Murtha Says Kerry Remark Was “No Joke”
EmailABC News’ Mike Silverstein reports: On ABC News Radio this morning, Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) defended Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) while also declaring that his comments were "no joke." Rep. Murtha stated that Kerry "should quit trying to call jokes, to tell jokes. Because that was no joke. It was a serious miscalculation on his part."
In Kerry’s defense, Murtha went on to attack critics, "to infer that he’s denigrated the troops is absurd. I know this about John Kerry. He would never have denigrated in any way the troops themselves. I have no idea. I saw what he said and I can’t imagine he said those things, but he sure didn’t mean what he said. That’s a problem."
As a final note, Rep. Murtha emphasized the difference between Democrats and the Bush Administration, "you support the troops and you differentiate between the policy. Our disagreement with this President is policy disagreement. All of us support the troops, and I’m sure John Kerry does, too."
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Ok enough about the botched Joke. Look there is an election here and issues to be discussed. John Kerry may have something stupid but not illegal. There are at least a dozen senators and congressmen being investigated. Where is the investigative journalism. No more he said she said media reporting. Lets get back to the issues. PLEASE!
Posted by: Lisa | November 1, 2006, 12:04 pm 12:04 pm
The troops all know that the politicians support them, especially during campaign season. So Kerry’s slur to us is surely a blunder. He has now said as much, although it was remarkably tough for him to say I’m sorry.
But isn’t a policy of getting out of Iraq without a plan for the resulting chaos remarkably similar to a policy of invading Iraq without a plan for the resulting occupation?
And, forgive me, but it is a stretch to see we show unquestioned support for our fallen heroes by abandoning the cause for which they paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Just a thought.
Posted by: broed | November 1, 2006, 12:04 pm 12:04 pm
I just want to thank Mr. Kerry for getting me out to vote next week. I had planned not to vote; but since Mr. Kerry’s “Freudian slip” on Monday I will be making my way to the ballot box next week to vote against the democrats. His slip just made it crystal clear how MOST democrats really feel about our military and us veterans. So I just want to thank Mr. Kerry.
Posted by: mb | November 1, 2006, 12:05 pm 12:05 pm
Ok this is why Americans are getting their information from Blogs and Satire comedy shows. The media is not reporting what is going on. Did Kerry make a mistake, yes, but was it illegal or unethical no. We are stuck in a war because we have a media that is a lap dog for the president.
Posted by: Lisa | November 1, 2006, 12:09 pm 12:09 pm
Saying Kerry jokes for ALL democrats shows just how ignorant Republicans are, and how easily they succumb to pundit’s crows. When you actually sit down and THINK about who really cares about issues that affect YOU directly, you’ll see that by voting for the corrupt, side of the mouth talking Republicans, you are only hurting yourself.
Posted by: dear mb | November 1, 2006, 12:27 pm 12:27 pm
Hmmmmm . . . .let me seeeee . . . a botched joke or a botched war!?!? Hmmmm . . . I think we really know who should apologize to my son and the other men and women serving in Iraq!! Senator Kerry has the utmost respect for all those serving! I have the utmost respect for him!
Posted by: Elaine | November 1, 2006, 1:12 pm 1:12 pm
You all just don’t get it. Kerry was talking about dumb old BUSH getting stuck in Iraq, NOT about the troops!
Posted by: Joe | November 1, 2006, 1:35 pm 1:35 pm
Boy, it didn’t take long for the republicans to pounce on that one. Never miss a real opportunity, saves the time of fabricating yet another one.
Kerry was right and justified in defending himself by saying to those pudgy faced pundits pointing their righteous and godly(?), if you swallow that God is judgemental, fingers that they have no right to accuse him of being unpatriotic when they themselves have never donned the uniforms of any branch of military and put their own lives on the line for this country. Lay off. Kerry mis-spoke… people make mistakes. No one can truly believe that he doesn’t have the plight of our service people at heart, and maybe deeply at heart because he didn’t come out swinging soon enough in the last election.
Posted by: Wanda O'Reilly | November 1, 2006, 1:49 pm 1:49 pm
Dumb joke or dumb war? Pick the important issue GOP morons.
Posted by: fred | November 1, 2006, 1:51 pm 1:51 pm
Bush is the one who has made decisions that he should apologize for, but he never will. Kerry has every word he says micro-managed by the republican hate machine. Kerry cares more about the troops than the whole Bush administration combined. They have shown disregard for the lives of our military from day one. If they ever cared for the troops there would have been serious issues considered before rushing into attacking another country. But no, they rushed to war for their own glory and their greed. The no bid contracts for Halliburton says all anyone needs to know. Criminal actions by the president and vice-president of this country. Billions of dollars that America needs is being wasted in Iraq. Our troops need to get out of the civil war that has resulted because of Bush’s incompetence.
Posted by: Vicki | November 1, 2006, 2:00 pm 2:00 pm
what ever kerry said about troops my not be sute well with right wingbut any one is going to ask mr VP dick how wrong he was about iraq every time he made comment last was ‘INSUERGENCIE IS IN ITS LAST THROWN” ABOUT YEAR AGO ? WHERE IS BUDDIEIES PAULWOLFITZ, HE IS HIDING UNDER WORLD BANK . BILLCRYTAL ,OF ABC WHERE IS FIVE BRAINS NOW WHO SHAPE AMERICAN POLCIEIES AND GOT STUK IN IRAQ EVERY DAY DONT GO BY THAT A YOUNG AMERICAN DIIES , MY HEART HURTS FOR EVERY ONE WHYPRESIDENT BUSH SEND HIS DOUGHTERS AND NAPHEWS IN WAR CHANNY NEVER ENLISTED SO WHAT HE KNOWS ABOUT CAMMBATT. AND HE QUESTIONS EVERY ONES PATRIETISUM,
Posted by: arif uddin | November 1, 2006, 2:57 pm 2:57 pm
Do you honestly believe he made a “botched joke” ? It seems like the “original speach” is purely made up to cover himself.
