an apology.

"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," McCain said in a statement.

U.S. troops "deserve our respect and deepest gratitude for their service," he added and said the notion that only those with poor educations serve in the Iraq "is an insult to every soldier serving in combat."

"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," McCain said.

But Kerry refused to relent, calling the criticism part of the "classic GOP playbook."

"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."

He further expressed disgust with "Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country."

Kerry added that President Bush and Vice President Cheney "owe our troops an apology" because they "misled America into war."

Bush and Cheney "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," the senator said.

I'll grant that it wasn't the best thing for Kerry to have said, but can anyone really say they think Kerry was calling the troops dumb? Bush and the Reps. have proved his point about them being dumb by trying to twist this around to make it sound like Kerry's remark was meant to blast the troops in Iraq when, in fact, it was meant to blast Bush.

How stupid can a person be? :wacko:

Everytime that we have it going our way, some stupid remark comes along and talkes it toll. I know that Kerry would never say anything bad about our troops, but the damage is done. This remark opened up Pandora's Box for the GOP. This single remark will keep him out of 2008, and I did not like him in 2004, but I voted for him because of the choices that I had.

As I see it, if this keeps Kerry out of '08, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Unlike Gore, who won the popular vote (and the electoral vote, but we won't go there), Kerry lost both, although possibly not by the margin that was reported because of voting "irregularities," particularly in Ohio. <_< But still, he lost, and I never did think he was a strong candidate.

Personally, I doubt this will keep him out if he intends to run, but it will come back to haunt him, just like the "I voted against it before I voted for it" comment.

It was a stupid mistake he made, a poor choice of words, but anyone with any sense at all knows Kerry wasn't dissing the troops. I mean, really. :rolleyes:

Kerry would never get the nod again. if Al don't get in it is wide open at this point.
Dems won't put Kerry in because he can't win. Hillary ? I don't think she can win either.
Is so early who knows what will happen. I sure dread even thinking about the traitor mccain or the fake juliani.

If not Hillary, and not Kerry, and I hope not Obama, then who? Doesn't Gore understand that WE NEED HIM?!

This statement by Kerry is true. If Iraq continues to spin out of control these kids have a very good chance of seeing action in Iraq. The statements Kerry made on his return from Vietnam were the things he heard in a meeting of combat vets held in Michigan. He simply repeated what he heard and the GOP took it in a very condensed form instead of telling the whole story.

Our troops do deserve respect and support and this army gets that, but the army in Kerry's comments so long ago were not about this days army. The army in Vietnam was not volunteer but made up mostly of draftees and those who had the option of jail or a year in Vietnam. Our standards then were low, the accept anyone who can breathe attitude, and there were many uneducated in the ranks and many of a violate nature who should have been in jail, not a uniform with a gun.

I support our men in harms way to the fullest. I do not support Bush's war. We cannot continue to send these troops back again and again and again, we can not continue to extend their enlistment so we can keep troop levels up. At some point these soldiers will have had enough and our army is already stretched far too thin. And let us never forget that the ones Bush is sending and calling volunteers are coming from the same groups that he went into to avoid combat.

Politicians have said over and over for years now that the draft is off of the table, but will it be in another year or two?

Okay, so what you're saying raises an interesting question, al001: Did Kerry mean to say that if you don't work hard you end up in Iraq, or did he mean to say that if you don't work hard and aren't smart you'll end up getting us into Iraq (aimed, obviously, at Bush)? He's being disingenuous, then, if he's saying that he was knocking Bush and not the troops. What you're saying contradicts what Kerry's now saying to trying to cover his butt.

What do you think?

earthmother Posted on Oct 31 2006, 08:46 PM
Okay, so what you're saying raises an interesting question, al001: Did Kerry mean to say that if you don't work hard you end up in Iraq, or did he mean to say that if you don't work hard and aren't smart you'll end up getting us into Iraq (aimed, obviously, at Bush)?


We are in Iraq so I didn't mean getting us into. I have no idea what he meant by the "bottle joke" commit. As far as working hard in school in earlier conflicts it was the norm to send the High School Grads that chose not to go to college or couldn't afford it, the drop outs or failures into combat and to allow those who excelled to continue their education rather than go to war. I don't agree with all Kerry says and don't want him even considering running again. I was simply trying, although I may have failed, to point out that the Army now is different than the Army Kerry's earlier statements were attributed to and that we may not be as far from a draft as many think. If the draft is reinstated we will go back to the old norm. And in that case we will have to send the less quailfied and less educated.

