Bush vs. Kerry: Round Two

02 November 2006 |permalink | email article

It was déjà vu all over again Monday. The 2004 presidential campaign resurfaced with a harsh words between the White House and John Kerry over the senator’s remarks to a group of Southern California college students that those unable to navigate the nation’s education system “get stuck in Iraq.”

President Bush, with Karl Rove smelling blood, accused Kerry of troop-bashing and called the statement “insulting and shameful.” Kerry angrily fired back “that I apologize to no one for my criticism of the president and his broken policy.”

For Kerry to lamely admit his comment was “a botched joke about the president” is a stunning gaffe which virtually destroys his chance to win the 2008 Democratic nomination. Hillary Clinton is the the winter book favorite today with Barack Obama rising.

With all polls indicating Democrats well positioned to retake the House with the Senate rated even money, it’s not surprising that some candidates in close races cancelled invitations for Kerry to campaign for them. 

Two days of at least six cycles of negative cable news coverage could have been avoided if Kerry had issued an immediate clarification of his remarks. Instead, under steady attack from the White House, he finally issued an apology late Wednesday.

Kerry’s prepared remarks included two sentences: “You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq. Just ask President Bush.” Score a coup for Rovian politics. In fact, there was no mention of troop bashing, no need for an apology.

Unfortunately for Kerry, this is not the first time that he’s failed to speak clearly about his political views. His equivocal statements about supporting the Iraq war began raising questions about his leadership ability early in 2004. Yet, despite such ambivalence, he would have become the 44th president of the United States had he carried Ohio.

W. got an unexpected chance to reenergize his conservative base. But his assault on Kerry only refocused public anger about Iraq. His praise yesterday for Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney may have been the kiss of death for many endangered Republican candidates. 

The midterm elections issue is clear: Bush, Iraq, and Change.   

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