Posted by: Ross | November 1, 2006, 3:28 pm 3:28 pm
What a sad state of affairs that this is the number one news story. People are dying in Iraq and the media is more concerned with a flubbed joke.
Posted by: Patty | November 1, 2006, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm
I don’t get this. Is Murtha defending Kerry or attacking him? Kerry says it was a joke, so Murtha doesn’t believe him?
Murtha, what’s goin on man — you are NOT helping here. Thanks for trying. But please, go sit down.
This is like when Murtha said he would run for the majority leader job this summer. Is he trying to help himself or the party? Sometimes I’m not sure.
Posted by: Sharf | November 1, 2006, 5:02 pm 5:02 pm
to MB:
Thank you for your post. I wasn’t going to vote either, but now I will just to cancel yours out.
Thanks.
Posted by: Bender | November 1, 2006, 6:44 pm 6:44 pm
Ok, Kerry admitted he made a mistake, after 2800 deaths Bush still won’t admit he made mistakes or lied to the American people.
Posted by: Terry | November 1, 2006, 7:31 pm 7:31 pm
MB: Thanks for your comments. I was going to sit home and not bother about the election. Now you have given me a reason to go out and vote. And I will vote for a DEMOCRAT.
Posted by: Heardithere | November 1, 2006, 8:49 pm 8:49 pm
I cannot believe that there are people in America who automatically think all Democrats are not for the military and that they all believe what John Kerry said. Did Bush serve? How about Cheney, DeLay, Frist, Snow, O’Reilly, Limbaugh? What do these guys know about war and serving. Everybody should darn well know that Kerry never meant any disrespect to the brave men and women. Murtha knows what he’s talking about, because he and Kerry have served. Not these politicians in suits with briefcases who talk about war and don’t know anything about war. At least Kerry explained what his remarks were supposed to be and he also apologized. Al Gore is blamed for claiming that he invented the internet, which we all know he didn’t mean that. He meant that he was able to provide the funding, but that wasn’t the cas. With Senator Allen, when used the racial slur a couple of months ago, he claimed he made it up. Yeah right, how does me make that up. Nobody has asked him how in the world he made that word up.
Posted by: Josh | November 2, 2006, 2:04 am 2:04 am
Everyone out there on the fence about whether to vote or not needs to GET OUT there and vote. If you don’t, the nation’s woes for the next 2 years could be on your head. I am not sure this country can take 2 more years of unchecked republican rule.
Posted by: Katie | November 2, 2006, 8:19 am 8:19 am
Mr. Kerry is a complete joke himself. We should be lucky he is not the president. Republican rule is the only way this country will survive not being called and viewed weak by other countries. If the Liberals get in office God help us! BTW, I wasn’t going to vote but now I will vote against Kerry for bashing our troops. The Dems real colors are shining through.
Posted by: Mike | November 3, 2006, 2:59 pm 2:59 pm
First of all, everyone has the right to say what they feel. It seem like we are going right down the same street we have been going for year again with this year elections. . We worry who in control congress but one thing we don’t realize is that both parties have member who be in congress for number of years. Be for real DO YOU REALLY THINGS THING WILL CHANGE MUCH. Most party member on both side never really vote party line. One thing we need to think about is that most of these senator and representative on both side are good friend and once the election is over with, business won’t be all that much different just another political parties doing its thing.
So until we get new ideals with new people in Congress Well be right back to business as usually.
If we look back 15+ years ago we were talking about some of the same issues we are talking about now, when Democrat were in power. So it funny that they are using the same playbook the Republican used. So we will end up most likely electing Democrats and maybe in 15 year from now we will kick them out and do it all over again. I love it.
It time for a change and vote out all the Senator of Congress men/women form both parties who been there a along time and elected someone new. Then maybe we will get this change you all are talking about. With new blood and new leadership someone outside of congress then only we can change thing.
Posted by: Independent thinker | November 3, 2006, 6:05 pm 6:05 pm
I am a military professional who has served over 28 years in the world’s greatest military, and Sen John Kerry has also served in that same military. Swift boats, and now this attack on this great patriot. Not only does Sen Kerry support the troops, he is one of them. Make no mistake, the President got the message and is fully aware of who the Senator had in his sight. My reply to all my Republicans friends is simply this. Where is President George W. Bush’s Record of Military Service (DD214)? Maybe hidden away in his father’s Presidential Library. What do you think America? VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!!!
Posted by: Cladis D. Houston | November 6, 2006, 11:18 am 11:18 am
Okay. He was obviously NOT referring to troops. It was an arrogant remark, and a completely obnoxious thing to say, but honestly, I get a headache from how stupid people are. They want someone to apologize because they themselves can’t understand sarcasm?
Posted by: Trevor | November 6, 2006, 3:55 pm 3:55 pm
kerrys remarks were taken completely out of context. anyone with half a brain knew he was talking about our president. and rightly so. he was not a scholar and he has no record of his so called military time . bush doesnt even know when he is being insulted. im sure rove and snow and possibly the rest of his staff told him kerry was bashing our troups and of course he was again led by the nose and said what they instructed him to say. by the way it is a known fact that our recruters go to the poorest areas of the country to recruit boys . they offer big bonus for these same boys and then send them on their way to ” get stuck in iraq” there was more truth to kerrys statement than he intended
Posted by: magood | November 6, 2006, 10:56 pm 10:56 pm
He said…she said…who cares? In the final analysis, the voters will be voting on performance, not political rhetoric from either party.
Posted by: mordecai | November 7, 2006, 5:42 am 5:42 am