If I was misunderstood and failed to make my point clearly I apologize.

i heard on radio this evening that Kerry speechwriter called some news agency to say kerry omitted a word - it was supposed to be "you wind up getting us stuck in Iraq"

that, of course, is completely unambiguous

We will see how this plays out...

I certainly don't assume Kerry is "out of it' because he left out one word in a speech. A lot will depend on his response. It may even help him if it shows he will fight back effectively against those who would intentionally distort his words and those of other Democrats.

If we let that happen then no Democrat will have a chance. Even if you don't like the guy, we should not just let the MSM and Repugs twist the truth without fighting back

:spikey: :sport:

This just in: Kerry fires back!

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/290...tml?source=mypi

What's most distressing to me about this whole thing is the way the Dems. are deserting him like rats jumping off a sinking ship. Where's their loyalty? Where are their cajones? Stand by him, for god's sake! Unite behind him and tell everyone to go f*ck themselves if they insist on misconstruing what he said. It's exactly what they did to Gore in 2000--hung him out to dry in the hot Florida sun, all by himself. Deserted him. I understand that they don't want to be associated with Kerry now because their asses are on the line with the election next week, but where are their principles! And besides principles, it would give a lot more strength to Kerry's fight if they'd all just say, "So, he made a mistake, of course he didn't mean to dis the troops (Kerry, of all people), and quit trying to make political hay out of this," and then move on.

United we stand, divided we fall. What a bunch of freaking cowards. :rolleyes:

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

No need to apologize, Al. I'm the one who often misunderstands what I'm reading these days becasuse of the old chemo-brain.

I get it now.

I see the Dems are running for cover. Caving in to more dirty pug propoganda. I think Mr Kerry should go on the national news and do as Earthmother suggested and do it right away. It is hurting the Democratic party due to the Bush and his cronies running with this story because they have nothing else to run with. I just hope th people in America see clearly through all this hogwash the pugs are again doing. And don't forget the issues at hand and why GW and his rotten Congress a at near bottom on all polls.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/01/ker...arks/index.html

Kerry apologizes for 'misinterpreted' words

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John Kerry apologized Wednesday for a "poorly stated joke," which the Massachusetts senator says was aimed at the president but was widely perceived as a slam on U.S. troops.

"I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform, and I personally apologize to any service member, family member or American who was offended," he said in a written statement.

"As a combat veteran, I want to make it clear to anyone in uniform and to their loved ones: My poorly stated joke at a rally was not about, and [was] never intended to refer to any troop," he said.

In the statement, the four-term senator continued to assert that the GOP was using the gaffe to distract voters from its own shortcomings.

"It is clear the Republican Party would rather talk about anything but their failed security policy," he said. "I don't want my verbal slip to be a diversion from the real issues. I will continue to fight for a change of course to provide real security for our country, and a winning strategy for our troops."

Kerry canceled plans to campaign for fellow Democrats after the GOP began hammering him over his comments to college students about getting "stuck in Iraq."

President Bush's 2004 presidential rival -- who told a radio host Wednesday he was sorry for what he called a "botched joke" -- will not appear with Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Bob Casey on Wednesday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a Democratic official said.

"I would be surprised if you see him welcomed out there anywhere," the official said, "and certainly not in a race that is meaningful."

Strategists at both the Democratic House and Senate campaign committees told their candidates the flap is a distraction they don't need right now. (Time.com: John Kerry, still one step behind)

The Democratic official said the issue doesn't appear to change any races, but it may attract more GOP supporters in tight Senate contests in Missouri and Tennessee.

Kerry's comments provide an opportunity for Republicans to go on the offensive on national security issues -- a winning GOP strategy in 2002 and 2004 that has been blunted by the increasingly violent situation in Iraq.

The Republican National Committee took advantage of the Kerry gaffe with an ad featuring the text of quotes from Maj. Gen. Thomas Bostick, Sen. John McCain and Bush in support of U.S. troops.

A video clip of Kerry's remarks follows, then the caption, "John Kerry should apologize. Our soldiers are waiting."

Kerry made the comment Monday to students at Pasadena City College in California.

He said: "You know, education -- if you make the most of it, you study hard and 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." (Watch Kerry's "botched joke'" that launched the political stink -- 1:50)

A Kerry aide said the senator was supposed to say, "I can't overstress the importance of a great education. Do you know where you end up if you don't study, if you aren't smart, if you're intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq."

