JF Kerry:

“You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

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That’s JF Kerry: a classless, clueless little man, and he’s the Democrat’s star campaigner this season.

Read on for Tony Snow’s response and Kerry’s response to Tony . . .

Here’s White House Press Secretary Tony Snow at today’s press briefing:

MR. SNOW: … It sort of fits a pattern. You may recall that last year Senator Kerry on CBS’s Face the Nation accused U.S. soldiers of terrorizing kids and children in Iraq and recently also described troop concentrations in Baghdad as, quote, “having failed miserably.” What Senator Kerry ought to do first is apologize to the troops. The clear implication here is: If you flunk out, if you don’t study hard, if you don’t do your homework, if you don’t make an effort to be smart and you don’t do well, you, quote, “get stuck in Iraq.” Bret, an extraordinary thing has happened since September 11th, which is a lot of people, America’s finest, have willingly agreed to volunteer their services in a mission that they know is dangerous, but is also important. And, you know, Senator Kerry not only owes an apology to those who are serving, but also to the families of those who have given their lives in this. This is an absolute insult, and I’m a little astonished that he didn’t figure it out already. I mean, you know, as far as Senator Kerry — I mean, you’ve seen me; if I say something stupid, I apologize as quickly as possible. And this is something for which he ought to apologize. Meanwhile, it’s probably reasonable to ask some of the Democrats — ask Jim Webb or Tammy Duckworth, both of whom are citing their military record, “Okay. What do you think about? What do you think about this quote? Do you agree with him? He was your presidential nominee.” And as for the notion that, you know, you can say this sort of thing about the troops and say you support them, it’s interesting.

And here’s JF Kerry’s response. It is not an apology; rather, he lashes out wildly, like a jackass (donkey):

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 despicable 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 Dick 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.”

In the closing days of this campaign, this is called an implosion. We’ve seen it before from John Kerry. The Democrats have to be embarrassed.

Perhaps it’s time for a visit from the Arkansas National Guard.

(hat tip, the Chicago Tribune’s The Swamp blog)