Appearing Wednesday on radio host Don Imus' program, "Imus in the Morning," Kerry said, "I'm going back to Washington. I'm going back to tackle this, you bet." (Watch Kerry refuse to apologize for criticizing the president and "his broken policy" -- 9:33)

"Of course, I'm sorry about a botched joke," he added. "Everybody knows I botched a joke."

Kerry said the controversy was "swift boat stuff all over again," referring to the 2004 campaign issue about his service in Vietnam.

"They shouldn't be allowed to do that," the Massachusetts lawmaker said. "I'm not going to let these guys lie and smear, and they put their whole machine out to do it, and they ought to apologize."

But White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said the onus was on Kerry to issue an apology, and he rejected the notion that Kerry's remarks to Imus constituted one.

"You and I and everybody in this room have said things that we didn't intend to say," Snow said at a press briefing Wednesday. "And when it offends people, you say, 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say it. I'm wrong.' And he hasn't done that."

Snow said Kerry was "insistent on pointing fingers at the president" and that the senator's remarks did not appear to be in jest.

"If you listen to the tone of voice in which he said them, it's hard to construe them as a joke. It didn't sound like he was trying to make funnies," he said.

Cheney set to enter fray
Kerry's office said two House campaign appearances also have been canceled -- by mutual decision -- so as not to "allow the Republican hate machine to use Democratic candidates as their proxies in their distorted spin war in which once again they're willing to exploit brave American troops."

A Kerry aide said the senator wouldn't go to Minnesota for Democrat Tim Walz, who is trying to unseat Rep. Gil Gutknecht, R-Minnesota, and congressional candidate Bruce Braley of Iowa announced that Kerry would not appear with him either.

Republicans unleashed a firestorm of criticism against Kerry after the Vietnam veteran's remarks.

Vice President Dick Cheney will enter the fray Wednesday night during a speech in Montana. The White House released the portion of Cheney's speech pertaining to Kerry.

"John Kerry needs to learn that the men and women serving in Iraq aren't there because they didn't study hard or do their homework," Cheney is set to say. "They're smart, patriotic, exceptionally well-trained and dedicated to their mission. They are heroes, and they are the pride of the United States of America."

On Tuesday, Bush joined many GOP lawmakers -- including House Majority Leader John Boehner and McCain, a former prisoner of war -- in blasting Kerry. (Watch both sides tussle over Kerry's gaffe -- 3:02)

"The senator's suggestion that the men and women of our military are somehow uneducated is insulting and shameful," Bush said. "The men and women who serve in our all-volunteer armed forces are plenty smart and are serving because they are patriots -- and Sen. Kerry owes them an apology."

Bush will not face voters again, and Kerry isn't up for re-election this year.

A number of top Democrats said they, too, were upset with the senator for giving the Republicans election-time ammunition -- even if the GOP was hyping the remark.

A top Democratic strategist said Tuesday that Kerry "already cost us one election" and should "keep his mouth shut." Added Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. of Tennessee on Wednesday, "Whatever the intent, Sen. Kerry was wrong to say what he said. He needs to apologize to our troops."

Democratic candidate Jon Tester, who is in a tight race against Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Montana, said in a statement, "Sen. Kerry's remarks were poorly worded and just plain stupid. He owes our troops and their families an apology."

But not all Democrats concurred. Vietnam veteran and former U.S. Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia defended Kerry's record of fighting for veterans and applauded the senator for showing "our party how to fight back with the truth."

Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, also defended Kerry, telling reporters Wednesday in Burlington, Vermont, "Kerry made a blooper. Bloopers happen," according to The Associated Press.

I think Kerry did the right and necessary thing here. It should stop the Reps. from making this into a big issue right before the election, and it should make the troops and their families feel better.

Is everybody happy now? :rolleyes:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061101/ap_on_...an_on_democrats

Dean defends Kerry, attacks Bush in Vt.

By ROSS SNEYD, AP Political Writer

The chairman of the Democratic National Committee leaped to the defense of the party's 2004 presidential nominee Wednesday against charges that he was insulting American troops serving in Iraq.

Howard Dean, in comments to reporters in his home state, said Sen. John Kerry had committed "a blooper," but the reaction had given Democrats an opportunity to highlight what they describe as the Republicans' weaknesses on the Iraq war.

"Kerry made a blooper. Bloopers happen," Dean said at the state party's campaign headquarters.

"I think we want to focus on the president's intemperate rhetoric in saying to vote for a Democrat is a vote to help the terrorists win," Dean said. "That's clearly untrue and that's exactly the reason why President Bush is a failed president."

The Republican National Committee shot back, accusing Dean and Kerry of disparaging the military. "Howard Dean's defense of John Kerry's shameful comments is sadly indicative of Democrats refusal to defend the integrity of our military," RNC spokesman Aaron McLear said in an e-mail. "Democrats have an opportunity to stand up for our troops but they instead are either justifying Kerry's comments or staying silent while accepting his money. Either way they are showing voters exactly what they think of our brave men and women in uniform."

Kerry got caught up in charges and countercharges with the president for saying earlier in the week when he told California students that if they did not do well on their school work they were likely to "get stuck in Iraq."

The Massachusetts senator has since said he was attempting to deliver a joke about the president but "botched" it.

"Of course I'm sorry about a botched joke. You think I love botched jokes?" Kerry said during an appearance on Don Imus' nationally syndicated radio program. "I mean, you know, it's pretty stupid."

Dean predicted during his own news conference that, if the election were held today, Democrats would win a majority in the House and would come close in the Senate. The only open question in the Senate, he said, was whether Democrat Claire McCaskill would defeat incumbent Republican Sen. Jim Talent (news, bio, voting record) in Missouri.

Democrats also are likely to pick up between four and six governors' offices, Dean said.

The president's unpopularity is a big part of the reason that Democrats are surging in the final week of the campaign, Dean said, comparing Bush to Richard Nixon.

"I think there's a lot of similarities between Nixon and Agnew and Bush and Cheney," Dean said. "They're both using the IRS for political purposes. They're both spying on people they don't like and not just terrorists, but also American citizens. Neither one of them particularly believes in judicial rights. They've both been dishonest with the American people."

Democrats will not try to even the score if they win control of the Congress, Dean said.

"I think what the American people want for us is to be pulled back together again and given hope again," he said. "You can't do that if you spend all your time trying to impeach the president."

Dean, who vied with Kerry for the presidential nomination in 2004, repeatedly sought to refocus the attention on Bush's remarks about Democrats and he rejected denunciations of Kerry's remarks by Republicans and even some Democrats.

"The voters want change. Change does not mean the voters like terrorists," Dean said. "He's (Bush is) out there using outrageous rhetoric and I think he'll be punished for it."

Go, Howard! :good:

This is what I was saying before. I think it's much better for the Dems. to stand behind Kerry on this than desert him the way they did Gore in 2000. I mean, geez, the guy made a blunder. So shoot me?

Well as usual, republicans make a big deal out of nothing. The first time I heard what Kerry had said, it didn't sound that bad. I knew it was directed at Bush and not the American troops..........so what's the problem???

Republicans can be a real pain in the ass.

We all probably assumed the Republicans were going to try and pull a weasel out of their hat shortly before the mid-term vote. If this is the worst they can do, distort one remark by John Kerry, how bad is that. Especially if Kerry comes out and apologizes for any military people who were offended and restates his thoughts clearly once and then other Dems remind people of what the real issues are and don't run like scared mice. It's time for all good men and women to come to the aid of their party an nation :spikey:

Kerry called it a misunderstood joke and I accept that without question but I also feel a few things deserve mention.

(1) Bush and his crew got us into Iraq without a plan for the peace or to get us out. They can say what they will but I still haven't seen anything close to their plan they now say, after all these years, they have.

(2) The troops and not Bush, his crew or anyone close to him or his friends fights this war nor do they face any risk what so ever.

(3) And All Volunteer Army. True in many ways, but I must also ask the question of how many of these volunteers had another option in today's job market other than the military.

(4) All Volunteer? Many are National Guard as in Guarding this Nation in times of need. I'll bet they were never told they would or could be sent into a combat zone again and again and again.

(5) At what other time in our History have we sent both mothers and fathers, many of the same family into combat at the same time. This is the first.

(6) With our Military so stretched and more badly needed the possibility of the draft is still hanging out there regardless of how much politicians deny it. And when it does come it will be the High School Grads that either don't have the grades for a scholarship or the almost impossible price charged for higher education. It will be the drop outs and the poor. It will be those without political connections and possibly, as in Vietnam, those with the choice of jail or military duty. In other words people like those in Bush's, Chaney's and Rumfields class will never see active duty. But then they didn't before either.

Still they will take credit for any victories that what they consider the underclass achieve and but they will of course put the blame on someone else should they fail. But without a doubt... they will never fight for the freedom they speak so much about. They never have!

Well , Wayne Wilson and Janet have saw fit to close the topic over at AlGore.org

So be it

As far as I am concerned (and I know many of you do not agree) John Kerry was elected President in 2004, and once again the Bush/Cheney regime stole Democracy itself from the American people. Kerry won 52% of the the women in Ohio and 51% of the men in Ohio.

They tell us we are supposed to 'get over it' and 'move on'. I don't think any patriotic American "moves on" from the the decay and destruction of American democracy. The writer for ABC News said Bob Shrum called Kerry "Mr President" after the exit polls were closed. Then the "real" results came in. The results from those "Diebold" voting machines. Read Mark Crispin Miller and tell me again that the American People did not elect John Kerry president in November 2004.

Based on the criteria used in the ABC News article Kerry is a good man but a poor politician. That makes Al Gore a 'poor politician' as well

Well, I guess I've said my peace for now. But until we bring our elections up to at least 3rd world standards of honesty. Unless exit polls are used a a check against electoral fraud. Unless we go back to paper ballots, Democracy in America is still on vacation. I look forward to seeing her return, but I am aghast at the complacency of the public and the cowardice of the press. If anything Ohio was more crooked in 2004 than Florida in 2000. Pollster John Zogby has called it the most crooked election in modern American history. But I guess we are not supposed to care because we support Al Gore...

I'm off the reservation with Mad Donkey. I count it as one of the worst crimes in the history of American politics. And I don't see anything to prevent it from happening again.. :bad:

Why did they close that thread at AG.org? Was something going on? Last time I looked at it, everyone was just discussing the issue. And what did Wayne Wilson have to do with it? He's not a moderator. He can't close threads. Did he ask that it be closed? :?:

Guess I'll have to try to find it and read through what I missed.

I checked it out, and I don't get it. Members can't close threads. So Wayne must've asked Janet to do that, I guess. As far as I know, Janet and Butterfly (and Dylan, of course), are the only people who can close threads at AG.org.

And I guess Wayne was saying we should move on, but as Janet pointed out, the media haven't.

I found this and read the majority of postings. Their was the usual banter as that site has but I found little reason to lock it and to lock it after the last post was Janet's?

:?:

Yeah, I didn't get it at all. The only thing I could figure was that Wayne felt we shouldn't give any more attention to the matter and, since he'd started the thread, felt it should be closed. Whatever. I like it much better here where I have control over what goes on! :lol:

Oh, the power . . . :P

Your right Earthmother. I like it better here too. The last reply I made on the other site was deleted. You also made a reply... The post on the poll of Is Gore Stupid. But I must agree with that one being deleted. I'm actually surprised it made it on for so long, even though you and I were the only ones to reply and your was much nicer than mine.

Thanks for steering me here.

:good:

We're really glad to have you here, Al. :clap:

I am glad to be here as well. Thanks to all of you :clap:

Mad Donkey and myself did discuss our concerns at algore.org again tonight. :coolwink:

I would like to remind people that after Florida in 2000 we said never again.
Then four years later it happened again in Ohio. That does not mean we should give up. That means we should redouble our efforts :spikey:

Here's a little link to one interesting article regarding 2004

http://commondreams.org/headlines04/1118-11.htm

Wayne, I for one am also glad your here. Give Mad Donkey my best.

:D :good:

In case anyone missed it, here's a video clip of Keith Olbermann on Bush's handling of the Kerry gaffe. It is positively scathing, in that way that he has become famous for. Defintely worth 10 minutes of your time.

Watch it here: http://www.vimeo.com/clip:114157

Earthmother, thank you, thank you, thank you. So much truth spoken in so short a time. Excellent and I recommend all listen to this.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

It was good, wasn't it, Al? Olbermann has given a powerful voice to those of us who feel powerless.

What amazes me is that MSNBC continues to allow him to do this.

I just watched the clip of Keith Olberman. Mr Olberman, I salute you!

Thank all of you for continuing the struggle to maintain a degree of freedom and honesty in the face of the most despicable regime in American history.

We will not give up. Their lies will eventually be exposed. We have no other option as Americans